Home

We're moving. Like, really, really moving. I've been talking about it for so long and now that moving day is actually here, it feels surreal.

What makes a home a home? Why am I so sad to leave this home? I tell people how sad I am and how much I want you girls to have a smooth transition and they tell me that I'm lucky you girls are so young. You won't even remember this home. And I smile at them, blinking back tears, saying, You're right! We're pretty lucky that they're so young and won't remember it here - we should have no problem with the move. But what I'm thinking is, You're right. They won't even remember this home.

This home. We came into this home as Matt and Jen. Two newlyweds in love, expecting their first baby. We're leaving this home as a family. We're leaving this home as "The Paradees". We were perfectly happy when we bought this house. Little did we know what we were missing in our lives. Acadia June. Emma Joy. Laughter. Bubbles. Sprinklers. Snowball fights. Rocking you to sleep. Reading to you. Nursing you. First birthdays. Sleepovers. Play dates.

You have completed us. You have completed this family. And although I sit here and look at all the boxes that need to be packed away into the moving van. And although I could cry at any given moment thinking about saying good bye to this house. What I have come to realize during this process is that these 4 walls we have been living in doesn't make a home. We make a home. Wherever we are is our home. As long as the four of us are together, I feel like I'm at home.

We love you girls more than words can say. More than I could ever show you. We bought this new house for you - to have neighbors your age, to have your new school right down the street, to have parks in walking distance. Every. Single. Decision. We make is to benefit you girls. Our goal in life is to make you happy, healthy, safe and loved.

And we can't wait to start new memories in our new home.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Bath time

This girl loves her boots. I literally can't take them off of her. So when it comes to bath time, obviously she needs to wear them and splash about!!

The things we do for our kids...

Mama? Will you please be a beautiful and shiny ballerina and I will take pictures of you??
~Acadia June Paradee

Champagne Friday's

That's right. Mom of the year here! I started Champagne Friday a couple weeks ago. There is a group of 10 moms that we go to the beach with and two Fridays ago I announced Champagne Friday. I brought 2 bottles of champagne for all of us to share. It. Was. Amazing. We each got about a glass total and it was SO relaxing!! Hanging on the beach with girlfriends, watching the kids all play and swim together and sipping on champagne. Nothing better!

Stowe 8 Miler 2011

There they go! (Daddy is in the yellow shirt to the right)


There's Uncle Jimmy in the yellow shirt behind Daddy!


Here comes Daddy!! He shaved 10 minutes off last year's race!


Uncle Jimmy!!

Daddy's 2nd Stowe 8 Miler

We're so proud of you!! Not only did you do the Stowe 8 Miler for the second year in a row, but you beat your time by 10 minutes!! YAY Daddy!! We love you!

Who wouldn't love her??

Acadia - "Mama? Does everyone love me?"
Me - "Yes, baby - everyone loves you!"
Acadia - "But what about the people who don't know me?"
Me - "Well...I guess if they don't know you then..."
Acadia - "Mama! I'd better to go their houses so that they can meet me then love me!"

I suck.

I have been horrible lately about updating my blog!! Horrible. The last few months have been nuts and the blog has been the last thing on my mind. Every time I sit down to write or post pictures, there is a mental list running in my head of all the hundreds of other things I should be doing instead.

But no more! Honestly - I am going to do a much better job at updating. I've done this before, but I'll have to pre-date some of my postings (ie. stuff from early May, etc - so it will post "after" this post - further down, if that makes sense.) People who have google reader won't need to worry about this, but to my family and friends that don't have google reader, hit the "page down" button if you want to view new posts :)

We're moving!

It's true! We're actually moving!

We found a house in the exact town and neighborhood that we've been wanting to be in for about a year. Two of our friends told us how much they love, love, love their street - children riding their bikes up and down the street, block parties, New Year's Eve parties, coffee in the mornings before play dates, kids running in and out of each other's houses, walking distance to the school and 5 local parks. We SO want that. We love our neighborhood but we just don't have that neighborhood feel. We like this neighborhood - everyone is very friendly, but we don't hang out with each other which is something we've always wanted.

While I'm very excited to move to this new house - it's a dream come true, really - it's also very bittersweet. My children were born here. We brought them home from the hospital to this home. We went sledding in our back yard with them. Roasted s'mores on the bon fire. Acadia learned how to ride her bike in the front of our house. Matt and I have had many date nights on our back deck. Drinking wine while talking for hours about our lives, our children, our future. We have hosted many parties - birthday, retirement, Christmas, winter, NYE - all memories that while I know we'll take with us, still makes me sad to leave the place where they were created.

But as Matti and I have been saying lately during our late night talks...our home is not the four walls that surround us...our home is where we are. We will create a home wherever we go...we will create amazing memories for our children in the next home, just as we have here. So although I'm sad to be leaving the home we've known for the past 4 1/2 years, I'm looking forward to our next adventure. And I know that as long as I have my husband and children with me, our next adventure will be completely amazing...

Smarty Pants

My sister just graduated from Champlain College!! We are so proud of her - she's worked so hard these last few years - working full time, going to school, cooking, cleaning, doing the grocery shopping - she's amazing!! Not only did she graduate, but she graduated cum laude!! :) She's real smart. She definitely got the brains of the family!

Holding back tears when I saw her - I wanted to jump out and give her a big hug...but not wanting to embarrass her kept me from doing so. Instead I just jumped up and down, waving, Hi sissy!! Much better.



Where's Sissy??



Have you ever seen anyone so beautiful??

WAY TO GO SISSY!!!! We're sooooo proud of you!

What's that??

Matt and I found out recently that we have mint in our back yard! You'd think we'd found gold! Since then, my bartender husband has been making us Mojitos a few times a week. We've been sitting on the back deck playing games and having this yummy summer drink after the kids go to bed. YUM!

If the weather hands you lemons...

make lemonade!

The Haggerty's

We've known Jon since we were children and now our children are friends! We love, love hanging out with them and love even more seeing all four kids play so well together :) We had them over recently for a BBQ and, of course, the couch boat! :)