New Chapter

Last week - we accepted an offer on our house…I should say "townhouse". Stew and I bought our townhouse before it was built. We picked all the finishes and it really was perfect for "us". We spent 3 years here before bringing IV home and now we are on 5 1/2 years. We have officially out grown our 2 bedroom townhouse.

We knew this day would come…the day where we would put it on the market and hope it would sell. That day was back in May. We had showings throughout the summer and one offer, which we did not accept.

So after Labor Day, we decided it'd be best to stay for awhile longer and remodel. We set out to create a new office space for me, a new family room and re-do IV's room into a big boy room. So we started planning things and went ahead and purchased new things for IV's room. Then a bomb hit us - my Dad had to go in for surgery right away - it was cancer. Everything got put on hold - and I never emailed our real estate agent to tell him to please take our house off the market. I was literally sitting in my Dad's hospital room when I got a call saying we had a showing. I looked at Stew and said "Oh shit, we never took it off the market".

Our showing was on Saturday October 26th and we accepted an offer on the 27th. We will close on November 22, 2013.

So where will we go? Where anyone would go…BACK HOME with my parents. Yup! We, all 4 of us…Stew, IV, Nate and myself will be moving back in my childhood home. We plan to purchase land and build our dream home so living with my parents will be a blessing.

I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us and I cannot what for this amazing journey!

Thanks for all your kind words regarding my Dad, friends.

MIA

I have clearly been MIA - but it's all for good reason. Life is happening and life is busy. Super busy. 

I'm pretty sure, without looking, I haven't posted since August. Yuck. I seriously have zero free time. I am up to my eye balls in toddlerhood, parenthood, working TWO jobs and trying to sell our house. I'm running - even running a few races. I'm cooking, cleaning and attempting to be a kick ass Mom...all while trying to maintain a relationship with Stew. Yeah, I think you all get it. We all wear lots of hats. 

If you follow me on IG, you know what I've been up to...you see daily posts. The short version: I've run a few races, Stew's family came up to visit and we got to watch his sister run her 2nd marathon. We are traveling for Thanksgiving this year, IV hates his Halloween costume, IV turned 2.5 today and he's still fully potty trained and now sleeps in a big boy bed...which, I promise to do a whole post about his new room. He loves it. And - my Dad. My wonderful Dad...he's home recovering today. We recently found out he had prostate cancer - which did NOT spread and it was removed. So over the moon HAPPY.

Can you tell I'm rushing? Yes, I am. I'm running out of time. 

So... the real reason I'm here today is to wish my sweet boy a Happy 1/2 Birthday. He's 2.5 today. 

I love you to the moon and back, Sweet boy! You ROCK my world. 

Summer Visit: Family.

Stew's sister, brother in law and our nephew were in NH for bike race and we got to see them for dinner and drinks on Sunday.

It was so great catching up and seeing the three of them...we don't see them often enough seeing they live in Florida.

But - IV absolutely had a blast with his cousin and couldn't get enough of my SIL, Shannon...it's so great to see and I loved watching him take in all the attention. All I could hear was "more, more" from IV.

 

IV caught in the act. 

First time fishing...

My Dad has probably always dreamed of this day...and that day came. He took IV fishing for the first time.

I wasn't sure how it was going to go, but it went well and IV seemed to get the hang of it pretty quickly. I think sometimes we forget that IV isn't an 8 year old...he still is only 2. After about an hour, IV was off playing with a dirty old ball he found on the ground, but hey - he's 2! Right?

I can't wait for them to go out again.

 

Taking a morning off

Today, I took the morning off to get out of the office and go blueberry picking with my Mom and IV.

The pictures say it all...

 

 

Happy Tears?

Happy Tears? Is there such thing? I don't know. I don't know if that's what I want to call "them"...and by them, I mean mine.

But on Saturday night, I cried. I cried real happy, emotional, prideful tears. Sounds sappy, I know.

See, I had seen an advertisement for the "Pittsfield Hot Air Balloon Festival" for a few weeks and thought "IV would love this." There was the promise of Fair food, Hot Air Balloons and Helicopters. How could we not go?

So after his nap on Saturday, we packed up the car and made the 20 minute trip up to Pittsfield. The weather was perfect and we were all excited.

We did everything you would expect us to do at a small, local Fair/Festival. We ate junk food, watched the Helicopters, played the dart game for a cheap stuffed dog and bought soft serve.

 

All is great right? Sure. Until IV sees something for the first time....the "KIDDIE RIDES". I thought there was no way he'd want to go on any rides, I mean, after all he's 2! Boy was I wrong. He was adamant about going on one of the rides and repeatidly asked as Stew and I stood there, looking at each other like..."really?"

So there I stood, in line to buy tickets for our first "Kiddie" ride.

I stood in line with IV, handed the tickets to the ride conductor and placed him on his choice, a blue car. I strapped him in and walked outside the gates. I couldn't believe it. I stood outside the gate with Stew and watched a bright eyed little boy...sitting patiently for the ride to start. I called out his name and he flashed me a HUGE smile. I yelled "I love you, buddy" and he responded. "I love you too, Mama."

I cried. 

I cried as the ride started and his laugh echoed throughout the ride.

I cried as he waved to us.

I cried as he ignored us.

I cried...all while trying to capture this special moment.

 

My baby wasn't and isn't a baby anymore and that makes me cry...happy/proud/sad/overjoyed tears.

And - sometimes you just have to let them go and let them be big for a little while. Then sit back and say "Well done, Mama. Well done."

5K PR

Stew and I ran anther 5K last weekend. We totally signed up for it two days before - which I think was a good thing. I didn't have time to think too much about it.

We dropped off IV in the morning at my parents house and headed over to the race.

It was a Hula themed race - both a 5K and 10K, but we were there for the 5K. The after party is what sold me. Free beers and a BBQ poolside.

I finished in 24:46 and Stew came in a few seconds after me. Such a fun time...I just love doing these races together. And a new personal record was awesome!

Up next: Cigna 5K on a Thursday night (next Thursday) and we have a 10K at the end of September.

Super excited to have these races to look forward to - but slightly bummed Summer in New England is (kinda) coming to an end.