Slip & Slide To The Rescue!

July definitely has been brutal all month long with temps in the triple digits and that called for major slip and slide moments! Luckily we have a backyard to lay it on and Noah's bud to come over and join in on the fun! Noah could stay out all day long getting wet and he did and look how tanned he's become! Summer is nice and can be fun but man has the sun been mean this month! Here's hoping for more summer with less heat waves in August but I doubt that's going to happen. So....Slip and slide to the rescue!!

Scenes From The SOAR Program At BYU...

Never thought the time would come when I would send my last daughter to attend the SOAR program in Utah. Sierra and Lexie both attended and really enjoyed the program and even though Lexie is the only one that's attended BYU so far I'm grateful that Sierra had the opportunity to go and experience it. 

According to Chelsea she had fun making friends and I know that's the best part of attending these events. Making friends. What's important is that she attended, learned a few things, made friends and was surrounded with other kids who share the same values and who knows...maybe she'll choose this college to attend next year. 

At any rate I'm just so glad she got to experience this. And that she stayed for an extra week to spend quality time with her sisters and family which is so rare these days. OHHHH- the cons of living across the country! Times are a changing and I look forward to this time when it's Noah's turn to go...if he chooses to!

Now for some photos...

Off To Scout Camp!

Another year, another scout camp. How the heck did this happen! Noah left for scouts last weekend and he'll be returning home tomorrow. I can't believe how quickly time flies. It truly does as your last child grows older. I also believe time flies when the world changes and there is a lot going on in the world right now. But looking at all the positive things in life such as our boy being motivated and eager to go to camp to learn life skills and have fun with his peers truly brings us light. He's such a sweet and happy kid! He is growing up way too fast. More than I'd like but it's okay. I have missed him but I'm also glad I didn't get any phone calls from camp which means no homesickness like he was last year. No news is great news and that means he is doing well! Looking forward to his return! 

On The Temple Grounds With No Crowds.

Going to the temple right after the open house has ended is always a good thing. No crowds. No one photobombing your photo. Just peace and quiet. I loved this day and the time Jon took off to spend time with us before Noah left for camp. I love moments like this. Making memories like this. Especially when you believe in something so strongly. I love that the temples are built on this earth for a purpose. A purpose that is that families are forever. That if we continue to do our best to be a good human and live happily among all the chaos and challenges that we will reach our final destination and return to our Father in Heaven. I am grateful that the temple is there for reassurance. To strengthen us and to make us better. Just walking along the temple grounds and going inside the visitors center is enough to feel the goodness that temples and the Lord bring. I love that I have a testimony of the Savior and the temple. I'm in no way the greatest human but I know that I try to be, and that I'm enough. Enough as a mother. Enough as a friend. Enough as a neighbor. Enough as a human. And that's all that matters. It doesn't matter what others think of me or the ways of the world can be. What the world would like us to be. What matters is what I know about myself, and what Jesus thinks of me. And at the end of each day, I can go to bed knowing that it was a better day than the last. And that all the days from here on out can be that way....if we let go of the past and all those that have wronged us in our life if we choose JOY. 

Tina On Broadway!

Time was running out and when they announced that Tina on broadway is closing on August 14th knew that I had to see the show! And I'm so glad I did! I went all by my lonesome but didn't feel alone because when you go to NYC you NEVER feel alone! With all the cars, crowds and horns honking and construction sounds in the city you never feel alone. Especially when your surrounded by a bunch of women your moms age in the theatre who are old school and huge Tina turner fans made me so grateful to have gone and have experienced this moment! Such an emotional story and fun musical all at the same time. I cried, I laughed, and cheered when Tina became a success all on her own toward the end. Her story on broadway was amazing and if you are in NYC during these dog days of summer go! Who cares about the heat! Go! It's sooooo worth watching! 

Scenes From The Yankees Game- 2021

It's baseball season and we are so thrilled to be going to see the Yankees again this year! These photos never made it to the blog last year so I'm documenting them for my posterity and as a reminder of how much fun it is to go to a baseball game. Noah loves coming to the games only if they are winning because he says when they don't play well it becomes boring! LOL! I'm especially happy that Lexie will be able to go with us this time around. The first time we went to a yankees game was in 2018 and it was a blast! I got tickets for an earlier game and I'm kind of kicking myself for not getting tickets for a later game only because the sunsets are amazing from the bleachers. Hopefully it'll be a great game this weekend and that it'll be a long one to the point where we can see the sun set! 

Smithsonian National Air And Space Museum!

Six years ago we explored and saw all the vintage airplanes at the air and space museum near D.C. with Noah and it was a different experience for him this time around than when he was six. Noah took his time reading all the history on the displays with his dad. It was as if Jon was giving him a history lesson all about aircraft. It was so nice to watch these two bonding about airplanes. Talking about the transformers scene as well as the Roblox plane Noah has seen in a game online. He got so excited when he stumbled upon it inside the center. We only had about an hour inside the hangar and even though this was our second time going there is going to be a third. We didn't get to go to the tower or imax theatre. Another excuse to go back. 

We can never get enough of this place and it is such a gem for the boys that I made this little reel for them to remember. So happy that Noah has a much better appreciation for this place and I am so glad that Jon took a day off to spend with us and to really engage with Noah all about planes! Oh...and to eat at Willards too! Now for some still pictures of vintage airplanes...

A Little Letter To The Jersey Shore...

 

Dear Jersey Shore, 

I will never stop expressing my gratitude for living so close to you. And even though some beaches are an hour away that drive is nothing and we still go to take in all your beauty. We love you whether we get in the water or not. Just being with my family and better yet my son is so nice. Even when he  He loves the crashing of your waves and even though he complains knowing that he has to walk on sand in order to get his feet wet -once he takes off those flip flops and dips them into your ocean...he no longer complains. Instead, he has fun running along the water and of course trying to splash me with it! He loves the ocean bits and broken seashells that he finds around you. He's a kid through and through and I love that he can be more old school instead of staying at home playing on Roblox! You are what summer is all about. Kicking it 80's style and just living life outside in the summertime instead of being cooped up in the house! Thank you jersey shore for always being there for us in every season. But mostly in the summer time!

Leaf Flower Show In The Meat Packing District!

One of the reasons why I look forward to spring/summer is the Leaf Flower Show in the meat packing district. I always heard about it in past years and when we moved closer to the city really wanted to check it out. Noah and I went last year and it was soooooooo creative and beautiful! This year didn't disappoint either. When you have flower designers like Lewis Miller who adds inspirational quotes to his flower displays- flower shows in NYC are not going to be boring or look dull! New York City is definitely the place for artistic and creativity when it comes to art and flower shows. Love, love going and as long as I live close to the city hope to go each year to take in the smells of the flowers and the aweness of how they use their creative mind to decorate flowers like this! They have to have the greenest thumb to make the displays look like these...

Pez Visitor Center!

Oh how we love the Pez Visitor center. We usually go every summer but hadn't been in the past two years. This time we brought Jon. Jon has never been to the Pez center and he was so glad he finally made it here with us. He felt like a little kid again looking at all the vintage Pez dispensers and all the new ones that just came out. He had so much fun playing bingo with Noah trying to find the various dispensers to win. They actually did a blackout and located all of them. It was a tender moment watching them do this together. I usually have taken Noah by himself to Pez and that's always a treat because he's getting older but having Jon come with us (thanks to having off on the 4th) and being with 2/4 of our kids was great! 

Swimming Lessons While Having Fun In the Pool!

How fortunate we are for Dan who taught Noah how to swim recently. I know we are waaaayyyyyy late in the game for Noah to be taught but just never made the time. For the past six weeks he has taught Noah to not be afraid to go under the water. To not be afraid to jump in the deep end of the pool. To not be afraid to float and to let go of the floaties. To tread lightly with ease and not panic! Dan was as patient as he can be in teaching him and I will forever be grateful to him for teaching Noah to swim for free! He sure is dear friend to Chelsea and the fact that he works as a lifeguard part time is a bonus! And even thought he's taught him to swim we will still go over to have a little fun in the sun in his pool. Noah's not the perfect swimmer but the more we go to the pool the more "perfect" Noah become! Who knows....he could also be a lifeguard when he gets older! Cheers to Noah in becoming an official swimmer! 

Hydrangeas And A Little Library Pantry!

It's that time of year where hydrangeas are in full bloom and for the past two years have always passed by this cute little pantry library where the most vibrant hydrangeas bloom. Last year on the same day we stopped by and then again this past week. It was a fluke that we happened to stumble upon it on the same day! The older Noah gets the more he likes to venture out to little pantry libraries to see what they have. In return I will put in books that we'll no longer re-read and that's the best trade! But look at how colorful these hydrangeas are! These photos don't do it justice and I sure do love capturing them in all their blooming glory! I don't which I love the most- books or hydrangeas!!

Noah's First Guitar Recital!

Noah had his first guitar recital last month and I'll tell ya that guitar recitals are a totally different dynamic compared to piano recitals and after listening to Noah play today have no regrets of his decision to quit piano to play guitar.

His hard work of practicing and taking lessons for the past six months paid off and he played the blues amazingly! I'm grateful to his teacher Dan who is literally our next door neighbor and taught him well! He has students that range in the ages between six and 60! Amazing! Never too late to learn! Everyone played so beautifully and I am one super proud mom to see how this turned out. It brings me such tremendous joy to see him enjoying the guitar and on his motive! You gotta have your kids play what they desire otherwise they will be miserable! You can watch him play the blues on my YouTube here.

One Year Living In Our "New" Home!

Summer has always been the time to move and since moving to the east nearly 14 years ago have always had a love for hydrangeas. They are like my "welcome home" flower. My zen. My solace. So overtime we have moved into a new place I have always bought hydrangeas to brighten and liven up our home. 

This month marks one year living in our "new" house and I'd be remiss if I didn't blog a little bit about the move especially since I write this for my posterity. We have a nice backyard. The only thing I hate doing is mowing it. Luckily Jon does that. I don't have a green thumb so those garden beds that came with the house are just going to be empty until the next tenants move in. That's right. I don't plant anything! Maybe I should start! We are still renting and I'm fine with that. I will never own a home in Jersey. But we are doing good here and will probably reside here for the next couple of years. Time will tell what's in store for us once Noah gets into high school which is two years from now! But for now we are enjoying our time in this home making it our own and the kids try to make the best of the backyard. In other words... actually going outside to play instead of being stuck inside playing Roblox. Summers are meant to be outdoors unless it's super hot but for the most part take out that slip and slide and just have some fun getting wet!