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I love summer flowers....and we're getting ready for a BIG family/friend/neighbor party this weekend. So exciting....

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Tonight.....nothing was planned for dinner except a picnic in the park (and we decided we all were just too tired for that) so we headed for Friendly's for a special treat. Josh picked up his B2B registration on the way home (I swear this race is more exciting than Christmas around here...) and that was our evening. Bedtime was a little unsettled after all this excitement. After heading in an out of Breanna's room 3 times with no luck getting her to settle in for the night, Trevor decided to take a stab at it. He quietly crept into Breanna's room and 5 minutes later came out and closed the door and not another peep was heard out of her. I asked TRevor what he possible did to get her to go to sleep and he said that he just rubbed her arm for a few minutes and told her that Curious George was sleeping and that it was her turn to go to sleep. And that was that, he is one amazing kid.

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Another project completed.....we're on a roll!

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Summer is FINALLY in full swing around here, which means our days are filled with the beach, riding bikes, the swingset, the waterpark and just staying outside until it is past bedtime. AND if you can believe it, Trevor has ridden this ride (THE STEALTH), and no, I have not dared to yet.

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IT'S finished!!!! And yes, this is where I have been for the past few days instead of blogging after the kids have gone to bed , organizing and doing a little redecorating. It is just better than I dreamed it would be, the kids are down there when I'm cooking and doing household chores and I don't have to pick up any toys, I just walk upstairs and close the door....I doesn't get any better than this (plus they love it!)

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spending a very fun day at Rodger Williams Park and Zoo yesterday, Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!

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Happy Birthday Daddy!

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ANOTHER rainy day! These guys are really loving their new video, "Natures Most Amazing Events..." (It's pretty cool)

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Pure Joy. Pure You.

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Summer.......Just staying outside.....until it gets dark out, with my brother's help to do all the things that boys like to do (like climbing rocks).

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I love this place.....it's Trevor's turn this week. This farm is just a really peaceful place. For kids, it's like growing up in the olden days where you could run and play, dig in dirt, walk in the woods, look for frogs and mud in a creek, sing, dance, play games, or just be still for a while. A place where they can feel the breeze and hear the thoughts inside their heads. A place where the kids' days are their own with just the rhythm of the animals and life on a farm to guide them. Who knows where it will take them this week. Some days, I so long for that simple little peaceful life. I'm so lucky my kids get to be a part of it. This is what being a kid is all about....

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Finally getting around to taking the two year old photo. This one taken before church yesterday will have to do. Actually I had a better photo of you sitting on the potty reading a book, but I don't think you'd ever forgive me if I posted that here:) Happy Monday!

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Our toothless boy...Oh my your face is about to change by a mile (I kind of liked that baby smile:( ).....

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This is going to be your year.

Today....Breanna just walked through the store for the whole grocery shopping trip on a really busy Saturday, BY HERSELF, staying with me and not taking things off the shelves, throwing herself on the ground or running away---this is HUGE! I just wanted to cry with happiness on the way home!

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At the Farm.

Today was the last day of Breanna's farm camp. This camp was a HUGE thing for her (and us). It was her very first totally mainstreamed experience (other than having an aide with her) The first day, I went with her. Helen took her the rest of the week The first day proved to be a lot for me. I had to get over all my emotions and the fact that Breanna needed a helper there constantly so she could do what a typical child could do. She also wanted me to carry her the whole time and had a hard time participating at first. I had to get over the emotion of having to prove that we had business being there and that Breanna could do it. Well, she did just fine, she was even playing with some other little girls at the end. A couple of the counselors (all young kids) really took a liking to her. Tristan ate snack with her every day. Plus, she loved it (I knew she would, she loves animals)! She got to play in dirt, pick potato bugs, feed the chickens and pigs. She made a great tie dye shirt. Breanna would just love to sit there and watch the chickens all day, she was fascinated with them. We're so proud of You Bre! You did it!

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loving naptime...

The things you say.

I love to watch the way your brain works. Today, we pulled up to the library to turn in your reading card and you said, Mom, I think they make the cars different colors instead of all white so the parking lots will look so beautful and interesting."

Just yesterday you read your first chapter book to completion (it took two hours of the day.) You are also swimming like a little fish, LOVE the turbo drop at Aquaboggin and started a new swimming lesson this week. This week you are in a little basketball camp. it is a K-2 camp. You can definately tell the difference between a first grade boy and a second grade boy. You have done so much growing this year and are patient and kind. Things don't bother you like they used to. You are such an awesome big brother to Lucas and you get him out of bed every morning and after naptime, you help him on the playground. You cheer him on when he does things for the first time. A really wise Mom (who has raised her kids) once told me that one of the secrets to having great kids is to love them for who they are, and don't try to change it. I hope that is how you feel we are loving you. SO far so good.

More about Breanna's camp experience to come (this camp is a REALLY big deal btw...)

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my little helpers....

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From the farm.

our 15 lbs of strawberries turned into my very first attempt at some jam (and it came out sooo yummy!) and some fresh carrot sticks--yummy!

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Our girl.

and her very first day of farm camp today!

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How to wash a dog:

1. the oldest child must hold the leash
2. the middle child gets to spray the water (briefly until the youngest one grabs it away..)
3. the youngest one gets to apply the soap (briefly until he realizes that spraying the water is WAY more fun.)

and some weeding and gardening and a brief trip to the waterpark all done today!

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Today....hitting some shops (after an AWESOME lobster roll) to bring back some goodies for our wonderful babysitters and our kiddos who are waiting at home with open arms for us to return:)

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10 years ago, we were here, just starting our lives together....now look how far we have come......

10 years.

2009.

1999.

Couldn't be happier....can't wait for this weekend!

Happy Anniversary--here's to many more years as good as the one's before.

Love you.

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The Perfect Day for picking strawberries(all 15 lbs of them)!

(and no backpacks or strollers needed this year....just pure family fun!)

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We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.
--Thornton Wilder

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Rainy day outside = movie day inside.

daily inspiration.

Love life.

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Ahhh...Summer vacation. My own schedule (who needs to get dressed), reading, playing and listening to music...not to mention a season pass to my favorite water park. I sure am a Lucky kid.

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Luckily....we brought the good weather back with us, and after cleaning out the van, a short trip to aquaboggin, to the grocery store, farmer's market and a little lawn mowing, we are ready to start our week!

Memorable moments

Virginia Beach 2009

• NY traffic
• going through the "caves"
• the truck that lost it's wheel
• our flat tire: Pep Boys, the taxi, the tow truck guys, Dinner in a supermarket parking lot, the Days inn, breakfast at Wal-mart, Salisbury, MD, Lucas saying, "where's Uncle Jeff?", Walking the mall, Sears
• getting there
• Margaritas
• Jeff's funny faces
• Ocean Breeze Water park: selling our pizza, Trevor riding everything, The toilet bowl, The wave pool and pirate ship
• Dancing to the girls and boys of Rock and Roll
• Watching the little one's having a blast at the water park
• Bre's Blow up bottom
• Bre and Lucas in the kiddie pool
• Burning all our money at IHOP
• The Beach, waves and body surfing (actually swimming in the ocean!)
• Jeff forgetting his ID after making SURE that everyone else had theirs.
• Using the walkie talkies to check out the sneagle and the sneaver
• Having plenty of hands
• Nap time
• Movies
• Trevor and Lily playing together
• watching TV at night after the kids were in bed
• The little ones playing in the sand
• Bills Suck
• Those Brownies!
• The fishing Game and Hullabaloo
• The zoo
• Watching Breanna feed the goats
• Trevor seeing a Bald Eagle for the first time
• Lunch at McDonald's (was that 4 happy meals??)
• The small truck
• Lily's hot dog story
• Because everyone needs a disco stick
• laughing
• Dinner at Bravo and dessert at the cheesecake factory after a little shopping
• Emma in the grownup picture
• SORRY Games, tea parties, swingset playing and bubble blowing
• Lucas and Emma at the dinner table
• Spending time with Jeff at the playground (we have missed you!)
• The weather-PERFECT!
• Emma going to bed in "fourty days"
• Not having to wear pants or a sweatshirt once
• BBQing
• A fenced in yard
• running
• Making sundaes at Skinny Dip and the making a wish at the wishing fountain.
• knowing we'll see them again real soon!

Thank you to Jeff and Irene, our amazing hosts, for a fantastic, and very memorable summer vacation!

video fun

Pause the music to see some of the fun we had on our Virgina Beach Vacation.

Here's to the kids of Rock and Roll!

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ARe we there yet??? (Note to self: July 4th is a SUPER travel day)

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Jeff and I took the kids to a a local playground in the morning while Josh and Trevor hit the waterpark again.

Whats for dinner?

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Parents nite out. (and apparently some of the kids think they are coming along as well!)

Love this girl.

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A super fun day at the beach, playing in the sand, swimming in the warm water, body surfing and playing in the waves, we're in heaven.

Family Fun

Just a littel family game of Hulabaloo to escape the heat of the day.