We're back!

We are back from our vacation, and there is so much to share.

I go back to work for two days before another mini-vacation over the 4th of July (I planned it well), and then my new job starts in a week!

I will have time to catch up very soon. Until I share many more pictures and stories, I will say that it was a great time. Brenna is a beach/water baby (hysterical!), and we all are sad it's Sunday night and our annual vacation is over. It was a good one.

Goodbye Atlantic Ocean!

We had to head home :(

bye-bye

If you're looking for us, we're on vacation!

Blowing kisses bye-bye!


Can you believe we will spend 8 days at the beach?!


Constant relaxation. Just chilling out in our beach chairs! Leaving the stress behind...

Stop everything! I have to share a room with Mommy and Daddy for an entire week ?! But Daddy snores!

two new babies

Welcome to the world Shea Elizabeth!

My cousin (and one of my dearest friends) had a baby girl last night, more than two weeks early. Shea was a tall 21" and a strong 7 lbs. 13 oz. Andrea is doing well.

We are leaving for vacation tomorrow for a week (I will have no blog access), but I will visit Shea immediately upon returning.

At about the time Shea was born, I was leaving California Pizza Kitchen, where I went with a group of my girlfriends while Jamie went to the Pearl Jam concert. Over dinner, Jen (mom of the one-year-old boy Shea), announced that she just found out she was pregnant!

Before dinner, Jen thoughtfully called me to tell me the news privately because she knew about the recent events in our lives. I was so thrilled for her, but I admit I had a secret twinge of sadness when I thought how I, too, could be announcing the same news to our friends over dinner last night. And it crossed my mind how it would have been so fun to have had babies who were only weeks apart.

Over dinner my friends jokingly asked if I had a Ph.D. in baby-making when I was able to say exactly when Jen's due date will be because I could quickly compare it to when our due date would have been. I then chugged my chardonnay :)

Honestly, nothing impacts how exciting this news is to us. We are so happy for Jen and Ryan and little-boy Shea and their growing family! At the same time, we are beyond excited for Andrea and Brodie and baby-girl Shea! Brenna is, too. She needed another girlfriend. I hope they grow up to be great friends like me and Andrea have always been (here we are around 1982).

As you can see from the messed up picture, Shutterfly sucks and I'm so glad I use Flickr for my photos now.

Congratulations to everyone! I'll be back in a week!

playing hoops

Here are more pictures from Sunday.

These are of Jamie and Pop playing basketball with the kids, including Brenna, who was already in her pajamas.

Father's Day at Patti and Marty's

On Sunday, Jamie, Brenna and I went to Patti and Marty's house for their annual Father's Day BBQ. Even though Josh was sick and the 4 D. girls couldn't be there, there were still a bunch of smiling cousins for me to take pictures of and get some new camera practice!

Lara and (little) Jamie

Justin, Lara and Jamie

Lara

Liam

Jamie, Justin, Liam, Brendan and Sean

Justin

Brendan and Sean
Brenna and Justin

(they are not blood related, so the spark between them is acceptable)


It was amazing how sweet Jamie and Justin were with Brenna.

picnic with shea

On Saturday our friend Bender turned 30, and his girlfriend threw a pool party for him. There were tons of people there, and it was the first adult birthday party we have had where kids were welcome!

Brenna had the chance to re-connect with her friend, Shea Mc., who she hasn't seen since his first birthday party four months ago.

Hey, Shea! Give me back my Pooh sunglasses!

Excuse me, nice man from Mommy's high school,
do you happen to have any more of that cake?

forward facing fun

For the past few weeks, Brenna has been riding in the car facing forward. Though she's not as happy about it as we thought she would be.

I've been letting this guy drive me around all this time?!
I understand why you were always yelling, Mommy.

I don't wanna sit here anymore!

I hate New Jersey traffic!

Wake me up when we are home.