yay, for a summer break.

today marks the official first day of summer break. yesterday i was a little somber as the school year came to an end. sad to be leaving the teachers we have come to love over the year.  however, today i woke up excited for what i hope the summer will bring. and now the planning of our summer break will begin. 

i hung my traditional happy summer banner across the front door yesterday just before the bus arrived for the last time. here, here and here are banners from years past. it's a tradition that began when slade first started kindergarten. and now he's headed to fourth grade!

how about you? do you have any last day of school or first day of summer break traditions?

washing the car.

taking a break from a day at the pool, my children were very excited when i suggested that they wash my car.  as for them, it didn't seem like work at all, but a good reason to make lots of bubbles in our driveway and a really good chance to use the hose to spray one another.

 

or, as it ended up, slade taking great pleasure in spraying his sisters every chance he had.

 

but, in the end, they all worked very hard, my car was very clean, and they had lots of fun!  it was a great day!!!

cousins.

 

we don't see them often enough, but it's always so much fun to get together with cousins for a day of fun at the annual family picnic.  thanks mom & dad for a great day by the pool celebrating the fourth of july and family!!

the jersey shore.

 

we just returned home from our annual summer visit to new jersey and spending some of our days by the shore. it is definitely a place i love and a time i look forward to every year. although i have lived many places in my life, somehow the jersey shore always feels like home. and i couldn't be happier to share time together there as a family.

the evening hours, when mostly everyone has gone home for the day are definitely the best

 slade sporting a summer mohawk and relaxing with jeff while the girls enjoy treats from the ice cream man- chipwiches, screwballs and choco tacos are their favorites.

countless hours spent digging holes and building sand castles

 

until next year, i will so miss these simple days of summertime that i love so much and bring me joy. 

 we'll see you again next year!!!!!

happy weekend + some things.

what are your plans for the weekend? jeff and i would like to finish painting our master bathroom. we started the project earlier in the week and have only been able to work on it a few hours each evening. so, hopefully this weekend we will be able to complete the painting phase of our mini bathroom makeover. i'm also hoping we can spend some time outside and by the pool. it is suppose to be very hot!!

whatever your plans, i hope you have a happy weekend and here are some things i've seen that you might enjoy too-

old school house is now this home...(wow!)
my kids would love this orange pushup smoothie
nine jewelry projects to make
these bites look delicious
silly bandages 
you're my forever art

happy weekend!!

first day of summer.

this evening marks the official first day of summer!! yay! it truly is my most favorite season of all.

i hope your summer is filled with lots of ice cold treats! especially ones that are messy and fun!!  today was the perfect day to celebrate with homemade frozen fudge pops!

 

i found the recipe in the latest issue of everyday food. it is definitely one i will be making all summer long!!

happy summer!!

happy summer.

although it is not officially summertime according to the calender, summer is in full force here. i can hardly believe my kids have been out of school for almost three weeks now.  we've been so busy playing with friends and going to day camps. however,  i am determined to sit down today and write a bucket list of summer goals and things we'd like to do before summer comes to an end!

how about you? is it summertime where you are at?? do you write a list of things you'd like to do during the summer? or is it your goal to just have fun!?


p.s. sia and i made this banner to welcome slade and elle home from school on their very last day... here is the summer banner we made last year and the banner we made the year before!

happy summer!!

goodbyes + a week at the shore.

this past week we said goodbye again after spending a whole week together as a family, including a few days by the shore. jeff boarded a plane last wednesday and headed back to work and the kids and i stayed behind in new jersey. we spent the rest of the week at my sister's beach house on the shore in sea isle.

we truly spent the entire week on the beach. jeff and i indulged in long walks alone, hand in hand, we talked about our hopes and dreams and what we think our future holds. i actually sat down and was able to read while jeff played ball with the kids. slade, elle and sia found a love for boogie boarding and enjoyed playing for hours in the surf. we were lucky to have both of our parents join us for a relaxing day on the beach too.

and, after long days on the beach, we had dinners of clams, shrimp, ceviche and even rolled out the brown paper one night for a crab feast on the porch. yum! our vacation at the shore couldn't be any more wonderful!

a big thank you to my twin sister lisa for welcoming us to her beach house for the week. we hope it wasn't our last goodbye to the jersey shore for the summer. hopefully we'll be back soon!!

gone fishing.

today, my children took a break from the pool and went fishing with their poppop. i think my girls have found a new hobby, at least a new one while we are here visiting this summer! from what i hear, they caught a total of eleven fish during their afternoon down by river with poppop and loved every minute of it!

red wine sangria.

the other night i made a pitcher of red wine sangria. it's been so hot and humid lately and i was craving something refreshing to drink after a day at the pool. a good friend of mine stopped by that evening and luckily, i already had a pitcher on hand to share. i love it served over crushed ice and with a straw to sip. here is the sangria recipe i use. i came across it more than 10 years ago in real simple magazine and have been using it ever since. it is so easy to make and so, so refreshing on a hot summer day.

{image via insiders passport}

happy june.

it's the first day of june and already very hot here!

happily i am packing the kids up and we headed out to the pool for the entire day! it's suppose to reach a high of 97 degrees here!!

hope you have a happy first day of june too!

sponge balls.

last thursday, sia celebrated her last day of preschool before taking a break for the summer. as she said goodbye to all of her sweet little classmates, she gave each of her friends a sponge ball to have fun with during the summer.

i made the sponge balls using the tutorial found here. after making enough for the entire class, i packaged each of them in cellophane bags and added a tag instructing the children to "make a splash and have a ball this summer!"

on the river today.

we took a break from swimming in the pool and headed down to the river today. why does it seem like whenever i am near a body of water, i am overwhelmed by this sense of calmness. peace. serenity. does anyone else feel the same?

we spent the entire day with old friends who live on one of many rivers in south jersey. friends, who i have not seen in such a long time. way too long. it was so wonderful to reconnect and catch up on the years that have past. and, so much fun watching our children interact and now play with one another. this was their first meeting, but it was as though they had been friends for awhile. isn't that the way with kids? they are only timid for moments and within minutes they are the best of friends.

it truly was a day to re-establish & to create new bonds of friendship. a day i found comfort in being surrounded by family & friends. a day i was quieted by calmness in all that surrounded me.

hot. hot. hot.

temperatures soared into the 100's today. although it was so hot outside, it was perfect for all day swimming and a water balloon fight. simple fun, absolutely enjoyed.

i'm sorry.

Its been days. I haven't meant to ignore my little blog. I've just been a little busy packing up, moving on and settling in.

We have been having some fun too. The birthday celebration has continued- an evening with cousins and ice cream cake too, and then a day for just the girls, where we indulged in lunch at La Piazza and sweet chocolates afterward. We've also spent some time poolside trying to cool down from the northern heat and humidity. The kids are loving the pool in the backyard.

I am reminded every moment how wonderful it is to be here and spending this time with family.

on the road again.

We traveled by car all day yesterday. It took us 14 hours, but we made it safely to New Jersey. The kids and I will be spending most of the summer here, where we will enjoy spending time with family and friends. I am looking forward to lazy days by the pool and days at the shore. I will post more... once we are settled!

How about you? How will you be spending your summer?

happy summer.

Today is Slade's last day of school.
Our summer break officially begins today.
HAPPY SUMMER!!

(We welcomed him home with a banner across our front door.)