Winter Update

I have a love/hate relationship with Instagram. I love it because it helps me stay connected to faraway friends and family, and it has even helped me meet a few "instie friends" that I really admire and would have otherwise never gotten the chance to "know." But the truth is it is also the number one reason why this blog has been pushed to the back burner. Instagram is easy! It's fast! Friends comment right away! But it's also a time sucker, a distraction, and can occasionally bring out FOMO (fear of missing out) feelings if I let it. I feel like I really have to make a conscious effort to balance my social media intake and make it worthwhile and not a waste of precious time. And hopefully I can give a little more time to this blog as I work that all out. Because really and truly, at the risk of sounding dramatic, this little piece of internet is one of my most prized possessions. It does in fact hold the memories of my time with those that mean the most to me. 

January has been an interesting month. The very beginning of it brought some stress and a little bit of heartache as the home purchase that we were so close to making fell through. It was our decision--we backed out at the last minute because we found out about a slew of undisclosed problems and it scared the pants off of us. I am SO very glad we found this information out in the nick of time. And I'm just a little bit (ok a lot bit) disappointed that the home didn't end up being all we hoped it would be. I'm certain everything will work out--it always does, but I would be lying if I said I don't get a little bit anxious when I think about where we will be living when our lease is up in a couple of months. Rentals aren't exactly plentiful in our neck of the woods, and I don't want to buy a home that I don't love just because there aren't any other good options. I do realize that in the grand scheme of things, this is a peanut-sized problem, and I try to remind myself of that on the daily. So does God. I have dear friends both near and far dealing with much bigger trials: Sick babies that haven't even been born yet, marital problems, health problems, and cancer scares to name a few. Writing down just those few things makes me realize how hard life can be and how we just need to do our very best to be kind, and to teach our children to be kind. How is that for stream of consciousness? 

So here is a little picture update of some of our most recent happenings:

Spending my days with this little guy is just the best. Except when it's not, but we'll focus on all the times when it is, because that's what I want to remember. He wants to help me with everything (EVERYTHING!) from washing dishes to making dinner to flushing the toilet (no privacy. NONE). In fact, when I do one of these activities without him and he finds out, feelings of resentment usually result. He says the best one-liners, like, "Oops! wooks wike I'm poopy!" or "How 'bout we snuggle and watch Wild Kratts?", or my personal favorite that he announced to a stranger in the grocery store yesterday morning, "My mom wuvs me SOOOOOO much!" It's true. I do. SOOOO MUCH!

I was sitting across from him, watching him build with these tiles right before this picture was taken. All of a sudden I realized he was mimicking how I was resting my head in my hands. And I had to document it. 

Maine shines brightest in the summer and fall, but even in the dead of winter she is still pretty beautiful. 

My older kids go through waves in regard to how well they get along. To be honest, Summer break usually brings out the worst in them, Can you really blame them? They spend all day every day together, so of course they are going to get irritated with one another often. But Nathan always seems to be in good favor with every single one of them. He rarely does anything less than adorable in their eyes, and they are far more patient with him then they are with each other. I willingly admit that I baby my baby, but if he needs therapy when he's older because he's been doted on too much, I won't be the only one at fault. 

When Maddie sees windows like this she says, "Look Mom! It's Jack Frost!" This winter has been cold, but nothing in comparison to some of our winters in Iowa and even Connecticut. I've been told countless times that this is a very very mild winter for Maine, but I'll take it. So mild, in fact, that our little area is experiencing mild panic--there is a huge yearly Toboggan Festival (happening next weekend) that attracts visitors from all over the country and even the world. Apparently they are making snow like crazy because almost all of it has melted, and the Toboggans, which usually slide out onto the big lake, have nowhere to go after they exit the track because it has't been cold enough to freeze the lake! 

Twinning. 

Sometimes I'm a complainer and I like to talk about how I just can't wait to be settled in a house of our own and paint our walls whatever color we want and not move again for a really long time. But when I looked at our door this past December, littered with Christmas cards, and I couldn't help but feel overwhelming gratitude for all the wonderful people I get to call friends. Ryan counted, and we were sent Christmas cards from 15 different states this year. I think that's pretty cool. We never would have had the opportunity to meet many of these people if we hadn't lived in so many places. The past 10 years have been really good to us. 

We spent last Saturday afternoon sledding with some friends at their farm. They had a small plastic snowboard and Maddie really go into it. I love how she looks in this picture, so confident and happy. It was such a fun day for all of our kids. 

These are the faces of pure joy. Every time Nathan rode down the hill, he would holler "Wooo-hoooo!" as he flew by. It might have been one of the greatest days of his young life. 

Ryan has officially been indoctrinated into the Maine culture. Look at those boots!

My friend Michelle was so good to all of my kids while we sledded down her hill and popped her tubes and cracked her sleds. She is a great example to me of how to love other people's children. She really has a gift for bringing out the best in them. 

Sunny Arizona

 I have a lot of catching up to do on this blog of ours but I'm going to back track later and just give a little ode to our short stint in the beautiful Arizona desert. There was a time a few months back when I didn't think I would ever make close friends there. And then I did. And then the amazing opportunity back east popped up and I had to say goodbye just as the southwest was starting to feel a little like home. I left a little piece of my heart there and I'll always be grateful for the friendships that we made during our few short months.

Our neighborhood was the stuff dreams are made of, I tell ya. I don't expect to ever find one quite like it again. They hardly exist anymore. Here are Maddie and her AZ bestie (and our next door neighbor) playing just hours before our flight.

Davey and his AZ bestie, who lived just a few houses down from us. 

Nater and Dave enjoying an after-school treat before our plane took off.

Our last week in Arizona, my neighbor, Tamara, planned a special snack for the kids for every day after school. She also watched my children, took all these photos so I would have visual reminders, and she drove us to the airport with a bag full of treats for the kids on the plane (which we almost missed because we lingered too long taking photos and saying goodbye). She was the neighbor I prayed I would find. 

Actually, all of these ladies were. Such great women with such great children. I was lucky to rub shoulders with them this past year. 

Monster cookies, just one of the delicious after-school snacks. 

The crazy neighborhood kids all together. We'll sure miss you, beautiful Gilbert, AZ.

Twenty-six

Michelle and I just before she left for home this evening. I'm hiding my bald spot from the camera. Does your hair all fall out after you have a baby too?

Our friends Michelle and Brandon and their cute kids came to visit Connecticut. It was so great to have them around. We met them back in Iowa during podiatry school and now Brandon is a resident in Boston. He had a couple of days off and we were so happy that they came to spend some of their vacation with us! We cooked and ate and baked and ate some more, all while the kids ran around having the time of their lives. I love Michelle---having their family around felt almost like family. It was a special treat during this time of year. We can't wait to visit them in Boston.

A Special Date with Maddie

Last Spring I took Isaac to Manhattan for the day, so today was Maddie's turn. Her BFF Lizzy came along with my friend Deb and we had a great day in The City. 

We started out at FAO Schwartz where the girls ooooohhhhed and aaaahhhhhed over all the toys

And we played on the BIG piano.

Deb and Lizzy in front of the toy store.

We then made our way to Alice's Tea Cup where we thought the girls would like to have a tea party. They are famous for their pumpkin scones. The sweet browned butter icing was delicious.

Unfortunately, the wait was several hours to sit down inside (typical NYC) so we grabbed them a cupcake to-go instead. They didn't seem to mind and ate all the icing off first.

After Alice's we took a sky tram to Roosevelt Island. I didn't take any pictures (Deb did, so hopefully I'll get my hands on them soon) but the girls seemed to really like their aerial view.

After spending a little bit of time on the island and playing at the park, we headed back towards Central Park. On our way we window-shopped and then stopped at Pastrami Queen. I am not a big meat eater but this was some seriously delicious beef. We ate in the park and people-watched. NYC might be the best place in the world to do that. 

After our late lunch we were all pretty worn out, so we stopped at Crumbs Bakery on our way back to the parking lot. Two cupcakes in one day? What can I say--with me, it's always all about the food.

I had a great time spending the day with my Maddie, and I hope we made some memories that she won't soon forget.

Thanksgiving Highlights 2011

 We were able to spend this Thanksgiving with both friends and family. I am so so lucky to have my sister and her family an hour away from ours, and our friends the Pluids are just a few hours south of us, so they came  up for a few days to celebrate the holiday.

Jackson and Davis. A mix between a hug and a choke hold. These two were fascinated with one another.

My brother-in-law Jeremy is a pilot, so of course he needs a blow-up Santa flying a helicopter. 

Here Brooke is getting lost in These are Special Times: Celine Dion Christmas with the PeeWee. She and Jer were very gracious hosts and the turkey was nothing short of perfection.

I decided it was high time I tackle my decade-long fear of homemade pie crusts. I finally had success and now I'll never go back to the store-bought variety. 

Anything goes on Thanksgiving day around here.

Kelly was a super-friend and tackled Black Friday with me. I never could have got all the screaming deals without her (or my TGI Black Friday app) . Finding a bargain on Black Friday is seriously like a drug. And I'm addicted. It was so fun to hang out just the two of us, even if it was in the late hours of the night!

On Friday we took our kids to the submarine museum in Groton. It was totally worth the hour drive. We were able to tour the very first nuclear powered submarine. I learned that I don't want to live in the claustrophobic atmosphere of an underwater ship. I never knew bunk beds could be so close to each other. 

It was hard to capture in a phone photo just how small and confined everything was.

The biggest hit of the museum (aside from all the control panel buttons that they were allowed to play with to their hearts' content) was this hand-held audio tour guide. Each person was given one so we could listen at our own pace. The kids were in heaven. 

Thanks so much to Brooke and Jeremy for having us over for Thanksgiving--the kids always love to spend time at your house. And thanks to the Pluids for making the trek north to visit us! The kids had a ball getting reacquainted with their friends. Last night Isaac commented to me, "Saying goodbye to Chase was just sad for the whole family." Don't worry, Ike, I'm sure it won't be long before you can say hello again.

Then and Now

Isaac's preschool class. Taken May 2010.
(LtoR) Harrison, Chase, Carter, Alec, and Ike.

(LtoR) Isaac, Chase, Alec, Harrison, and Carter. 


All 5 boys a year later (May 2011) at a reunion bbq. I love absolutely everything about his photo and think Chrissy should win an award for capturing each of the boy's personalities so well.These boys and their families are a few of the many things we miss most about Iowa.

I have been trying to come up with a post about my love for the Midwest  for a month now, an "ode to Iowa" if you will. Every time I think about Des Moines it just makes my heart happy. I really can't find the words to do justice to the place we called home for 3 1/2 years. I will just say this: I am grateful for our time there and even more grateful for the people that we met along the way. They really became our Iowa family.

Heading Up North

Since our time in Iowa is running short, we have been trying to cram in as many play dates with friends as possible. Yesterday it was our turn to head up to Iowa Falls to spend the day with the Bernards. Laura has been a great friend to me ever since we moved to Iowa, even though she has lived over an hour away for the majority of the time that I have known her. Her twin boys, Anson and Jonas, are just months older than Isaac, and Owen is less than a year younger than Maddie and less than a year older than Davis. It has been really fun to watch our kids play together. It will be hard to say goodbye.

Dog pile on the trampoline. Today was the first warm day we've had this year while visiting Iowa Falls so we spent a lot of time outside.

D couldn't quite get his Fred Flintstone feet moving, but he was determined to do it over and over and over again.

Owen sticking close to his mama.

Anson and Jonas were both so great about sharing their bikes. I don't think there was a single fight over a toy that day. Pretty impressive considering there were three 4-year-olds, two 2-year-olds, and a 1-year-old. Gotta celebrate those little victories.

Davis and the John Deere.

Ike was so in love with riding the bikes that he wouldn't get off of them long enough for me to teach him how to drive the battery-operated car. Maybe next time.

D was a lot more successful moving the car around when he wasn't sitting in it.

Maddie having the time of her life with Jonas behind the wheel.

When all the boys headed off to jump on the trampoline, I caught Maddie sneaking away to try and drive the jeep on her own. As you can see, she got herself stuck before too long.

Off-roading it.
Overall it was a great day, and all three kids played so hard that they all fell fast asleep on the drive home. I don't think that they have ever done that simultaneously. A cinco de mayo milagro.
As Maddie would say, BEST.DAY.EVER!