First Night on the deck!

After 1 week of total choas it was time to dust it off and host dinner in thanks for all my folks have helped with.  I LOVED hosting THEM.

I can't say that everything is organized or unpacked, but we did manage to find the Champagne glasses.  Cheers are in order. This is the beginning of such an amazing chapter in our lives.  I love having a closer relationship with my family and I it warms my heart to have my children and my husband have a closer relationship with my family.  They are amazing people and I look forward to all growing together.

After dinner was over the boys dressed up (yes, the dress up box was also unpacked) and put on a performance for us.   I am convinced their performance was inspired by Eve and Anna as we watched them perform to a wonderful choreographed dance that Diane is teaching them.  This one wasn't nearly as polished, but I know Diane would be proud!

When was the last time that Superman and our Army soldier danced together? 

Drew's antics on the back yard slide. 

It was a true pleasure sitting on the deck with a glass of wine and my family. 

Already love this place for all the right reasons.

Drew

I have got to write this before it escapes me and Drew gets older.  This kid is aging by leaps and bounds.  He is ALMOST 3 - literally my favorite age.  

He is SO independent.  

Uses the potty all by himself (to which we are ALL thankful)  

He recently started climbing out of his crib (to which we are scared)

He is SO chatty!! so much so he can hardly get the words out.  He has a stutter at the moment which is developmentally normal.  Honestly I love it.  I need to record it for us all to remember.  He is just so excited to get the words out, they just don't come out of his mouth fast enough.  I find myself smiling at his super sweet efforts.

I also want to always remember how he calls my folks Olm (instead of Oma Sue) and Dumba (instead of Goomba) the sweetest little adaptations ever.  Warms my heart every time.

Days with Diane

In the midst of all the moving nutzo life, Diane offered a bit of the 'good life'.  A night with her and her family.  I cannot think of a better place to escape to.  Thank you Diane for being that place for us.

She was super crafty in devising an obstacle course of rope for the kiddos - they treated them like lasers.  Honestly I cannot see the ropes in the photos.  Maybe they really were lasers. 

can you see Nick attempting his cartwheel laser entrance.  He got pretty good at it.

The next day the girls entertained us with a tea party.  Lollipops and juice the boys said - yes please!! 

after a bit of a break Diane and I opted to weed one of her side yards.  It was so enjoyable to knock out a crummy task together.  Seriously - friends make every aspect of life BETTER.

Thank you Diane for the respite with you.  We are so thankful to have your family close by as we look forward to many nights and days with you all!! Cheers

Moving - YUCK

By Sunday we were exhausted, emotionally, physically - just drained.... now if the sear act of moving ourselves with small kids isn't enough - I manged to get poison ivy.  I will be the first to admit - I really have no idea what it looks like.  Well. now I know what it looks like ALL OVER my skin.

It was horrible (almost reminiscent of my episode in FLW....marathon training...)  everything itched and it was a hot muggy week.  So I was wearing nothing but sundresses...  seriously, nothing else (except for these photos.

Friday night we researched cures - one of them was ocean water.....  

On Saturday morning we woke up and Chris asked me if he could take us all to the Ocean - well, lets go.  It wasn't the best beach day.  

We headed down to Mystic where my mo'm's close friend has a wonderful house on the water.  She was SO welcoming and loved to have us visit for a brief bit.

It wasn't the best beach day - rather overcast and chilly - the boys didn't even get in.  

I got in twice to swim along the boeys.  It was freezing.  By the time I got out my lips were BLUE and i literally couldn't feel my fingers.  All in the name of a cure!

We all showered up in a WARM outdoor shower and headed to a local crab shack for dinner.  Its always a bit crazy with these 3.

Thanks Susie for welcoming us.  We will be back, but hopefully without poison ivy!

They're BACK

Argh - It was a great/overwhelming sight to see these 2 PODs arrive side by side Wednesday morning.  Chris's basement project was thankfully done - but my kitchen cabinets LONG from done.  But lets unpack.

Last week when I met our next door neighbor I asked if he had kids - yup, a 21 year old motivated college boy (who goes to the gym!!)  amen!  I ask if he had a friend and there was our movers - we paid them for 3 hours of extreme heavy lifting.  

They came over VERY motivated and left VERY exhausted.  

All the furniture was it.  

At the beginning I asked Chris if they would be able to knock it out - his famous words that still echo in my head...  You are failing to understand the energy level of 2-21 year olds.  Yup - those pod were EMPTY 

Meanwhile at a Roaring Brook Nature camp, life tried to stay as close to normal as piossible at Camp Carlson.  Thanks Oma Sue and Goomba for making this transition actually rather enjoyable.  Here they are after their last day of camp.

Here is the other 'safe place' at our home.  The back yard.  We have heard there are bears in the area, but haven't seen them yet. 

Projects...

Our PODS are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday - with keys in our hands on Monday lets start some projects.  Chris wanted to paint the basement floor and I wanted to tackle the cabinets.  

Ready - set - go!

The cabinets we a older wood with the dark hardware

See, nice and colonial really?  Time to make it ours.

our basement will never look this clean again -  even as I take the after photo!!  This is only 1/2 of the basement - so many plans of what we can and will do!

Monday night the doors and hardware all came off of the cabinets and 1/2 through that somewhat simple process I wanted to stop my project and say - never mind - they look great!!...  But lets just keep going...  Tuesday Diane offered to come visit and get some Sara time while weilding a paint brush - one of the best friends I know.

Later that night and 2 trips to the paint store later to 'darken the grey'

The home depot example for a glass front in the windows (later)

Our Thursday afternoon coat of primer.

That following Wednesday night (after My mom helped for 2 days painting 32 cabinet fronts - cannot thank you enough mom and hope that is IT for projects now..) Chris and I installed all the hardware and hung the doors!

TaDa!!

Thanks for the hardware ideas Ms Chelcy!!  The drawer pulls are reminiscent of the kitchen in both my folks homes - funny how that stuff really does come back.

Tried to get a better photo of the entry way...  too much light coming in, as if that is a bad thing.  I won't look TOO close at the cabinets as they could use a little touch up - but I can't say I am all that interested in painting at the moment - we will have to save that for sometime in September when a few of these kids go to school.

Oh yes, the basement floor you ask?!?!  Well that was DONE on the very Tuesday we started priming the kitchen cabinets.  Start to finish for Chris - 2 hours - he sure knows how to pick the move in projects.  I love the orange and he is hoping to paint the walls soon too - but somehow that project fell a bit lower on the 'must dos'.

So there is our stamp on the house in the name of projects...

We own a HOME - again

It wasn't a seamless process as surely it never is - but by Monday later afternoon at 5PM we actually own a home in Canton Connecticut!!  All the paperwork was signed and keys in our hands!  

Cheers to yet another chapter in our lives.

Lets get to work!

Here comes the van

A little more reality - as we spent the week investigating Canton, swimming in the pool, and having a sleep over with the Wisneskis (more photos when I reclaim my camera)- Chris flew back to VA - packed up LOTS of loose ends and with the help of Kerry loaded this Penske van FULL!  He didn't sleep well the night before getting the van as he agonized over everything actually fitting...

Well it all did!!  To include some of the crap we intended to get rid of (great right??)

since we haven't downloaded the penske van due to attorneys, realtors and another long story that I may publish later - I will just resort to the beautiful night with the fireworks...

The fireworks were delayed from the 4th of July - Friday 11 July was BEAUTIFUL.  the perfect night with TONS of folks out to enjoy both the concert and the light show.  My folks volunteered with their buddies - once their shift was over we all enjoyed a night of running around and sword playing.  Honestly, Nick Shane and Drew have SO MUCH energy.  Yet on the way home - it was officially the first time they have ever told us they were so tired they didn't think they could walk anymore.  They went to bed at 11:30 - we begged them to sleep until 7:30 - phew

The Vacation part of moving.

We have SO much on our brains right now - closing documents, packing, truck rentals, POD schedules, paint colors.  Its amazing that at moments this really feels  like vacation.  Through the years Camp Carlson is a vacation place for our family.  Whether the long flight from Germany to spend 3-4 weeks here, or more recently the drive from VA to bring the excitement to Oma Sue and Goomba.  My boys LOVE it here and I love their relationship with my parents.  Glad they love it too - cause this time we are hear to stay......

 - its a vacation!

Best thing about this vacation so far is this!!

http://youtu.be/H0lL7GUpAdE

I knew Drew would become an independent swimmer soon, but I didn't think it would be THIS soon.  He HAD to swim by himself - AMEN buddy.  I love it.  I quickly recorded it and sent it to his best friend Nony as inspiration (to Megan mostly)  Nony has NO fear of the water and is the thickest little dude - translation - a sinker!!  Megan spends all of her time at the pool waiting for Nolan to just jump in so she can rescue him.  Well lets get that boy a belt!!

Or a raft with some chairs on it - look what these boys dreamed up.

lazy swimmers -  

In our recent investigation of Canton we found a skate park right by the pool.   

Perfect for a little run bike action 

With the USA out of the world cup - Nick can whole heartedly root for Germany (I think he was rooting for them all along) 

currently the score is 0-5 - but it got as high as 7-1 0 Wow.  Every 5 minutes I was hearing GOAL!!!  If only we were still in Germany - I would imagine its AWESOME and just filled with spirit right now. 

Trying to relish in the lazy days.....  

Happy Anniversary

11 years with as this couple that relies upon each other for so much.  The adventures that Chris and I have taken together truly amaze me as we look back.  The family and friends that have supported us during our journey is truly amazing.  Today is a day where we can appreciate us - and where we are headed.  

What do you do for your 11 year anniversary when you are in the middle of a move - 

You head to you new town to check it out.

Here is the cute little bridge in Collinsville - our new downtown.

We went out for a beer at the local restaurant.  No line and no need for a reservation - a little odd right - especially since it was Saturday night.  After a beer we walked down the the river with our planning calendar and just chatted about life to come.

So much about life is taking a leap - I didn't realize taking the leap to marry this man would have me taking so many other leaps.  I gotta say - adventures are so much better together.

Love you

Dive right into cousin time!

For the sake of not understand the whole second cousin twice removed stuff I am going to call these guys cousins....

Matt is my cousin who lives in Folsom CA - his beautiful wife Caiti and 2 wonderful daughters Emily and Alison were traveling the east coast over the next few weeks and made a stop in CT to spend some time with my folks and us too!  

Here we are on the 4th climbing up Hueblin tower

and here they are rock climbing

a few artistic shots by Caiti

a treasured photo by nick (we have the feather in case you were wondering...)

And the view from the top.  I can see the golf course - can you find my folks house?  I can't either and I have done this 100 times!

Emily thought this looked like the setting for the hunger games.

Yup, I can see that

WAY too close to the edge for me brave Allison

Fun at the top of the tower.

Great hike crew - thanks for making it so entertaining.  By the time to reached our mini - the skies opened and it started raining - 

The rest of the day POURED!!  Rain rain rain.  yuck.  No fireworks, they did have the concert (yuck right) but we enjoyed a lazy day of soccer watching - inside and out.  Here we 5 minutes of no rain and some cool sparklers.....

Baby your a firework!!  or a sparkler really

even Drew got into the action.

The next morning Matt, Caiti, Emily and Allison were headed to the next leg of their East coast adventure - Boston and Providence - to include a great link up with my sister and her family.  It was so great to overlap with them - great to catch up on life and memories of the past while watching the kids link up too.  Alison was a trooper for wrestling with our crew of dudes and Emily is turning into such a pretty young lady who is headed to high school!!  Yikes right?  Thank you Matt and Caiti for making the time for us and to my folks to happily hosted a house full.