august 2

another great day on whidbey!  this morning the kids and i took a nice walk along the beach, just the three of us.  it's wonderful to vacation with another family, but it can also be challenging to have many different personalities under one roof!  so, we got out of the cabin and drove over to the state park.  we hiked down to the beach and let the kids do some exploring.  it was a beautiful hike and a great way for everyone to let off a little steam.

we had a great afternoon at the beach, including a little adult happy hour for two :)  anastasia has been spoiling me with all of her great cooking!  tonight we had seafood linguine, and it was absolutely perfect.  fresh seafood, great company, great wine, looking out onto the water - it was the kind of meal i will remember for a long time to come!

august 1

what a day!  it started at 4am!  that's right.  at 4am my roommate gavin awakened for the day.  it was 7am in cincinnati after all.  worse yet, we pretty much woke up the entire house by using the bathroom. eek!  so, we got an early start :)  i got in a run and anastasia hit the gym.  it felt good to run my old route.  it was crazy to feel how cold it was though.  just another pacific northwest morning for you... nevermind the fact that it is AUGUST!!

we had breakfast and somehow managed to get the kids and ALL of our stuff loaded up in the acura for our drive to whidbey island.  it was quite a sight!  the kids were surrounded by pillows, bags, food, beach gear, etc.  they managed pretty well, and we had a nice drive.  we arrived on whidbey just in time for a nice outdoor lunch in langley, and then we headed over to freeland where we would be staying for the weekend.  the cabin was nothing special, but completely met our needs and was in a great location - right across the street from the beach!  i was very excited to be back on whidbey island. it's such a great little place and one i had hoped to return to, and now here i am!

we spent the afternoon getting settled and enjoying the sunshine at the beach.  i was a little surprised at how warm it was.  i wasn't even sure we'd be able to do any swimming, but all the kids did get in the water and had tons of fun splashing around and looking for shells.  anastasia and i were even able to have a few relaxing moments sitting in the sand.  brooke and hanna are super happy to be at the beach together, and gavin is introducing hudson to his love of all things super heroes.  they make a pretty good dynamic duo :)

july 31

the big day finally arrived!!  to say we were excited would be a huge understatement.  kevin dropped us off at the airport this morning, and we gave him big hugs and kisses goodbye.  we're going to be gone for 12 days!  my little travelers are all ready :)  so am i!

anastasia decided to make our visit a surprise for hanna.  so ryan picked us up at the airport and drove us to their home in snoqualmie.  i envisioned us ringing the door and hanna running to answer it, her jaw dropping open when she saw brooke.  what actually happened was probably even better... as we pulled in the driveway, hanna was outside.  anastasia had asked her to run over to the cesmat's for an ingredient she needed.  i yelled at the kids to duck down so she didn't see us, but it was too late.  hanna saw gavin first, and then i could see the recognition on her face.  i could see her little brain working overtime, "if gavin is here, brooke must be here!!!!"  hanna ran around the car to brooke's side and just started shrieking.  her mouth was open, her eyes were wide, and she was jumping up and down.  she literally could not contain her excitement.  brooke quickly scrambled out of the car, and the girls embraced.  it was the sweetest moment.  better than i could have scripted myself.  a big embrace and then brooke and hanna took off running for the house and up the stairs before we could even get a word out.  it was like no time had passed.  none.  they picked up right where they left off.  i hope they always do.

we spent the afternoon getting settled at the house and playing at the park.  gavin didn't really remember our house, and he kept asking me when we were going to go to the "big park."  it took me only a second to realize that our park was so much bigger to him in his memory because he was so little when we lived in snoqualmie.  he did not believe it when i explained that it was THE park.  too much for him to wrap his little mind around!

standing at the park, watching our kids play... i had this feeling that time had completely stood still.  almost a year had passed, but i was instantly transported into my former life and everything was still exactly as it had been.  except now, i am only a visitor.  and i'm ok with that.  i hadn't realized it until that very moment standing at the park, looking out at the mountains.  but i am ok with it.  i have moved on.

july 30

i am enjoying every single moment of this beautiful summer in cincinnati.  the heat, the smells, the thunderstorms, the pools, the people, the stickiness, the food, the parties, the lazy days, the beautiful skies, summer getaways, the endless days, bike rides, sleeping in, grilling out.  and family.  most importantly, family.

july 29

we awakened in dayton this morning and were treated to beignets for breakfast and a couple of hours of swimming before we had to head home.  on friday i got a text from laura fitzsimmons saying she and the kids were in town for the weekend.  it's been so long since we've seen them!  we made plans to meet at veteran's park in anderson for a picnic dinner.  antje, randall, the girls and randall's mom joined us, too.  it was a great reunion!  the kids had fun running around and playing together on the playground.  it felt a bit surreal to watch these 7 kids - our kids - playing together as friends even though they barely know each other.  it seems like just yesterday that we were couples without kids, enjoying trips together and dinners out and golf and many other things we were able to do at our leisure.  now here we are!  we each have beautiful families and tremendous children who must sense just how much we love each other.  what a special night.

july 28

we headed to dayton today for a shrimp boil at the foltz'.  we were happy to be able to join the party this year and catch up with family friends we haven't seen in ages!  the kids had loads of fun with the other kids and thoroughly enjoyed the bounce house that john and carol rented just for this party.  it was  hot out, but we managed to stay cool in the shade while enjoying some good food and beers from around the world.  after the party we headed to bob & kaye's for a sleepover and to round out a great day in dayton.

july 27

the rain yesterday brought the sun today.  we spent the morning at the pool with megan, joey and chase.  we spent the afternoon at home playing superheroes.  i feel so fortunate to be able to spend my days with my children doing things that put smiles on our faces.  this entire summer has been so good for my soul.

july 26

we met elaina, sarah and ken through soccer.  elaina and brooke played spring soccer together, and our families got to know one another.  elaina and brooke will both start kindergarten at sherwood elementary next month.  i'm glad that brooke will know at least one person at her new school :)  today elaina and sarah came over for lunch and play time.  it was a great way to spend a very dark & rainy day.

july 25

most days are fun and filled with things we enjoy doing.  but every now and then we must do things we have to do that aren't much fun.  that's what we did today.  we cleaned.  not much fun but very rewarding.  i always feel at peace when my house is completely clean.  so tonight i will go to bed feeling good.

july 24

we wanted to squeeze in one more day of swimming in mt. orab before summer ends.  with our 2 week trip to seattle and the start of school quickly approaching, today was the day.  heather and stella joined us, and we all had a nice day in the pool.  brooke was excited to show everyone how she can swim now!  there was lots of jumping and splashing and playing and swimming.  and eating.  there's always good eating when bar bar and gigi are around :)  we love our barry burgers!

july 23

the kids and i went to the mall today to buy them their own luggage for our trip to seattle.  since kevin isn't traveling with us, we're going to have to pay for every bag we check so we're going to carry-on almost all of our luggage.  on the hunt for the perfect roller bags, we walked by build-a-bear workshop, and the kids spotted these alvin and the chipmunk dolls.  they had to have them, and i couldn't say no.  brooke and gavin have been really into alvin lately, and we watch the chipwrecked movie over and over again.  so we bought one for brooke and one for gavin.  then we decided to go back and buy one for hanna and hudson, too!  brooke and gavin are so excited to have simon, theodore, jeanette and eleanor.  thankfully, we also found what we were looking for - great roller bags for the kids and a backpack for me.  now we're ready for our trip!

july 22

the kids had a fun-filled day.  brooke and gavin spent the morning with gram vicki at winton woods and enjoyed paddle boating for the first time.  then when they returned home we headed to the IHM festival.  it was fun to be able to walk through kevin & kendra's backyard to quickly and easily arrive at the festival.  we've been listening to and watching the festival go on all weekend, so we definitely wanted to check it out.  the kids loved it!  they rode rides and went zooming down a big slide.  we played games and had some dinner and took in everything that a carnival has to offer.  but when our wallets were empty (holy, expensive!) it was time to head home.

july 21

we had a great family day at home today followed by a fun date night.  we dropped the kids off with mom and headed to OTR for drinks and dinner.  we ate at A Tavola and enjoyed some delicious meatball sliders and pizza.  after dinner we drove around the block to check out the newly renovated washington park.  i wasn't quite prepared for what i saw.  it brought tears to my eyes.  people and families filled the lawn as an outdoor movie played.  kids played on the beautiful play structures.  lights bounced through the water fountains and hung from the trees.  it was beautiful.  and in that moment i was so proud of this city that i will always call home.

july 20

we're experiencing some slow, lazy days of summer around here.  they tend to be filled with lots of lalaloopsies and batmen!

july 19

cousins.  so happy to be together.  even when it's so hot and sticky outside.  there was a little bit of sweating going on here today :)

july 18

day 2 of brooke's golf camp.  gavin and i played putt-putt.  it was priceless.  it was gavin's 1st time playing putt-putt.  he needed a little instruction after getting up to the first hole and swinging the club as hard as he could, sending the ball flying into the field adjacent to the parking lot :)  oops!  once we got that swing under control, things went very smoothly.  we had so much fun hitting our little colorful balls around the putt-putt course.  gavin loved it.  so did i.  i haven't played putt-putt in a very long time.  brooke did a great job at golf camp and learned a thing or two over the past two days.  more than anything i hope it leaves a little seed of interest in the sport.

after golf we headed to mom's so i could paint her kitchen.  mom had already done all of the hard cut-in work, so i just needed to roll the paint on.  it took all afternoon, but it looked great when it was finished.  now the entire house has been repainted, and it's looking really good!  it's been a pleasure helping my mom get resettled into her house.  the kids already love being at gram's house, and i know they will make a lot of memories there.

july 17

golf camp :)  i happened to see a poster for a 2-day golf camp through the anderson park district, and i immediately wanted to sign brooke up.  she seemed interested, so i did.  we headed out to little miami golf course this morning, and i'm so glad we did.  what a great little course, especially for families!  gavin and i hit the driving range while brooke took her lesson.  everything about the morning gave me such a thrill.  i loved watching brooke and teaching gavin a few things about swinging the golf club.  it was so much fun!  it was also super hot out, so after golf we hit the pool :)

july 16

every now and then i unexpectedly catch a moment that i really love.  like this one.  gavin loves brooke so much.  he can't wait until she gets out of bed in the morning, as he is always the first one up!  this morning i found him playing outside her door, just waiting... so sweet.

another thing i really love happened tonight.  the kids requested restaurant night.  restaurant night in our house is when i cook something for dinner, and the kids want to create an experience like eating out in a restaurant.  we put a tablecloth on the table, they set the table, brooke creates a menu, and they both take our order/serve the food.  i usually light some candles and serve some kind of easy "appetizer."  they love it, and so do i.  tonight i made mexican stuffed peppers with quinoa.  they were delicious.  my favorite pinterest recipe so far.  i'll definitely be making them again!

july 15

going home from a great vacation is always such a bummer :(  made even more so today by the pouring rain we had to drive through to get home.  the car was packed to the gills, and we added one more passenger - mom - wedged in the back seat between loads and loads of stuff.  thankfully some of us slept for at least part of the ride.  we left cumberland with lots of great memories and hoping to return again soon.

july 14

another day on the boat :)  more rain, but fun just the same.  the kids and the adults spent a lot of time in the water today.  some of the adults even had a friendly little pairs competition running & jumping off the mat.  that was something to see!!!

all the kids took turns "driving" the boat with uncle danny, and we had lots of fun just hanging out.  the lake was pretty empty this weekend so it felt like it was just us out there.  it was truly the most relaxing vacation i've had in a while.  i can't wait to come back and do it again!

it was our last day on the water, so we lingered perhaps a little too long.  we were late starting dinner and then the grill wouldn't work :(  so we ate leftovers and cookie cake for dinner.  nothing wrong with that in my book!

july 13

our first day out on the boat!  heather and danny's new boat is awesome, and we were all happy to be out on the water today.  unfortunately, the weather isn't cooperating, but we made the most of it.  we did have very short periods of sun, but mostly we ran from the rain all day.  it didn't stop us from enjoying the water, the boat and the company of family.  i was surprised by how much all the kids loved swimming in the lake.  everyone had fun in the water and some of the kids (and big kids) were daring enough to jump off the boat.  a certain someone even did flips off the boat!  it was a really great, fun & relaxing day.

tonight we celebrated jackson's birthday with a little party.  the kids had fun outside smacking the pinata and roasting marshmallows for s'mores.  the rain made things a little slippery so we ended up back inside before too long.  uncle kevin showed jackson some moves on his new skateboard, the kids put up the "fort in a bag" i made for jackson's birthday, and they all fought over the tools that uncle danny and aunt heather gave jackson :)  what a fun birthday celebration for jackson!  i hope it's one he always remembers.

july 12

our weekend at lake cumberland started today!  it was a little rough starting out with kevin on the phone all morning dealing with a stressful situation and me packing everything up and trying to get us out the door, but it was all worth it.  in the midst of everything else going on, i did talk to anastasia on the phone this morning, and we hatched a plan for me and the kids to take a trip to seattle in a couple of weeks to join her and the kids on whidbey island.  i could not be more excited!  i already called delta and had them hold flights for us.  unfortunately, kevin won't be able to join us because he has too many interviews happening during that time period.  still, i'm so happy to know that in a few short weeks i'll be in seattle with the kids.  it's been almost a year...!

we finally got on the road and drove 4 hours through mostly dark, cloudy skies to the cabin at the lake. we were the first to arrive and were so excited to be there!  the cabin was perfect.  heather found it online, and it was even better than expected.  everyone else arrived, and we took the kids on a short hike to the lake.  we had a low-key evening getting settled in and ordered pizza for dinner.  the sleeping arrangements worked perfectly, and everyone went to bed looking forward to a great weekend on the lake.

july 11

happy birthday to jackson!  we all can't wait to celebrate at the lake this weekend.  today we squeezed in a quick trip to nordstroms for their pre-anniversary sale.  it is a "cannot miss" event in my opinion.  the deals are SO good!  kaye met us there and bought a few things for the kids.  i bought a few more things for the kids and a couple things for myself and then we were out of there!  during a quick lunch in the food court with kaye gavin decided he couldn't wait until we got home to take a nap so he curled up in my lap and went right to sleep.  my sweet boy.  too bad i didn't bring a stroller :(

july 10

daddy's home from a quick trip to the west coast, and he's tired.  but we're happy to have him home, whether he's awake or sleeping :)

july 9

kevin was traveling today, and the kids and i passed the day with a trip to the dentist for the kids, pedicures at home and yummy hawaiian kebobs on the grill for dinner, which brooke helped me prepare.  it was the very best kind of a simple day with my kiddos.

july 8

i think yesterday wore us all out :)

july 7

we watched jackson, joey & chase today and had so much fun with all the kids.  kevin and the kids made homemade pizzas, and it was great to see them getting all messy making the dough.  lots of big smiles on those faces :)  i love to see kevin when he is in his element like this - cooking, teaching, creating new experiences for the kids.  he is such a good, caring and patient man.

we also had a loud family jam session down in the basement with lots of music playing and dancing going on.  it was a fun-filled day, which turned into a fun-filled night when we decided to keep the boys for the night instead of making mom drive across town when she wasn't feeling well.  everyone was happy to have an impromptu sleepover!  jackson slept on the trundle in brooke's room.  joey slept on the air mattress in gavin's room, and chase was downstairs in the pack-n-play.  i have never, ever put a child to sleep more easily than chase.  he is such a good, easy boy!!  listening to gavin and joey through the monitor cracked me up.  they had a conversation about lots of different things including school.  it was cute listening to their little "grown up" conversation.  but then gavin kept talking and talking and talking, and poor joey just wanted to go to sleep!

i love spending good 1:1 time with the boys without their mommy & daddy around.  they talk so much more when it's just them, and i feel like i really get to know them in those moments.  i am so lucky to be an aunt to these three cute, loving boys.

july 6

it's hot out, and we're spending a lot of time indoors.  today we played "lalaloopsies meet batman."  gavin's #1 requested playtime activity :)  this afternoon during quiet time brooke walked into my office while i was on the computer.  the sun coming in the window bounced off the red highlights in her hair, and it made me stop and take a good look at my daughter's long, beautiful, slightly curly hair.  my, how she is changing and growing every day!

july 5

these two...  they crack each other up.  they kiss and hug and hit each other.  they love each other and annoy each other.  they are just like brothers.  or best friends.  gavin and joey have shared so much this past year and have developed such a special bond.  they started school together, and many days having the other in that classroom was the only thing that got them through.  now they're playing t-ball together, and the cuteness is almost more than i can stand.  just look at them.