Volunteer

We have always been huge volunteer people, always trying to give back in one-way or another. It’s usually people we’re volunteering to help, however this time it was animals. We have a local farm about 2 miles from the house that takes in all kinds of animals. They have horses, mini ponies, goats, llamas, emus, dogs, and anything else needing a safe home.

This afternoon we stopped by the farm to pick up one of the rescue dogs to take her for a hike. Her name is Rosie, and Zoe was so excited to be able to pick up Rosie and take her to the park for a walk. The dogs we have now are very old and don’t do much more than sleep and lounge around. Zoe longs to have a dog we can hike with and play in the back yard and chase her around.  This was a perfect chance for her to run around with an active dog.

When we got back, Rosie didn’t want Zoe to leave. Rosie kept looking back at Zoe and of course it makes you fall in love even more. We look forward to helping out at the farm as often as possible.

Memorial Day

Today was Meera’s 5^th Birthday party. It’s hard to believe how fast these kids are growing in front of our eyes. It seems like yesterday we met the Johnson-McCormick family and today the boys are 9 and Meera turned 5! Either way, they sure know how to throw a party and it’s always so much fun to see everyone. Happy Birthday Meera!

After the party, we had a little BBQ and Z invited a few friends over. Zoe, Jaylyn, and Katrina played outside all afternoon and enjoyed the awesome weather!

 Happy Memorial Day!

Hike

Today was BEAUTIFUL! The sun was out and it was in the high 60’s which means only one thing….. It’s a perfect day for a hike. We decided to try uncharted territory and venture into Delaware.

Since we were not familiar with this park, we stopped into the visitor center when we got there to ask for helpful hints. The lady told us all the trails and gave us a trail map and off we went.

After the hike, we threw down a blanket and enjoyed a picnic lunch. It was a fantastic day.

Thrifty

Today was windy and overcast which made it a perfect day for shopping. Zoe had her allowance in her wallet and wanted to check out the thrift store bookshop. To her surprise it was kids day and all the children books were .25 cents each. Zoe grabbed a basket and started shopping. She made out like a champ and I can’t think of a better way for her to spend her money.

Photo Of The day......

Life is good relaxing on the hammock!

3K

 Today was the big day and everyone was up and moving by 6am and getting ready for Zoe’s first 3K race. Zoe was up before the alarm went off, and we couldn’t tell if she was more nervous or more excited. The sun wasn’t out, and it was overcast and drizzling rain, however Z had been practicing and training for this day for weeks, and now that the day was here, nothing was going to get her out of the zone.

We had to be there by 8am so we had to leave with plenty of time to stop for coffee. Once we got to the park, we waited until it was time for the kids to warm up and get their race faces on. They lined up at the start line (all 550 runners), sang the national anthem, and off they went for 1.8 miles.

As soon as the kids took off running, all the parents ran over the hill to the other side where the ‘mid-point’ was and waited for the kids to come around the corner. Everyone was cheering and rooting all the kids on while anxiously waiting to see their kids come running by. We waited patiently for Zoe to pass us before Mommy had to run clear back across the field with the camera to catch Z at the finish line. Lori and I had a system going. I was in charge of video and Lori had the camera taking pictures. 

When Z crossed the finish line, she was winded. She didn’t place in the top 10 but in our eyes she will always be in 1^st place! We are both very proud of Zoe for giving it her all and making it to the finish line. Now it’s time to start training for the summer triathlon   series.  The first one is coming up in a few weeks and Lori and I will be tag teaming the media coverage.  That triathlon is going to be a little more challenging to cover than this race; looks like Mommy and Mimi are going to need to be getting in shape too!

In other news, we never WIN anything but today we won the raffle and walked away with a beautiful iRun4Life basket full of goodies. (***You can click on pictures to make them larger***)

A special thanks to everyone who donated to Z's big day! All the emails and encouraging texts made Zoe's day!

Deer 'Hunting'

For the past week, we’ve been going out in the evening for deer 'hunting' expeditions. After the work day is over, homework is done, dinner is cooked, and the kitchen is cleaned, we hop in the car and ride over to Peace Valley to see if we can catch any of the deer out and about with their babies. Zoe loves taking her binoculars and checking out all the ‘secret spots’. We’ve seen quite a few does and their babies this past week.  We haven't been able to get any good pics of the babies because as soon as the doe sees us, she has the fawn hide!  Either way, it's relaxing and a lovely way to end the day.

Mother's Day

Since we were in NYC yesterday, today was very low key and quiet. Zoe slept in because she was exhausted from the day before. When she woke up, she came downstairs with two beautiful Mother’s Day gifts for Shelli and I. They were not just any gifts; they were homemade body scrubs she made in Girl Scouts. They smelled so good and we know they were made with lots of love.

Today was also Mamaw’s birthday so we called her and sang to her before heading to brunch with Jaylyn and Dana. The rest of the day we just hung out. Mimi decided she wanted to cook a Moroccan dinner for Mother’s Day and the house smelled so good. It was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Shelli did a fabulous job. We also had a fresh salad out of the garden. Delish! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-tagine-with-olives-and-apricots-recipe/index.html

 

To be honest, everyday is like mothers day and I feel so blessed to be Zoe’s mom. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t feel like the luckiest mommy in the whole wide world. I know Shelli feels the same way. Our whole life is revolved around Zoe and I wouldn’t change that for anything is the entire world. Shelli, Zoe, & I are quite a team. We’ve been tested and pushed but we have always stuck together and I’d have to say in a not so perfect world, what we have is pretty special.

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone and Happy Birthday Mom!!!!!

New York City

My cousin was in the city with her two youngest and my Aunt for a Mother's Day long weekend and we decided to meet up with them for the day.  It had been a while since Zoe has seen the kids, but you'd never know it.  They picked right up where they left off and had a blast.  Zoe and Lilly couldn't wait to get to the American Girl store to make their salon appointments for their dolls.   Let me just say, that store is the most over the top marketing ploy I've ever seen, but the girls had a BLAST. Zoe's doll got her ears pierced, hair done, and even got a new outfit!

After making an appointment and a little browsing, we were off to explore.  James was a sport throughout the doll store, and patiently waited for his chance to peruse the Lego store at Rockerfeller Center.  We managed to get by Toys R Us, Saint Patrick's, and of course we had to stop by Junior's for several slices of cheesecake.

The kids had a great time, and it was wonderful getting to spend some time visiting with Sandra and Tonya.  We're looking forward to seeing everyone after school is out.