Suddenly Seven

The seventh baby turned seven this past weekend!

We woke up at Camelback Resort and spent a few hours at the waterpark before driving home.

Brendan still has one top front tooth that looks raggedy-andy and he hoped it would fall out on his last day of being 6, because it will be the 6th tooth he loses.  When that didn't happen, he hoped it would fall out on his birthday, but no such luck.  So now he's hoping for it to come out before school starts!  And let me tell ya, we have tried to pull it out for days (I love pulling teeth) and that thing is stubborn!

We arrived home late on his birthday, after attending a very strange Mass in Hartford, CT (!!) and celebrated his birthday the next day...which really means you get two whole days of being celebrated :)

A Fast Farewell For Our Second Son

Somehow this summer flew by and we reached the point where it was time for Andrew to head off to his freshman year at Franciscan University.  The night before we brought him to college, we had a family dinner (with whomever wasn't working) and ate this delicious Thai Coconut Curry Ramen which he picked because he likes it, but mostly because his sweet girlfriend loves it :)  Then we went down to The Cottage so he could have his last ice cream, and posed for this photo.  I just love how all of the workers are getting in on the action, peeking through the windows.

Andrew got an Ice Cream Flight to share with Darian, who wore the perfect shirt to send him off:

These two are going to miss each other while he's in Ohio and she's in MA.

Very early the next morning we left for the long drive to say farewell.  I may or may not have cried behind my sunglasses to Rascal Flatt's My Wish on the radio.  But that song can make me cry on a good day when I'm not even about to send my baby bird out of the nest.  We brought along the three little boys and left JP, Eamon and Maggie to run the shop in our absence.  They handled it like the champs they are!!  This sign was a welcome sight for weary travelers:

That big building on the right is a newly acquired hotel that Franciscan is turning into dorms.

Ahhhh his home sweet home for the next four years:

Celebrity Sighting at The Cottage

I was so happy to read Beth's post today, and so sad to have missed her when she was in my town! I probably would have fangirled and embarrassed myself so maybe it was better this way - ha!  Go check out her post :)

Week in Review: Eyebrow Talk, Broken Bones and The End of Summer

Last Friday, I picked up the boys from sailing camp and took them out for pizza.  They are just so full of stories and literally fight over who gets to sit near me.  Can I please freeze them at these ages forever?

I got this Caprese Mango Burrata Salad, and I can't stop thinking about it!

We went to a friend's house on Friday night to use their new cocktail smoker.

It was like drinking a grapefruit paloma while sitting around a campfire, minus the campfire.  Quite a cool experience!

Five Fall Tops from Amazon (That Won't Break the Bank!)

I just rewarded myself for all of my hard work with a few new tops for the fall, and thought I would share my good finds with you.  It's almost Fall Y'all :)

This sweatshirt comes in over 20 colors and styles, perfect for the fickle woman that lives inside me, and right now it is under $25:

This faux suede biker jacket is so cute and on my wishlist for only $34:

I have a few different colors of these tops, but this gray one is calling my name, for only $26:

I ordered this soft and cozy wrap sweater last week for $25 and can't wait to wear it with jeans on a weekend:

These tops are so flattering (I own four!) and though they are short-sleeved, they look great with a blazer or cardigan in the fall, only $24:

Happy Shopping!

Week in Review: Summer Activities, Surgery Updates, Sailing Camp and Shows Completed

Last Friday my friend texted me and asked if we could meet at the beach after work to let the boys play.  I picked them up from sailing camp and we drove to the beach to spend time with friends, then to my brother's house for a big family cookout and it ended up being such a nice summer day!  I'm glad I always try to say yes to invitations and experiences even though my introverted first answer tends to be "no".

Snack Time

On Saturday, Phil brought Eamon, Xander, Declan and Brendan to the Seekonk Grand Prix, because we had a gift certificate that was expiring soon.  They had lots of fun!

On Sunday morning, Maggie took the little guys on a bike ride while Phil and I went for a long walk and then Phil took Maggie, Xander, Declan and Brendan to an outdoor YMCA pool while I went to the shop and made waffle cones.

It warms the cockles of my heart that the kids are able to do fun summery things because I was worried we wouldn't have time with the shop open, but we are carving out ways to make it happen.