Strawberry Picking

Another day of summer vacation and another little adventure for us.  Today it was strawberry picking at Nourse Farm.  It's a cute little farm in Westboro, only about 15 minutes from our house.  The strawberry patch isn't huge but it's plenty big to get lots of good berries.  The morning was a mix of sun and clouds so it wasn't too hot while we picked.  Evan picked about two and a half quarts.  Logan picked...I don't know how many because most of them ended up in his belly!  Another fun adventure with my two little pals!

Our picking box is full enough and we are ready to head home

Evan works on filling his container while Logan works on filling his belly!

First Swim Lesson

Evan and Logan started swim lessons at the Whitin Community Center today...well sort of!  Evan rocked it and Logan wouldn't even get in the water.  We did go back later in the morning for a toddlers class where I could sit on the edge of the pool with him and go in with him at the end of class.  Logan didn't want to do anything the instructor asked but did in the end and as we were walking to get our towels at the end of the lesson he said to me, "So, I guess that was really fun!"  He swears that he'll get in the water with Evan next week...we'll see!

Evan in the water while Logan watches from the deck

Sulking on the bench

Kicking across the pool on his back

Kick Off to Summer

We've had an amazing start to summer vacation!  Yesterday was the first full day of vacation and we started the day playing school.  We then took a "field trip" to Purgatory Chasm and West End Creamery.  Today we went to the touch a truck event in Northboro then came home for slip n' slide fun and a visit from the ice cream truck.  What a way to kick off summer!  Not sure we'll keep up this much excitement all summer but if these last two days are any indication, we are going to have an awesome summer!!




Evan climbs the rock face while Logan offers assistance

 They waited and waved for a good 5 minutes. They've had their wallets ready since Sunday!

"Yeah, it stopped here!" Before this Logan was yelling "Hey, ice cream truck, stop here!"

 Evan's first attempt - "It doesn't work"

 Daddy's turn
 

 Logan psyching himself up and then gets a little help from dad. Evan starts to get the hang of it.

Evan's Week with Q Bear

This week Evan had the honor of bringing Q Bear home from school with him.  Q Bear is a bear that each student takes home for one weekend and then journals about their adventures with him before returning to school on Monday.  Evan was so excited to have Q Bear home for not just a weekend but the entire week.  We were on the go much of the week but he still had a good week with Q Bear.  You can check out their adventures here: Adventures with Q Bear.

Dinosaur Footprints, Mt. Tom, and McCray's Dairy Farm

I'm trying something new tonight for blogging.  Not sure how it will work or if this will be the new format and I still need to figure out how to add captions but here are some photos from our Patriot's Day adventure in western Mass. (Click on the word photos above.  The hyperlink was a bit tough to see.)

Loganisms

Over the last year, Logan has changed so much.  I don't feel like I remember Evan changing so quickly or so much but I'm sure he did too.  Maybe I'm just more focused on it because I don't have a little one coming along behind Logan and because I know he is the last one.  Here are a few of the gems that he has come out with lately.

- "Mommy, thank you so much!  You made it perfect!" in reference to his ham and cheese sandwich that I made him for lunch.  He was so excited about it that he got down off of his stool at the island and gave me a great big hug.

- "It's hard to think about, right Mom?" when he couldn't remember his music teachers name.

- "Logan, do you have the moves like Jaggar?" "Nope, they aren't in my brain anymore."

- "Mommy, are these my eyebrowns?"

- "So Elsa and I were talking.  She's going to come over to our house, play Paw Patrol, and sleep in my room, OK?  That sounds like a good plan, huh?" when getting in the car after school last Thursday.

Logan is such a sweet, sweet boy with so much personality.  He is silly, spunky, goofy, and so appreciative of everything.  Clean clothes, washing his blankets, getting him a sweatshirt, getting him a snack.  Each time I get the biggest hug and most sincere thank you for helping him.

I love you, little guy!  Don't get too big too fast, ok?

Return to Blogging

Looking back over the last year and a half, I haven't done too much blogging.  Life has been getting in the way!  Only 95 posts in 2014 and 35 in 2015 as compared to about 200 in previous years.  While 200 blog posts in one year may be a bit of overkill, 35 seems a bit on the low side.  As a result of not blogging, I feel like I am forgetting many moments.  Those moments when I would take a photo and immediately think of caption for it.  Those cute phrases or conversations with the boys that I am not capturing or remembering in quite the same way.  Family experiences captured on camera but then lost as a set of photos untouched and unseen.

In an effort to capture these precious moments that are passing so quickly, I will be returning to blogging this year.  I will do my best to stay current and make an attempt to go back and capture those lost moments.  I know I need to scale things back in order to be successful but without so many "firsts" I hope that will be relatively easy to do.

Wish me luck and happy reading!  Stay tuned for more adventures with these crazy boys!

Live, Laugh, Love

Today my brother asked to be a guest writer on our blog...Who am I to say no?  Here is what he had to say.  Love you, Dan!


Live, Laugh, Love!

One year ago today our Mom passed away.  As we remember the most wonderful person that has come 

into our lives this is a rough attempt to recreate the (off the cuff) toast that I gave in her honor one year 

ago...

I'm sure that you've all seen the LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE signs and pictures that are in every home décor 

section of a local retailer.  Until recently I hadn't given these items much more than a glancing thought.  

I liked them enough and even thought that it is a nice moniker to live by.  But by the time I left the isle 

or clicked on the next website that was the end of it.

That was until I started reflecting on our Mom's time with us.  I believe that the very simple phrase 

LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE describes exactly how she wanted us all to approach our lives and I like to 

think that she was the epitome of the slogan.

LIVE!

Mom struggled for 35+ years with a rare condition called pulmonary hypertension (PH).  At the time 

she was diagnosed, the medical community didn't know too much about the disease and only a few 

years earlier the World Health Organization made a first attempt to classify the affliction.  In the '70s 

the survival rate for patients with PH was about 2 years.  Anything greater than that and you were 

lucky.  

However, if you spent any time with our Mom over the course of the past 3 decades you would not 

know that she struggled to catch her breath almost daily.  You would not know that the strain of 

climbing the stairs was something that stressed her out.  You would not know that simply lifting her 

grandsons was something that worried her because she was concerned that she wouldn't have the 

strength to hold them too long.

She wouldn't let you see these things because she was too strong willed to let you.  She wasn't about 

making excuses for not doing something because of her condition.  PH didn't control her life she 

OWNED her PH.  She fought it every single day.  Some days it got the best of her.  But over the course 

of the many (wonderful) years, she KICKED ITS ASS!

She LIVED!  She enjoyed time with her family, friends, kids, grandsons, and adoring & loving 

husband.  Together our Parents would travel, entertain, go out to dinner, watch Red Sox games, or just 

about anything that the rest of us do.  She fought for every single experience, dream, and goal.  And she 

did it all!  

I'm sure that she had some regrets.  Our Dad could tell you better than I.  But let's face it, what's better 

than spending each day with your best friend and love of your life?  THEY LIVED each and everyday 

in sickness and in health! THEY LIVED!

LAUGH!

Some people say that laughter is the best medicine.  Mom loved to laugh!  She laughed with great joy 

when her grandson's blurted out something silly.  She laughed anytime she got together with friends or 

family.  Her smile was enough to melt the frost off your windshield and warm your heart on a bad day.  

She laughed until she coughed.  On bad days she would have to be careful not to get too excited, be too 

strenuous, and overall take it easy.  But she always laughed.  She knew that laughing would cause a 

coughing fit or make it difficult to catch her breath.  Laughter was her great indulgence especially when 

it came to her grandson's.  She didn't want to miss a second with them and cherished each moment too 

much not to be there even if they did make her laugh. 

Every day our Parents would dream.  They'd dream about the family that they were going to have, or 

the house they were going to live in, or the vacations that they would have, or that someday I would 

move out (for good), or that they would spend a month in Florida, or buy a second home for their 

retirement.  Each day they dreamed.  They dreamed big, they dreamed small.  But each dream was built 

on their love and fueled by laughter.  They smiled, winked, held hands, pinched each other's butt, but 

they laughed and laughed.  THEY LOVED, THEY LAUGHED.

LOVE!

Mom had love in her heart.  It didn't matter if you were someone that she'd just met or had been life 

long friends you felt loved.  She had a gentleness about her that could put you at ease with a look, a 

smile or a kind word.  I believe that she truly cared for everyone because she loved her life so much 

and felt so blessed that she wanted to share that love with everyone.

She was the best remedy for a bad day.  She was warmth when your soul was cold.  She had love to 

share with you even when you were so down that you had little to share back.

In her eyes, she had so much to be thankful for.  We've been blessed with a great big family and she 

made everyone feel loved no matter how much time passed since you last saw or spoke with her.  That 

same love was given to her closest friends whom she considered family.

Her greatest love was for Dad.  They were practically kids when they first met.  When they were 

married their love was young, infections, and strong.  As time passed, their bond became stronger and 

their love grew to be the most powerful force I've seen.  She loved and adored Dad each and every day!  

Sure they had their struggles.  Mom was diagnosed with a life threatening disease when she was 25!  

They had a young son and a daughter on the way.  But never once was their love for each in doubt.  

Love was the emergency generator that kept them going through the rough days.  It was the reason that 

they did so much for those around them.  Their love conquered all!  They knew that each moment was 

precious and few and that they should not be wasted.

Mom was strong.  She was a fighter.  She had a giant heart.  She was beautiful.  She was generous.  She 

was so many things...

Very early on Mom knew what was going to cause her pain, struggles, and take her life.  She never 

knew when her last moment would be.  So in every moment she would LIVE, LAUGH, and LOVE!  

As you go about your daily life don't forget to LIVE it to its fullest, LAUGH often and fiercely, and 

LOVE unconditionally.  With any luck, you could be as blessed as Deborah Kavanagh was.

We love you Mom and miss you each and everyday!