Waterpark with Buddies

 

Currier with his buddies after a long day of waterpark fun. 

Strawberry Picking

I took the kids strawberry picking this morning at Boone Hall Plantation.  We got three big buckets full and plan to eat strawberry shortcake for dessert all week!

Currier's BFF, Conner, is just as wacky as Currier.  Crazy attracts crazy.

Myrtle Beach Spring Break 2014

My friend Stacey bought a condo on Myrtle Beach that sleeps 24 people.  She rents it out but the week of Spring Break she reserved it for herself and some very lucky chosen friends.  I'm so grateful that we were asked to come spend the week.  The kids had a total BLAST!

Crush

Currier met Sophia at Hampton Beach while we were in New England for a two week visit and he became quite smitten by her.  We ended up having dinner at her house, another beach day/water slide day and a simple hangout play day.  They truly enjoyed each others company and have remained in touch.

Currier sent Sophia a ring for Valentines Day.

And they communicated via Facetime so she could thank him.  It was so sweet.

Happy Labor Day

Sleepover

I love that Connor and Currier are still close friends even though they haven't been in the same class for years.  Silly sticks together! 

Newburyport Trip Summer of 2013

We went home to Newburyport for two weeks to celebrate Rebecca's 40th birthday!  

While we were home I arranged a surprise visit from Trent's Air force buddy, Woody and his family.  We haven't seen Woody, Monica and Ashley since we moved from Germany over 15 years ago.  They're retired in Maine now and took a road trip down to say hello.    

It wouldn't be a proper trip home without Crazy Aunt Patsy's Fried Puff Party.

We spent some time with Papa who handed the kids cash and let them have soda, ice cream and cookies!

We cured hangovers on the beach with the girls.  

Currier fell in love!

We went yardsaling with Cheryl.

We had fun playing with our yardsale finds.

We attended a pig-roast at Kristin's house on the lake and I saw friends I haven't seen since high school .

Cheryl and I went to Papa's old house, now turned swanky spa, and got body glow treatments.

We spent a weekend on Cape Cod at my god-mother Helen's house, the Cape Escape.

The kids played in the same lake my brother and I enjoyed growing up.

We spent a lot of time on Hampton Beach watching drunk people get arrested.

We ate Chinese in my old neighborhood in Malden with my Coffee cousins.

It was a vodka-soaked roller coaster ride of AWESOME!

Gwynny—Only I’m Allowed to Call Her That!

One of my closest friends from Sicily came for a weekend visit.  Gwyn and I worked together at the travel agency on Sigonella Naval Station.  We hit it off immediately with our love of dogs, crafts and sarcasm.  Gwyn threw me a baby shower when I was pregnant and she was also there at the hospital the day Currier was born.  She was family. 

 

It was so great to see her and reminisce about our time in Sicily.  It was also great to meet her adorable son, Preston.  With a day at the pool and another day spent at the aquarium, the weekend went by way too fast but I'm grateful that she took the time to come see us and make me laugh. 

Flight Attendant Reunion

I had lunch yesterday with a friend that I haven't seen in 15 years.  Holly and I were flight attendants together based out of the Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky airport.  She lived in the crash pad upstairs from me and in addition to becoming great friends, we also loved to play pranks on each other.  One time driving home from a bar I saw an old toilet on the side of the road and decided it would look better in the middle of her bedroom and one time after returning from a 5 day trip I found my car covered in artwork pledging my love of midgets.  

 

Holly is still a flight attendant but now she's a big shot that works corporate where she coffee and teas the rich and famous.  She had a little layover here in Charleston and it was so wonderful to spend a few hours catching up face to face after all these years! 

 

Holly and I circa 1997

BFFL Birthday

Currier's BFFL, Conner , turned 7-years-old today and they celebrated in typical 7-year-old style with a jumpy castle, corn hole, pinata and donuts while the 40-somethings drank beer and talked shit about people.

Friday Favorites—New-to-Me Kitchen Island

My friend, Jen, delivered this beautiful kitchen island to my house on Thanksgiving Day because she had no where to put it in her new house and she thought it would look great in my kitchen.  She was right.  Not only is she extremely generous but she is also kind and the the second funniest person I know.  I'm the first.  

Come On Barbie, Let's Go Party

 We had a Barbie themed party to celebrate Rya's 4th birthday. 

 

I handmade all the decorations and food myself because I'm kind of awesome like that and Pintrest makes me feel like I can do all sorts of crafty shit. 

  

I stole the idea off Pintrest to make a life size Barbie box for Rya and her friends to pose in and it was a huge hit. 

 

The girls divided their time between playing Barbies upstairs in Rya's room and doing crafts in the living room.  Meanwhile the mommies chugged beers sipped cocktails in the kitchen. 

 

If Rya's wishes were anything like her mother's, she just wished that someday she'll see a live unicorn!

 

Rya received a ridiculous amount of presents including a ceramic doll that my grandmother gave me when I was a little girl.   

 

Later in the day, some clothes came off and things got a little wild which is the International sign of a kick ass party!

 

Boone Hall Plantation Pumpkin Patch

We met Rya's best friend, Riley, and her mom and baby brother at the Boone Hall Plantation Pumpkin Patch this afternoon.  The kids climbed on tractors, jumped in jumpy castles, fed goats and bunnies, posed with pumpkins and braved a haunted hay ride. 

Rya and Riley weren't interested in doing the corn maze so Margaret watched the girls while Currier and I giggled our way through the maze and surprisingly found our way out in less than a half hour. 

I had hoped to get traditional photos of the kids sitting on pumpkins with autumn leaves sprawled about but it was hot and sticky and everyone was dirty and uncooperative so that didn't happen. Instead here's a filthy, cranky Rya D.  Still beautiful nonetheless. 

Oktoberfest

I ran the Oktoberfest 5K last Thursday.  My knee acted up big time for the first mile making me question, "How on earth am I going to run a marathon in four weeks!?"  But by mile two the pain subsided and I was able to actually enjoy the race and pick up my speed.  An authentic German oompah band, good friends and free beer made the after party totally wunderbar!   

Currier met me about 50 yards from the finish and ran across the line with me while shouting, "Mama, I lost a tooth!"  It gave me two things to feel proud about.       

Capers Island

The neighbors, Lisa and Gary, were kind enough (and brave enough) to invite us all out on their boat for the day. 

They took us to Capers Island for a day of drinking, eating, fishing, laughing and playing. 

 

It was a super fun day that left us all drunk, sun burned and exhausted. 

 

Except for Currier.  He was the only one sober enough to drive us home. 

Booze Cruise

As the summer is winding down (sigh), Laura arranged a little girls' night out on a booze cruise out of Shem Creek.  This was two hours of serious fun.  Can't wait to do it again and again!