365 ~ 2013: Day 74

Shaun finishes his lap across the pool!  He's getting more and more confident in the water!

365 ~ 2013: Day 73

I spied Daddy showing the boys where we flew on our trip using the Melissa and Doug USA floor puzzle!

365 ~ 2013: Day 72

Not as warm as San Francisco but still a nice sunny day! Definitely ready for spring now!

365~2013 Day 71

The sun set on our flight home tonight!  Waiting for our connection home.  What a fabulous trip bit it will be good to be home!

365 ~ 2013: Day 70

Last night in San Francisco!  Watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean, très romantique!

365 ~ 2013: Day 69

Gorgeous sunset down at Fisherman's Wharf tonight.

365 ~ 2013: Day 68

First full day in Sunny California!

365 ~ 2013: Day 67

I spent today on a plane flying to the other side of the country and never had a chance to take out my camera.  So I'm posting this cousins picture I took last weekend since I just got around to editing it!  I'll be back at it tomorrow when I venture out and explore San Francisco!

365 ~ 2013: Day 66

David practices the song his teacher wants him to preform in an upcoming recital!  He's very excited and is looking forward to playing on real piano keys, instead of just a keyboard.


Day 7: {1 Photo – 31 Days} Spring Photo Challenge ~ Key!

365 ~ 2013: Day 65

Evan likes to line up the little animals from his Uno Moo game.


Day 6: {1 Photo – 31 Days} Spring Photo Challenge ~ Straight!

365 ~ 2013: Day 64

Right now (or rather this afternoon but I didn't get a chance to post until now) I am watching Shaun and Evan play a cut throat game of Zingo with Omi, while I look up places to visit while I am in San Francisco this weekend!


Day 4: {1 Photo – 31 Days} Spring Photo Challenge ~ #widn (What I'm Doing Now)!

365 ~ 2013: Day 63

Capturing the snow flurries for today's I Heart Faces "Out of Focus" theme.

 Day 3: {1 Photo – 31 Days} Spring Photo Challenge ~ Out of Focus!

365 ~ 2013: Day 62

Friday my nephew turned 13, today we had some cake to celebrate. {Happy}13th Birthday Scottie!


Day 3: {1 Photo – 31 Days} Spring Photo Challenge ~ Happy!

365 ~ 2013: Day 61

Today the theme is favorite and my family is my favorite.  I had gotten up to grab some more milk for the boys but couldn't resist grabbing my camera instead to capture this moment.  It's very rare for us to not eat all together at the table at least one meal a day.  It's a tradition that I hold very dear and something that I will strive to continue for years to come.  


Day 2: {1 Photo – 31 Days} Spring Photo Challenge ~ Favorite!

365 ~ 2013: Day 60

I Heart Faces is doing another month long photo challenge for March.  I did their December challenge and it was a lot of fun.  These challenges are great if you're ever looking for inspiration and when you're doing a 365 project like I am it's very easy to get into a funk!  Today is the first day and today's theme is ME (introduce yourself).

Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE being photographed, however it's a whole different ball game when you have to take a self portrait.  It's awkward and you have to hope that the focus is right. Today I also added in my off camera flash, mostly so I could play around with the set up some more.

So here is the result.  Just me, no make-up, my hair tossed up in a clip and in my normal every day attire of jeans and a tee.  Me!

Day 1: {1 Photo – 31 Days} Spring Photo Challenge ~ Me (introduce yourself)!

Happy Valentine's Day (better late than never!)

I am finally getting around to editing my February folder of images and came across all my Valentine's pictures and decided to make a blog post about it.  We'll just forget the fact that it's been a good 2 weeks since Valentine's day has passed!

I love celebrating Holidays, even of the Hallmark variety!  This year we had lots going on during the week leading up to and after Valentine's Day.  The boys had celebrations in school as well as our new playgroup and our old playgroup parties!  We also started a new tradition this year.  A friend of mine shared pictures of her family all dressed up fancy for dinner celebration at home including a fancy dinner menu, complete with Chocolate fondu!  I thought it was such a nice way to celebrate that I decided to start this with my own family.  It was so fun and the boys got a kick out of eating dinner in the dining room.  We had an Italian feast with eggplant and chicken parm, with pasta and homemade sauce and homemade garlic knots.  It was delicious.  Next year I would like to plan something even a bit fancier, but this was a last minute plan!

On Tuesday we had a Friendship party during Family Center.  They got to make up some cards and put them in their friends boxes that they made the week before and we had some cookies and I brought some special cupcakes!

Strawberry flavored mini-cupcakes with sweet tart hearts on top for Family Center

Shaun showing off his Valentine from the Family Center Friendship party!

Evan showing off his Valentine's Day Tee

Wednesday we had to get the boys Valentine's ready for school.  Even though Valentine's day was on Thursday, our Thursdays are pretty crazy with the boys both having music class so we decided to celebrate on the day before.  After the boys finished their treats for their classmates we headed upstairs to get ready for our special dinner.  Omi was over for a visit so she helped me with the boys so I could prep our dinner.  She also helped me get a nice picture of them all dressed up!

Dinner was delicious, but I'm quite partial to my sauce and eggplant parm has become one of my favorite comfort foods!  The boys love having spaghetti so it was definitely a big hit!  After dinner I gave the boys their Valentine treats, from the Granite State Candy Company.  They each got a heart shaped chocolate lollipop and then we all shared a heart shaped box filled with different samples of candy.  I am already looking forward to doing this again next year!  

Shaun working on his Valentine cards for his class

David working on his Valentine's cards for his class

The boys 2013 Valentine's Day cards

Dressed up for Fancy dinner

Me and the boys all dressed waiting for Daddy to get home for dinner

Bellies are full and so it was time to share some special Valentine's Day chocolates!

On Saturday morning we headed to Revere to celebrate with all our old Rec friends for the annual Valentine's Day brunch, where we get to wear our jammies!  The boys had lots of fun making Valentine crafts and eating heart shaped pancakes!  Miss Sally's parties are definitely a good time!

Ready to head to Revere for the Valentine's Day brunch

Valentine's Day tattoos

David's heart shape cake to decorate

Evan checking out his Valentine's

My boys!

So, whether or not you think this is one of those contrived holidays made up by the greeting card, chocolate and flower companies, you have to admit that there is something special about setting aside time to celebrate love and friendship!

365 ~ 2013: Day 59

Spending some of our vacation doing more home improvements.  The boys patiently wait for a chance to help paint the wall.

365 ~ 2013: Day 58

His drawing skills continue to amaze me! At 33, I could not draw a better helicopter.

Once upon a time there was a zombie who had to dig underground to get to the castle to get away from the volcano.  The helicopter flies by to take the castle away so the zombie cannot get in.  The zombie was left with nothing.  The helicopter took everything he had.  All that was left was the exploding volcano, that made the zombie die. 

*As told to me by David

365 ~ 2013: Day 57

Our friends came for an impromptu sleepover/visit yesterday and headed home today, but not before I was able to get a quick snapshot of all of them together!

365 ~ 2013: Day 56

Heavy wet snow = BEST Snowman making snow!