My View of This Life

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T16:44:00.001-07:00

This year for Easter we headed down to our favorite place, the beach.
and took our first plunge of the season.

It was great!

I hope you had a nice Easter too!

Picking Up Where I Left Off

2010-04-04T16:34:00.001-07:00

This week it has officially been one year since I've posted a blog. I took the year off just to observe it.

I thought I would pick up where I left off in April, what better season to start again then Spring and what better day then Easter.

I hope you enjoy them!

Happy Passover

2009-04-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Last year for the first time ever, I made a Kugel for Passover. Click here to see that experience. I enjoyed trying something new, and I decided to make it a tradition.
However, this year I tried it a little different... I found out Kugel is traditionally made with egg noodles and not matzo farfel so I decided to use egg noodles, then I thought, why not use both? So I did!

Introducing:
Aimee's, I Love This Kugel

You will need:
1 10oz package of egg noodles cooked
2 cups of matzo farfel, lightly soaked then set aside
4- 5 large apples peeled and shredded
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup pineapple tidbits
3 whole eggs
2 egg whites
1/2 cup butter melted
1 cup applesauce unsweetened
1 cup sugar
LOTS of cinnamon
Vanilla
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Here's what you do
Soak the raisins and cherries in hot water for a few minutes to soften them.
Place the shredded apple, pineapple, softened cherries and raisins in a bowl add cooked noodles and softened matzo farful.

In a separate bowl beat together eggs and egg whites. Then add butter, applesauce, lemon juice, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon.

Add the egg mixture to the noodle mixture, mix well then place in a well greased baking dish. Then lightly sprinkle with a nice mix of cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes, if it browns to fast cover with foil. It's easy and amazing! Let cool and enjoy with others!

This is SO good! No, it's freakin' awesome if I do say so myself!

Happy Passover!!!

New Favorite Beach

2009-04-04T16:44:00.007-07:00

Aloha! Welcome to

My new favorite beach!

Watch Hill Beach in Rhode Island.

It's the perfect place to have a seat,

Stick your feet in the sand,

Listen to the sound of the waves,

and take in the scenery.

We were so excited to find this beach.
Even though the weather was cloudy, we decided to take the journey all the way down to the end of the beach.

It's a long walk so we had to make a few stops along the way.
We found it was a great time
to practice our balance,

Skip some stones,

and dig for buried treasure.

I found a heart.

and then I found another one.

We finally made it all the way to the end and saw the ocean from the very tip.

After all the excitment we enjoyed the long walk back, and the sun kept shining the rest of the way back.

Sea Treasure

2009-04-04T16:44:00.005-07:00

Our new favorite beach was filled with treasures.

which made treasure hunting really fun!

Everywhere we turned,

there was something special.

We had lots of favorites.

This made picking just one favorite really difficult.

but in the end

we found the perfect treasure! Yep! It was definitely a keeper!

Historic Details

2009-03-21T18:34:00.001-07:00

This past week I spent some time in Middletown Connecticut.

It was nice to take a closer look

at the historic sites located there.

There is nothing like opening a door,

stepping into the past

and unlocking

all the treasures

historic sites have to offer.

Everywhere I looked,

the details told a story.

And It was very clear,

They don't make things how they used to.

This is the Russel House.

I decided to stop and take a closer look.

Every time I drive by, I notice this gigantic elm tree in the front.

I love this tree.

And the house was amazing too.

Baby, You're Not Lost

2009-03-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

The other day while exploring Connecticut I came across this sign.

After exploring further and further, I had no idea where I was.

So I followed the sign's advice. I stopped looked up and said "Well, I would like some direction please."

Just then the song " baby you're not lost" came across the radio.

A minute later I found myself here,

and I figured I was in a good place!

3.20.09

2009-03-20T19:33:00.001-07:00

Today is the
FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!!!!!!

hurray!
WELCOME SPRING!
I'm so pleased you're here!

I'm Seeing Green!

2009-03-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

March has inspired me to see the greener side of things.

While eating my "green" breakfast, I looked up green on Wikipedia
and found the following green facts.

The word green is closely related to the Old English verb growan, “to grow”.

Green is life.

Abundant in nature, green signifies growth,

renewal, health, and environment.

Green is restful to the eye.

Green is also associated with regeneration,

fertility and rebirth.

In Hinduism, Green is used to symbolically represent the fourth, heart chakra.

It is often used to describe foliage and the sea,

and has become a symbol of environmentalism.

Lastly, green can communicate safety to proceed, as in traffic lights.

What great reasons to Go Green!

St.Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T19:03:00.001-07:00

Here is a LUCKY CLOVER for you!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Everyone Think Spring!

2009-03-10T12:33:00.001-07:00

As I was watching snow fall sideways outside my window yesterday,

I decided that I am ready for spring.

I know I should enjoy each season.

but honestly, I'm over winter.

So here is my plan,

to help Spring come a little faster.

I am posting pictures of spring!

I figure if I visualize Spring

maybe it will come faster!

Sorry winter,

but I'm ready for spring.

This could be wishful thinking

but it's worth a try.

So Everyone Think Spring!

and Happy Spring Early!

A Sunday Drive

2009-03-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we went for a drive.

It was a lovely day to see the sights.

We came across this bench that let it's true colors shine brightly,
even in the middle of winter.

Just when I started to worry, I saw this sign.

and then, we found ourselves here!

The North Shore! The waves were not quite what I expected, but it is still technically winter.

Snow Day

2009-03-03T12:33:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I thought we saw the last snow of the season.

I was sure we made it over the last snowy hill, and Spring was just on the other side.

Even the trees seemed to be doing a "here comes spring dance."

But then,

It snowed AGAIN!!!!

Notice, the snow is actually falling sideways in this picture.

Well, what better to do on a snow day,

then play Superheroes!

Save the world,

and make Matzo Ball soup for lunch.

So thats what we did.

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T19:18:00.000-08:00

Today is Valentine's Day!!!!

Here are a few valentines cards I picked out for you!

And, Some Flowers!!!

I hope your day is filled

with tons and tons,

of LOVE and HAPPINESS!!!!
Thanks, and Happy Valentines Day!

Winter Day at the Beach

2009-02-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we headed over to our favorite beach,

Love it here!

Sawyer brought his Boogie board.

But it was a little cold for catching waves.

So we collected Sea Shells.

There were plenty to choose from.

We also watched the birds.

and on the other side of the hill,

Sawyer got to use his boogie board after all!!

Tommy's Pizza

2009-02-14T04:50:00.000-08:00

After the beach we headed over to Tommy's Pizza in Portland CT.

My Husband Loves their pizza.

My son loves the little jukebox that they have at each table. For fun we let him pick the songs randomly. This time he picked,
"In your eyes"

" Every Breath You Take"

and "Time after Time"

What can I say, the kid sure can pick em!

Did I Say Happy Birthday?

2008-12-28T12:33:00.001-08:00

Jimmy Buffett's birthday was on Thursday. To honor this occasion I decided to make something special.

I thought to myself, what on earth do you make for Jimmy's birthday? Then, like a song, it hit me--
OF COURSE! I'll play for gumbo!

Well, you played it, so I made it!
Introducing
Aimee's
Fall in Love at First Bite
GUMBO

I have never made gumbo like this before and it is SO deliciously addicting!
You will need: (roughly, measurements should vary depending on how you like it)
1-2 lbs Chicken & seasoned cooked and chopped
1lb Chicken sausage, spicy would be good
1 lb Large shrimp cooked chopped
1 Large Spanish onion chopped
1 Large bunch of celery chopped
1 Large red bell pepper chopped
1-2 Large green bell peppers chopped
4-7 Cloves of garlic
8-10 Cups chicken broth
1 28oz Can stewed tomatoes
2 Limes
16oz Bag of frozen okra thawed and chopped
1 Cup uncooked long grain rice
Red pepper flakes ( Be careful they are spicy)
and Louisiana Cajun Seasoning ( I went Crazy with this stuff it is so good, spicy, but good!)

Step one: Cook the chicken, sausage, and shrimp all separately. I used tons of the Louisiana Seasoning and garlic with each. Use the juice from the limes to cook the shrimp.

Step two: Saute onions, bell peppers and celery and remaining garlic until soft.
Then add tomatoes, chicken, sausage, okra and broth and simmer for and hour. Then add rice and simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is cooked.

Step three: Add cooked and chopped shrimp continue cooking, 20 minutes or longer if you want on low.

Step four: Eat and enjoy!

You have to top off Gumbo with something sweet
especially when there is a birthday involved.
Inspired by one of my son's favorite songs, I made,

What else?
A Gingerbread Jolly Mon!
I completed him with his own Hawaiian shirt, cut offs and of course flip flops! But something was still missing.....

Then I thought what goes better with a Gingerbread Jolly Mon then a
Gingerbread Hula Girl at Heart Girlfriend!
Complete with grass skirt, bare feet, puka shell necklace, and of course a flower in her hair.

It was perfect, except.....

They needed an island with palm trees, the clear blue sea, and the stars above in the sky!
and they lived happily ever after!

Also just in case you are not into molasses I got you a
black and white cookie!
And a Birthday Wish!

I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Buffett!
Enjoy your Birthday Wish!

Happy Birthday Mr. Buffett!

2008-12-25T17:35:00.001-08:00

Today is
Jimmy Buffett's Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday Jimmy Buffet we Love to hear you-
Sing!
Happy Birthday!

A Christmas Story

2008-12-25T17:33:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve we ordered sushi from Mikado in Middletown.

It was great, I love their sushi. ;)

This year for the first time my son realized the importance of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa.

Santa must have liked the cookies because when Sawyer woke up at 5:00am he found this waiting for him.

Yep the bat mobile, which went perfect with the Batman costume his mom got him! Santa must have been watchin!
FELIZ NAVIDAD!! and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you!

Hello, and Happy Hanukkah!

2008-12-22T09:58:00.000-08:00

to honor of the Festival of Lights my son made a menorah!

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

A Sign for all Seasons

2008-12-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

I am into signs,
I find them useful and I am always on the lookout for good signs.

The day after Thanksgiving I spotted this sign,

What a nice sign! Even if your having a great day, you never know when you'll need a sign like this, so I thought I should share it!
Now you can see it whenever you need to!

A little later I came across this one, slightly messy, but when is love not?

The other day my tea tag was full of good advice.

I can't tell you how many times I have needed to see this sign!

And this morning I found the secret to happiness.

Have a great day!

Happy Thursday!

2008-11-20T11:22:00.000-08:00

I got the flu last week, I didn't even get the flu shot, go figure.

Anyway, I bought some flowers to make myself feel better, and it worked. Not only did I feel better, they made me happy!

Of course, I picked the orange flowers. They were so pretty I thought why not share?
So here are some flowers for you!
Sorry you can't smell them, but a picture lasts longer!

Happy Thursday To You!

My Son The Super Hero!

2008-11-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share my family's Halloween experience.
This year I asked my son what he wanted to be for Halloween and not surprisingly he answered “Spiderman.” I thought to myself – Why did I even ask? I should know that. Suddenly it hit me, we have passed the point, where as a parent I can pick out his Halloween costume.

This realization made me kind of sad. In the past I have really enjoyed picking out his costumes.

His first year
he was a lobster

followed by a monkey

and last year, true to my Parrothead roots, I chose the Shark Costume.

The shark was my favorite.

However this was another milestone in the world of Sawyer Bean,
Picking out his own costume.
Spiderman.

He made a terrific Spiderman, it's almost as if he was born to be Spiderman.

It could just be me, but I swear he got faster with that costume on. It was like, as soon as he put it on he didn't stop running.

I also learned something new this year, just in case someone else might find it useful I'll share.
When you get your child's costume, if you are planning on having them wear "warm clothes" underneath, BE SURE to have them try it on with clothes underneath it the first time! Unless they are planning to wear a coat over their costume, in that case, good luck with that.

I did not do this,
instead we let him try on his costume and run around the house for hours. When it was time to put the costume on for Halloween it took me an hour to convince him that he needed to wear clothes underneath it. He insisted that Spiderman doesn't do it that way, and I insisted that Spiderman's mom said that he does! Eventually after MUCH convincing he put the costume over his clothes and had a very Happy Halloween. Overall we had a really great Halloween, I hope you did too!

The Perfect Pumpkin

2008-11-04T15:33:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago we went to Rosa's Berry Farm to pick out a pumpkin for Halloween. I know Halloween is over, but it was such a memorable experience I thought, why not share.

At first I thought a pumpkin,

is a pumpkin

is a pumpkin. Right?

WRONG!
Rosa's Berry Farm had just about every pumpkin that exists.

Green ones,

white ones,

and of course, orange ones.

Orange ones.

and MORE orange ones.

Orange is the color of happiness! So of course we were leaning towards the orange.

Just when we thought we had seen them all, we went to the pumpkin patch,

and found MORE! Imagine picking one.

I knew we would find it eventually, the perfect pumpkin.

The pumpkin that would brightly shine among all the rest.

We explored our options carefully.

Leaving no pumpkin unturned!

Then we found it! The Perfect Pumpkin!
The choice was clear, this was THE pumpkin.

It was more red-orange than orange orange, and kind of shaped like a heart.
Just looking at it made us happy!
We knew at once this was the PERFECT pumpkin for us, so we picked it!;)

Hope you found the perfect pumpkin too!

OOOwwww SCARY!!!!

2008-10-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Back in Boston, we had the pleasure of walking through some of the oldest graveyards Beantown had to offer. While in one graveyard I noticed this tree looking at me.

Do you see the face in the tree?

BOO!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Politics Got You Down?

2008-10-25T12:34:00.001-07:00

Does this Election have you,
Freaking Out?

Pulling out your hair?

Ready for it to be over?

Don't worry it's ALMOST over!

until then,

it's only politics :)

The Bean turns 3

2008-10-19T17:33:00.001-07:00

Today my bean turned three.

It is so hard to believe I have only known him three years. It seems like just yesterday when he was "My Little Being."

In the three short years we have been together
this child has taught me SO much.

For instance:
Sleep is HIGHLY underrated!

PATIENCE IS A SKILL, not a virtue, a skill.

Becoming his mother has taught me, when faced with a big challenge,

I should never underestimate my power to overcome it.

If I am feeling overwhelmed it's OK to ask for help.

That true happiness can be found in the simple things

like the right pair of boots!

He reminds me that change brings good things,

it can be exciting! And it helps us grow.

Then he proves to me that new experiences are not scary chances to fail,

But amazing opportunities to experience life.

He notices

and respects everything on his path.

It usually takes us five times longer to get anywhere,

than it did before he came along.

But when he looks out at the world,

he takes his time and truly sees it.

Unless of course, he's running.

He sees everyone and everything with clear eyes

an open mind

and an open heart, and he truly lives every moment.

He has challenged me to grow further and love deeper then I ever imagined was possible and as I watch him grow and experience life, it is so clear to me that

And it only took him three years to teach me all of that!

What can I say he is AMAZING!

Happy Birthday Bean!

B is for Boston

2008-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

If you ask my son what "B" stands for,

he will gladly tell you, "B is for Boston!"

and BASEBALL

And Sawyer Bean!

So a couple of weeks ago when we had the opportunity to go away for a long weekend, we headed over to Massachusetts,

and fell in love with BOSTON!

The following few blogs are highlights of our Boston adventure! I hope you enjoy this city as much as I did!

Boston Common

2008-10-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

WE LOVED THE PARK!

The trees were my favorite part.

Especially the willow trees

Sawyer's favorite part was the wildlife,

the "well fed" wild life.

He had SO much fun

Helping these pigeons

get their morning exercise.

Although the birds were fun,

They were not nearly as much fun as

The FOUNTAINS!

It was so much fun to learn about Boston's history,

when we could put our hands on the treasures of the past and feel the history.

The Public Garden was beautiful,

The park was filled with famous figures.

We had a great time enjoying nature.

and watching the children play.

As we were leaving the park we came across Wendell Phillips. We liked what he had to say,

So much in fact Sawyer wanted to shake his hand.

You can bet after that park experience we had one tired little boy. Who was lucky to get a lift from his dad.

As we were leaving I took one last look around

And it occurred to me how lucky we are to be able to enjoy the

;)

Duck Tour, Love That Dirty Water!!!

2008-10-18T04:56:00.000-07:00

After the park we caught the subway over to the museum for the duck tour. For the record, my son HATED being on the subway. It completely freaked him out! I think it reminded him of the amusement park ride that he tried this past summer and did NOT care for. Fortunately it was only a short trip to the Museum of Science.

Once we arrived, this guy assured us we were in the right place for the duck tour.

This is the Duck.

If you are not familiar with the Duck tour,

They not only show you around town,

but they also give you an interesting glimpse into Boston's history.

As well as its newest additions!
Our tour guide says that depending on who you ask,

this new addition is somewhat of a sore subject. I sure liked it.

After they show you around the city,
they take you around the famous Boston Harbor!

Because I am a water person, this was my favorite part.

Hey! 33

Man, I love that dirty water!

Only according to our tour guide the water is apparently quite clean now.;)

If you are REALLY REALLY special, your Captain might even let you, or your child drive the duck!

And just in case the special drivers can't see above the dash and your duck goes swimming into a bridge.
Don't worry they are prepared!

QUACK! QUACK!

Up on The North End

2008-10-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

After the duck tour we walked

through the historic streets of Boston,

Past Quincy Market

and further up

to the North End for dinner.

It was cool to see all the sights

Along the way.

We passed by the Old North Church.

and had to take a look inside.

Hey 33, I'm 33 and I'm a Thomas!

After dinner we got to walk through the city at night!

YUM!

I LOVED IT HERE!

There is something so energizing about

the city at night! I loved it!

We can't wait to go back!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-10-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today is Thanksgiving,

In CANADA!

So I would like to say,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!

Happy Rosh Hashanah, late.

2008-10-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

May your New Year be filled with

Sunshine, Happiness and

Only Sweet Things!

Recipe:
Aimee's Happy
Jewish New Year Snack

Apples
Honey
dried fruit and nuts.
Slice apple make a sunshine shape, then decorate with other ingredients.
Fun, Easy and Nutritious.

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

I Saw a Sign

2008-10-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

While riding in the car this week, I looked out and saw this sign.

and I thought,

It's nice to know that SOMEONE has a plan!

Hey! We Match!

2008-09-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

I was never really into the whole mommy and me matching outfits.

But then,

I saw these!

and I had to get them.

Happy 33 to Me!

2008-09-17T12:04:00.002-07:00

Here it is September 17th and I have only posted one blog this whole month. nice. slacker!
But I have been busy, my birthday was last week and I have turned 33.
I am a firm believer in celebrating not only your birthday but your entire birth month! Why limit celebrating your existence to only one day, when you can celebrate the whole month! This concept drives my husband CRAZY, until January rolls around and it's his birthday.

Anyway, here are some highlights of my official birthday weekend. I have broken them up into three sections. Three sections in honor of 33. I think it's going to be a good year after all 3 IS a magic number!;) There is even a song about that! Enjoy.

My husband let me sleep in on Saturday. When I woke up, I noticed my son's new look.

I said "WOW! Sawyer look at your arm!!"
he said "It's a tattoo mom, a tattoo."
Me- "WOW a tattoo I'm 33 and I don't even have a tattoo."
Sawyer- "MOM, you just take the marker and go like this" then he showed me how to apply a custom tattoo with a dark blue sharpie. Huh, I always thought getting a tattoo was painful. Shows you what I know.

After we scrubbed off most of the tattoo we went to Starbucks. I know this doesn't seem all that exciting, but there is not one close to my house, so it was.

The Starbucks guy even drew a turkey on my turkey bacon breakfast sandwich, so I wouldn't get it confused with my husband's.

After Starbucks we went exploring, and everywhere we went it was clear fall is coming fast.

Before we move on I must say Thank You so much to everyone who sent me birthday wishes and messages! I got them, Thank You if I haven't told you already I loved them! Also Tina, Val and Jo I had SO much fun with you girls! Thank You so much for everything and thanks for the cake!

and

to my fellow September Virgos everywhere,
be your birthday on the 16, 17, 18,
or another September day,
Happy Birthday and Birth Month to You!
I am sending you lots of Birthday wishes so be sure you make them!

Happy 33 part 2

2008-09-17T12:04:00.001-07:00

What I wanted for my birthday was simple, to go the beach because now that we live here, I CAN! We went to Harkness, my favorite beach this side of Rhode Island.

When we got there we discovered it was family day.
This was a treat because we were able to walk through some of the buildings as well as the gardens.

Because it was my official birthday weekend my family was extra patient with me and they let me take a LOTS of pictures! So Thanks you guys!

Outside on the lawn there is a tree.

This is probably one of the largest trees I have ever seen.
Sawyer couldn't resist he had to climb it.

This is a shot from inside the middle of the tree looking up.

After we climbed the tree we headed over to the Gardens.

Happy 33 part 3

2008-09-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

After the Gardens we took the path to the beach!

Ahhh the beach!

I LOVE IT HERE!

LOVE IT!!!!!!

So does my little tree hugger!

It was a great day. I even got a proposal.... wait, Joe?

Well that was my birthday weekend in pictures.
Thanks for looking, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

A Wedding in Hartford

2008-09-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure once again
of second shooting for the great Erik Maziarz.
We had SO much fun documenting Kate and Travis's Special Day!

At the Homewood Suites Hotel in Hartford, we were able to get a few shots in the Bond Ballroom before the bridal party arrived.

Here is the talented Erik Maziarz working his magic.

The chandelier in the Bond Ballroom is Fabulous!

Kate was gorgeous!

The dress,

was stunning,

and the flowers
were AMAZING!

Throughout the day it was clear that so much thought

had gone into every detail.

After everyone was ready we headed to the park for portraits.

Here is Erik getting the perfect angle!

To say this bridal party was "fun" would be a HUGE understatement!
After the park we went to Pratt Street for some pictures of the happy couple.Then it was time to head over to the Old Statehouse for the Ceremony.During the ceremony Kate and Travis did a butterfly release, this butterfly found a good place to watch the ceremony. After awhile it flew over to Kate's bouquet and stayed there until they were pronounced man and wife.

The reception was beautiful!

The evening was filled with laughter,
and dancing,
dancing,and MORE dancing!
The room was filled with love,
Thanks so much Erik it was my pleasure to work with you once again!

Congratulations Kate & Travis
Thank you so much for having me!

Back to School

2008-08-28T18:21:00.001-07:00

It's back to school week!

The cross walks have been CRAZY busy!!!

A Sea Worthy Day

2008-08-16T18:41:00.001-07:00

This past week the signs all pointed south.

So we headed down to the coast for some sight seeing.

Some nautical sight seeing.

There was no shortage of boats,

this one has seen a day or two.

The coast here is so beautiful, I love it.

Check out that sky, now THAT is a perfect sky!

After we stopped to take in the view.

We went to my favorite restaurant Westbrook Lobster in Westbrook,

and had the steamers. At first these had no appeal to me,but they have grown on me. I also tried the tuna

and my husband had the seafood pasta. It was delicious!

Our waiter was great, I will definitely ask for him again!

An August Wedding in Connecticut

2008-08-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had SO much fun second shooting for the fabulously talented photographer Erik Maziarz.

We had the pleasure of shooting Allison and Matt's Special Day.
Eric was so awesome to shoot for I had such a good time! Matt and Allison are a beautiful couple, their family and the bridesmaids were wonderful, it was a really lovely day!

Here is Eric getting just the right angle.

It was a beautiful wedding.

How cute is this ring bearer?

Here is Erik Maziarz going for the perfect shot!

It was a great party too!

They EVEN had break dancing!

Everyone was going on and on about what a wonderful wedding it was!

Thank you so much Erik
I truly enjoyed working with you!
and Congratulations Allison and Matt
Thank You for having me!

Happy Birthday to You

2008-08-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Papa!
Here is your cake

Happy birthday, we miss you!
Don't forget to make your wish!

Nemo the House Guest

2008-08-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

The other day my neighbor asked me if I could watch his fish for an extended weekend. I always just assumed that fish were kind of self sufficient for short periods of time. Shows you what I know about fish, anyway I accepted the task because I thought it would be fun for my son.

Say hello to Sky.

My Son decided to rename the fish Nemo so that is what we are calling him. I actually think he prefers Nemo he swims over to me when I call him that. Turns out I am enjoying him as much as my son is.

He even came with orange (my favorite color) rocks in his bowl. I like him, I think I'm getting attached.

08.08.08

2008-08-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

today is my dad's 60th birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS!

We got you a Birthday treat!
Make a wish!
I know it will come true!
May you always have a school boy heart!!!!

Love you, Happy Birthday!!!!

Sunflower Season

2008-08-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday we went to the Sunflower Maze at Lyman Orchards with some friends. Most of the sunflowers were not in full bloom yet. It was still awesome, I had never been to a Sunflower Maze before so I was in awe of the idea. Naturally, I couldn't get enough pictures, here are some of my favorites.

I hope they brighten your day!

Now I can officially say

Sorry, Nana Sue

2008-08-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you,
Nana Sue!!!

The other day was Nana Sue's birthday. I knew this.
I was waiting for my husband and son to get home so we could all call and sing or at least wish her a Happy Birthday. My husband even remembered from work and we agreed that we would call later that night.

Only then, we picked up Sawyer and ended up going out and WE DIDN'T CALL!
:0 :0 :o
YES, we forgot to call on Nana Sue's birthday, I am SO sorry!

However to make it up to you Nana Sue
we bought you a cupcake.

and included a candle, so you have one birthday wish you need to make!

I didn't know if you preferred chocolate
so I got this one also.
Technically, this is good for another wish because both candles and cupcakes are for you!
It's your birthday and in your birthday month you can NEVER have too many wishes,
or cupcakes for that matter!

If you didn't live half way across the country from us we would deliver them, I thought about mailing them however, I just don't think after shipping they would seem as special. Under the circumstances we will probably eat them for you, besides pictures last longer. :)

We just wanted to make sure you to know how special you are to us.
We feel SOOOO incredibly lucky to have you in our life.
Enjoy your birthday wishes!

WE LOVE YOU
!!!!!Happy Birthday Late!!!!!

A Whole New Experience!

2008-08-02T18:51:00.001-07:00

This past week, I had the pleasure of joining about 20 photographers at their annual retreat in the Berkshires. I never went to summer camp as a kid, so I was choosing to see this as my first "official summer camp experience!" Also I had never been to the Berkshires before so that was new! ALSO this was the first trip I have taken with a new group of people since I moved here, so that in itself was exciting, and slightly intimidating.

I mean lets face it, trying new things CAN be scary!
Even at a gorgeous lake!

However I find sometimes,
you have to just rise to the occasion.

And force yourself to just
DIVE RIGHT IN!

After all, you never know what you'll find on your path.

Usually it's the path less taken that's full of
all the good stuff.

Right?

lucky for me, I landed myself

with a truly beautiful,

welcoming, creative group of people.

Who made me feel like I fit in just fine.

That helped me to find my center

and reflect

on all the new beautiful things that have
come into my life.

For that you know I have to say
THANKS YOU GUYS!
I truly enjoyed every minute!
Even the scary movie!;)

What a Peach

2008-07-24T12:49:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we attended a summer BBQ at a friends house. Of course, I waited until the last minute to decide what I wanted to bring to the BBQ.
Then, I thought of fruit salad.
After all, it's summer the season of fruit, PERFECT!
So I stopped by Lyman Orchards where right now they have

and

Because I waited until the last minute I didn't pick my own fruit this time.
Once again I went in their store and purchased already picked fruit for my fruit salad.

The highlight of my salad was definitely the peaches,

After all they're orange, the color of happiness.

and they remind me of one of my
favorite childhood stories.
James and the Giant Peach.

I thought this one kinda looked like a heart, or, something....

Peaches are definitely Sawyer's new favorite fruit.
They were also his dad's favorite fruit when he was a child.

He said to me " MOM, these are SOOOOO good!!!"

He ate three in a row for lunch, and he LOVES them.

Here is my recipe for the salad I made:

Aimee's

I really love your peaches

Want to shake your tree...

Summer Fruit Salad

You will need:
Peaches, Cherries, Grapes (I prefer seedless red), and Blueberries.
Wash, cut, chill and serve!

It's Peachy and Delicious!!!

Just can't get enough

2008-07-22T09:50:00.001-07:00

Check out this dog,
think he likes water?

MORE PLEASE!

NOW, that's one happy dog!!

Happiness in a Bottle

2008-07-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Did you know you they bottled happiness and sell at a store near you?

REALLY, it's true, take a look

Also, on behalf of myself and parents everywhere that have discovered this contraption

I would like to thank the person who invented it.

THE BUBBLE MAKER

Check out the size of these bubbles!

Do you know how impossible it would be for parents to blow bubbles this big!

He played for an hour and a half!!!

Yes, a hour and a half!
Again Thank You for inventing this!

Then we ran out of bubbles, not to worry they sell more!

A Castle in the Sand

2008-07-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed back over to the ocean state.

And found a new favorite beach! :) :) :)

Sawyer claimed a good spot

and began to build his castle.

He worked really hard constructing his castle,

he even added windows!

and when he finished, he had a castle worthy of a king!

Even the locals came by to take a look!

It was such a nice castle we left it for all to enjoy!

After the beach we found a nice place to rinse off all that sand,

and catch the sunset.

My Little Shark

2008-07-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

We hit a MAJOR MILESTONE

in the world of Sawyer Bean today!
For weeks he has been working to swim like a 'Big Boy' and today, after a lot of practice and much determination, he did it!

HE LEARNED TO SWIM UNDERWATER!!!!
ALONE no floaties or parents!
(well no parents hanging on anyway, his dad was really close.)

For the very first time!
Alone underwater swimming!!!
HE'S TWO!

I am so impressed I told him
" Sawyer, you're my little fish!"

He said to me
" No mom, I'm a shark, not a fish, I'm a shark"

"OH A SHARK!"
I should have known! What was I thinking, fish!?!

Want to see him do it again?

O.K.

Yep, he's a natural!

My little shark.

Amazing!

Sometimes sharks have to take a break.

and after all that swimming, even sharks enjoy a little sun!

It was nice knowing you, Angel fish!

Thank you God, for placing me by the Sea!

2008-07-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

This is Misquamicut Beach in Rhode Island

I LOVE the sea

It's good for my soul to live near the ocean.

I'm pretty sure my husband and son feel the same way.

After moving from Colorado, last year

every time we go to the beach

We feel so grateful

that we live here.

It's our favorite part about New England.

I find it so awesome

that we can drive to the beach anytime we need an ocean fix!

Thank you God, for placing us here!

Finally Lobster! Thanks to 'Bayou at the Beach'

2008-07-08T18:40:00.001-07:00

After we reached Rhode Island we really wanted to try some lobster.
After all, when in New England...
So we came across the Bayou at the Beach in Misquamicut.

You know it's got to be good if there is a pirate flag out front!

Pirate flag...Bayou... I'm getting Jimmy Buffet vibes!
And you know, I LOVE Jimmy Buffet!

It was here we became official, and tried not only the New England Lobster Roll,

but also the Clam Fitters,

the Clam Chowder or should I say "Chowdah"

and the New England, Maine Lobster served over Steamers.
I can now say we tried it ALL and it was delicious.
I know it seems a bit extreme to try them all, but again, when in New England!

OH! and during dinner, guess what song played!
"Trying to reason with hurricane season"
Jimmy AND Lobster, does it get any better?

Thank you Bayou at the Beach we truly enjoyed it!

Next time were at Misquamicut we will come see you again!

Onward, to Rhode Island

2008-07-08T17:22:00.001-07:00

After we left Niantic we decided to go to the beach. We started heading east along the coast and before we knew it we were in Rhode Island.

Hey, the ocean girl enters the ocean state!

Everything we saw looked like it should be on a post card.

Look a lobster!

I took this picture for my son and Red Socks fans everywhere!

Rhode Island is gorgeous.

I love it here! How can you go wrong in the ocean state?

Niantic Lobster Fest

2008-07-08T15:58:00.001-07:00

Saturday we headed down to Niantic for the Lobster Fest.

I have never been to a Lobster Fest before so I was kind of excited. However we had a late breakfast so we were not really hungry when we arrived in Niantic.

So instead of eating lobster we decided to walk around the festival.

There were many arts and craft booths that were fun to look through.
Of course this is the one that caught Sawyer's eye.

It was a tough choice deciding which toy he wanted.
I really liked the spider man walkie-talkies, I thought for sure they were the ones that would come home with us.

But then, Sawyer spotted this guy.

And he knew at once,

THIS was the toy he wanted,
for INFINITY AND BEYOND!!! (sorry, I couldn't help myself).

After we found Buzz we walked around town and saw the sights.

There were many cool things to see in Niantic, I found a car I liked.

I also fell in love with this house.

And the flowers around town

were so gorgeous,

I had to take pictures.

Crescent Lake

2008-07-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

After our visit to Los Mariachis, we were in need of some exercise. So we found a new lake to explore, Crescent Lake in Meriden Connecticut.

Sawyer's always ready for a hike.

The trees on the west side of the lake are so evenly spaced.

They are perfectly spaced, it's almost as if someone planted them like this.

Is it just me or do these trunks look like giant bird feet?

Towards the north side of the lake the path gets a little rockier.

It was a long hike to the north side,

But it was worth it.

We had to stop and check out the fish.

Then on the east side it gets really lush.

Hey, someone left their heart behind.

It was a long hike so we had to make some stops, and skip stones.

Finally we made it back to the place we started.

Um, what sign?

I liked this sign better.

Matty found the Mariachis

2008-07-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

My Husband loves Mexican food, LOVES it. Actually to say he LOVES it is an understatement. He considers Mexican food a necessity, like air, and is always up for trying a new restaurant as long as it is Mexican. This past weekend we were in Wallingford and stopped here for the first time.

Just sitting in here feels festive!

They have two kinds of salsa, both delicious!
This is always good when dining with a two year old, because generally one is more mild. In this case it was the green.

The food was AWESOME we enjoyed the chicken nachos,

as well as my favorite, the tacos with cilantro, onions, and most importantly LIME!

My Husband was very pleased, so pleased we have been back once already!
Los Mariachis, gracias a usted nuestra comida es excelente!
I'm sure we will be seeing you again soon!

ONE MORE THING! if you're into Margaritas try the House Margarita, Muy delicous!

Losing Faith???

2008-07-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

My First Magnolia

2008-07-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was walking outside and all of the sudden it smelled so good. When I looked around I realized it was a magnolia tree. These are the most beautiful blossoms they smell like lemons. They don't grow in Colorado and I felt so lucky to live here and experience them in bloom! I didn't have my camera so I picked one and took a picture when I got home. I just wish they bloomed all year, but then I don't think I would appreciate them as much!

Happy Birthday America!

2008-07-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

To Celebrate the fourth of July

we went to Harbor Park in Middletown Connecticut,

and watched the fireworks.

They set them off above the Connecticut river.

Isn't that romantic, fireworks over a river?

I LOVE Connecticut.

These were some of my favorites.

They start out small, like stars

Then get bigger like flowers

And as they fall they they remind me of willow trees.

Yes,

These were definitely

my favorites!

After the fireworks we walked to Vecchitto's in Middletown for an Italian Ice.

This was our first time here, as well as our first time trying Italian Ice, and OH MY, have we been missing out!

This stuff is AWESOME! My husband got the watermelon, my son got the root beer and I got the Almond. So naturally we shared and I tried them all. They were ALL delicious!

This is my new favorite place. Thank goodness it is not within walking distance from my house, that would be dangerous! I cannot even begin to tell you how good this stuff is. If you are ever in Middletown CT, and in need of something cold and delicious, you MUST stop here and try it for yourself.
TRUST me you will not regret it!

A Wedding in Connecticut

2008-06-30T12:05:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of being the second shooter for the talented photographer Eileen Broderick at the wedding of Marianne and Aaron which took place at the Hillstead Museum in Farmington, Connecticut. You can also see Eileen's BLOG here.

What a beautiful setting for a wedding,

and what a beautiful wedding it was.

I am a blog slacker!

2008-06-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

While on Vacation I completely slacked on posting blogs! I am an official blog slacker! But what do you do? I was on Vacation, so the following six blogs are "flash back blogs" of my trip back to Colorado. I hope you enjoy them!:)

Rocky Mountain High

2008-06-25T18:47:00.001-07:00

After I landed in Denver I left the airport. I was driving towards the foothills scanning the radio and guess what song came on!

"Rocky Mountain High" by John Denver.

I thought to myself, how appropriate is this?

After a while the song ended. Then it started again.

I wasn't sure it was the same song because I thought,

why would they play it twice?

But sure enough it was the SAME song!
Twice in a row-on the radio, same station.

Because this was my first trip back to Colorado, this seemed really strange.

"Rocky Mountain High", what was the universe trying to tell me?

I'll admit hearing this song at first was cool.

The second time it was strange.

But Imagine my shock when it came on AGAIN!

YES, AGAIN!

THREE TIMES in a row!!! "Rocky Mountain High"-same station!!!

I was starting to feel high,

After the song started playing the third time I had to change it.

I am sorry John Denver I love that song,

but frankly three times in a row was weirding me out.

However I think it inspired me to take the pictures you have just seen, and for that,

I must say Thank You!

I am a Golden Child

2008-06-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is Golden Colorado

Most people know it as the home of Coors brewery.

It is also home to the Colorado School of Mines.
Some people might recognize it from the large sign across the main street.

This is where I spent most of my childhood and I love it here.

On this trip we stayed in Golden, at the Golden Hotel.

When I lived in Colorado I took advantage of the fact that I could come here anytime I wanted.
To come back as a tourist made it more nostalgic and really special.

I was so excited to take my son to Lyons park.

This is the same park I used to play in as a child. Only the playground is new.
Anyone over the age of 25 who grew up in Golden or even visited Golden is always surprised that the rocket ship, a large rickety 3 story play tower that used to be here is gone.
Although as a mother I prefer the new safe playground.

At the park we saw baby Canadian Geese!

They were so cute!

Later we walked through the Historical District.
This is where my great Aunt had her 100th birthday Party.
Sawyer had to get a peak in the window.

We walked through the neighborhood and admired all the flowers.

This little Cat was happy to share her garden.

And what a lovely garden she had.

I love the history here. This is the house my Grandmother grew up in, I love this house.

To think these could be the same flowers that my Grandmother admired is really awesome!

LOOK! Orange, the color of happiness.

Everywhere we went I enjoyed seeing all the sights, the old.

and the new.

It was really nice to share Golden with my son, who seemed to like it as much as I do.

Bye Golden, until next time.

Clear Creek White Water Park

2008-06-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed walking along the creek in Downtown Golden.

There are a lot of interesting things to see and do there.

Like, look for fish.
Or you can check out the Clear Creek Whitewater park.

People come from all over to enjoy kayaking here.

This guy likes kayaking so much he practically lives here.

Kayak, who needs a kayak?

Just for the record my son was enjoying this.

Across from the Whitewater park there is a baseball field.
My son LOVES baseball and was happy to check out this kids batting stance.

and offer him a few pointers.

Along the river we ran across lots of locals.
Who were full of good suggestions.

Like these kids who convinced us that you CAN sled in the middle of June!

This kid pointed out some good fishing holes and also suggested using worms for bait!

This Lady was reading aloud so we stopped and listened to "The Secret Garden".

If you keep your eyes open you'll most likely see some wild animals.

Sawyer got to feed a bear!

Ride a deer,

He even got to ride the biggest butterfly I have ever seen.

Although the wildlife seems really laid back here.

This guy reminded us that you can never be to careful when dealing with wild animals.
Which is why he carries a musket!

Later we came to the fishing holes that the kid had suggested.
Oh MAN!! I had no idea the fish got so big in Colorado! It must be the worms.

I am a strong believer in catch and release so it just didn't make sense keep one of these big boys!

Besides, LOOK at that face.

Sweet little fish.

Later on the way to dinner we caught a concert by the creek!

apparently they play here often.:)

If you make it to Golden I would highly recommend taking a stroll by the river.
You never know what you might find on the path!

Father's Day in Morrison

2008-06-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

We spent Father's day in Morrison, Colorado.

This was really special for my husband because this is where he grew up. Not only did he get to spend the day with his Son he also got to spend it with his Dad and Brother.

This is Matt's Grandfather's house that is dad now lives in. So Ozzie was also there in spirit!

Matt, Papa and Uncle Pete enjoyed showing Sawyer some of their favorite spots.

We hiked to the elementary school that all three of them attended.

Where we found the playground with the BEST VIEW EVER!

Then we hiked along one of their favorite trails.

And enjoyed being surrounded by nature.

It was nice to have three generations of boys together on Father's Day.

We hiked all the way to the top of the hill.

That is where the Morrison Cemetery is.

Back at the school I noticed this sign. I thought it was cute.

After all that hiking we were in need of something refreshing. So we stopped here.
and got an Ice cream.
When Sawyer received his ice cream he started singing "Happy Birthday to me".
All the other customers were smiling and wishing him Happy Birthday. Until I informed them that it really wasn't his birthday. He just likes to sing that song when we have Ice cream.:)

After Ice cream we stopped and said hello to the Dinosaurs around town.
It was a really special Father's Day.

Catching up with Family

2008-06-25T10:07:00.001-07:00

After a week by myself my husband and son joined me in Colorado.
It was really nice to catch up with family.

Sawyer really enjoyed visiting Colorado. His Papa took him fishing.

They didn't catch any fish.

They did spot this duck who had a great sunning spot.

After fishing we climbed trees.

and met a new friend in the park.

Running at Red Rocks

2008-06-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

The following blog contains one of my favorite places on earth!

Ladies and Gentlemen if you don't know it already,
let me introduce you to, Red Rocks!

This is one place I always tell visitors to go!
I LOVE IT HERE!
If you ever visit Colorado, come here.
If it is concert season, even better.
If you happen to catch your favorite musician,
then you're in for a spiritual experience!

If these rocks could talk, oh the stories they could tell.
The list of Legends that have played here is something to see.

This is the famous people view, from the stage.
Only minus all the people, and the lights, and the concert paraphernalia.I didn't catch a concert on this trip. Instead my friends and I ran the stairs!

Yes, these stairs
and these stairs

even the ramp.
You might be thinking, Gosh that looks really hard.
It was.
However, I must admit, climbing this ramp is much easier on a Sunday morning. Than it is after "preparing for a concert" by drinking alcoholic beverages in the parking lot below.

This is the view from the top of the ramp.

If you climb the stairs. The girls I went with have a strategy,
if you park at the top you are forced to hike back up.

This worked nicely, because going down the hill is easy.

It was coming up the hill that I stopped for pictures. :)

and more pictures!

and more.

If you are not into stairs, you can try running back and forth!

To the left,

Then back to the right

Even if exercise isn't your thing, just driving through the rocks is cool.
What ever you do here whether it's a concert, climbing the stairs or just driving through,
It should be an enjoyable experience!

Well, if you run the stairs for the first time it is enjoyable,
until the next day when you feel pain in muscles you didn't even know you had!;)

First Time Back

2008-06-08T21:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning I left Connecticut.

and flew home to Colorado for a visit.

It was nice and sunny when I arrived in Colorado.
My mother and I went for a drive in the foothills where I grew up.

When I was little every time we would drive past this cave my parents would say "Look for the bear cave Aimee, do you see the bear cave?" I always saw the cave, but I never got to see a bear!

Yesterday we did see deer,

and elk. Who seemed just as fascinated with me as I was with them.

One of my favorite things about Colorado that I tell people to notice is the sky.

I LOVE the sky here it is always changing and it is always amazing!

He's STILL Going!

2008-06-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

Here we are thirty five days after I found Lightening McQueen and he is STILL going!

I can NOT even believe this car!

You might think after thirty five days he should be finished, broken down, completely deflated.

But you certainly couldn't convince him that!
If you didn't see my original post "The car that just won't quit" click here.

After reading my original post about this balloon, my husband thought it would be a good idea if I got out more.
So tomorrow I am leaving on my first long trip by myself since I had my son, who is two and a half. I am leaving him with his dad, alone. :0
For the first time in a year, I am going home to Colorado for a visit! I can not believe that it has almost been a year since we moved here! I am so excited to see everyone!
I will let you know how it goes. :)

Bath Drinks!

2008-06-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

While taking his bath tonight Sawyer said to me-
"Here mom, for you! It's a shake mom, I made you a shake!":)
"WOW for me, how lucky am I!" Looks delicious, don't you think?

And while working out this morning I happened to catch the movie Serendipity. I LOVE that movie it is one of my favorites. I worked out twenty minutes longer just so I could see the end!
Wow, a bath drink and a favorite movie what a great day!

Hey Mister Turtle!

2008-06-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went for a drive. While driving I noticed this little turtle sun bathing in the middle of the road. I was afraid someone might run him over so we picked him up. He was so cute and he looked really happy to be "rescued".

Then we found a nice patch of grass for the turtle to hang out on. I know it's not always good to interfere with nature, but technically the road isn't natural, and neither are cars!

Out of this world auto wash

2008-06-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

The other day I spilled coffee all over the front seat of my car. At first I was thinking gosh that sucks, then I realized it gave me an an excuse to stop here.

I am new to Connecticut so I really did not expect to see anyone I know. But you would not believe all the familiar faces I saw there.

Apparently this is THE place to have your car detailed,
this lady swears by it.

These guys were so happy to have their ride cleaned
they were singing.

Even the King could not say enough about the place.

I have always wondered where Santa takes his sleigh. Since I ran into the big guy I had to mention
"Yes, I have tried to be very good this year."

The Sea Captain likes to take in the view, and enjoy his pipe.

And this girl enjoys the fact she can work on her tan
while getting her car detailed.

This gentleman was surprised that he could not bring his Pirate ship through the auto-wash.

The whole experience was out of this world

There is so much to see, that even those without cars
like to hang out here!
I am looking forward to my next visit!

Amber kind of day

2008-05-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

Amber is the Color

Today I heard the song "Amber" by 311 three times. Once this morning, once midday, and again this afternoon.
This is one of my favorite songs.

To hear it three times in one day, was inspiring.

On my way home I had the song on my mind and I noticed these amber colored Irises.

So I stopped and took some pictures.

Just makes me want to sing- Whoa, amber is the color of your energy!!!

May 28

2008-05-28T19:00:00.001-07:00

This was my ZEN calendar quote of the day.
I liked it, so I thought I would share.

A Weekend to Remember

2008-05-27T10:41:00.001-07:00

Our Memorial Day weekend started with something new for breakfast
I called this creation
Put on your Happy Face
it's a three day Weekend Waffles!
For this you will need:
Frozen Waffles, Berries, and Whipped cream in a can!
Full of antioxidants and sure to please the pickiest of eaters!

After Breakfast we had a delivery, Sawyer's Grandparents recently went to the Cayman Islands,

And they sent Sawyer his very own Stingray, named Raymond.
After welcoming Raymond to the family, we had an organizing extravaganza. My office and closet received their very own make over. This was fun, at first, then after awhile my excitement dwindled.

So we went for a hike. Sawyer had a hard time deciding which shoes to wear on the hike.
When we reached these rocks

I was glad he did not go with the boots.

On our hike we came across many interesting creatures. Like this frog, who at first did not want his picture taken.

After some persistence on my part he posed for me.

This Caterpillar on the other hand, seemed very happy to get her picture taken.

After all that hiking Sawyer Bean needed a lift.

Just when we thought the excitement was over, we saw this turtle. So we stopped for a picture.
I couldn't tell you if he was happy to get his picture taken, he just looked at me as if to say "What the hell are you doing lady?"

The Spring Fling

2008-05-24T18:43:00.001-07:00

This past week Sawyer and I attended the annual Spring Fling at his school. They had many different activities.
Like stamp art,

Make your own hat,

and paint your own bag.

There were many colors to choose from.

Sawyer got very creative and decided to mix all the colors together, and turned them into hand lotion!

The evening ended with a make your own ice cream sundae bar.
We had so much fun Sawyer did not want to leave!

The Perfect Sky

2008-05-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

Somehow the other day I pulled a BUNCH of muscles in my back. I'm guessing it had something to do with carrying my son to the car after the Spring Fling. That night I woke up in so much pain it hurt to breath. After very little sleep I was having, a Grouchy Day. I was driving to the doctor feeling all grouchy, and then I looked up, and noticed the sky.

It was the perfect sky, so perfect I took a picture

several actually.
At the doctors I read an article in this month's Oprah magazine titled 'into the gap', I LOVED the article it made me laugh so hard I cried. However, laughing that hard really didn't feel that good on my back, but it was worth it!
Then, when I got home I noticed my Sister who lives in Japan sent me an email. She also attached some awesome pictures she took of Japan!
These experiences turned my frown upside down! So Thank You, God for the perfect sky, Oprah for the article and Briana for the pictures! They made me less grouchy, so my family thanks you too!

The car that just won't quit!

2008-05-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

On May 3rd I found this balloon. Someone left it because it had floated to the ceiling and they could not reach it.
My son LOVES Lightning McQueen, LOVES him!
So immediately I'm thinking SCORE awesome find! If only I could get him down. My friend suggested, using scotch tape on the end of a pool stick. This worked great so I brought him home.

This week it occurred to me, McQueen has been hanging around a long time now. So I decided to document how long he will last.
This was three days ago,

This was yesterday,

And today nineteen days after we found him,
slightly deflated but still smiling!
I would totally recommend the place where this balloon was purchased. But like I said we found it, so I can't.

A Sunday Hike in Connecticut

2008-05-20T17:44:00.001-07:00

Connecticut is full of great places to explore. Sunday we decided to go on a spur of the moment hike. This little forest is right next to a park we like to go to.

Sawyer found a great hiking stick.
Thank goodness I just happened to be wearing my Hiking flip-flops!

I love it here, it's so lush and green. The trees get so tall it's like hiking through a Jungle. Notice how the plants are almost as tall as Sawyer, and it's only May.
The only thing is, everyone keeps telling me to be aware of ticks. I would be lying if I said that the thought of being inhabited by a tick never runs through my mind. Especially as I am hiking through the woods in flip flops.
However, we have been lucky so far, and you can bet as I said that I am also knocking on wood. We haven't seen any yet, and I am crossing my fingers that we won't!

Lyman Orchards

2008-05-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

If you ever have the opportunity to visit this place do it!
You can pick your own fruit during the fruit season!

The first time we tried picking fruit was last summer, we picked blueberries. I thought it would be fun to pick our own berries and make a pie.

Picking blueberries,and trying to reason with Sawyer about the fact that we needed to pay for the berries before we ate them was harder then I had expected.

He put more in his mouth then he did in our carton. He LOVES blueberries! He didn't even seem to mind if they were ripe.
That day we did not collect quite enough berries to make a pie. By the time we made it to the check out stand our bill was 35 cents, then he polished off our whole carton before we got to the car.

Thankfully they have a store where you can buy the fruit already picked!

They sell awesome produce there,

today we bought apples.

There is also a bakery, so if your not up for baking a pie you can buy one. Or you can stop in and have a sandwich made at their Deli.

Then step outside and enjoy your lunch while sitting under a giant willow tree, overlooking their pond.

After lunch you can feed the birds!

If your really lucky you might even get to see some babies!

It's just like something you see in a Martha Stewart episode!
I love Connecticut!

Artist of the week!

2008-05-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

Guess who's painting earned him Artist of the week!

Sawyer titled this lovely painting
'My butterflies fly high in the sky'
Way to go Sawyer Bean! I am so proud of you.

The Best City in Town!

2008-05-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday we attended a birthday party for Sawyer's friend.
Friday night he practiced cheerfully singing 'Happy Birthday' all during dinner.

The birthday party was at the
KidCity Museum in Middletown Connecticut.

This was our first time here. If you have children and happened to be in the area definitely stop here!
Even if you don't have children, it would be worth it to borrow some and take them here. (with permission of course)

This place is awesome.

Where else can you,
Walk the plank and jump into shark infested waters,

Slide down a gigantic conk shell,

Hang with the mermaids,

Walk through the corn fields,

Draw all over the walls,

Check out used space ships,

Drive the space ships,

Conduct your own train,

and build your own skyscraper,

all before dinner!

Sawyer had so much fun he says “Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday” every time we get into the car in hopes that we are going back. Either that or he says “Boston, go to Boston.”

The only thing is be prepared, leaving sucks! Your child/children WILL fight you. It does not matter how long you stay, there is no getting around it.
However the plus side is, every parent there understood and were not completely shocked to see my two year old screaming/crying/sobbing “Happy Birthday Happy Birthday Happy Birthday”
all the way to the car!

In spite of the exit we will definitely be going back!:)

All You Mothers!!!!!

2008-05-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

Today is Mother's Day and

LOOK at what my son made for me!

I know what your thinking, he is an amazing artist.
He also used orange, my favorite color.

Then we went to Westbrook Lobster and had strawberry shortcake.

For all the mothers everywhere
Happy Mother's Day

Orange is the color of happiness.

2008-05-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

This week I went to a Mother's Day picnic at Sawyer's school. We got to have lunch together outside, and they had cake. This took place right before nap time so of course he didn't want to eat anything except cake, go figure.

He also gave me a rose.
When we hugged goodbye the rose got caught between us
and the head popped off. So I put it in a cup.

Did you know that orange is the color of Happiness?

Happy Cinco de Mayo, late.

2008-05-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

I know it is technically Ocho de Mayo, but better late then never!

LOOK! What I saw on Cinco de Mayo!

We Love you Jimmy!

Thanks for all the Inspiration!