We had a beautiful summer, it seemed to go so fast. And here we are now, cold, blustery and the wind is hell bent today on blowing all those pretty gold, orange and red leaves off the trees. So I will escape back to summer and post some of those pictures that will make you feel the heat and humidity just by looking at them.
We don't get together very often, but when we do get together with Mike's cousin's kids you can feel the magic of what it means to be 'cousins'. You can tell that Caden and Violet love being in their company and know they are special. They now have a 'first' cousin on the way, Aunt Jen and Uncle Brian are due in December with 'Snowflake', their Christmas baby! From someone who has around 30 FIRST cousins (who knows how many second cousins, I would have to get my calculator out!), I couldn't be more excited for all involved and I'm so looking forward to seeing them all together and the cousin-love between them!
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| Sophia, Caden and Violet |
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| Baby Srah |
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| Nothing but love for Daddy |
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| Helping Chris to blow out his candles |
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| Our little Robin babies have grown! |
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| Ready for 'soccer camp' (more on that later!) |
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| Mummy's little soccer star looking all growns up |
Caden did a week of intensive(!) soccer training during the hottest week of the summer, 100 degree mornings at 9am!!! His great buddy, Jason joined him. Not a complaint about the heat from one of them and lots of fun was had! The trainers where awesome, lots of water breaks and letting them run through the sprinklers. Violet on the other hand thought Soccer Camp meant sitting in a chair with the ladies and eating cookies. The soothing sounds of the familiar scouse accent from her coach didn't entice her to kick a ball. But who can blame her, it was freaking HOT!
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| Buddies |
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Water Boy Girl |
No, its not Timmy Mallet, its wacky Wednesday!
I pride myself of keeping a barrage of art supplies out at all times so it a creative moment hits them, they don't have to ask. Caden needs a little coaxing but Violet would draw and create all day like her mother and father!
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| Caden's Angry Birds |
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| Violet's 'Wainbow" |
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| Caden's Summer Journal (wow, has Caden's writing came on since this picture, no more tracing anymore thats for sure! I guess the summer journal writing helped, I also taught him to read this summer, but more on that later!) |
^^^ This day was awesome!! After camp one day Jason's mom turned to me and said "Wanna drive to Montauk?!" So like Thelma and Louise, we packed her mini-van and off we went to meet another of Caden's school friends who was vacationing out there.
Of course my camera was dead so no pics but it was a great day that involved the beach and a bunch of kids making their own fun, swimming at the pool, a yummy lunch including a cocktail for the moms and, my favorite part, sitting on the beach around a homemade campfire in the dark, the glow of all the beach fires like fireflies all the way up the coast. Heaven! We got home around 10.30pm and I placed two sleeping, sandy little kids in their beds (with smiles on their faces), the sign of a great day.
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| This is what happens when you have a brother and take a nap |
Someone special is here...Nana!!!
This Nana lady below is a Saint! She may have more energy than any other person I know, including me, and perhaps the kids! What a fun summer when Nana is around! And Grandad is joining us tto!
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| I love this picture so much, THIS is summer! |
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| Goodbye ferry! |
The Holbrook Fair!
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| The. Slowest. Ride. In history. Hey carnies, your slide sucks! |
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| Our lovely Grandma and GG! Where is Papa in these pictures I am wondering? Papa, get in the picture! |
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| There seems to be a bun in Aunt Jen's oven |
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| Me and my mummy :) |
Sweet Briar
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| Secret gardens...the stuff childhood is made of! |
Wow, did they enjoy this water feature! Love this place!
Violet and I had so much fun with this talking parrot! Such a simple thing to we adults, but Violet had no idea a bird could talk. She was memorized and giggling soooo much! If we tried to walk out the room, he went berserk! Then when we came back he would go all quiet and cock his head and say "Hello!" Caden missed out because he was too afraid to go into the 'rain forest'! It was dark, with rain forest noises and Daddy was making scary noises and freaking him out as they went up the stairs. Nice one Daddy!
Someone else who is also special is here...Grandad!!! ("Gwandad is bunny")!
We had another renter who decided he couldn't pay for our condo after 2 months and left it like a shit show. Sorry to use that word but he literally did. It was truly DISGUSTING and in just two months!!! Anyway, we took a month to clean it back up to its former glory and use the facilities...like the pool!
The Angry Bords are taking over my house!
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| Painting rocks (like angry birds of course). |
Summer is coming to an end :(
A reflective Caden...
Mummy's little Superstar!
I love this picture because if you are a Mary Poppin's fan (oh just me then), doesn't it look like when Mary, Bert and the children magically jump into the picture painted on the floor? Which pretty sums up my parent's visits with my kids. Magical.
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| Those freaking birds... |
Exploring Long Island's wine region, one glass at a time. Add in some live music, just a guy and his guitar, a lot of my all-time favorite songs and we are on for a perfect day.
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| The three loves of my life |
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| Princess Sassy Pants |
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| Prince Handsome Pants |
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| Me and my Daddy |
We were off to a slow and lazy start to the summer with activity level increasing by month, peaking in August. The kids are about to start school right around this point...Caden will be at Elementary School (what, what?) and V-ster is starting pre-school.
What a great summer! 2013!
I don't like Goodbyes BUT...
I was taking the annual traditional pictures of the kids in my parent's suitcase and pics with Nana and Grandad on the steps before they left. And as they said goodbyes the (self-proclaimed) photographer in me took a couple of frames since my camera was around my neck. Of course I didn't expect the goodbyes to be so HEART WRENCHING!!!! The emotion and love in this pictures is bigger than the world. But there they are, beautiful in their sadness. But its never goodbye, its see you later, until next time! Thanks for making our summer so special Mum and Dad!
Grab your tissues.
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