Boys, Bump, and The Beach

I had scheduled to take the day off of work yesterday 6/24/13. I was going to use is to catch up with laundry, cleaning, and finishing up some baby prep. Instead I followed that little voice that always seems to call when I need it the most. That little voice that interestingly enough sounds a lot like the beach. I packed up the boys, my sisters, this belly, and we all headed down to Ocean City, NJ for a day of fun in the sun. 
These boys have salt water running through their blood just like their momma. They love everything about the shore...finding sea shells, walking the boardwalk, swimming in the sea, and building sand castles.
It was a picture perfect day and it was pure joy being with my 2 amazing little men. We only have 2 weeks left until baby brother's arrival so I've been trying to soak up as much of these guys as I can.

Thumbs Up

To the last day of school! Summer vacation has officially started!

Just beachy

On my mind...

Friday's make me smile

And so does this little man. I can't help but wonder where the years went. Here's Braeden at 10 months old in all of his sandy skin, curly hair, sun kissed cheeks, beach baby cuteness:

Have a beautiful weekend friends!

OC

It's a cold, rainy, gloomy day and I've got one thing on my mind...Winter it's time to say your goodbyes!

Rain, rain, go away...

And stay away...at least until summer is officially over. August has been a washout(literally) due to the record amounts of rain in these here parts. Normally I would be taking in all the sun I could trying to keep that tan going until Halloween. I'll be lucky to make it to labor day at this point. The only good thing about this weather is that I might be able to convince the hubby that these bad boys are a serious necessity! Swoon...

These Hunter boots are on my fall MUST have list along with a few other things which I can't wait to share with you very soon! 
Rain is in the forecast for the next few days but like a wise man once said: "If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm". I still have hope that I'll be able to soak up the last of the summer sun, but if I can't those candy apple red boots are sure to brighten up any gloomy day! Hubs if you are reading...hint...hint.

Fun times at the Jersey Shore

We packed our bags and headed down to Ocean City, New Jersey this past weekend. Brian hadn't been all summer and the last time I was here was about 5 weeks ago when I took the boys by myself. 

A beach day isn't the same as it used to be. The old days went something like this...tan, read, sleep, ocean, and repeat. Everything I needed for the day fit perfectly in a small canvas bag. Now they revolve around sunscreen, trips to the ice cream man, sandcastles, swimming, more sunscreen, and failed attempts at mom trying to stay sand free. 

I've been going to Ocean City since I was a baby making that 29 years of sandy feet, boardwalk fun, and wild sea hair. One of my favorite sayings is as follows:

So true. We started the day on the boardwalk. There is no other place like it. The wooden planks stretch for miles, lined with t-shirt shacks, mini-golf, food, go carts, rides, waterslides, surf shops, and even a movie theater. I don't know if these places are so great for the fact that you can only get these summertime favorites here or for the simple reason they are just that good. Maybe both...

Some must eats. I highly recommend you come hungry!

Mack & Manco Pizza

Johnson's Popcorn

Kohr Brother's Soft Serve

Bob's Lemonade

Curley's Fries

I love watching all my boys together...laughing, walking hand in hand, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells that is the Jersey Shore.

The rest of the day was spent at the beach. Every summer Braeden gets more adventurous and surprises us with his dare devil antics. This year he was fearless. Diving into the ocean and riding his little boogie board like a pro. He'll sit and dig and build castles. His skin gets darker and his hair gets lighter. Cole enjoyed the breeze on his skin, laying on the towel, dipping his tiny toes in the water, and smiling at all that was going on around him. Next year he'll be on the move and getting his first real taste of sand. It makes me so happy to see the same joys the beach brings to my family that it has brought to me my entire life. 

August-a look ahead

Wow, I can't believe it's August 1st already! These summer days we spend all year longing for pass by way to quick. We usually try and spend the weekends swimming, tanning, and sipping cold drinks down at my parents pool. We have been really busy this year with the 2 boys, cool treats, a trip to the beach, weekend adventures, block parties, bridal showers, and a wedding.

I love August. The days are hot and the nights start to get cool. Perfect weather for sitting out back stargazing with my honey. We talk about the boys, our hopes, and our dreams. August is also a month of birthday's for our family and this year it holds 2 very big one's. Kaitlyn, my youngest sister is turning the big 21! A very cool milestone in any young adults life...especially those who have not opted for a fake ID. Also Patrick, Brian's youngest brother is turning 16. I'm sure he will be hitting the roads in no time! Happy Birthday to them both, along with my mom, Cousin Kelly, gram, and Uncle Gary who also have birthday's this month.

Just as the summer passes so does life, in a blink, the 2 youngest of our siblings are not the little babes I once remember. We will be taking advantage of these last days of summer with a fun month of celebrating birthday's, going to the beach, relaxing by the pool, taking long walks, and topping it off with another friend's wedding. Looks like September will be here before we know it!