Long Awaited Family Fun!

7.29.2012

This past weekend we spent a wonderful few days in Delaware visiting family and friends.  It was a long awaited trip because we haven't been able to visit in the past two years, partly because we were concerned about making a five to six hour drive with Little Lewie and partly because my husband's work schedule never seemed to jive with the rest of the family. 

This year we made no excuses; we went and had a great time!  On Saturday I had a chance to see my best friend from college and her three adorable children, and the rest of the weekend, we had a chance to visit with my aunts and cousins, who just adored and doted on Little Lewie.  The best part of the trip by far was seeing my little boy's smile from ear to ear.  He couldn't get enough of being the center of attention, and if he wasn't busy entertaining everyone, then he was busy splashing away in the pool.  I think it's only a matter of time before he officially learns how to swim.  He was definitely paddling and kicking like a little fish!

One of my favorite memories of the trip was Lewie's excitement of sleeping in my aunt and uncle's camper.  He was on a "Oh my God" kick, so the minute we entered the camper for the first time, he was constantly telling us about all the features:  "Oh my God, there's a bed in here.  Oh my God there's a stove in here.  Oh my God there's a toilet in here."  Oh, and then comes my favorite comment of them all:  "Mommy, there's a car in here."  He saw the steering wheel and couldn't believe that the camper was basically a house on wheels.  Yes, I tried correcting him on his use of God over and over again.  (My family did too for that matter.) Fortunately, it was just a little phase--he hasn't repeated these words since we've returned back to good ole' CT. 

Here are a few of my favorite pictures:


Mary Ann was my best friend from college that moved to New Jersey. 
She will always be the sister I never had!

Mary Ann and her three beautiful children (ages 4, 5, and 6).

Lewie pretending to drive my aunt and uncle's RV.

Chillin out in the RV!

Enjoying the pool for hours and hours on end.

Probably one of his favorite parts to the trip.

Getting cozy on my aunt's couch.

My aunt's little shadow.  (He loves her so much.  Good thing she's his Godmother too.)

Sleeping in the RV.  He just loved the experience!

The Wedding...

7.19.2012

My best friend Tracy got married to her best friend this past Saturday.  I had the honor of being one of the bridesmaids, and my little boy had the honor of being the ring bearer.  For months I tried to explain what this responsibility meant, but honestly, what does a three year-old boy know about weddings?

In the weeks leading up to the wedding, we've been crazy busy.  I helped plan Tracy's bachelorette party...a day out at the vineyards...,and the weekend prior to the wedding was Tracy's shower.  Getting my dress, shoes, and Little Lewie's tux was yet another accomplishment.   Since Tracy surprised us with a July wedding (she originally planned it for the fall), there was no room for error.  From the moment I learned about it in early June, it was "go" time!

Now that it's over, I'm a little sad.  The excitement and anticipation leading up to it is one that I still remember when I married my best friend six years ago.  In a way, it was like reliving the excitement all over again.  Most of my friends are already married and have children, so it may be a long while before I'm invited to another wedding like this one.  After it was done, Little Lewie asked, "Mommy, can we go to a wedding again tomorrow?  Okay?  Let's do that!"  Oh my heart broke to tell him that weddings were very special occassions, and it would be a long while until we would be able to go again. 

Here are some pictures and "memorable moments" of Tracy's special day:


The first fitting...I was really proud of his good behavior! 

Now why can't I get my little boy to stand still?

The second fitting.  (He was just as good at listening to directions this time, too.)

My little rock star.

From ring bearer to GQ model. 

Lewie and the flower girl, Sarah.

While we're waiting for the bride...

My best friend, Tracy.

Lewie's first ride in a limo.  "Can we go in a limo again tomorrow?" he asked.

Our little family.


Picture time on the golf course.


Yes, some of us wanted to do other things besides taking pictures.


I love this picture!

Lewie and Tracy.

I'm a working mama behind the scenes.

Eskimo kisses.

Lewie and his date.  I got stood up.  He wanted to be with her the whole night
 and followed her around like a second shadow.

One of many dances with Sarah. 

He passed out in his car seat before he even sat down. 
That's proof of one outstanding wedding!

All of us really had a wonderful time, and even though it was a lot of work, it sure did bring a lot of laughs.  Little Lewie ended up developing a mini crush on Sarah, and he literally danced with her the whole night to every song (fast and slow).  Even more, I couldn't believe my little boy had some moves on the dance floor.  At home I've seen him kind of sway from side to side and clap, but at the wedding he was really showing off and stutting his stuff...so much that he developed a little audience of his own; it seemed like almost everyone was watching him from a distance.

In another post, I hope to add some professional pictures of the church ceremony.  All in all, it was definitely a special time for both my friend that deserves a life of happiness and our little family.  Lewie is patiently awaiting our next wedding invitation.  I hope one will come soon!

My Little Actor

7.04.2012

Last weekend, our family took a long awaited trip.  It was only for a few days, but it gave us the peace and calm we needed (away from our daily work schedule) to just enjoy being in the present.  My husband used the days to participate in a sober living retreat, and so I invited my mom to come along so that Lewie could enjoy spending his days both with Mommy and Gramy. 

On both Saturday and Sunday, we started our days off feeling refreshed with a healthy breakfast.  After breakfast, we visited a few small gift shops and specialty shops in town, and then we spent our afternoons at the hotel's outdoor swimming pool, where overall, it was pretty quiet other than a few hotel guests taking a dip.  The early morning was a special time for me as I woke up and took a long walk through the countryside while the others were still fast asleep at the hotel.  It gave me time to reflect about the present, the unforseen future, and the past.  It also allowed me to do some soul searching.  Do I want to quit my job and plunge myself into this new start-up business?  If not, I was recently informed that my job would become full-time.  Did I want to keep my current job (something that's secure and stable), especially in an economy like this where I should be thanking my lucky stars that I'm employed?  I can't say any official decisions were made during these walks, but I found a strange sense of calm that God would provide and that an answer will come when the time is right.

Perhaps the most beautiful part of this trip was spending two full days with my little guy without the interruption of work, errands, phone calls, emails, or just plain worries.  I knew Lewie had been going through yet another change--more talkative, more confident, more self-assured, but I didn't know how much he was becomming his own little person.  During our store trips, he was charming, funny, and quite the entertainer.  He'd make store owners laugh, he'd ask intelligent questions, and he'd make friends with everyone that passed by.  At an art gallery that once used to be a bank, he started the following conversation:

     "Hi.  I want to tell you something..."
     "Who me?" the store owner asked.
     "Yes, is this an elevator?" he asked pointing to a unique door.
     "Oh no.  It's a vault."
     "Oh...how does it work?"

The owner got up from the register and showed him the combination lock and the huge mechanical lever.  That, of course, to Lewie, was the start of a new friendship where he continued to fire away questions about the door and tried to figure out how the lever worked. 

Another memorable moment was at the Harney and Sons Tea Shop.  While we were waiting to taste several brewed teas, Lewie plopped himself down on one of the benches and proceeded to have a made-up conversation with Daddy on his cell phone.  He was the voice of both himself and Daddy, so we got to hear in detail this two way conversation.  Customers of the tea shop were enthralled by his antics, and since he had an audience, he began to make up other funny conversations with his play phone too.  When any of the customers had to leave before we did, he made sure to use his manners.  "Bye.  See you next time. or See you soon," was the normal farewell.

I could provide so many more examples, but what really surprises me is his ability to take on different personas.  He's sweet and charming for elderly people, cool and funny for teenagers, and a casanova for pretty young girls (anywhere between 14 to 25).  I do have my hands full.  All in all, it was a fun, relaxing, and entertaining weekend.  I'm vowing to have more of them in our future.

My mom and Lewie in front of Lake Lake Wononscopomuc.

Another great picture of them...Their smiles are REAL.

Lewie having something to drink at an outside cafe.

Swimming, swimming, and more swimming.

Just lounging around...

The famous door to the old bank vault.

I'll admit.  It is pretty cool!

Lewie entertaining everyone in the tea tasting room.

And the entertaining continues...

Watching Snoopy before packing up to leave the hotel room.  He cried when we left.