Happy 4th!

Our first cuke from our garden! We also enjoyed huge salads for dinner with fresh lettuce from our garden - Yum!!!



Pool time today - Chris (L), Aiden (R) and Mommy the driver



The boys enjoying their green sand at Grammie & Grandpa Hopkins. Chris (L), Aiden (R)



Grandpa and Aiden after some pool time on the 4th!



Chris is all smiles when he makes a mess during dinner time.



Chris's serious face when he doesn't want to eat!



Aiden LOVING watermelon for the first time. This is my 4th attempt giving it to him and he will only eat it when it is cut into slices and still on the rind. weirdo!



Chris (L) and Aiden (R) enjoying Sierra's cage before she headed home on Friday.



I think it serves as a good sign that the weekend was GREAT seeing as I missed my usual Sunday post! Oops... In being honest, I decided to enjoy a fire outside with Mike last night instead of my usual post. It was perfect weather for a fire so I couldn't resist!

We had an amazing 4th of July weekend filled with lots of time spent with family and friends and the weather couldn't have been any better!!! On Friday we spent the morning with our friends Calvin and Megan and had a great time. They ventured over for some playtime at our house and the boys did great together. It's always neat to see other children enjoy the toys that your own kids have already grown tired of. Calvin is going to be a good friend to have because although he is about 6 months younger than Chris and Aiden he far out weighs them and is sure to be tall like his Daddy!

After the boys afternoon nap on Friday (I have to admit that I actually just wrote, "after our nap on Friday" but anyone that knows me, knows that I didn't partake in the nap, hahah!) Mike came home a bit early. Extra time with Daddy is always a special treat! We had plans to meet up with our friends Caroline and Mathieu for a walk/park time but since Daddy was home, we decided to try something new. We did some one on one time. Aiden stayed home with Mike with Chris ventured out with me. It felt strange... very strange but was kind of fun. In all honesty, I am not sure that Chris really noticed that Aiden was missing. You might be wondering how we chose which child spent time with which adult. Good question! In an attempt to "keep it fair" and not play favorites, we flipped a coin. It is only a matter of time until the boys know the difference and voice an opinion so Mike and I are preparing early. Chris and I had fun although the stroller felt a bit empty and lop-sided being only half full. Aiden also enjoyed his time with Mike and from what I hear they explored the stream behind our house... you know, "boy things!"

Saturday morning I got my hair cut. Maybe I should say chopped! It's short but great for the summer. Unfortunately I will never have it styled like the hair dresser did and in all realty, I probably won't have it styled ever, period. My style is a ponytail! But is a good summer chance none the less. Later that afternoon we had our friends Caroline, Rob and Mathieu over for some playtime at our house and some pizza's on the grill. The boys had a blast and the adults also enjoyed great conversation and a bit of relaxation (yes, it is possible to relax with 3-16 month olds!) Mike and I got an energy spurt on Saturday night and cleaned out our garage. It is always a dreaded job but it feels SO good to be organized! We are loving it!

For the Fourth we were lucky enough to spend time with BOTH of our families! There was lots of love and attention for Aiden and Chris so they were in their glory! Our first stop was at Uncle Carl and Aunt Patty's with the Hopkins/Tagliavini aunts and uncles. The boys spent some time in their pool and really enjoyed themselves. They also loved running around their backyard and quickly found the snack bowls and without hesitation, helped themselves! We all really enjoyed ourselves and part 1 of the food!

Uncle Dan came in from Florida later Sunday afternoon so we headed to Belchertown to welcome him home! There was no "warm up" period necessary for the boys when they saw Uncle Dan. Uncle Dan stepped right in and had the boys laughing in no time. We were also lucky enough to visit with Auntie Laura and her friend Katy , Grammie & Dziadz Pt and Aunt Kathy and Uncle Joe! Being as Dziadz has a wonderful garden, the boys got their fill of fresh blueberries and also loved running around outside and of course loved being chased! We had a great visit and food part 2 was delicious. I wish I could press "repeat" and redo the day again and again as we all had so much fun!

Today we laid low and enjoyed the sunshine! We headed over to Grammie and Grandpa Hopkins to use their pool and enjoy the gorgeous day. What better way to beat the heat on a 104 degree day! Although they weren't home, they left the house all set up for the boys and Aiden and Chris certainly made themselves at home, hopping from the big pool to the baby pool to the sandbox. It is always so nice to get out of our house for a change of pace and I've noticed that the boys are both so much happier being out. After soaking up some sun and enjoying the pool, we headed to The Scoop for some homemade ice cream - delicious! There is nothing better than cake batter ice cream! The Scoop was a great place for the boys because they have a small farm for the kids to enjoy. We saw cows, chickens, sheep,bunnies, dogs, lama's, alpaca's! We went home with two tired toddlers which made for a quiet ride home and two happy parents!

What a truly wonderful LONG weekend! Can we have another next week please?