31 August

Today.

was filled with the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the first day of school (tomorrow). Mama's always nervous and excited for the first day (more than the kids). No, we don't have any new outfits (one nine year old boy is determined just to wear "whatever falls out of his drawer" and no haircut either!). It's not like when we were kids.

On the other hand.....guess who FINALLY (after weeks of counting down and years of watching his older brother play) had his first soccer practice! These kids are the cutest, and I can't WAIT to see their first game next Saturday. We also stopped by (late) Lucas' preschool open house after practice. We love the preschool and the teachers all have older kids also (around Trevor's age) so we have fun talking. I was really sad to find out that the teacher that Trevor was supposed to have for fifth grade (yes, we know two years in advance) who is a top notch teacher and just an all around great person has moved away.

Gosh, time is flying. I was just looking at pictures of Trevor's first day of Kindergarten...and now Fourth grade! I mean Lucas was just born yesterday and now he's only got one more year until Kindergarten. I'm so close to that mama milestone of having them all in school full time. I'm not sure I'm ready......

30 August

Last night we had a cookout, campfire and camped out in the backyard! The kids were so cute in their sleeping bags reading by flashlight. Today.......we're planning on another picnic down at the shore. Just a fantastic ending to a most memorable vacation in this great state of ours.

29 August

This evening........

we are determined to milk every last drop out of this summer vacation of ours. This was the best evening that I ever remember down at the shore. The slight breeze, sunlight and temperatures were perfect. It was low tide. There were a lot of sea creatures/seaweed and tons of giant clams washed up on shore from the storm that the kids could discover and "rescue". Summer really doesn't get any better than this.

28 August

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene.

wasn't too bad around here (we were lucky). We had ALOT of rain and some wind. There were trees and branches down, but we didn't lose power. We got the last two D batteries in Wal-mart. We spent the day inside unpacking, doing laundry watching a movie and playing Clue.

Hackney Cabin 2011

We're back! Our last hoorah of summer and it was just fantastic, we loved (almost) every minute of it. Being outdoors, campfires, being on the lake, hiking and boating. So many precious memories and stories to tell, and today we're in the middle of hurricane Irene (OR Maybe just a tropical storm, I'm a little behind on the news!) and there is not a D battery or a bottle of water to be found anywhere in this state. So I'm hoping (if we don't lose power) to have those stories told today.......stay tuned and enjoy the pics!

27 August

Today........is our last day. We need to head back home tonight to prepare for Hurricane Irene. It was a beautiful morning and we had our last big breakfast outside (Trevor prepared us all Blueberry silver dollar sizes pancakes). Breanna is all about having a separate bowl for dipping her syrup (she is so funny!), and Trevor loves making them their smiley faces. We headed up to our "spot" to hang out on the sandy beach of Richardson lake. We had so much fun relaxing, swimming and exploring a little riverbed nearby. And if you can believe it......Lucas got stung by ANOTHER BEE! Josh was good at killing them by the end of the day, but whenever we saw one, we would go running (we must have looked pretty funny!). We were all sad to pack up and go home. I just really enjoyed watching the kids discover all the new sights, sounds, and smells of being immersed int he outdoors. I was sad when they had to go to bed each night. I can't wait until next year!

26 August

the most beautiful day so far (even though it was raining when we woke up!). We hiked at the Rangeley lake trail center. The sunset over the lake was just beautiful. There was not a cloud in the sky. The boys fished until it was too dark to see. After the kids went to bed, Josh and I sat out on the dock to look at the stars. They were amazing, like viewing a planetarium. We got the kids up out of bed to share the beauty with us. The five of us, on the dock, faces to the sky, closing and opening our eyes (they say when you do that the stars look brighter)...... It was an amazing moment.

25 August

Day 4

rain in the forecast

fishing before breakfast

hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream (every morning!)

bacon, sausage and french toast (love the big breakfasts!)

Hiking the easy Hatchery Brook Loop a long Rangely lake

Went exploring in our car and ended up at sandy Richardson lake (my favorite childhood spot-Lucas called it "Sandy"-iego), a Dam and covered bridge

My favorite thing is coming back to the cabin in the early evenings afer a day spent out exploring all the wide open spaces,seeing the lake shimmering in the sun. It looks different every day (and the weather changes so quickly here!). I love seeing the silhouette of kids playing outdoors, making up their own games with the backdrop of the setting sum over the lake. I love BBBQueing our dinner, eating outside and breathing deeply the fresh air. I love sitting by the campfire and burning sticks and toasting marshmallows. I love talking about our dreams of where we ant to explore next. These are the best times of my life.

24 August

Today We.......

had sausage and real waffles for breakfast

didn't hike (needed a break after yesterday!)

hung out beside the lake all day

read,took naps, went running

took a long canoe ride (Lucy swam!)

waded in

panted the dock with paintbrushes

talked about our dreams for owning our own lake place "someday"

counted ducks

tried out the hammock

built a campfire (which prompted three children to run into the woods to gather their birch bark and burning sticks)

ate dinner outside (love that!)

made s'mores

played milk carton baseball ( is this how kick-the-can started?)

wished on the first star

23 August

a story about the bees (which we will NEVER forget)

We were in the middle of our hike to a beautiful spot to a remote part of Mooselookmeguntic lake when I spotted something on Lucy's ear. She was pawing at it and whining a little bit. I saw it was a bee stuck to her ear to I turned around and yelled to Josh to help her as the dog walked by. what happened next was a scene right out of a horror movie. AS I turned around, Lucas started screaming, he was getting stung. I took his hand and Trevor, Lucas and I started running. Lucas kept screaming, I wasn't sure if the yellow jackets were inside his clothes so I started ripping his shirt off as we were running (I didn't know they could sting through clothes). I turned around and saw Josh grabbing Bre by her shirt and running the other way. I finally got all the bees off Lucas as Josh and Bre had to run back through the bees, screaming to get to us. Bre and Lucas got stung 5 times each, Josh 10-15 times. Trevor and I ---zero! It was scary, we were shaking (thank god no one was allergic!) We carried the little kids all the way to the lake spot (which was beautiful and amazing by the way!) and got out the first aid kit to tend to everyone's stings. We were still shaking. We rested there a long while and collected driftwood from the beach and sat on the dock. We had to take a different path back to avoid the bees (which turned out to be a VERY rough,long and buggy trail through tall grass) . Lucas was such a trooper and walked back the whole way talking about how the bees were "no good" and how bumble bees are much nicer and only sting if you bother them. For the rest of the trip, we were deathly afraid of bees, flies etc.....(and there were a lot of them!) What a Day!

22 August

Day 1:

Hot chocolate in the morning (and coffee!)

Hiked the AT to Piazza Rock (4 miles total) (note to self:bring extra socks next time) and made up songs on the way back

Bre got her first pair of crocs (easy to get on and off by herself)

Rained off and on:(

Had a great campfire anyway.

Watched the sunset.

21 August

See you back in this space in a week, with pictures, stories and precious memories:)

20 August

Last night.....our once a year, dress up (with a matching belt and shoes), get a babisitter and have a sleepover for all six kids and go to a fancy restaurant together, for awesome food, drink, much laughter and awesome company (and we mostly just talk about our kids:)) Today........a little tired from staying past midnight and packing and shopping all day to get ready for our once a year camping adventure. Good times.

August 19, 1950

In her own words......

It was a hot August Day. Cloudy and Humid. I wondered if my hair would hold up all day. Everyone in my house was nervous except me. I had to help my mother get dressed, my sister and even my father (you are always so generous!). My brother was an usher and we had to drag him out of bed. He couldn't understand all the fuss. The church where we were married was huge, it took up a whole block. A beautiful church, but the isle was so long. I thought I would never get to the end of it. Also the priest was our pastor and pretty old. At the exchange of rings, he forgot to have me put Walter's on and I had to remind the alter boy who spoke to the priest. Grandpa was so nervous. I don't think he remembered much of anything. We went to Canada for our honeymoon. I didn't have a driver's license then so Grandpa was teaching me how to drive the whole way.

61 years, a true inspiration to us all. Sometime, when we see each other again, you will have to make a list of all your secrets to a long happily married life to share. Happy Anniversary!

19 August

:: Right now ::

I'm loving .......

games! (notice it's 11:00am and we're still in PJs)

Lucas is now proficient at Battleship, monopoly, Parcheesi and drive the car around the rug.

Good times.

18 August

:: Right now ::

I'm loving........

our trips to the shore no matter how brief they may be. I'm a little sad that summer is nearing an end in the next couple of weeks and I think we've only been here like.......twice! note to self....next year, come here more, I mean it's only three miles away:) Peaceful, breezy and beautiful!

17 August

:: Right Now ::

I'm loving........

that Trevor is finding his way around the kitchen (actually making himself quite at home in there). He's making pancakes and today a fresh Maine Blueberry pie (with only minimal help with the oven and crust). He said, "Mom, I spilled bunch of salt on the floor!"(....hey it's part of the process.) Anyway, the pie was amazing! I can't wait to see what he is cooking up next:)

16 August

The newest addition to our living room........a new memory quilt my cousin Jess made me from swatches of all the kids' baby clothes. Wow! What a surprise when I saw the package on my front porch this afternoon. As I touched the fabric, I took me back to when my tiny babies were wearing each and every one of those outfits (seems like only yesterday). Precious, precious, memories...... I love it more than words can say, thank you:)

15 August

Right now i'm loving.....

fresh flowers everywhere

meeting up with neighbors and making plans with friends

playing soccer with the kids in the front yard

fresh Maine blueberries (and Trevor is researching how to make his own pie)

How Lucas used the word, "the usual" to describe his ice cream choice

The little songs that Trevor and Lucas make up about bananas in the atmosphere and pie

building forts

thinking about and making packing lists for our camping vacation next week

Ben and Jerry's strawberry cheesecake ice cream, and cranberry island kitchen Whoppie pies (in moderation)

That I only have one more (well two more) long runs

not having to make lunches this week

Enjoying some new and inspiring books

thinking about success and involvement in the coming school year

Heirloom tomatoes, fresh, native corn and cucumbers

hanging the kids art on the wall

The fact that our girl is finally back to normal (and that she needs a time out for using potty talk)

How Lucas reminds us how many days until vacation every day when we wake up (and he is right!)

our new reading/writing/dining room

our deck and dreaming about working on the backyard and gardens next year

Taking the kids to the playground and soccer practice at the same time

crossing things off the to-do-list

All the little every day stuff.

14 August

And part of the reason that summer feels over (when it's really not-we still have 3 more weeks and a vacation coming up!) is that soccer has started. We were living and breathing it all weekend (Trevor had 7 games!) along with teams from all over New England at our major fundraiser of the year (the lobster 4v4 classic).

13 August

visitng Flora Bliss for the very first time. Those heirloom tomatoes with a little salt make a PERFECT lunch!

12 August

a boys life 4......

cooking the family a pancake breakfast (all by myself:))

11 August

A boys life 3........teaching.

Help your brother's boat across and your own will reach the shore.

10 August

the daily life of boys........take 2. building the Lego city (and I'm so impressed that Lucas can build some all by himself following the directions in the book!)

loving......

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Pinterest. a virtual pinboard, inspiration galore. Not that I need another place to go online, but it is so cool.

9 August

the daily life of boys.....

8 August

a tribute to Grandma (Happy Birthday!)

Here's to so many wonderful memories made at 47 Page Road, in Grandma's kitchen.

for thin, white pancakes with real butter and real maple syrup

for letting us play"office"

for taking us out to pick out a toy at Bradlees

for rocking me and singing to me....oh the buzzing of the bees in the sycamore trees...."

for not getting too mad when we broke your elephant.

for getting up at 5 with us and letting us watch cartoons

for letting us sleep on the trundle bed

for scrapbooking with me.

for eating in the dining room with the good china on the squeaky chairs.

for sending me coupons and newspaper articles

for making the guestbook for my wedding

For coming to every special important event in my life (and sending a card for EVERY one).

for painting me pictures of my kids.

for thinking of me often

for reading my blog

To the kindest most generous person I know, you are my inspiration.

Love you Grandma

8 August

this girl......

has had a ROUGH couple of days. Yesterday, she slept for 17 hours. She's not eating and drinking much and is really quite miserable. She always asks for her ice pack. Mornings are the worst. I'm not a fan of living by medicine schedules (and I know that I have been lucky in my life). Tonight, she seemed to be turning the corner....let's hope it continues:)

7 August

Mommy had to work all weekend, but in between recovering from a surgery and handling a rainy day, you guys got to roast your first hot dogs ever and you loved them!

6 August

2011 Beach to Beacon

ramblings from my race:

the bus from the parking area took a wrong turn and then had to drop us off about a mile away from the start---uggh!

It's funny how in 6,000 people you always spot someone you know.

definitely pee in the woods, the porta- potties are REALLY gross (on a hot and humid day).

panicked thought my ipod was dead before we started, but then I fixed it

mile 1 slow and controlled

mile 2:is sweat already dripping in my eyes? get water.

mile 3: really hills already? get more water, pour it down the front of me, run through the mist

mile4: getting in my groove, downhills are awesome, going faster, seeing the ocean, awesome!

mile5: seriously, these hills suck. I think the guy in front of me is speedwalking the whole thing and beating me, I think the guy next to me is like 80.

mile5.9: turn into fort Williams, turn on the Coldplay, sprint home.

FINISH,mile 6.1: time looks good, oh my it's hot! look at all these people, grab 2 waters. Get straight to the buses, met Josh, feeling awesome:)

5 August

Today.

We gave lots of pain medicines, but our girl is doing fantastic. You would never know she had surgery only yesterday. A friend and a teacher even stopped by with a gift....so sweet! We watched a few movies, ate icecream and cheesesticks and even headed outside for a little walk (and Bre ran, jumped and danced and did all her gym exercises?!?). Tonight she was tired, and hurting. Tomorrow, Josh and I are running the Beach to Beacon 10K....early to rise!

4 August

Bye.Bye. tonsils.

Bre came through the surgery with flying colors. She is such an amazing patient, quiet, calm, cool and collected, she never complains about a thing and does everything that the doctors and nurses ask of her. Only time will tell, however what the recovery period will be like (they say day 3 is the worst). Although all the ice cream and popscicles really do help (although her first food request was a cheese stick, of course). It was great to be at my "home" hospital this time, full of all the friendly, caring faces I know. I even got to go back into the OR with Bre as she went off to sleep. Thank you so much to my special helper who woke up at 5 am to get here for the big day (and who gives Bre her medicine and drinks the best)! We are so grateful.

3 August

Summer school.

We thought it would be a real drag getting up this early to get you on the bus. We thought it would be a real drag for you to be in a different classroom with unfamiliar kids and an unfamiliar teacher. it has been fine, and you are still making progress. We have gotten a little "extra" therapy outside of school this summer which has made a difference. Tomorrow you go for your tonsil surgery, so hopefully you continue on the track upward even after that. Plus your bus comes early enough that your Daddy gets to take you out to wait every morning. I'm not sure who loves it more.......you guys are soul mates:)

2 August

You turned nine today.

If anyone asked you what the best parts of your day were you would say, for sure your party at Jokers, winning tickets and playing lazer tag. Eating cake and pizza with your best friends. opening your presents, talking to your Gammie on the phone, and soccer camp.....working on building your Lego police station all by yourself until you fell into bed. And to you, I think just being nine in general is pretty cool. Love you boy:)

1 August

The Prager/Parenteau family "jam" session. Music has always been our love. I remember putting on concerts for my grandparents when I was a kid. Now, I'm so grateful that Trevor is getting his very first trombone lesson (and that he has a trombone to use!). I'm not so certain about the future of the milk carton drums, however, LOL!