The East Coast Tour

As I had indicated not too long ago, by my packing list {found under printables} my family just returned from a little vacation. We visited both sides of our family, first heading to my in-law's lake house. 

I must add that like any craft freak I was making all sorts of things that I needed to finish for our trip. Yes, I know I am crazy. I hopefully can show you all of that this week! 

Our two guys are not the best travellers, but thankfully we managed the 20+ hours in the car without too much discomfort and trouble. I guess it was nice to have it broken up?! 

Here is my big guy enjoying the donut that Daddy bought him. 

And the little guy snoozing...somehow he only slept 45 minutes of the 7+ hour trip to my in laws. 

Once we arrived at my in-laws, we were happy to meet this sweet little lady:

{Bracey is a 3 month old chocolate lab...seriously adorable!}

While on our trip, we made a fort {which I promise I will share more info about soon} in the living room, no it's not the best picture, but you get the idea:

{My father in law IN the tent with my 1 year old baby.}

We enjoyed some amazing boat rides, my hubby was happy to water ski, too:

After only a few days, we left my in laws and travelled to my family's summer house in the Poconos....and that description is kind...it's a 100 year old farm house that is falling more on the disrepair side. We are all hoping to win the lottery, but until then we ignore the rotting wood, the broken window panes, the increasing angle (very far from level) of the entire kitchen side of the house...you get the picture. We do however cherish the time we spend together there.

We were just about to pull up to the house when we saw a full fledged rainbow. Rainbows have a special place in my heart because I feel like they are a sign that something good will happen--we had a rainbow appear out of nowhere on my wedding day. On the day we found out my husband would deploy on Friday the 13th. Again on the day before my husband left to return to Iraq...you get the idea. 

I think we had 37 family members there for Memorial Day weekend. My cousin actually lives there (in a house on the property) with her 5 children and husband) so she hosted some of her siblings+families. We also had two tents on the volleyball "court" you can barely see it in the back of the next picture:

This is my dog Mason (on the right) with his sister Penelope. My cousin went 8 years ago to buy a motorcycle but ended up running into a guy selling weimaraner puppies. He brought the dog home instead. I brought Mason home a few weeks later.

My little guy enjoyed crawling in the grass. Here he is crawling to my big brother and nephew.

My baby also finally got his first tooth on the way home. {By the way, it was an upper front tooth--is it just me or is that strange? The bottoms just keep on lingering. I can see them, they just refuse to make a full appearance!}

One of the highlights of the weekend was seeing my cousin DeAnna (seen here with my Mom, her Godmother.) She came home from Afghanistan for 2 weeks of leave. She graduated from West Point {like my husband and brother} and is now an EOD officer in the Army.  It was so great to see her.

My husband and I had a chance to sneak away (with the little guy) to enjoy an "anniversary" lunch {since our anniversary was spent in the car the entire day} in the cute little town of Honesdale, PA. We enjoyed lunch at a little place called the Cottage Cafe, so cute and so delicious. 

And I think the highlight of our trip was going to the Memorial Day parade in Hawley, PA. My little guy loved waving his flag, catching candy, and seeing all the fire trucks. We tend to be patriotic suckers (I don't know how else to describe it) but we were all tearing up and practically crying...

We are now trying to get back into the groove...why does it seem like so much work.

Although Memorial Day was spent in the car driving home, we had a chance to reflect and give thanks to all of the brave Americans who have given the ultimate sacrifice and who defended and continue to defend the freedoms that we enjoy. We remembered in particular the Soldiers that served with my husband and who did not return home. And we honor them on Memorial Day and every day by trying to keep their memories alive, and live our lives to the fullest in their honor. So although their is nothing happy about Memorial Day, we are grateful...

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