Highlights:
-Uncle Bryon and Jude are the best of friends. Not photoed is the two of them cuddling and watching Sesame Street on the iPad while I hold back tears from all the cuteness.
-Visiting Great-Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma's holding a box of chocolates there and saying, "Jude, you want one? Grandma says you can have one."
-Trying to intimidate Great-Grandpa into letting him play with his cool phone.
-Collecting rocks at Slim Point and running away when at all possible.
-Imitating the snobby waitresses at some European cafe in Manhattan.
Since being home we've detoxed from eating 8 meals a day, including the pre-breakfast warmup each morning of chocolate cake and Twizzlers. And more recently, our kitchen counter has become the new up-and-coming place for swarms of fruit flies due to our current fruit-picking addiction and inability to do the dishes before bed.
But all-in-all, it's good to be home.
Believe it or not, there will most likely be another post about Lake George in addition to this one. There are just far too many special and awkward moments to share to leave it all up to one post.
We love Lake George. My family goes every year and we try our hardest each August to attend. This year, we enjoyed lots of boating, island-hopping, picnicking, swimming, eating, laughing, hiking, and shuffle-boarding. Jude had a blast at the little beach down the road and we also enjoyed the company of Bryon's girlfriend, Courtney, aka BFF from Jersey, and Mom's BFF, Grace, during the week. I'm convinced this place is the most beautiful in all the world. And each year our plans for staying and never leaving become more elaborate than the last and always include me as the school nurse and Adam as that weird guy that gives watercolor lessons.
We're an ambitious group.
Oh, George. How we love you.
Adam flew into Newark Airport late the Saturday after Jude and I arrived, so I figured I'd spend some time with my crazy sister Briana who lives in the city before wading through some Jersey traffic to grab him.
I have very fond memories of spending time with Briana in NYC the semester before I started college and she never, ever disappoints to show me a good time.
Upon arrival, she asked me what I wanted to eat. After pondering briefly and realizing I was once again in the mecca of food deliciousness, I said, "Honestly, everything."
So, after eating at four different restaurants for dinner (more like taking it to-go and eating it on the Subway), grabbing Crumbs cupcakes for dessert, randomly meeting up with a bunch of friends on a street corner, and wearing some very, very Cruella red lipstick, I felt a pang in my gut when I drove through the Lincoln Tunnel, out of the city that nearly stole my heart to pick up my man.
Dreams come true there. Especially mine, because we were married there :)
Thanks, B. I love you even more than I loved that arepa we shared and got red lipstick all over.
We just got back from Pennsylvania on Monday night. Aside from how horrible Jude is now at airplane rides and being one sick little dude soon upon arrival, it was a wonderful trip. My parents live on 36-acres of beautiful PA fields and forest and Jude couldn't have been more in love with it. For Jude, I think it was a magical place where dirt, rocks, and ducks abound, where there's endless room to run away from mommy after sneaking out the front door--not to mention the fact that they have three dogs and a large pond, of which he would run and yell "doh!" and splash his hands in the water whenever he could get a chance--and the grass grows tall enough to tickle his chubby ankles. He especially made friends with Uncle Bryon and his sweet shoulder rides and cuddling before bed while watching Elmo, as well as Grandpa Burwell who couldn't get enough of taking Jude out on the canoe or help but steal him away from dinner to play in the warm summer rain.
And then there was Grandma. Grandma had endless treats, stories, baths, and kisses up her sleeves--and she had Jude at treats.
So, that first week we hung out, went to the Crayola Factory, visited with family members and ate enough pizza to beg the question if all the carbs in the world were lonely and needed a good home.
And I left no slice behind.
I am beyond excited to finally share with you all a project that we've been working on!
Right before we left for vacation, one of our best friends Phillip Goodwin shot a video of our little family enjoying all the things we love about our home in Portland.
We have been so blessed and grateful to have such a talented friend in our life.
We shot the whole video over the course of about three days and although exhausting, it was a total blast. Phil made the whole experience one that we will look back on with great fondness. We honestly felt as though we were just a bunch of neighborhood kids--like the ones from Super Eight--filming each other and our story.
Thanks so much, Phil! Cheers to you and all of your awesomeness!!
Here's a link to Phillip Goodwin's website to check out some of his other videos: pgoodwin.com
Instagram In Love from Phillip Goodwin on Vimeo.
So, I've taken an unexpected blogging hiatus, but I'm back.
I'm in Pennsylvania visiting my family and I swear that whenever I come home again I revert back to the same laziness, binge eating, and mom-reliant bad habits which probably make me that daughter that everyone's happy to see and happy to see go.
Probably not.
But it's been a glorious and satisfying trip to the east coast. We hit all of our favorite spots and I always end up leaving with an Empire State of mind.
We fly back tomorrow morning and arrive in Portland later that evening, upon which I will assault you with a ridiculous amount of Instagram shots.
Get excited.
Lots of chunky legs in swim suits (not including my own), big smiles, lush greenery, and the like. I can't even tell you how much fun I've had--I guess I can only say: There's no place like home.
Especially my home. Because it's better than all ya all's.
