Ryland's 1st day at Millie's

Ryland was very excited to go back to Ms. Millie's this fall. It was a rainy day for that first day back but it sure didn't matter to him.

With his back pack in tow, Ryland marched down the hall to his classroom

There were lots of kisses from Ms. MIllie

And after a long summer, Ryland finally got to see Jackson, one of his favorite friends. A little bit bigger this year but still Mama's baby boy!

Natalie's 1st day at Cozy Days Preschool

This past Friday was Natalie's 1st day at Cozy Days Preschool and she loved it! This year she is in the 3-year old program with Mrs. McFadden. The amount of love and enthusiasm that the teachers at Cozy Days have for the kids is literally overwhelming! It took one day to convince me that this was the best decision we could have ever made, I couldn't imagine a better place for her to be! This will be a very exciting year for Natalie.

First getting to school, Natalie and Ryland sat on the bench holding hands

Natalie standing by her wall hook, her name is on the the green flower

The "three musketeers", Lilly, Natalie and Victoria

Lilly

Endless smiles...

We look forward to the year ahead and all of the great things it will bring!

A special weekend for mommy and daddy

This past weekend Thomas and I left our two babies with Grandma and Grandpa "Tookles" and set off for a special weekend alone. Thomas' good friend Mike was getting married and the wedding/reception took place in Orangeburg, NY, just minutes from the city. It was a good excuse for us to get away because we wouldn't have done it otherwise. As much as it hurt to leave our two best buddies behind, that trip was exactly what we needed to recharge our batteries and catch up on "us".


George Washington Bridge


Scenic view of the city

On the way out of the city we pulled over to soak in the amazing views

Mike and Grace, their first dance

Thomas and his friend Pat, Pat is a police officer for the NYPD


Mike's wedding was also a reunion for Phi Kappa Tau, SUNY Oswego


It's not a wedding without "YMCA"

It was so nice to dance with Thomas, it doesn't happen enough.


Cheers to an amazing weekend!

Corn Husking

Today we husked corn for dinner, one of the best parts of summer! It was Natalie and Ryland's first corn husking experience. Ryland wasn't super excited about the corn, he mostly sat back and watched. However, Natalie thought it was the best thing ever and soaked up all of the excitement of this summertime tradition.

This was the only picture of Ryland, a little out of focus but his facial expression pretty much says it all. However, he did think the corn tasted pretty good!

Fairhaven Beach 2010

On Monday I took the kids to Fairhaven Beach on Lake Ontario. This is the second year in a row that my sister Brandee and I have taken the kids, this year we were joined by our good friend Crissy and her three children.

It's exciting to make traditions for my family that are similar to the ones that I experienced growing up. I can remember countless trips to Fairhaven Beach as a child, day trips and overnight camping trips as well. Every time I return to this beautiful park I am reminded of my childhood, so many of my best memories took place at this sandy paradise. Fairhaven Beach isn't far from home and it doesn't have any extravagant qualities to speak of but for me, it will always be a very special place. A place where I spent hours on the beach with family and friends, taking walks down the pier and eating sandy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

For Brandee and I, one year made all of the difference. Last year we had a great time but pushing strollers through the sand was a challenging task. In one year all of the kids were now able to get around on their own two feet and they managed to keep up with the excitement, even without a nap. This is only the beginning of the memories that my children will have in the years to come. I pray that they will embrace each moment that we spend together and that they will cherish the time spent with family and friends.

When we first got to the beach Natalie and Ryland both had smiles from ear to ear.

So many fun things to do in the sand...

Walking down the pier...this year we actually made it to the end!

Ryland was very sleepy and took a ride on mama's back.

Ryland watching the sailboat.

Ice cream was a delicious way to end our trip!

Fairhaven Beach...what a magnificent place to make the perfect memories!