This is what life should be like everyday!

We've finally returned from our week at the beach with Aunt Sayward, Uncle Matt, Nana, and lots of friends. On our way down to South Carolina (and on our trip back) we stayed with one of my best friends from high school, Betsy, and her husband, Pete. It was so great to see them again and it made me miss her even more. She was an amazing hostess - she won Conner over by cooking up some pancakes in the morning...his favorite...and the boys had a ton of fun playing with Snoop and Foz, their poodles.

After my 17 hour (yes - 17 HOURS) drive to SC, the week in Pawley's started out with a mini reunion for me, Emily (another best buddy from HS), and Julie (yet another) and our kids. It is still so strange to me that we have kids, families, mortgages...yeah, I know, life tends to do that...but when we are together it's like no time has passed. Emily drove up from Bluffton, SC on Sunday with her gorgeous little girls, Elaina and Molly, and Julie lives in Pawley's with her family. (Both blogs are linked so feel free to check out their families. They are so beautiful.) It's been far too long since we've been able to spend time together. I should have been better with the camera this week as the pictures I'm posting were taken over the course of our last 24 hours in SC. I'm ashamed.

The remainder of our time was spent with family. My mom is now in Denver - just outside of Charlotte, NC - so she came down for the week as well. Shawn was able to come into town Friday morning, spend the weekend on the beach, then join us for the long drive home. We had the best time with Sayward, Matt, and Nana. Despite what Sayward has said on her blog, the size of the house was never an issue for us. (If it was for Say she never let on - she was an amazing hostess and she and Matt made us feel so welcome.) It is nice to be home but this week only served to remind me how much I miss my family and how much I want to be closer to them. I'd give anything to move south or to have my fam and all of my friends move to New England. Hmm...wonder what the chances are?!?!

Aunt Sayward, Nana, Conner, and The Grades.

My boys on the beach.

Uncle Matt, Aunt Sayward, and the boys.

What a great week!! We can't wait to add one more to the mix with the new Elliott coming this fall!!

A visit to the farm

After a grueling spinning class this morning (too much jumping and too many hills...ugh) we got on the road and headed to Vermont for an afternoon at the farm. There were lots of animals to feed - they give you an "animal picnic basket" with a menu for each animal and the items to feed each one - and lots of fun things to do. Conner, of course, had to ride a pony, we milked a goat, chased some chickens, and jumped in the "hay jump." I think it was a successful excursion - and I didn't even give Shawn a hard time for how far away it was. It was really nice to have a day to spend together before we are busy and on the road again.

Shawn is leaving for Chicago this Friday and then he goes to Pittsburgh from there for his annual summer meeting at the home office. I'm driving down to Pawley's on Saturday to spend the week with Aunt Sayward and Uncle Matt. Conner is beside-himself-excited to see them - Grady is too, he just doesn't know it - and so am I. The boys love going to the beach and luckily there's no shortage down there. Shawn's going to join us on Friday morning to spend the weekend and then drive home with us. It'll be a great end to a fantastic summer!

Conner loved feeding the animals.
















Grady and Shawn had a good time as well!


















Of course we couldn't leave without taking a pony ride.






















My boys on the wagon ride.

















We got Grady in there, too. We had to stop him from eating the food once or twice.