Happy New Year (a little walk through 2013)

We just returned home from Cape Cod and I wanted to get an end of the year post up but have not had time to go through the photos, so that might come tomorrow. In the meantime I did jump on the flipogram bandwagon with everyone else using my instagram feed to put together a year in review using these 30 second video clips. I tried to fit it into one video,
but it moved way too fast, so here is our year in 4 parts:









It has been so fun to review all of the memories and good times that were had in 2013 and to see how much the kids have grown and changed. We were definitely blessed in many ways this past year and with a little luck and lots of hard work,
I pray that 2014 will be just as good, if not better.

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy 2014!!!
Happy New Year my friends. . . can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for all of us.
xoxo

From Our Home to Yours. . .

This was our card this year. . . just wanted to share and wish you all a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!
Enjoy every minute with your loved ones.
xoxo
Lisa

My Sassy Star of the "Snow"

We had an incredibly warm weekend here in PA.
Reags and I were out running errands and the car wash was the first stop on our list.
We needed to get rid of the sand and salt that was caked all over it.
Our next stop was the grocery store, but we took a little detour down a side road.
Had to get just a few more photos before all of the beautiful snow melted away.

So glad we did. As of this morning, it is all gone.
No White Christmas here. . . but I am sure it will still be Merry and Magical!!!

Our shopping is finished and everything is wrapped.
Just need to do some baking and we are all set.
I have two little ones who can't wait to get their hands on the mixer :)

Merry Merry Everyone!
Be safe out there.

First Snow Fall of the Season

She looked longly for a few minutes and then decided she wanted to go out for a little frolic in the snow.
We were all baking in the kitchen and she had her fill of mixing and licking the spatula, so she opened the door and off she went.


She wanted to make snow angels, catch flakes. . . and twirl about.


There is something so magical about the first snow.
And it has definitely helped to put us in the Christmas Spirit.

Happy Holidays Everyone!
Hope your "to do's" are almost D O N E and you can relax and enjoy the season with your loved ones.

Favorite Photo Friday - "Elf Adventures and Winter's Beauty"

I have to admit, the girls are not the only ones having fun with "Ella the Elf" this holiday season.
Even though it takes some extra work and time on my part, it is so worth it when I see their happy faces.
If you frequent Pinterest and Instagram you can get some great ideas!
I thought I would post some of what we did this week. . .

After her "chill out" in the fridge, she de-robed and did a swan dive into my jar of ornaments. You can see her blanket in the background:)
The next night she left a note saying that she had a run in with Rudolph when she flew back to the North Pole so she helped herself to our first aid kit and a makeshift hospital bed. The girls really loved this one!!!


Thursday morning they woke up to "Super Ella" who zip lined in with Candy Canes!
I went digging in their doll clothes bin and found the yellow bandana that I turned into a cape.
Added some washable marker to personalize it and she was ready to go!
You know they wanted those candy canes the minute they saw them:)
Sugar for breakfast??? sure, why not!!

The excitement level is really growing around here. . .
in addition to all of the holiday activities, we have received some of the white fluffy stuff.
A few days of school delays and one day completely closed makes for a hectic work week, but it sure was beautiful!!

The top two photos are a pair of beautiful silver knit gloves that were a gift from my sister.
I noticed how the glitter in the gloves caught the light when I zoomed in on a piece of ice that was stuck to them.
The lower left is an old barn/shed that I pass every day right down the road from our house. It screams out to me each time I pass it, so when I saw it snow covered, I had to roll down the window and take a pic. The last photo is a lone snow flake that was stuck to my scarf. I could not believe the shape. . . it looked almost too perfect to be real, but I assure you, it is!!!
All of these photos in this collage were taken with my iPhone and an Ollo Clip attachment. If you are looking for a last minute Christmas Gift, this is a GREAT ONE for any photo enthusiast. I love my DSLR, but there are times it is just not practical or handy, so I go to my phone with this awesome little 3 in 1 lens attachment. I bought mine at the Clickin Moms Store if you are looking to make a purchase…..and while you are there, you might find some other fun photography related gifts as well.

Okay, time to say "Happy Weekend". . . off to work I go!
Don't forget that the Mama Mia giveaway closes tomorrow night at 11:59pm Eastern Time.
Get your entry in before it is too late.
Good luck!

Sunday 6:30am

It has taken us a few years to get on the bandwagon, but this Thanksgiving, Ella, our Elf on the Shelf finally arrived.
Ella has been one mischievous little elf.
So far, she has toilet papered a bathroom, redi whipped our kitchen, decorated a chandelier, partied with Barbie and Minnie Mouse, helped herself to a stack of pancakes with syrup and lots of confectioners sugar, had a little run in with a tube of crest toothpaste, and took a swim in a big bowl of M&M's. I am sure she has more than a few more tricks up her sleeve :)

I could kick myself for not taking pictures each day, because the girls have enjoyed it so much and it would be great to look back on when they are older. It is just time consuming and hard enough to keep up each night, let alone photograph them in the morning before I rush off to work, but I might need to make this a goal for next year.

Since I did not have to hurry out the door this morning, I decided this would be a good one to try to document. Reagan is my early riser on the weekends, so she was the first one to find Ella and her note!! Apparently she likes it a little chilly to remind her of home, so she decided to hang out in the refrigerator clutching a Christmas Tree made of Hershey Kisses. Even though the girls will not touch the elf (they are big believers in the story and they are scared to touch or move her), something tells me that Ella does not have a tight enough grip to hold onto those kisses for herself :)

To see more Sunday Snapshots, head on over to visit my friend Stef, make sure you say hello!

Scenes From a Laundromat

It has been a little crazier than normal around here this week.
Trying to cram 30 hours of work into a 24 hour day if you know what I mean. The alarm has gone off at 4:30am every day if that gives you any indication. Like everyone else, there are so many things on my holiday to do list and I am hoping to get through it all in the next few days so that I can truly enjoy Christmas this year and not feel like it is a race to the finish. I have been taking a little social media break in effort to get things crossed off that list, so if you have not seen me around Instagram(my favorite place to hang out these days), this is why:( I have missed checking in on everyone, but it has allowed me to get more done, so I am glad I took the break.

One of the big things that was on the top of my to do list and causing me the most angst, was our Christmas Card. I took the kids out on Black Friday to get this accomplished and I have to say, it was the most fun we have ever had shooting our card photos. I am sure you all can relate, the holiday card shoot can be a stressful one. Usually I am on the ball and have it done early, but for some reason, this year I just could not get my act together. The weather has been unusually cold and I knew shooting outdoors was going to be a challenge. If the girls are the slightest bit cold, the shoot usually will not go well, so we took it indoors this year. I was a nervous about lighting and scoured the area for a good place and found myself a gem of a location. I don't want to share too much before the card hits the streets, but I thought I would share just a few. I went for a different look this year. . . styled, yet very real and A WHOLE LOT OF FUN for the kids!
Here is just a little sneak preview. . . scenes from the cleanest laundromat in town :)


Have a wonderful weekend!!
and don't forget, you have until Sunday night to enter to win the iPad Mini Bundle!
If you missed the post, be sure to check it out HERE!

Celebrating Seven

Update: The birthday week continues as we are about to celebrate someone turning 4 tomorrow. I have not had time to get another post up. I will do that later tonight or tomorrow, but for now, just link your favorite photo friday post below. ~Happy Weekend Everyone~

Today we are celebrating Sarah's big day!
I can hardly believe our girl is S E V E N. She was the surprise of a lifetime.
We were just 6 months into what we knew was going to be a LONG wait for our referral from China when we received the call about sweet Sarah. We did not have much time to prepare for her arrival. In fact, I was sitting with my boss in Philadelphia telling him that we were going to be parents in about 4 weeks, when my phone rang saying that Sarah's birthmother was in labor. I think we were all in a state of shock. We had nothing. Not a carseat, an outfit, no bottles or diapers. My boss and colleagues made sure I was okay to drive and then packed me up in my car. I drove straight to babies r us and just started loading my cart with essentials. Sarah was born that afternoon just hours after we received the call. She was brought to our home and placed in our arms within 36 hours. It was a day we will NEVER FORGET. I think we pinched ourselves a thousand times. She was SO BEAUTIFUL and so tiny. You could see her very petite features and she had the longest fingers. We were completely mesmerized by her beauty and our home was filled with so much LOVE and JOY. It was the week of Thanksgiving and boy(I mean girl:), did we have so much to be thankful for that year.


Seven years later and this precious girl is still spreading her JOY everywhere she goes.
She is a very bright child and has so much compassion for her family and friends.
By far, she is the extrovert of the family and makes new friends wherever she goes.
She absolutely loves school and looks forward to going each day.
Her favorite subjects are Reading and Spelling and she also enjoys her Art and Music classes as well.
She is a dreamer and bit of perfectionist in everything that she does.
Her recent report card has proven that and I look forward to meeting her teacher on Friday for our conference.
Our lives were totally changed by the surprise of this sweet little bundle of JOY.
We are very blessed and feel fortunate that we were chosen to be her parents.


Had to take a walk down memory lane.
This was snapped with my kodak point and shoot just moments after we met her.
Look at Nick's face:) One of the happiest days of my life!

~Happy Birthday Sarah~
We Love YOU!!!
xoxoxo

iPhone Photo Dump

Just sharing some everyday randomness from my instagram stream today.
And we all know what that means, right?
The craziness of the workweek did not allow me to pick up my real camera,
so I had to snag some of my favorite iPhone photos to share today!

Things are starting to get wild. The holidays are quickly upon us, we are starting our "Fill Their Stockings" fundraiser again(if you missed the post this week, take a look, here), and we are preparing for two upcoming Birthdays. Sarah and Reagan have birthdays that fall just a few days apart and it always happens to be the week of or the week before Thanksgiving. In addition to all of this, still trying to plan my Christmas Card photoshoot. I feel like I am way behind this year. So needless to say, there is just a little bit going on around here:)

Enough of my complaining, let me take you through some for the randomness in the collage above.

The girls confiscated Pat's iPhone one night and we found them in the dark huddled on the couch playing a game together.
Their expressions were priceless!

Reagan decided to turn the hairdryer on her Sarah one Saturday morning and then did not like it when her sister got revenge.
The girls look forward to bath time and they are now into washing their own hair. One night they decided to play hair stylist and Sarah was not exactly thrilled with her new do compliments of Reags. I think that might be my fav photo in the collage:)

The trees took a long time to turn this season, but when they did they were GLORIOUS.
Now most of the leaves are down on the ground and the trees are bare. I am afraid winter is here:(

The girls had a successful trip to the dentist and both are cavity free.
Reagan enjoys going to the dentist and as soon as they get her in the chair, she smiles and opens her mouth!
The staff gets the biggest kick out of her.

Both the girls have the need for speed and we had a minor scooter collision in the driveway that resulted in some scrapes and cuts on little Reags, but she recovered quickly. Even while shopping at Target these two are little daredevils. The wheels of the cart were going mighty fast as we zoomed down the aisles:)

Last photo in the center was taken one morning before school.
It happened to be a Friday and they woke up raring to go and very giddy.
Love to see them snuggling together and getting those last sisterly moments in before they go their separate ways for the school day.

That is it for now, but I will be back this week.
Lots of exciting things going on here and I will be picking up my camera this weekend!
~Happy Friday Friends~

Sophomore

I think the last time I posted photos of Nick was in June, so it has been far too long and I felt it was time to do a quick update on him.
He is well into his Sophomore year and loving every minute of it. He is thrilled with his class schedule and is learning how to balance school, work, and a social life.


We are really proud of him. He started his first job in June as the last school year came to en end. He worked all summer and has continued to work after school a few days a week and on weekends as well. He has been saving his money because he has his sights set on a car. His 16th Birthday is just a few months away and he is itching to get his learners permit.


It is very hard for me to believe that he is going to be behind the wheel of a car, but my baby has grown up and has shown us that he is starting to spread his wings and fly on his own. Being a teenager is not easy, especially in this day and age. These kids are faced with difficult choices every single day. So far, Nick has used good judgement in his choices and honestly, in the past few weeks, has had conversations with me that lead me believe he is wise beyond his years. I am so grateful that he talks to me…. I mean really talks to me and tells me what is going on in his life. He is at such critical age right now and I think it is important for him to know that he can come to me with anything even if he has made a mistake or a bad decision.

As much as I want to fight it, I have to face it, he is almost an adult and I can't keep him little anymore.
We do our best to protect him and guide him to be the best person he can be and then has to take it from there.
So my guess is that the next update you see here, he will be driving a car.
I might be requesting a few prayers to get through those first few months of being the co-pilot:)

Happy Halloween

My two little superheroes are just "flying by" to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!
They both had a parade and a party in school today and I am most certain they have already had a fair share of the sugary treats that come with this holiday.


Sarah surprised us with her choice of batgirl for her costume this year and then when she saw Wonder Woman, she thought that would be a great choice for her sister. Of course Reags was up for anything and said yes! They love their superhero capes and funky go go boots. As soon as they put them on, they begin to feel their super powers:)

We went out last Sunday afternoon to get a few quick pics because I know how chaotic the school parades and parties get.
It was chilly, but the sun was shining, so we ran out back to the edge or our property where they started to knock down the corn.
For some reason, they only did a few rows last week and left the rest standing.
One of our superheroes decided to wander in . . .


She started to pick and said she wanted corn on the cob for dinner.
We had to explain to her that this corn is not for eating, it is cattle corn.
That really did not go over too well with our little eater.

Tonight we are going to be doing some Trick or Treating, so I wanted to get my post up now while I had a few minutes to spare.
Feel free to link up if you are ready. See you all next week and try not too eat much candy.
~Have a Happy Halloween~

Three Years With Reagan

I am a little late in getting this up (a week to be exact), but as they say, better late than never, right?
On Friday, October 18th, we celebrated 3 years with sweet Reags!
It was on this day that I walked into the civil affairs office in Changsha and saw her sitting on the bench with her Nanny.
She was sucking those two fingers and the other hand was looped around her Nanny's purse.
I will never forget that moment. Marla and I were told that she had not arrived and since the room was empty, we were searching for the best bench to sit on in order to get the best light for photos. All of a sudden we saw this cute baby with super short hair, dressed in pink, and then the two fingers gave her away. We tried to talk to the Nanny, but she did not understand us. Moments later our guide Susan walked back in and confirmed it was Chen Wen Yi, our Reagan!


Reagan although somewhat relaxed and mild mannered compared to the other children in the room, was definitely in a state of shock.
She had no idea what was taking place, but she knew that it was all different and nothing was familiar, including the two blonde ladies that were holding her and constantly in her face.

The first few days with her were so incredibly emotional that it makes me cry to this day when I think about it. Reagan completely shutdown. Would not eat, would not drink, would not play, and did not show emotion. All she wanted to do is sleep. It was completely heartbreaking to witness.

By day 4, she gave us a glimmer of her personality, she squeezed my finger through the crib rails as she fell asleep that night, and even flashed a smile once or twice. She was starting to come around and all the worry I had been carrying around with me started to fade away. I knew we were going to be okay. My girl just needed time to grieve and time to adjust to what would be her new life beyond the gates of the orphanage in Chenzhou.


In 3 years, she has made amazingly huge strides.
Through the love of a family, she has learned to trust and show love in return.
She now knows what it is like to have a sister and a brother, and a mother and father who love her unconditionally.
Reagan is a ray of light that has blessed us immensely and I just can't imagine our lives without her.
There were many times throughout the 5 years of waiting, I did not know if we were ever going to make it to China and back.
By the grace of God, we did and I am forever grateful. Because of Reags, I am a better Mother and a better person.
Her life has opened my eyes and my heart to a country a half a world a way.
It is difficult to sit here feeling helpless when you know so many are waiting without families.
I would love to go back and every time I see the face of a child who is waiting, by heart gets the best of me.
At this time, going back to China to bring home another child is just not in the cards for our family, but what I can do and what I will continue to do, is share how much adoption has meant to us and how it has changed our lives for the better, in the hopes that others that are considering adoption, will take the leap of faith, just like we did.

Happy Forever Family Day Chen Wen Yi!
~We Love You~
xoxoxo

Linking up to Sunday Snapshots today, to see more, head on over to visit my friend Stef!

Apple Filled Trees

Because our first trip to the apple orchard was lacking apples on the trees, we headed out to another orchard last weekend.
AND there were apples GALORE!

We absolutely LOVE this orchard. It is about 25 minutes away from our home, but it is well worth it.
The farm is one of the biggest around and they have just about every variety of apple you could imagine.
On Sunday when we were there, we could pick Pears, or Jonagold Apples.
Since I am the only one that eats pears, we decided to go for the apples.

It was a gorgeous day and I think everyone in the area had the same idea, because the line for the bus that takes you into the orchard was LONG.
This is one of the best things about this place. The orchard is so large, they literally bus you directly to your picking spot.
And these are not just any ordinary buses, they are convertible school buses.
The girls giggle the entire time we are riding along.


I quickly snapped this with my iphone and posted on instagram while we waiting for the next bus.
You can see why the girls look forward to this part of the trip:)


When we got off the bus, we were directed where to pick.
It was pretty congested in our row of trees, there were about 30 other people out there picking with us, but there were plenty of apples to go around. Sarah and Reagan had our box filled with about 20 pounds of Jonagolds in a matter of minutes.

They are great baking apples..... now I just need some time to get in the kitchen and bake up some apple goodness.
Every year I make a to die for apple bundt cake.
I have posted the recipe multiple times over the years, you can find it HERE.
Anyone have any other favorite apple recipes?
I would love to try something new.
If you have a recipe, please share.

TGIF friends!!
Have a wonderful weekend.
It will be a busy one here....a week from today, I have a special group of ladies arriving for a very fun photography weekend.
Lots of preparing has gone into this weekend and I am already feeling anxious....so many small details and I want everything to be just perfect. If you are the praying type, we would appreciate some "good weather" prayers and also some prayers that everyone who is traveling to get here, arrives safely and without delay.
I will be sharing some of the fun things I have prepared next week!!

Apple Lovin' Little Ladies

Sunday afternoon I took the girls over to the orchard and pumpkin farm.
There are two that we visit each year, one is about a 30 minute ride and the other is within a mile of our home.
The weather was not looking too promising so we figured it was best to stay close.
Upon arrival, there was a sign that all of the trees had been picked over and the only apples left were on the ground.
This coming weekend they are moving on to the next type of apples, so they will open up a new portion of the orchard, but I was already there and the girls were so excited, I knew we could not turn around, so we went apple picking from the ground:)


We did not get too many keepers, but they sure did have fun running through the trees and trying to find apples that were not "yucky".


Reags found a few that she said were perfect and she held them like a prized possession.


Once they realized it was slim pickings, they said they would rather go look for pumpkins.. and that was not much better either.
The field was looking pretty empty.... it is still a little early yet, so we will definitely head back in a week or two.

Reagan could not wait until we got home to test out her special apple.
After a few rubs on mommy's shirt to clean it off, she took the first bite and she had that baby finished by the time we reached the car.
She said it was the best apple she ever ate:)

It is hard to believe that we are approaching October.
Halloween is just around the corner and then the holidays are upon us.
The girls have been flipping through Halloween costume catalogs for the last few weeks and they had a quite a few different looks doggy eared, but they finally made their decisions last night and we placed the order. We are taking a break from the Disney Princesses this year. In fact, I was shocked with their choices, but I think they will look SO CUTE! Sarah really chose it and Reags went along with it. They are not matching, but they do coordinate. Sarah has already asked today(not even 24 hours later) if they have arrived yet! I am guessing by next week they will be here and we will have two giddy little girls.

I am posting a little early this week.
Have to be out the door tomorrow morning by 6am for a full day on the road.
Bring on the weekend.... it cannot get here soon enough.
~TGIF~

Rock Climbing and Hermit Crab Hunting

Each day not too long after we would settle into our comfy beach chairs, Sarah would start asking Pat to go walk the Jetty.
I am not sure my pictures really show how challenging these rocks can be, but they are not easy to maneuver.
Most people get about halfway and then they turn around and head back in...but not our Sarah.
She was going all the way out to the very end where they have the tower.
Pat was behind her every step of the way as I sat on the beach watching with baited breath.
At high tide the rocks were almost complete submerged under water, but at low tide, you can see that with one slip of the foot, it would be a pretty big fall. She is such a daredevil and she did not let that cast on her arm hold her back at all. At certain points along the way you have to get on your hands and knees and almost crawl to the next rock.
For a minute I thought about following with my camera and then I had visions of me and the camera taking a tumble, so I stayed put with my feet firmly planted in the sand with Reags:)


When the girls were not boogie boarding or climbing rocks, they were hunting for hermit crabs.
As the tide goes out, the little crabs hang out around all of these boulders.
The girls took their shovels and pails and started collecting them with a little help from Pat.
Each time they would find one, a big smile would instantly appear as if they stuck gold.
It is the simple things that makes them so happy!!!
At the end of every day, we would take the bucket and set them free.
Thank goodness we did not come home with any.
They are fun to find on the beach, but I am not sure I want them in the house:)

For the most part I have made my way through the beach photos I wanted to share.
I will not torture you all with any more and we will move on to other things happening around here.
Just wanted to make sure I documented our trip and all of our fun days exploring the beaches of Cape Cod.

~Have a wonderful weekend everyone~

Sunset on The Cape

There is something to be said about the soothing sound of the water and having your feet firmly planted in the sand.

The stress of every day life just slips away.

It is our family's happy place....and an incredible place to witness a beautiful sunset.

If I had to pick my most favorite photos each year, it will always be the beach photos.
Not only do they represent God's natural beauty that surrounds us, but they bring back a flood of wonderful memories.

Have a wonderful Sunday!
While I am still posting Summer photos, it feels like Fall has officially arrived here in PA.
I am thinking a trip to the apple orchard is in order:)

To see more Sunday Snapshots, head on over to visit my friend Stef!

Let's Be Friends

Finally beginning to dig through the beach photos. I promise, I will be done by next week.
I have one more set of Pat and the girls on the beach and then the sunset photos and I am moving on to all things "Fall".
These are just some quick snapshots of Sarah playing with some new friends that she met on the beach.
The girls all had boogie boards, but instead of riding them, they were trying to stand on them to see who could stay up the longest.

They were out there for hours playing in the waves and I thought it was so cute that they just happened to all match in their pink bathing suits. Not too long after these photos were taken, Sarah's new friends had to head back home. There were a few tears shed over this news.... they were all having so much fun together.
They said their goodbyes and hope to see each other again next year.
Like our family, they come back to the Cape every summer!

The craziness of the new Fall schedule has continued here.
We have added dance classes for both of the girls and soon basketball for Sarah.
As you could imagine, the excitement level was through the roof about attending dance.
And I am not just talking about the girls...... Me too!!
They are taking Ballet and Tap at the same studio where I spent a good part of my teenage life.
I did not get to look behind the closed door while class was going on, but I did get reports that Sarah did well.
Reags did well too, but she had a moment.....
In case you were wondering, it is possible to suck your two fingers and tap dance at the same time:))
They asked her to remove her fingers from her mouth and she started to cry....but I was told she recovered quickly.
It was the first time in a new place for Miss Reags, and as we all know those fingers are her security and when she is unsure, they go straight in her mouth. Hopefully I will get my camera in there soon. They have designated nights that you can watch!!
I did post a few shots on Instagram of the girls testing out their tap shoes in our kitchen.
Our dog was not pleased.... it was kind of loud up in here!!!

Okay, off to work I go.
Bring on the weekend....I am more than ready!
TGIF everyone~

Favorite Photo Friday - "Windswept"

Going from one vacation to another and then straight into the first week of school has left me feeling a little, Ummmm....CRAZY!!!
Seriously did not know if I was coming or gong this week, but we have made it through.
Never have I been more happy to see a week come to an end.
The first week of school is never easy.... new schedules means adjusting to new routines.
Nick and Sarah have been exhausted when they get home from school.
Reags really has not missed a beat because she continued to go to school through the summer(daycare) although she has graduated to the next classroom:) All three of the kids seem to be happy with their new teachers and Nick is excited about all of his courses....... especially drivers ed. Can you believe he will be driving in a few months?
I am not sure I am ready to see him behind the wheel.

In addition to preparing the kids for back to school, I have also been spending a good part of my evenings getting things ready for my beginner photography class that starts next week. I am also hosting another photography weekend here in PA mid October. That weekend will be here in the blink of an eye. Lots of little details to wrap up, but I have crossed a good deal of them off my list and it has been a lot of fun! Can't wait to share with everyone.....especially the ladies who will be coming for a visit!!

So after all of this rambling, I must confess that I have not touched a single photo since we returned from the beach.
Top of my priority list this weekend is to get the editing done.
I need to get through the beach photos before Christmas(only kidding).

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
~See you next week...preferably before Friday~

Surfer Girl

"Enjoy Life One Wave At A Time"


Well, we returned from Cape Cod last weekend and reality smacked us in the face.
This is our last week before school starts and the "to do" list was endless, but we are officially ready now.
All uniforms and clothes have been purchased and laundered and all of the supplies are labeled and neatly packed in backpacks.
On Tuesday morning, all of the kids will head back to school..... three different schools, so back to the crazy morning routine!

Unfortunately I have had zero time to play with my photos.
I have not even looked at them since we left the beach.
It was certainly fun having time to edit each morning before we went to the beach.
Those that follow me on facebook were getting daily sneak previews of some of our adventures.
This was a series I shared on facebook, but wanted to have it documented here as well.

Pat's Dad bought the girls boogie boards and they were hooked (no pun intended) the minute they strapped them onto their wrists.
Reagan would not leave the water. She wanted to paddle around on that board all day, every day!
I snapped these one afternoon in the bright sun.
I love the way the water glistened in the light.
A few of you have asked questions about how I shot on the beach during the day in harsh light.
Most of the time I shot a little underexposed so I did not lose the details of the water and then I brought back the exposure in my post processing. If you have any other questions, I am happy to answer!

I am posting early again this week, so feel free to link up when ready.
There are just a few more days of summer and I am going for a quick trip to visit one of my BFF's who happens to live in Texas.
Bet you can't guess who?

Next week after I return home, I will post photos of the other surfer girl :)
She met some friends on the beach that day and they were all boogie boarding together.
In other news... Sarah's cast was removed this week!
After 5 weeks, she is cast-free.... just in time for school.

Have a wonderful weekend and a Happy Labor Day!
I will continue with the beach photos next week:)

Teenie Weenie Polka Dot Bikinis

We have been enjoying our beach week immensely.
The girls are in heaven.... they could play in the water all day long.
Each day when we tell them it is time to pack up to go back to the house, they give us the frowny faces.


The highlights of the day have been boogie boarding at low tide, building sand castles, and looking for hermit crabs.


Oh yes, and we cannot forget about the ice cream man who rings the bell no less than 4 times a day.
I think Sarah's lips are going to be permanently stained red from all of the "Cherry Chillers" she has consumed.

We have a few more days here on the Cape and we plan to make the most of them.
Posting a little early, so if you are ready to link up for Favorite Photo Friday, feel free!

I have taken a LOT of photos this trip.....
You are going to be tired of seeing these bathing beauties on the beach by the time I am done posting everything.
(apologizing in advance)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Beach Bliss

We arrived yesterday and went straight to the beach to enjoy a beautiful day of sun, sand, and water!

It looks like it is going to be a gorgeous week here on Cape Cod.... perfect weather!
Getting ready for day number two, but thought I would give you a little glimpse into our first day and some of the beauty that surrounds us.

~Have a Super Sunday Everyone~