Track Stars

I found out from some friends in Bethel that the Varsity Track Coach ran a summer track night for kids age 3-10 every week in the month of July. We missed two, having been on vacation, but I was excited to bring the girls and see what they might make of it. 

They gathered around and listened to the instructions, and before I knew it, they were "warming up" for a 50 meter hurdle race. Cora refused to practice, but after watching for a while, she was right in line for the 50 yard dash. After two years of telling Cora to "Slow Down" it was a riot seeing her reaction as all the parents we knew shouted, "Run Cora!" She was the youngest participant and ran like the wind. I think we found her sport. Keels and Cora both got a participation ribbon that they hung with pride in their room and bragged about for weeks.

Lake Memories 2016

Just a glimpse into the childhood world that exists at Lake George- blessed with sunshine, relatives galore, laughter, health and love... it is all you need and more.

July 4th at the Lake 2016- Cousin Time

The fan club for Cassidy, Riley and Luke keeps growing as Maury and Cora are now equally as in love with them as Keeley has been the past two years. The girls could not go an hour without asking where Cassidy and Riley and Luke were, and I loved every minute of their help and good example in manners and siblings being nice to each other. They are the best! I am trying to convince Erica to let Cassidy come stay with us :)! We love lake time with our Colorado crew, and of course, with Maddie and James.

The Year of the Yeti

I can't post about our Lake George trip without bringing up the most talked about possession we have ever had, the Yeti cooler. Our close friends the Zupans, Levesques and Ferriers got us this as a combo house warming and graduation gift and it sat on the porch in the screen house at Hulett's just begging for attention. It's claim to fame is that it keeps ice colder for longer, and it lives up to its reputation for sure, but the hype was much bigger than any girl talk about a name brand purse or jewelry than I've ever heard. 

Happy 3rd Birthday Cora Larkin!

I wanted to make Cora's birthday special, despite our move one week prior and going to the lake a day later. We decided to have a party at Tot Town, an indoor play area of sorts here in Brookfield since our house was filled with boxes. Sweet Cora picked out her own dress and enjoyed every minute playing with the imaginary play stations and seeing her friends sing to her. I adore our unique, blue eyed, free spirit so much. I hope she never changes.

Becca's Bachelorette

There is really no better excuse to escape for the weekend than a college roommate's bachelorette party. I headed to Newport to catch up with all my college girls and celebrate an old and dear buddy from Holy Cross. Had a lot of laughs digging through some old photos to put on a board we made for her.

Becca and I - 2002 in Wheeler Dorm at Holy Cross

2016- at her bachelorette

Thanks for Em for keeping these three happy for the weekend so I could get some time with my ladies.

The Big Move

It is only fitting, after our 12 year action packed and sometimes, since kids, overly chaotic adventure together, that Emmet and I were closing on our very first home the day after his Residency Graduation.

 We had our friends Nery, Samuel and Juan meet at our house on Greenwood Avenue at 9:00 am and start unloading boxes from the basement into the moving truck. My Dad directed and organized like a true Captain, and my Mom watched the kids, while Emmet and I went to our closing.

 Without a kitchen table to eat off, it was pizza on a blanket on the living room floor and without a crib, it was naps in the car seat on the front lawn. In and out all day, the guys moved like a well oiled machine, working their tails off to get everything out before sunset. I cleaned rooms, boxed up a few last things, and tried, along with my Mom to be the calm in the storm for these little sweeties who had to say good bye to the only home they had ever really known. When all was said and done, we got into our car, and pulled out onto Greenwood avenue from that driveway one last time. I thought I was going to hold it together until I looked out the window and saw our neighbors, Ralph and Cheryl, waving from their front yard. I couldn't hold back the tears. 4 years of helping us in good times and in bad, I couldn't believe they wouldn't be next door anymore. And then all the memories that I saw as I looked beyond our hedges behind our cozy little house, into that great little backyard, where I had spent so much time playing with these three and watching them learn to walk, and run, and explore, and I just sobbed.

People say moving is one of the most stressful life experiences one can go through. After packing up everything we owned after bedtime in boxes, night after night, for months, and then waiting daily on baited breath for weeks for the confirmation that this short sale would happen, I can attest to strain that it put's on anyone. Sitting in the lawyer's office, our palms sweaty with anxiety, waiting for everyone to dot the i's and cross the t's, I felt like there wasn't much more we could take.

 And then finally, just like that, they handed us the keys. Relief. Joy. Dream come True.

Welcome home family. Here is Emmet, after a whirlwind 48 hours of finishing Residency, and moving his family, on his very own stoop at 7:00 at night on June 18 on Cemetery Road. The kids were excited, and we were proud of them. They had been champs all day. We promised them and we hoped that we would never have to move again.