Christmas 2017

Gorgeous Girl

I'm so in love with this gorgeous girl of mine...not just how beautiful she is, but her gorgeous heart and mind just as much.  

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Front Yard Football

Thanksgiving Break 2017

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Girls Night Out

Lorelai and I had a lovely time having a Girls Night Out while Brian and Gabriel attended a Thunder Game.  She got to choose the evening's activities which included dinner at McDonald's (Lorelai's idea of fancy eating), shopping for "grown up" makeup, makeovers (including nails), and watching the finale of Dancing With the Stars.  We had a wonderful time chatting and having some special "girl time."

After School

Life feels so busy these days as we rush from school to activity, trying to squeeze in homework before the kids head off to bed...I really cherish the quiet evenings we have when the kids get to let their imaginations run wild outside after a long day of learning or those quiet moments at bedtime when Gabriel snuggles with Rocky while I read him a story.

Halloween 2017

Pumpkin Patch 2017

Last night we had a fabulous time hanging out with good friends eating pizza, picking pumpkins, and hanging out with horses.  It was a beautiful night on a beautiful farm.  Thanks for having us Otey family!  We had a grand time.

Gabriel Catch-Up

Gabriel has been super busy this last month playing soccer and working hard in school.  He shows pride and dedication in both  and I continue to be so impressed by his display of responsibility.  This little guy is a BEAST on the soccer field.  He always has his head in the game and is good at communicating and working with his teammates.  At his last game he scored two goals and I managed to snap a picture of him making his very first one!

Because Gabriel has been working so hard and showing us what a big kid he is we decided to follow through on a promise made long ago...that he could have a pet reptile.  Ultimately, after some discussion and research, he decided to get a Bearded Dragon whom he has named Rocky.  Rocky is cute and fun...he's basically a little lizard dog.  He cocks his head when you talk with him and he likes being held.  I think it was a great choice on Gabriel's part, and I'm super excited for him to have this long awaited experience.

New York City - September 2017

Months ago when Brian suggested I buy Hamilton tickets I was over the moon...but when he suggested I take my mom I just knew this trip was going to be the BEST!  I can easily say my mom is my favorite travel companion.  We have most of the same likes and dislikes and everything is just so easy.  We make each other laugh, we both like to take in all of the history, we love the hustle and bustle of a city...and it doesn't take much to get us to break out into a Broadway show tune together.  We had a grand time eating amazing food (including a fun lunch with my cousins Brad and Johanna), touring the New York Public Library (they give free tours, and apparently I really enjoy photographing the lions out front!), seeing the original Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals, visiting the Tenement Museum (we recommend the Sweatshop Workers tour), shopping at Mood Fabrics, walking around the MET, and of course seeing some shows.  We enjoyed Avenue Q, laughed until our faces hurt at The Play That Goes Wrong, and were BLOWN AWAY by Hamilton (and just to brag...Row M - Orchestra Center seats are AMAZING!!!)!!!!!  This was certainly a trip for the books, and I think it's safe to say were both bummed to come back home so soon.  Wait...did I mention we saw HAMILTON?!  Oh...I did?  Well, it's worth mentioning again!  #YAYHAMLET

Notes:  Unfortunately Stephen Colbert is a bit busy with his Emmy hosting gig so we didn't get to see him this trip.  But, our hotel was right next door to the Ed Sullivan Theatre so I had a good chuckle every time we passed by the building and I read the sign.  We were also stalked by Alexander Hamilton throughout the trip...he was a Benefactor of the New York Public Library, we of course saw the play, and his portrait was at the MET.

Told you I was obsessed with photographing the lions outside of the NY Public Library - Schwarzman Building.  Aside from the amazing Children's Library downstairs the Schwarzman building is a Research Library, but also a bit of a museum so I highly recommend popping in and touring it for free.  

Oh. My. God.  #hamilnight #bitofaday  I will NEVER be able to describe accurately how epic-ly amazing this experience was.  And, yes...it's more than a show...it truly is an experience!

We had never walked through Central Park so we decided to do that on our way up to the MET.

Hamilton and Washington.  Also...it's difficult to avoid busting out into song when you see one of their portraits.

Louis Comfort Tiffany dragonfly haircomb.

Lorelai's 7th Birthday

This past Saturday we celebrated Lorelai's 7th birthday.  7th!  I can hardly believe it.  In so many ways she's still a little preschooler when I look at her.  Not the 1st grader who stands before me.  I know she's growing because my back feels it when I pick her up, or when we have real in depth conversations about history, theatre, or just life questions in general.  I hear it when she talks about the troubles of her heart which at times overwhelm her.  I see it when she conquers those troubles and faces them head on with fire and determination and comes out a champion in the end.  This little girl is a go getter, at her birthday party she was doing math on a chalkboard for fun (she must get that from her dad), she loves to read, she enjoys watching clips of the Tony awards and sings Hamilton around the house...or any other song either real or completely improvised.  She lives with a song in her heart.  She is creative and loving, smart and funny.  I am so thrilled that I have the privilege of being her mom and being a witness to who she is becoming as a person.  Happy birthday, sweet Lorelai!  You are "young, scrappy and hungry" and I know you're "not throwing away your shot."

Mitch Park Fishing

Today we had a little family outing to the local park for some fishing.  The kids got fishing poles a couple of weeks ago, but due to LOTS of rain we hadn't been able to use them.  Well, aside from in the hot tub.  It was very hot this morning, but the kids had been so eager to go...Gabriel even had the date circled on his calendar and had been praying for the rain to stop.  We had a wonderful time...the kids each caught fish, Gabriel took a spill into the pond and came out giggling, and just to make sure everything was as theme-y as possible there were goldfish snacks.  

First Day of School 2017-2018

The kids are excited and ready for another great year at SEAS!  Gabriel is in Mrs. Garrett's 2nd Grade class and will have his First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion this year!  Lorelai is in Mrs. Bobier's 1st Grade class and is looking forward to doing papers.  

Hot Tub Fishing

What do you do when you get new fishing rods?  Head to the hot tub of course!  

Sealife Aquarium

Hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa is always a great time, and we are so glad we were able to squeeze in this last minute trip before our summer draws to a close.  Only one week until school starts!

Water Balloons!

Water balloons...a great boredom buster on a hot summer day.

Country Sunsets

I love a good sunset at the farm.  This trip we had a ton of very cloudy evenings, but at the end of the trip we finally had a gorgeous evening with beautiful light and just enough clouds to make things interesting.  The warmth of the glow really romanticizes country living.  About 98 percent of the time I am really happy with living in suburbia, but if you were going to try to convince me that I should give country living a go...you'd take me out at sunset.

Lake Erie

We made sure to hit up Lake Erie while we were in Michigan which is always a favorite.  A little beach, a little bit of waves, lunch at a picnic table...what's not to like?  The kids always have a grand time although the water was a bit chilly this visit so we probably spent more time playing on the beach than in the water.  After a few hours of fun we hit up Danny's Frozen Custard for some tasty sweet treats