Cape Cod Trip - Part 1.

 It's time for the annual vacation post.  We started our yearly trek to Cape Cod on Thursday, August 3rd.  We left around 8:30 AM and arrived in Newburg, NY around 7:15 PM.  We had dinner at Longhorn and then hit the bed early.  After a delicious (well, free anyway) breakfast at Hampton Inn, we were on the road on Friday morning by 9:00 AM and were at the house on the Cape by 3:00.

Our first day there consists of turning the water on, opening the windows (no A/C at the Cape house), unpacking, getting groceries, etc.  After doing all the boring things, we went to the beach briefly and then we always order pizza our first night on the Cape.  It's  tradition after all! After dinner we went to the Cape Cod Creamery for ice cream because we get ice cream every night after dinner when we are on the Cape.  That's also tradition!

On Saturday, the weather was nice.  Dan and I had a couple of household errands to do while the kids slept in and then Sarah and I went to the beach.  We came back for lunch and then headed back to the beach. Dan and Peter went for a drive and then joined us.  They aren't as into sitting on the beach and relaxing as much as Sarah and I are.

We then went to Mass at 4:00 PM and then ran to TJ Maxx looking for cheap Red Sox gear.  We came home and I prepared delicious burrito bowls.  We went to Gray's Beach to see the sunset.  We almost didn't make it before the sun totally set but I'm glad we did as this has become another tradition - at least one night we try to make it their to see the gorgeous sunset.

And then we headed to Ice Cream Smuggler for...you guessed it!  Ice Cream!

We were up and out the door early on Sunday morning  headed to Newport, RI. If you will recall, last year we visited Newport for the first time and had a really great day. But this year, we were doing something special - Eric (Dan's sister Cathy's partner) is now a member of the New York Yacht Club and he invited us to join them for lunch at their Newport location!  We were so excited! (Eric and Cathy had just finished competing in a race which is why they were in Newport.  The race ended the day before.)

We got to Newport early and took a trolly tour around town.  It was very informative.  Even though we were there last year and toured around ourselves, we saw a lot on the tour that we didn't even know was there and learned a lot about the area too.  After the tour (which was supposed to be only 90 minutes but ended up lasting a little over 2 hours) we headed straight to the yacht club and were only a few minutes late for the reservation. We were late because the driver stopped along the beach for photos:

We sat outside at the yacht club and enjoyed an absolutely beautiful view of the harbor. Sadly, there are no pictures because you aren't allowed to take any pictures while you are on the grounds of the club. Click here to see what the outside of the club looks like.  We had lunch under the green and white awning. After a delicious lunch, Eric toured us around the grounds and then we all headed to the Breakers.

The Breakers is a mansion in Newport that was built by Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1893.  Cornelius is the brother to George Vanderbilt who built the Biltmore House in North Carolina.  (Trying saying all that 5 times fast. That's a lot of bilts and builts.)

The Breakers was gorgeous.  It was so ornate and the view was breathtaking.  It's a lot smaller than the Biltmore House but in all of our opinions, much more beautiful.  

 

My pictures aren't very good and certainly don't do it justice.  Here are some shots from the balcony or piazza or terrace  - can't remember the exact word they used for it... (it's the back porch if you are a redneck from the south).

Then we went outside and walked along part of the Cliff Walk.  The Cliff Walk is a three and half mile walk around the cliffs and outside of some of the mansions in Newport. We had some great views of the ocean on our walk.

We said our goodbyes to Cathy and Eric and then headed back to the Cape. On our way back, we stopped in Fairhaven to visit Colleen's Ice Cream Cottage.  Check out my post here!

Monday turned out to be a cloudy day so we decided to head to Captain Parker's for lunch.  We got our traditional clam chowder and then afterwards headed to Hyannis to do a little shopping. There was a cool record store with lots of posters and the kids spent a lot of time there.  There are apartment walls to be decorated you know! 

 

 

Then we headed to a Cape Cod Baseball League baseball game.   The Cape League is the nation's premiere summer college baseball league.  It was officially founded in 1923 but has roots dating back to 1885. Players from all over the country are recruited to play in the 10 team league.  Currently there are over 350 MLB players playing right now that were part of the Cape league.  (Aaron Judge for one.)

We saw the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox play the Orleans Firebirds.  It was a great game and we enjoyed ourselves even though the Yarmouth team lost.  There was an obnoxious fan from the other team who was really getting on our nerves. We later learned that this guy was the other team's mascot (out of costume because he was not at his home field). He just yelled constantly and was so loud and annoying. Peter can do a great impression of this guy yelling.

We came home from the game and enjoyed hot dogs and then got ice cream from Katie's in Hyannis for dessert.  After ice cream, we walked around Hyannis Harbour for a little while.

  Even though it was cloudy all day, it turned out to be such a nice day spent with my little family.

We made it to the Ice Cream Cottage!

We got home from Cape Cod yesterday and before I do my full vacation post (not sure when I will get to do that because today is extremely busy and tomorrow I start my new job), I wanted to post this:

                         WE MADE IT TO THE ICE CREAM COTTAGE!!!!!

The Ice Cream Cottage is Colleen's ice cream dream. Colleen and I have been reading each other's blogs for years.  YEARS!  You can read all about Colleen's history with ice cream and her family's dream to open an ice cream shop in Fairhaven, MA starting here. It's a several part series and it's worth the read - I always love a good blog series but I love even more reading how God works things out and is involved in all the tiny details of our lives.

 

I knew I wanted to try to make it to the Ice Cream Cottage to possibly meet Colleen but definitely to support her new business.  I knew in order to make that happen the visit would need to occur as we were either coming on the Cape or going off the Cape as Fairhaven is about an hourish drive from West Yarmouth where we stay on the Cape. 

 

I knew that after two days in the car, a stop on the trip up was not going to happen  and I knew that it wouldn't work stopping on our way home at the end of vacation because it would be too early.  We were going off Cape two times during our trip this year - on Sunday to visit Cathy and Eric in Newport, RI and on Tuesday to go to Boston for a Red Sox game.  It had to be Sunday because we were going to be leaving very early for Boston to visit Dan's uncle and his brother's family and we wouldn't be home until very late after the game.  So, Sunday was our only chance.

And obviously as you can tell by the picture - we made it!  It was about 5:45 on Sunday evening after a lovely visit with Cathy and Eric and a great day in Newport, and Dan said, "We're coming up on the Fairhaven exit do you want to see your friend's ice cream shop?"

Well, of course! So we decided we would get ice cream for dinner.  We pulled up to the Cottage and there were a few people in line.  We waited our turn and JP took my order and I could see Andrew scooping ice cream in the back (along with a lot of other busy bees but those were the only two face I recognized). I asked JP if his mom was there and he said that she wasn't.  :(

We got our ice cream (and it was delicious - but I knew it would be!) and after we finished eating it and headed to the car, there were at least 20 people in line (at 6:00 pm on a Sunday) getting ice cream!  I think Colleen and family are going to be in business for a very long time!

I was so glad we were able to visit. Meeting Colleen would have been the cherry on top but maybe we can make it work another year. 

An update!

 It's a new month and time for a quick update post.

On Monday, July 24th, my brother Brad and I went to Raleigh to move Peter from one room in his fraternity house to another.  It's a bigger room and he was excited!  

Dan was still in Ireland, so my brother, being the wonderful human that he is, took off work and headed to Raleigh to help us!  (And this is in addition to all the yard work and other various things he's been helping me with since Dan has been in Ireland.  Thank Brad! You're the best!)

It was hot in Raleigh and Peter's new room is basically in the attic so there was a lot of sweat but we got in done!  

Yes, there's a random door propped up by the porch, yes there's random furniture on the porch, yes there's trash that needs to be picked up BUT - they don't care!  (Sometimes as a mom, I just have to keep repeating to myself..."They. Don't. Care." And then like Elsa, let it go.) .This is during moving all of the boys (some in, some out, some to different rooms) so neatness on this day wasn't a priority.  (I am CERTAIN after everyone got moved in everything was immediately tidied up.  wink wink)

 

His new room is longer so he has an area for a futon and a TV and a desk on one end.

And there's a bed and a  nook that you can't see where he keeps two guitars and an amp on the other end of the room.  And the closet (which is door-less and can be seen in this picture) is almost twice the size of his old closet.  120 year old homes aren't known for their closet space!  

We paused for lunch and headed to The Raleigh Times where Peter has been working all summer.  I failed to get a picture of us there but the food was good and we met the general manager and one of Peter's fraternity brothers/co-workers. Then we headed to Target for a few items because is it even a move without at least one Target trip?

He has since bought some new posters and got some more things hung on the wall and  is enjoying his larger room and as long as he's happy, I'm happy!

Sarah  and the Basement (and a few other friends) headed to the beach last Friday for a long weekend.  They had a ton of fun - played on the beach, mini golfing, eating out, etc.  I'm so glad they got to all hang out together because everyone has been so busy this summer that they haven't been able to get together very often.  

I'm stealing these two pictures that she posted on her Instagram.  

So while she was off having a grand old time at the beach, DAN CAME HOME!!!  Yippee!!!  

We did normal weekend things - yard work, laundry, Mass, out to dinner, lunch at Mom's, etc.  It was a lovely weekend (the only thing that would have made it better was if the kids were home.)

Thankfully, Dan got home in time that we can all go to the Cape before school starts.  We were worried earlier in the summer that his stay was going to get extended even longer which would have meant  vacation without the kids.  That would have been a huge bummer.  But thankfully, it has all worked out! (My fervent prayers were heard!) 

Peter will be home today, Sarah and I are packing and running last minute errands and we are heading to the Cape tomorrow! I'm so excited to get to spend time with my family.

And in probably the biggest news of all......

 

 

 

I have a job!!  

 

 

Two weeks ago, I had a phone interview that went well. Last Friday, I had an in-person interview that went well.  Yesterday, I got the call that I had been hired!  

I start the Tuesday we get back from the Cape.  I will be working as a sales associate at a local gift shop and boutique.  I will also be training in other areas of the boutique - website management, merchandising, etc.  

I will be starting at 20 hours a week with the opportunity to add more hours in the future. Based on how bored I have become with no one at home, I feel like I will want to add more but I'm going to wait and see how part-time goes first. 

Also, management seems very interested in having me learn all the areas of the business so that excites me.  So even though this isn't a corporate job, it feels like there is lots of room to do different things and really figure out where I can add the most value.

So, wish me luck on my new endeavor and hopefully I will have lots of great Cape pictures to post on my return.

Let Freedom Ring!

We had a very lovely long 4th of July weekend! Sarah had to work a double on Friday so when Dan got home from work, we ate dinner, went to the park and walked a couple of miles and then came home and got caught up on a couple of our favorite shows.

On Saturday, Dan did yard work and I just did  things around the house and Sarah worked at the pool.  (She's co-manger now!) In the evening, Joe attended Mass with us and then joined us for dinner at 4th Street Filling Station.  Sarah had to work on Sunday so it was just me and Dan and Mom and Brad for lunch on Sunday but Peter came home Sunday evening after his shift at work ended!  

I'm happiest when all my birdies are in the nest!

Speaking of birdies - I took down the feeders on Friday to prepare for our little 4th of July cookout.  Birds make a mess of everything and I didn't want to risk anyone getting pooped on so it had to be done.  I felt bad for the birds because they kept coming by looking in the window with big hungry eyes. I've put one of the feeders back up but I haven't put the window feeder back up yet.  So many birds keep hitting the window that I think it's dangerous for them.  But the doves and the chipmunk hog the hanging feeder and the little birds aren't getting to eat as much.  Not sure what I'll do.  I'll probably break down and put the window feeder back up.

Here's a picture of our chipmunk Alvin.  He can jump into the feeder from here or he can climb up the little black post the feeder is hanging from.  It's fun to watch him eat - his cheeks fill up with food.  It's adorable.

We had our little 4th celebration on Monday instead of Tuesday so everyone could enjoy themselves without worrying about work the next day.  I made a few dips and Dan grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, my mom made baked beans and hash brown casserole and Jennifer brought two desserts!  I also made a big batch at Sangria that was pretty good!

My brother put on a fabulous fireworks display and before that, God gave us a little sunny shower and capped it off with a double rainbow.  I'll share the rainbow picture because my fireworks pictures never turn out...

This one isn't that bad...

On Tuesday, we all slept in and then Sarah had to work the afternoon shift.  Dan, Peter, and I headed to Pilot Mountain.

 

We also swung by Quarry Park and then had dinner at Hungry Palate.  And just like that, the long weekend was over and Dan was back at work on Wednesday.  Joe came over to hang out with Sarah and ate dinner with us last night and just like that it's already Thursday!

Peter is heading back to Raleigh today and I'm a little bummed but I'll be heading back to Raleigh in a few weeks to help him move into his new room.  He's staying in the same house with his fraternity brothers but some are moving out, some are moving in, and Peter's getting a bigger room.  He's excited!  

And then hopefully a little bit after that we will be heading to the Cape for vacation.  Fingers crossed that everything works out for that to happen.

What I've been up to for the last 24 days since my last post.

Well my efforts to blog more regularly have clearly failed so here I am with a "what I've been up to for the last 24 days since my last post" post.

Dan was in Ireland for almost a month and was set to return home this past Saturday night but was stuck in Newark in the great airport debacle.  His flight was cancelled and it appeared that the next one out was not going to be until Monday night so he and a coworker rented a car and drove through the night and made it home on Sunday morning!  I was very very happy to see him.  

He was originally scheduled to be home for one week then head back to Ireland for a couple of weeks and then come home so we could go to the Cape for vacation.  But, the project is woefully behind schedule so he's going to be home for a couple of weeks (not sure exactly how long) and then will go back to Ireland and return home so we can (hopefully) go the Cape in early August.  I say "hopefully" because the way this program is going, there's not telling what is actually going to happen.  We are hoping really hard that it does work out for an early August Cape trip because if it doesn't, that means the kids won't be able to go to the Cape this summer as school for both of them starts on August 21. 

So, what was I up to while Dan was gone?  Hmmmm....the area behind the kitchen sink needed to be recaulked so I got out the caulk gun and got that done.  I also did the bathroom sinks as well. I got better the more I did it because practice really does make perfect. 

My brother remounted our flagpole which had been down for several many years because of various issues with it and I just love having our flag up again! (Thanks, Brad!)

And it's fixed just in time for the 4th of July!  And thanks to the issues Dan is having at work, he will be home for the 4th instead of in Ireland as originally scheduled.  (I'm trying hard to look for all the positives with his work situation right now.  He's very stressed out and it appears things keep going south.)

I enjoyed a delicious lunch with Jennifer at Mozelle's while Dan was gone.  It was so nice to eat, laugh, and catch up with my bestie.  We don't spend nearly enough time together these days.  I really do miss all the  afternoons we spent at each others houses while the kids were younger.  When the kids were in elementary school we were together almost every afternoon doing the week.  Those were such good times!

I am doing the best I can with our little garden while Dan is gone.  We got everything in late (and less plants than normal) because of his schedule.  And the weather here has been weird.  It has finally warmed up but early July was very cool for around here and our garden is not thriving.  We had a hail storm on Monday night and the tomato plants look a little worse for the wear.  I'm still hopeful that we can get some tomatoes by the end of summer but I'm not too confidant.  

This picture was from two weeks ago so the plants are bigger now.  But usually by this time of year they are three times the size of this. 

Peter came home for a few days while Dan was gone.  It was so nice to have both kids home at the same time. We watched a lot of baseball - college world series and Red Sox, the kids played a lot of Speed and I even did a little cooking.  I made homemade Chipotle bowls and have perfected the Chipotle vinaigrette.  This is the recipe I use if you want to make your own.  Pour it over the top of the bowls or mix it with sour cream to make a creamy sauce and it will definitely elevate your bowl and make it extra delicious.

Speaking of Peter, he is working at a restaurant in Raleigh and I think he is really enjoying it.  Several of his friends work there so that adds to the fun.  He is a food runner currently.  I'm not sure if he wants to work his way up to waiter or not (I think he would actually be a very good waiter) but right now he's enjoying running the food.  I think his current plan is to continue working during the school year so we will see how that goes.  

Sarah has applied to work as a life guard on campus in the fall.  She said she's heard that there's always a lot of people that apply and limited positions so hopefully she can get the job. 

And speaking of jobs...no, I still don't have one yet.  I continue to apply to jobs I see that might be a good fit and continue to hear absolutely nothing back.  But I am hoping that something comes up that would work for me that I would be good at.  Sarah's going to be back in school soon and it sounds like Dan will be gone most of the fall for work so I really need something to do to keep me occupied!

I hope everyone has a nice weekend and a happy 4th of July! My brother is putting on his fireworks show so check back next week (maybe) for some awesome phone photos of fireworks! :)

Just catching up on the last two weeks. (And a 19th birthday!)

Two weeks have passed and I'm just now getting around to updating the blog.  When last I left you, we just had a lovely weekend with a visit from Cathy and a full table at Sunday lunch. Let's see if I can remember what happened after that...

The week of May 22nd was spent watching a lot of sports of TV. (Peter was still home.) We watched a lot of Carolina Hurricanes hockey and a lot of Boston Celtics basketball. Unfortunately, our time spent rooting for these teams wasn't fruitful as neither team made it to the final round of their respective playoffs. Oh well, better luck next year!

Sarah worked and Dan worked but we had lots of dinners together which I've missed with the kids being away in school. Saturday, May 27th we attended Mass. It was a rainy night so the pool closed early and Sarah was able to make it to Quanto Basto in time to join us for dinner. (The meat and cheese board was delicious!)

On Sunday, the 28th, we attended the celebration for the 125th year at Enterprise Moravian Church - the church I grew up in and the church that my mom and brother still attend.  There was a delicious potluck and it was so nice to see everyone.

Monday, the 29th was Labor Day and it was raining and cool (we've had a really weird spring - very cool and very rainy) so the pool didn't open which meant Sarah was able to spend the day with us.We headed to Greensboro with my brother and had lunch at Mac's Speed Shop and went to Edward McKay's, a very large used book store.  Later that evening we grilled hotdogs and watched a movie. 

And then last Tuesday, Dan headed back to Ireland and Peter headed back to Raleigh.  We took a quick family selfie before they left.

Dan left early that morning which is why Sarah looks sleepy and Peter is shirtless - we got them both out of bed to say goodbye.  (And I appreciate them indulging me with the selfie.)

Peter was home for three weeks and Dan was home for two and I will tell you, I enjoyed every minute of the 2 weeks when everyone was home.  The cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, the grocery shopping, the bickering (yes, the two adult  siblings still occasionally bicker), the sports on TV, the movies, the dinners out, the laundry (yes, I listed that twice), all the vacuuming due to Peter's allergies - I considered it all JOY!  It was such a blessing having this time together as a family.  

Wednesday, May 31st was my mom's 80th birthday so I took her to lunch at Firebirds to celebrate! It was delicious but I failed to get a picture of her.  Later that afternoon I had my annual visit to the OB/GYN. I also did not get a picture of that! :)

The next day I went to the plastic surgeon to have a basil cell carcinoma removed from my forehead.  You can see the divot above my eye (in the picture above) that was leftover from the biopsy I had 2 months ago.  I'm hopeful that the place above my eye will be less noticeable now that the plastic surgeon has stitched everything up.  I go back later this week to have the stitches removed. Hopefully instead of a small divot, there will just be another line to add to the growing number of lines on my face. 

On Thursday evening, I had my monthly get together with my Cistas. We met at Lisa's house this month and her husband made us all pizzas in his new pizza oven.  Such a nice evening!

 

On Friday, I had lunch with Jennifer at her work and we got all caught up on all the things!  You can see I've been trying to keep myself busy while Dan's gone. I think I'm doing a pretty good job.

Sarah worked all day on Saturday but made it home in time to join me at Mass and then we went to Yamas for dinner.  Yamas is the local version of Cava and it is soooooooo good!  

And then yesterday was my sweet girl's NINETEENTH birthday!!!  I still can't even fathom that my baby is 19. She was originally scheduled to work on Sunday but there was a schedule change so we made the most of it!

Mom, my brother, Sarah, and her boyfriend Joe, and I went to lunch at 2520 Tavern and then came back to Mom's to unwrap presents and have cake. Mom made this beautiful and delicious pink cake!

Last night, Sarah and her friends went to dinner at Don Juan's in Kernersville and when she got home we watched the first two episodes of Shiny Happy People (the Duggar Documentary) and here we are back to Monday and now you are all caught up! 

A lovely weekend.

We had a very lovely weekend.  On Friday evening we cooked out and then went to Sonic for dessert.  We wanted to watch a movie and after much discussion to find a movie we could all agree on, we landed on Smokey and the Bandit. I know, odd choice, but we enjoyed it even though a lot of the dialogue would be considered politically incorrect today.  

On Saturday, I finished my uncle's birthday cake and Dan and Peter mowed the grass and Dan's sister Cathy arrived.  She wanted to come for a visit to see Sarah for her birthday but on Sarah's actual birthday no one will be home (Dan will be in Ireland and Peter will be in Raleigh and Sarah will be working).  Luckily, it all worked out that she could visit on Saturday and join us for our annual end of school year celebration at Tokyo!

After she arrived, she and Sarah went to one of the local strawberry farms and picked up a bunch of strawberries.  Cathy uses them to make jam. Then we had lunch (tomato, bacon, quesadillas which I realized later I accidentally left out the bacon - they were still delicious) then  we headed to the local garden shop to get some tomato plants.  

Dan and I have been going back and forth about the garden this year. Normally by now we have tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapenos and bell peppers planted. But Dan's been traveling and is about to head out again and will be gone essentially the whole summer so he won't be here to tend to the garden.

I can't stand the thought of no homegrown tomatoes so we decided at the last minute to plant a few tomatoes and a couple of jalapenos.  I will be in charge of watering them and hopefully keeping them alive.  There won't be a big crop but hopefully enough that I can get some sandwiches!

After the trip to the garden store, we planted them and then we all showered and got ready for Mass.  After Mass we headed to Tokyo for dinner.

And yes, my brother loves to mess up our photos by making faces!

This is the best one I could get.

And then one of me with Sarah since I wasn't in the group shot.

After dinner, we came home and spent the rest of the evening around the fire pit chatting and listening to music.  It was such a nice evening.

On Sunday morning, we discovered that something had come through the garden and eaten some of the tomato plants!  We planted 7 plants and several of them were completely gone!  This has never happened before in all of our years of gardening.  We had a couple extras that we had left over so we planted those and later discovered that they had been nibbled but were still basically there. If this continues, I may be going to the farmer's market for my tomato sandwich tomatoes this year!

We had Sunday lunch at my mom's and for the first time in a very long time, we had a full table!  It was so nice I had to take an awkward selfie...

And we celebrated my Uncle David's 88th birthday with cake!

It was a great weekend and I am thankful that we all got to be together.  I am currently enjoying one last week of everyone being under the same roof. Savor the little moments, folks!