Happy New Year!

If you've read here long you know I'm always in search of exciting New Year's Eve fun.

Every year that the kids have gotten older, we have gotten a bit more adventurous. It started with a Japanese steakhouse dinner with friends. Then we graduated to a mini party at home with a faux midnight countdown. This year was our biggest adventure yet!

Snowboarding until midnight at Ski Liberty.

After we gave snowboarding a go last winter and realized how much they loved it we upgraded all their gear. Most of it we got on sale after the winter season or on FB sale pages. So now they both have their own boards, helmets, boots and more.

We missed the Thanksgiving snow storm that hit our town, so we had a fangirl moment when we walked into the snowmaking machines.
 

Going up.  Let's shred.


My favorite snowbunny.


I am there purely in a support role so when they need a break to lay under the snow machines and make snow angels I'm their girl.


I took them for a hot cocoa break to give TG a chance to try out his new board that he got for his birthday.  He's one of those people that had one lesson and now rides like he's been doing it all his life.

So we find two seats at the bench and sit down to take a break in the warmth.  Notice that sign in the background?


In our search for any empty seat to enjoy our hot cocoa we stumbled across a Mechanical Shark ride. It was endlessly entertaining.


Just as Riley was about to take her turn on the shark TG showed up in search of us.  He got to watch them ride that crazy great white and then we all went back out for a few more rides before midnight.


There were fireworks and hugs and well wishes at midnight and then we drove back to our hotel for the night.  Our initial plan was to head back for more snowboarding in the morning.  We hoped the kids would sleep in with a bedtime of 1 am, but that didn't pan out.  After copious amounts of coffee for TG and I we decided everyone was too tired to attempt the slopes again so we headed home for a relaxing New Year's Day on the couch.

Happy 2015 everyone!

Summer Part 1 : World Cup, Father's Day, VBS, Week of Matt + Lindsay, Big Kid Bikes

I suppose we should start here, with Riley's list for our summer, because in the end she was pretty accurate.

There was "chok".


And more "srpingkuler" and fountain time where we watched the USA on the big screens while the kids kept cool in the fountain.


She forgot Father's Day, but after we cheered for Daddy at his soccer game, we did end up in our "back yard" enjoying dinner and playtime with our friends.




Lord, I can gush about this man, it's been well documented, but I am so thankful for him on Father's Day and the other 364 days of the year.


Then we hit the road for "gigi and papa" so the kids could go to VBS and spend a week at their house. Sometimes the drive is traffic filled and painful, but this particular time it was lovely.  We had 1/2 price milkshakes, rude sound contests and plenty of cloud shape fun on the empty roads that got us there in double quick time.


Upon arrival, we wasted no time getting in their pool!  

Where the kids and TG do a lot of playing and I mostly do this.


The next day TG and I hugged our babies tight, and thanked Gigi and Papa profusely, before hitting the road for home, SOLO.

And so began the #weekofmattandlindsay.  He started with a stop at IKEA on our way back to NOVA, before we went out to watch the next World Cup match with friends that night.


We slept til noon, didn't set foot in a Harris Teeter, ate Chipotle with the teenage lunch crowd at 2 pm, and saw grown up movies, midday, in empty theaters.


We had leisurely shopping dates, and got things done in the light of full day, while watching more World Cup of course.


In the busyness of life with two jobs and two kids I forget how much TG makes me laugh.  He is one of the funniest people I know and for one whole week I got to be all about him again, the way we were in the beginning.  I would never trade our life now to go back, but my God, it's oh so good to get a glimpse of it now and then.  You don't look a day over fast cars and freedom TG.


The week went by quickly, but we were ready to see these smiling faces again.  They even decorated to welcome us back to them!


Then it was back home where we had "bik" time. On the last and hottest day of June, TG took Riley out and practiced riding without training wheels and in a blink she was doing it.  "I just got over my fear.  I climbed right over it!"

Camden immediately proclaimed that he could do it as well and though I was skeptical, within minutes both of our kids were circling our cul de sac without training wheels.   Hail, the conquering victor!

The first part of our summer, was so much fun, it's crazy to say that the second and third were even better, but they were.

 

LKA Time

After a week at home we hit the road again for Lake Anna. For the past three years we have spent part of each summer there and because of the generosity of our friends we can get away from the world for a few days and soak up the sun.  We love getting out on the water and just enjoy hanging out with these friends that are like family.

They take us tubing.


And wakeboarding.


They feed us delicious homemade food and let our kids take over and play in their amazing lake house.

They take us cruising around the lake and sometimes we stop for food lake side where flip flops are welcome and apparently shirts for kids are optional.

They let us on their jet skis even though this little driver has a scary need for speed.

Then they round out their day by endlessly circling the cove trying to get the water just right so TG can wake surf.


And when he gets it, which believe me, is not easy for the driver or the surfer, I get to see his boyish grin. Swoon.

365 Photos in 2013 - Week 3

1.14 - Yogurt faces. My kids love those yo crunch yogurt cups!  They think giving themselves yogurt mustaches and noses is hilarious.



1.15 - Tea and salon-y time. I was resting in my bed with Cam when Riley invited me to come play. We had a little tea party, did each other's nails, put on some make up and did a quick fashion show. She loved it and so did I.



1.16 Mail.  Riley loves to send mail to her family and friends.  She's been working on sounding out words and spelling them phonetically.  She sent this letter to her Gigi on Wednesday.   The picture is a Patriots ornament - she made me draw the Patriot.



1.17 - Girls night. Had a much needed night of girl talk and crafting with my friends. It's my selfish moment during our hectic weeks and it always helps me recharge and refocus.



1.18 - Date night!  We scored awesome kid sitting services at a local preschool for a great price so TG and I took the opportunity to head to our favorite date night restaurant.  They have automatic wine dispensers on the wall.  If you live in my area and you haven't been, you're missing out.  The service can be iffy, but this night our waitress was lovely and very attentive.  Hello wine debit card!!!



1.19 - Fancy "Dancy".  Riley's birthday is very close to Christmas so I made a Target list of things I know she would love.  Gigi and Papa got her a mini pink, crystal chandelier from her list and I couldn't wait until her birthday to give it to her!  After some trial and well mostly error on my part, TG took over and hung it up.  It adds so much more light to her room (we don't have overhead lights in our house) and she absolutely loves it!



1.20 -  Chest pumps!  TG's team was in the AFC championship game so to get pumped up he showed Riley how to do chest pumps.  Giggling fits ensued.  I didn't take a picture so I took a screenshot of the video I took.  Hahahaha.  That was the only laughter that evening though as TG's team went on to lose to those dirty birds.

365 Photos in 2013 - Week 2

1.7 - Little man had a lazy day in his pjs at home, so come bedtime he wasn't quite as tired as usual. He easily persuaded TG to let him watch some football downstairs with us before bedtime.  Camden loves to yell, "TOUCHDOWN!"

1.8 - Riley discovered her first wiggly, loose tooth! When she had me confirm she was so overwhelmed she was laughing hysterically and crying a bit. Then for the rest of the day she couldn't wait to show TG and/or stop wiggling it.



1.9 - Riley lost her first tooth. She told me that morning that the wiggly tooth was hurting her when she tried to eat. That night while I was out at the store with Cam, she was having trouble eating dinner. TG told her it would be okay, but she decided to reach in there and pull the thing out herself. It was not that loose at all, so I was shocked when he told me, but she couldn't have been happier about it. That night we ceremonially put the tooth under her pillow and then read two books about the tooth fairy so she would know what to expect. Riley was so excited to see what the tooth fairy would bring.

1.10 - A tooth bag and visit from the tooth fairy. I stayed up until the next morning, using materials I had on hand, to sew her a little bag to put her loose teeth in from now on. There's a pocket for the tooth and a pocket for her money.  The tooth fairy left her $10 glitter dollars and a little reminder to, "Keep brushing!". Digging for the ziploc bag while trying not to wake her was stressful, but successful. From now on she'll put her tooth in the little bag and hang it near her bed.

1.11  Homemade laundry detergent.  I've had this pinned on my cleaning board on Pinterest for a long time and for one reason or another just haven't gotten around to making it, until now.  It took me four trips to find Borax, apparently Harris Teeter doesn't carry it around here, but now I'm on the "make your own soap" bandwagon and I love it.  Our clothes feel so soft and although they don't have the typical fresh laundry smell everything is bright and clean.  Add that to the super cheap price of making it yourself and it's a Pinterest winner!


1.12 - In an effort to get the kids out of the house, I took them to our local mall to play and do a little shopping. They were so cute because the place was packed, but they chose to play together.
 

1.13 - My team is out of the playoffs, but TG's team is in.  We had a low key day of lunch at Outback watching the Seahawks and Falcons, followed by naps, tax work for me, then the Patriots and Texans game at home.  I snuck the kids out to Target to give TG some time to yell for his team by himself, but not before Cam snuggled in for some, "Go Patriots! Come on, Welker! and TOUCHDOWN!" cheers.  The Patriots won and they are moving on to face the Dirty Birds next weekend.  I don't often cheer for the Pats, but I will be next weekend.  Which means they'll probably lose.