Happy Holidays...

The boys absolutely LOVE the lit tree that the neighbors put up on their dock. Some days it's all they want to talk about and most nights we have to go out and take some time to *admire* it. All of them are simply dying to get us one of our very own... with the biggest "Boy" probably being the most dead set on the idea... go figure right?!

ahhhhh...

Yeah... it's breathtaking isn't it.

but seriously...

don't get too horribly jealous just yet...

we usually have to enjoy this beautiful
setting against the background theme music
of Henry whining, Flynn screaming and Gareth crying non-stop.

ahhh... Good times ;)

Our Breakwater Beach

This is, without a doubt, the boys favorite spot in the yard : our breakwater beach. They love to climb all over the rocks looking for hidden treasures worthy enough to be thrown into the lake.


The point is also prime real estate for these two.

We feel so very lucky to be here.
Patrick and I are overjoyed about all the wonderful memories these
darling boys are already creating at our beautiful new home.

It makes us both so very happy ♥ !

PITA???

PITA??

say wha??!!?

who's a pain in the ass?!?

surely NOT moi!

hehehe... imma too cute to be so much trouble!

Little Savage...

This very sweet moment was cut painfully short when
Flynn suddenly chomped down on poor baby Gareth's fingers :(

Flynn, Flynn, Flynn.

Such a darling boy...
folks never fully accept what a crazy pint sized savage he can be.

Most days I feel as though we're reenacting scenes
from "The Lord of the Flies".

One thing is for certain...
life is never dull with our wild little nutter around ♥ !

Sunsets... to die for!

Seriously!
These views are sure to spoil us for life...
and I'm fairly certain they're guaranteed to
corrupt any of our future visitors as well...
wink, wink, nudge, nudge ... *smile*

Going down to the dock to watch the sunset in the evenings with the boys is like one of the coolest things ever. And while we don't get to do it every night... we are definitely trying to make a habit of it ;)

It's a whole lot like being on vacation, right in your own backyard.
How awesome is that?!

So even with all of the work we're doing inside...
this totally makes it all worth while ♥ !

Halloween 2011

Superman and his cohort Rocketman...
out to steal a few hearts ♥ !

the new digs!

Wanted to share these shots... just in case you've missed them.
We are so very thankful to be in the new house! Having all the stress from selling and buying and moving behind us truly is an enormous weight lifted. It's also wonderful to be out of the little rental and to not have the neighbors living right on top of you. Definitely won't be missing that anytime soon. The yard is heaven sent for the boys... so much to explore and discover. Of course one of their favorite things to do is to throw rocks and tree debris (pine cones, sticks, branches) into the water.

The weather right now is amazing! It's so hard to believe that we're enjoying 70 and 80 degree temps in December!! Such a faaaaar cry from Pittsburgh and light years away from Idaho... surely don't miss the freezing winds.

view of the house from the dock

the dock!
be sure to keep your eyes open for photos of the boat... coming this spring - no doubt!!

the back patio

the front walk way

view of the back of the house

Unpacking is moving along... although it feels like it's at a snails pace. I've actually gotten a lot done already. We're trying to still get the boys rooms painted and ready for new carpeting... which would go a whole lot faster if all the small disasters would stop. ie : while trying to paint the ceiling in Henry's room - all the popcorn texture started to literally fall off in sheets. ??? no idea what was going on there... but on the bright side, who likes popcorn ceilings anyhow? leaving us with little choice but to remove it all (from both rooms) and start fresh. with any luck, we'll manage to get through all of that this week/end and finally be ready for the new carpet to be installed next week! am so looking forward to getting the boys into their own rooms at last ;)

5 Months Already!

my darling little Gareth ♥ he's getting so very big so very fast :( cannot believe he'll be 5 months old tomorrow. here's hoping all our computer woes are over and i'll finally get back to updating you all with some new photos!

First Day of K...

I felt rather nauseous after attending the parents open house at H's elementary school. An hour and a half of too much talking about nothing in particular, while supplying little to no real information left my head spinning and longing for a good stiff drink. I mean seriously... we are talking about Kindergarten right?? I feel fairly certain that none of the choices, mistakes and tomfoolery that are sure to be made this year are going to cause catastrophic damage for any future collegiate ambitions we might harbor for our dearest Henry. Least ways... let's hope not. Good Grief.

I had suspected that the first day would be riddled with bumps and bruises... both physically and emotionally. But to my surprise, the morning went off without a hitch even though we got up at 6:15... a dynamic feat all of its own, considering that no one at our house is usually awake before 7:30. And H, who at times, can take upwards of an hour to eat was ready to go by, miracle of miracles, 7 am!?! Talk about shocking! Leaving plenty of time for H and I to leisurely walk to school - which was loads of fun :)

Of course some of the ease can be attributed to the fact that dad was home... which meant that Flynn and Gareth stayed in bed while Henry got ready (pure bliss). So I wasn't being pulled in six different directions at once. The real challenge will arrive on Monday when I have to do the whole routine all by myself will all three boys. I foresee a whole lot of screaming (from Flynn), whining (from Henry) and crying (from Gareth) in my future. Ahhh... good times my friends, good times.

H-Man was so supa excited about his first day ;P

looking forward...

Here are a few wonderfully fun shots from our fabulous week long vacation at Folly two months ago. I've been wanting to blog about our coastal adventure for awhile now... but have found the experience, of going through the photos and trying to write about the trip, to be quite painful. We truly did have a fantastic time (all medical emergencies aside) however, Patrick's nearly fatal anaphylactic shock episode and hospital stay are still just too much for me to think about most days without breaking down.

Although, I think it's pretty safe to say... that if our Pittsburgh house ever actually sells... a vacation beach house will, without a doubt, be in our future. We absolutely love the Carolina coast!

the ever elusive...

Getting a photo of this boy lately requires lightening quick reflexes...
which I obviously do not possess.