What I did on my summer vacation.....

What a crazy roller coaster of a ride this summer has been. It's been loops and turns and a little bit of vomit, but when it finally came to an end, and I had regained my sense of balance, I shouted "WHOO HOO, WHAT A RIDE! LET'S DO IT AGAIN!" We celebrated so many blessings this summer, that I leave the warm weather behind with a heart ten times bigger than when the summer began, feeling like I truly got to enjoy the time spent with the people I love.

Friday August 13, 2010 marked a new beginning in the birth of my newest nephew, Mason Christoper Reeves. He breathed life into our family, brought us closer, and stole my heart. He is perfection in Pampers! No, serioulsy, look....




















We also celebrated the birth of our newest niece (compliments of my step-sister!) this past July. Welcome to the world and our crazy family Ms. Abby Tubiolo! She is perfect and gorgeous and now Mason will have a playmate his own age!




















A few weeks ago, my mom and step father came home for a visit and for the wedding and it just felt like everything was right with the world for a little while. This past weekend was a whirlwind of family and love and marriage and monumental moments. And when I say whirlwind, I mean that quite literally as we faced 35mph winds and impending storms! On September 4, 2010 my baby sister married her soulmate. It was so surreal to stand at the alter I had once gotten married at and see my little sister walk down the aisle, gripping onto my fathers arm, to become someones wife. But when I looked over at her groom, and remembered what a wonderful and honorable man he is, I felt a sense of relief wash over me because I know that he will take good care of her. I will always have this built in need to protect her from the world, but I have to pass the baton to him now and allow him to be her world. Not an easy task by any means. I almost feel like a mother giving away her daughter and it still makes me very emotional. This marks another new beginning that I was witness to, and I am honored to congratulate the new Mr. and Mrs. Carl Motz.














































































The day after the wedding, we got to celebrate my grandmothers 85th birthday. It didn't come without its fair share of family drama, but what do you expect from a family as large as ours? The first pic is of my grandmother and her 11 children. That's right...11 children. She was a busy woman! The second is a pic of grandma with most of her grandchildren. Yes, most. You look at the pic and say WHOA! and then remember we are still missing a couple handfuls. The third, is my grandma with most of her great children. This is not a joke people. We are seriously all related. And despite the drama, no one got hit or run over so all in all it was a Grade A day.










































And now, nothing signifies the end of summer like the first day of school. I am giddy with excitement at the prospect of getting some peace and quiet, being able to grocery shop without two hungry gremlins on my heels, and being able to go out for a run without dragging along two kids who are distracted by the sight of friends riding past on bikes or the distant sounds of the ice cream truck. Hopefully, soon I will find a job so I can return to the real world, put on heels, dress up in something other than yoga pants and t-shirts, and be a big girl again. The summer was full of new beginnings, and the fall is full of new possibilities and I cherish and look forward to them all.

But be warned! With all this new time on my hands, you are sure to be inundated with my crazy thoughts, experiences, and ramblings once again. I'm back baby! My pooping schedule can return to normal, you can hear about my weight woes and yays, and laugh at my random blogging about stupid drivers and people who just generally annoy and amuse me.

Buckle your seatbelts, strap on your helmets, put your purse between your legs and slap on an adult diaper if you have a weak bladder and get ready for the ride!