A blog about raising 5 kids, photography, DIY, recipes and whatever else may come our way....

Monday, October 25, 2010

Halloween Party at Kimmy's

OK, so I know I haven't posted much lately but I've been so busy w/the kids & still trying to unpack. Yes I still have boxes I need to unpack. Some days I am too lazy to even attempt it. What I really need is a good couple days w/no kids to get it all done. But that is obviously not gonna happen so I probably won't be done till next month!

Last weekend my good friend Kimmy had a Halloween party. It was fun, she had a skull hunting contest, whoever found the one w/a mark on the bottom of one of them won a prize. That was for the smaller kids. For the older kids/adults she had a donut eating contest, which is always hysterical! There was a guess how many candy corns jar. Crafts for the kids, pumpkin decorating & black glove decorating. And of course food & music!

Braedon on the hunt for sculls.
My little police officer.LuLu ballerinaLauren & KimmyKimmy's daughter, Gracie w/Braedon.Braedon working hard on his pumpkin.LuLu's proud of her glove!Lauren's glove she made to look like a spider.Kimmy's hubby, Jim w/Brae.Fun times! The kids had a great time & were all tuckered out from partying it up & passed out that night!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Girls Weekend in Maine!

Every year for the last 5 years my sister & I & our cousins have been going to Maine on Columbus Day weekend for a girls weekend. It's filled with shopping, drinks, great food & lots of laughs! Our mother's have been doing it for like 20 years. My cousin Colleen & I used to ask to join their group & they told us we should start one of our own so 5 years ago we did. We stay in a nice condo in Wells usually. We shop at the Kittery outlets, Perkins Cove, Ogunquit & Kennybunkport. At the end of the days we go out to some wonderful restaurants & have some drinks back at the room later. It's always a great time & the weekend always goes by way too fast!! Here in this pic we are one of our favorite restaurants Verano's. Great Italian place, highly recommend you go here if you ever have the chance!

My cousin, Bridget having a little fun!


Bridget & I being silly.The boats in Perkins Cove. Love this place!It was my cousins birthday the second day we were there. We celebrated at The Steakhouse. Another great place! They have the best house potato!All of us in Perkins Cove.We are thinking of extending our trip one more night for next year. We always leave early Sat. morning & come home Mon. but alot of times we feel rushed so we might start leaving on Friday's instead. It all depends if everyone will be able to get the day off from work. I'm hoping it will work out for all of us so we can have that extra night!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

I'm Back.....

Well, we are all moved in! We moved in on the 30th of Sept. in the pouring rain that day! It sucked! I've gotten alot done but still have alot left! You don't realize how much stuff you accumulate until you move. The computer was just turned on Tuesday, thank god! I was going nuts without it! I took a picture of our new house to show because I'm so excited & happy that we FINALLY have one of our own! Love my front porch, always wanted one & I am glad we were able to get a house with one! There is also a fenced in backyard, not a huge yard but a nice size.

I am absolutely in love with our new fridge! So much room in this thing!The pellet stove is great! We already tested it out & it's just lovely!Another big selling point to this house were these built-ins in the living room. Yup, Braedon's on the computer, what a suprise!My kids all seem much happier now as well. Of course being across the street from the park helps too! Now I just have to decide whether to change the kids schools yet or wait ill next year. The only thing I'm not to happy about being in Dalton is that Braedon won't be able to go into Kindergarten next year because of when his birthday is(11 days after the cut off). That's why I'm not sure whether to change Laci or leave her so I can try to start Braedon next year in Pittsfield then transfer him after.

On another note, my baby brother had his first child on Sept. 15th. A boy, Gabriel. His poor girlfriend pushed for 3 hours before they finally decided on a c-section. Everything was okay until his 2 week check-up. The doctor noticed a swooshing sound in his chest, thinking it was a hole in his heart, they sent them to Bay State Hospital that day. We found out later that day that there is this tube in/near the heart that we are all born with that splits & one side is for oxygenated blood & the other side is for de-oxygenated blood. Well, Gabriel's started to split but fused back together so his blood flow was way off! He was sent to Children's Hospital in Bosten right away! They did open heart surgery on him & put a new tube in him. The surgery went well but a couple hours after he started bleeding profusely thru one of the tubes & the doctors had to chest compressions right on his open heart!! And my brother & our father were in the room when all this went down! I can't even imagine what was going thru their minds! I would have been going nuts!! But it's been a week since the surgery & he is doing well. He was on many machines but has been taken off everything as of yesterday. Now when my sister, cousin & I went to see him on Monday he still had the feeding tube in so that's what you will see in the pictures. He is quite a cutie though! Snuggling with his doggy Grandma got him.

Looking at auntie!You gave all of us quite a scare little munchkin! Thank god you are doing good! We all love you lots! Situations like these really make you sit back & realize how blessed & lucky you are!!

Monday, September 27, 2010

8 Years Together...Moving Day....

8 years ago on Monday Mickey & I were married. It was a small, intimate ceremony at the Williams Inn in Williamstown, MA. Only about 25 of us, pretty much just our parents & siblings. We had just decided one day about a month before to get married. We wanted another baby & but felt we should get married first. We were going to have our "big" family wedding on our first anniversary but life happens, didn't have the money etc... I've told him though in 2 years for our 10th I would like to renew our vows & have the wedding we didn't have back then. And also go on a honeymoon which we also never had! We figure the kids will be15, 9, 6 & 3 & we will have definitely earned it by then!! Happy Anniversary babe! Luv You!

Ok so a while ago I posted how we had purchased a house & would be moving to Dalton. Well tomorrow is moving day! Can't wait, well not really thrilled on the actual moving furniture, heavy boxes, unpacking, etc but once that's all done it will be great! I can't believe the day is finally here! We have waited soooo long to have a house of our own. I gotta say though what they say is true about buying a house it is VERY stressful!! We had a few unexpected issues arise & it was not easy! Thank god for my mom, my father-in-law & step-mother-in-law!! I don't know what we would have done if it wasn't for their help w/one of the issues w/the house. We are extremely grateful!! And it wasn't easy to ask for their help, I'm a very stubborn, proud person but sometimes you have to give in & ask. Anyway I probably won't be able to post for a bit, but I'm going to try not to be away for too long! Wish us luck!!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Apple Picking

My mom & I took the kids apple picking today at Lakeview Orchards. It was a really nice day for it, not to hot, not to cold. The kids had fun. Lauren took off on us to taste all the different apples, she wasn't really into the "apple picking" thing. Rylan was old enough this year to enjoy it. He was funny, going from apple to apple. At one point he was eating one & dropped it & it got dirt all over it, he picked it back up & started to eat it again. I tried to take it away & give him a new one & he freiked so I handed it back to him. Oh well, what's a little dirt right?! You will notice there is no pics of Lauren because she wouldn't let me take any of course! What a pain sometimes.










Think we got enough!? Carmel apples, apple pie & apple sauce to be made!


Of course when we were done picking we had to go in the shop & buy some goodies! We got cookies, donuts, a whoopie pie & the carmel apple kit. The kids can't wait to make those! Maybe we will do it tomorrow. A nice day spent with my mom & kids!!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Baby A.J.

My good friend Sam & her hubby J.R. had a baby boy, Adam John on Sept. 15th. It's their fourth & last child. I took some pics of him & his proud parents. He's so cute, makes me miss the baby stage! Especially since my baby is 14 months now!



Thursday, September 16, 2010

Hangin Out.....

 Rylan discovered he could climb into the toy box! This is how I found him yesterday, he was trying to get out but couldn't quite make it. I was cracking up laughing & of course ran to take a quick pic! Wonder what he'll discover next!