life in...New England...

Today I was looking out the window in our living room.  and there it was.  staring me down.
and there I was... wanting to fight it with everything I have...

but it won't help...

Nothing I can do will stop this...

Here is it.  The end of Summer.

We had so much fun this Summer.

We played.  HARD.

There were things we wanted to do...that we didn't manage to fit in...

but there were so many things we did do.. 

so many really wonderful things.

There is this thing about Summer.

This thing that Summer does to me...

It makes me feel SO alive.

Living in New England Summer's go by so fast...and Winter lasts so long...

So very long without the feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin...

without feeling the grass on your bare feet...

without shorts and tank tops...

Summer is what gets us through the long long winters here...

and this Summer was nothing short of amazing.

We spent tons of time at our very favorite place....

the BEACH.

We spent tons of time with some of our favorite people...

The reality that another summer is over.

gone.

Although I plan on making the most of this winter...

I have to say...

I am already counting down the days...

to this....

and this...

When the snow is literally feet high... 

I am going to think of this..

and this...

and a little bit of this...

When the sun doesn't shine for days...

and it's to cold to even the house...

I will think of this...

and it will warm my heart...

because these girls are

the

sunshine of my life.

Puppy love....{Sunday Snapshot}

So I thought it was time...

I introduced you to, two of the fuzzier members of our family.

This is what they looked like TWO years ago.

Two years ago when we finally decided it was time for A dog.

ONE dog.

ONE.

Yeah, didn't quite work out that way.

It was a secret.

We didn't tell anyone.

Not even the girls.

So when we pulled into to pick up our new pup...

and saw 10 little fuzzy yellow faces looking at us...

it was all over.

WE.

WERE.

ALL.

DONE.

We saw this guy first.

Fenway, our boy.

Named after the most AWESOME place on the planet.

He was the most laid back.

We held him...

We fell in love with him...

and as we were about to walk away...

I spotted...

HER.

She was quite possibly the cutest thing I had ever seen.

and I got sucked in.

to this face.

and all of the sudden Ryan was holding one puppy...

and I was holding another puppy...

and

neither

one of us were willing to put them down.

As I looked into those brown eyes...

I asked Ryan what we were supposed to do...

Ryan said the only thing he could...

"Write her a check..."

and our lives haven't been the same since.

There have been times when I was like....Oh my goodness...

Two dogs is TOO much...

But all in all...it has worked out

(except the piles and piles of dog hair and pooh I clean up every single day!) 

Having these guys in our lives..

Is so very very worth it.

When I walk into a room and my kids are watching TV, using one of these guys as a pillow...

It's so very worth it...

When the kids are outside playing...

and the windows are open...

and I can hear them giggle...

with their pups...

It is so very worth it...

Every time Reagan draws a picture of her family...

and NEVER ever leaves out her pups...

It is so very worth it.

Fenway

Is a big baby.

I have been informed numerous times lately that he is a smidgen over weight.

To this I reply like any over-protective Mother would...

"Really... He looks fine to me..."

Fenny as we affectionately call him...

He's still as laid back as they come...

He doesn't bark unless one of the kids leaves the yard...

and he will continue to bark until they are back...

safe and sound..

He LOVES food...

especially cheese...

and

is

the BEST retriever EVER.

If your willing to kick it...

he's willing to retrieve it!

Roxy

If Roxy were a human...

She'd be the pretty snob.

Don't get me wrong...

She's a lover.

BUT...

boy does that girl LOVE attention.

She is super high maintenance...

but..

I love the way she waits for Ryan to fall asleep so she can sneak up in bed and sleep at my feet.

I can't stand how she jumps up on the front door to let me know she wants to come in...

I can honestly say getting those pups

was one of the best things I ever did for my kids...

They both love them to pieces...

and I love it that while Reilly is off doing "teenager" stuff...

Reagan has these guys...

and YES...

I know 2 puppies seems like a crazy thing to do...

and it was....

(I have the holes in my sheet rock, the frayed carpet, the missing stuffed animals, a couple of flip flops missing a match, a hole or two in my yard, a ruined screen door, a messy kitchen floor (all the time), more dog hair than I could EVER really clean up and more dog pooh than anyone person should EVER pick up in a lifetime)

but...

I would still do it all over again...

a hundred times...

I'd do it all over again.

These two

have changed our lives...

added so much too our lives...

made it a happier place to live...

These two...

who ask for little more than...

food, water and a pat on the belly now and then...

In return they

offer...

unconditional love and companionship

unparalleled loyalty.

There is no name more fitting than...

Man's best friend.

Not sure if I always deserve what they give me everyday...

but I strive everyday to...

 be to everyone else...the person my dogs think I am...

The FIRST dance...{Sunday Snapshot}

It's been the buzz around here for a few weeks now.

The first dance.

She's only 12 folks...

How oh how did this happen to me so fast?

To be honest...she didn't even know about the dance...until the school emailed us to let us know about it.  And her dad came out of the bedroom and asked her

So, Reilly what are we wearing?  Should we co-ordinate outfits?

and she just about DIED.

She really thought he was going.

I think every moment of the day of the dance was used to discuss wardrobe.

and of course...

These besties got ready together...

because that is what besties do...

First things first...

you NEED music...to get ready for a dance...Right?!

of course...there was hair straightening...

and Kaylee...who decided...straightening....way just way to much this hair...

There was all the accessories...

The make up...

and jewelry...

and when your done...

and everything is perfect...

 Once your all fancied up and ready to go...

You go on the trampoline...

Of course....

And then... maybe toss around the football...

Here's the thing...

These girls have been together...

since FIRST grade...

They drive each other crazy...

They annoy each other...

They always want to be together...

even when they've clearly had TOO much of each other...

Through it all...

They have each other.

To lean on when they're sad.

To talk to when they think no one else will understand.

To cry to when they are feeling like the whole world is against them.

To complain about their over-protective parents

To laugh with until they're stomach's hurt.

To be silly with.

And most importantly they have two people on the planet that they can be 

themselves with.  

and of course...

To try new things with...

Like their first dance.

Which by the way they LOVED. 

They danced like maniacs...

and the most important part....

When I asked her if she slow danced with any boys...

She said...

"They didn't even play any slow songs Mom...."

thank you lord.

Come on over...and share the fun of Stefanie's Sunday

!

Dear Mom...

Dear Mom,

I have become the Mother of a teenager. 

Now that this has happened.

I realize I owe you an apology.

I have a daughter who is just like me...

I am sorry for all of the times I stomped up the stairs....for the times I rolled my eyes and thought you had no idea what you were talking about.  I am sorry for the times I acted like you were the last person on the planet I wanted to be around.  I am sorry that I was so stubborn.

I am sorry if I made you cry and I frustrated you to NO end.  I am sorry if I made things 100 times more difficult for you...just because I could.  I am sorry if I didn't appreciate everything you did for me, but instead expected it.  I am sorry that I didn't realize that you did EVERYTHING you did for me, but saw ALL of the things you DIDN'T do for me.

I am so very sorry that I could NEVER manage to keep my room clean, and I didn't wear my retainer.  I am sorry that my clothes were always covering the bottom of my closet and even more sorry for the GROSS food you would find hidden in my bedroom. 

I am sorry I didn't do my homework and didn't worry about my grades.  YES, I did worry about what I was wearing more than I did about any tests.  I talked on the phone too late and I didn't eat the things that were good for me.

I am sorry for every single time I slammed my door, and for them times I yelled at you and said things I didn't mean.  I wish I could take back every single time I disagreed with you...because it felt good...

I want you to know that you were right.

You were right about the boys who broke my heart.  You were right about trying harder in school.  You were right about my friends and who were real and who were not.  You were right about talking behind peoples backs and how is would come back to bite me. 

I wish I had listened to you when you told me life gets harder, and those were the best days of my life.  I wish I had listened to you when you told me to try new things and I really wish I had listened to you when you told me to slow down...that I didn't have to grow up so fast, to slow down...that there was time...lots of time.

Now that so much time has passed.  I know it doesn't change anything NOW...but I just wanted you to know.

I appreciate you.

I love you.

I wish I hadn't given you such a hard time...

and more than anything....

I wish I had listened more.

(and by the way...now that I KNOW you know so much more than me)

answer me this...

I know she's only 12...

but when, oh when, does it end.

XOXO

Happy Birthday Mama Ruth.

Sunday Snapshot...{So it has started...}

And my life has become driving...

AGAIN

Driving one child here...

and driving the other child there...

and picking them up..

and car pooling...

and Saturday night football games...

and Sunday morning football games...

and early morning wake up calls to hit competitions hours...and hours...Away.

but when you look this cute...

It is so very VERY worth it.

and I have to say...it helps to get to do it with some BEST friends...

and this guy...

he's doing really well...

dealing with the fact that he has cheerleaders...

and not football players.

I guess when your kid can do 

back handsprings...

and 

back tucks...

It makes it a little more fun for him to watch...

Someone once said to me..

"Those who can't  play...cheer."

To that I say...

"come to a competition...you'll feel completely different after you see what these girls do."

I will spend the next couple of months..in my car...

driving these girls...

to a hundred different place...

so that they can do what they love...

what they are passionate about..

There is NOTHING I'd rather be doing...

I couldn't be more proud of my cheerleaders...

xoxo

Head on over and have some fun with...