Thankful

The boys have been on my mind a lot this week, and they make me feel very thankful. Thankful for a loving and wonderful husband, two sweet and healthy boys, two life-long friends in the making, and many fun and wild days ahead for our family.

Being back to work full-time has made our lives more busy, but fortunately our schedule is laid back so we get home early enough to spend a few hours with the boys in the afternoon. We even get close to an hour with Caleb in the morning since he is an early riser:) When Ben wakes up in the morning, the first thing Caleb wants to do is see his little brother and give him a kiss.

Caleb says bye bye to us most mornings without crying, and he is so happy to see us when we get home. He waits by the gate and greets us with a big smile as soon as he hears the door open. Ben is always happy to see just about anyone, but I think he knows who we are. When Ben cries, which is not very often, Caleb gets real serious and rubs Ben's head, belly, or back. It is so sweet. Caleb loves bath time with his brother, and we know they are going to be good friends (and partners in crime) as they grow together.

Being with our boys is a reminder for me to be thankful for not only the blessings, but also the trials in my life. I am confident that God challenges me in new ways (some that I may not always appreciate at the time), to grow me into who I am today and who I will become. Being a mom has both stretched and rewarded me in ways I could never imagine. I love my 3 boys, and I would not want my life any other way!

Forever Friends

My high school friends are some of my best friends, and they are so special to me. I met them when I transferred to Plantation High School in 10th grade, and even though some of us went to different colleges or moved away after graduation, we have stayed close friends for the past 18 years. While we have all changed over the years, many aspects of our friendship are still the same, which is what I love the best. No matter how much time passes, we can still laugh at jokes from high school, we understand each others quirks, and most importantly, we support each other. We have been together to celebrate birthdays, graduations, jobs, weddings, children, and other special events in our lives. We have helped each other through hard times too. I know that no matter what the circumstances, we will always be there for each other.  

Here is our page from the Plantation High School senior yearbook of 1997.

And here we are 16 years later.

Since we will be moving overseas in a few months, Lauren, Danielle, Paula, and Priscila, and some of their kids came up to visit for the weekend. Paula brought Marina, and Priscila brought Ayden, her oldest son. Marissa would have also joined us, but she is expecting her baby boy anyday so it was best she stayed at home this weekend. We had 6 adults and 4 kids total in the house. We were packed in tight, and I was so glad they stayed with us, so we were able to spend as much time as possible together.

They arrived right in time on Friday for the snow and freezing weather, but that did not stop us from getting out. We went out to lunch, and then hung around and let the kids play. Auntie Lauren came bearing gifts. The kids got coloring pads, puzzles, sock monkeys, and Ben got a toy and cute outfit. Thank you Auntie Lauren! And did I mention that my friends are amazing cooks too?  That evening, they prepared a delicious homemade antipasta appetizer, chicken and pasta dish.

Ayden and Marina were like two peas in a pod this weekend. It was monkey see, monkey do! Caleb loved having the big kids to play with, and Ben just smiled at all of his aunties!

First kiss?

Nathan is great with kids, and they all had fun playing, reading, and watching movies with Uncle Nathan throughout the weekend. 

On Saturday, we went to the National Aquarium and out to lunch at the Baltimore Inner Harbor. The kids loved seeing the fish, sharks, dolphins, and lots of other marine life. The adults maneuvered the crowds so the kids could see the exhibits...and we had fun all being together.

How sweet is this?

We took a break from the aquarium to eat some crab cakes and ice cream, then we went back for round two at the aquarium to see the dolphins. Don't worry, Caleb wasn't in that much pain from Marina's choke hold!

The dolphin show was underwhelming for the adults, but the kids enjoyed it.

Auntie Priscila carried Caleb around the aquarium in the afternoon because he was tired...but no nap...for 2 days!

Marina loves 'baby Caleb'. He was named that when she met him when he was 4 months old, and she named some of her dolls after him:). He is a little boy now, but I think he will always be baby Caleb in her eyes ;).

Auntie Danielle hanging out with the kiddos.

Marina and Mommy

That evening, we had a breakdance competition in the house, and afterwards Nathan babysat Caleb, Ayden, and Marina, so we could go out to dinner. They watched Cars 2,while we got sushi - thank you Nathan! We laughed and laughed, like we always do when we are all together!

It means so much to me that the girls all came up to visit us. I know that no matter where we are all, we will always be the best of friends. I love you girls so much! Thank you for the wonderful visit this weekend!

Weekend with Dad and Mom R.

My parents came up over the long weekend to visit us and spend time with the boys. It was a perfect winter weekend, close to 60 degrees. On Saturday we went to the Baltimore and Ohio Train Museum. The museum is in an old roundhouse, and they have many life size replicas of old train cars. They also had an outdoor train exhibit and a train ride on the old track.   

The B&O railroad began operation in 1828, and the first trains were pulled by horses. Even though rides were bumpy, there were many train accidents, and roaming animals were a danger, the convenience of traveling by train still outweighed the burdens of the 1830s and 1840s. Pretty amazing!

There is something nostalgic about the railroad, thinking about what the U.S. was like during these times, and how it shaped our country to what it is today.  

It was also neat to see how the trains evolved over the years, and how reliant our country is on this mode of transportation.

 Caleb had a great time at the museum too. He had lots of free space to roam around, and he likes 'choo choos' and saw lots of them!

 There were many model trains around the museum too, and it reminded me of my brother. Growing up, my brother loved trains and he developed a pretty large collection over the years from birthdays and Hanukkah. He kindly gave his entire train set to the boys, and when they get a little older we know they will love playing with it as much as he did when he was as a little boy.

 Caleb had fun on his first carousel ride, and he wanted to go back for more.

 Then we ventured outside to the choo choo playground, and checked out some more train cars.

 This sweet boy slept through most of the visit and woke up right before we left. He is smiling and giggling a lot, and we love him so much!

Nathan and I had a date night on Saturday evening while grandma and grandpa babysat for us:).  On Sunday we had a lazy day hanging around the house, we went to the playground, ran a few errands, and my mom and I got manicure and pedicures which was a treat:).

1. 

 Caleb had fun reading books, being silly, and playing with grandpa and grandma. He is at such a fun age, and he loves one-on-one attention, which he got plenty of this weekend!

Grandma woke up with Caleb each morning, so we got to sleep in - thank you, thank you!

 Grandma and Grandpa with their two grandsons

 We had a great time with my parents, and were glad they could come for the quick visit! We love you Dad and Mom R:).