Summer...what is Summer?

 Man oh man, I have dropped the ball yet again on updating this blog.

 I would like to say I will get better, but life just keeps getting crazier and crazier. We are moving out in less than a week here of our home we have been in for 14 years. I can't even believe it. We have made so many memories in this house. 

A week from today we will say goodbye to our first home.
The home we have been in for 14 years.
The home we moved into when I was pregnant with Addison.
The home we brought 2 babies home.
The home we returned after losing Jayden.
The home we had many birthday celebrations.
The home both of our kids crawled for the first time and took their first steps.
The home we celebrated many holidays in.
The home that we had to say goodbye to our sweet Ariel.

We never thought we would be in this house for as long as we have been, but it has brought us so many joys and happy memories. I also wouldn’t have thought we would be moving during a pandemic, but this is what it is.

We are so blessed and so thankful.💗

This Week

This is an emotional week for sure, so much in one week. Addison will be turning 7, I can hardly believe that my little girl is going to be 7! Time is flying way too fast. Another sad part about this week is that it will be 1 year from when Papa passed away. I honestly can not believe it has been almost a year since he has been gone. Thinking about all he has missed, holidays, birthdays, but I know even though we couldn't see him, he was there with us. It is the selfish part of me that wishes he was here, to hear his voice, give him a hug and just hear his stories! There isn't a day go by where I don't think about him and wish he was still here.

I found these pictures from when we went to Randall Oaks farm when Addison was little and she just loved being with Papa. I love these pictures so much and I treasure them every day!

Papa

I can not believe it has been now 8 months since we have lost my amazing Papa! Every time I go to my Nana's house now I always have to go in his room, because thankfully it still looks the same as it was he left. He helps to have those happy memories in my head to get me thru the hard times. I have posted this picture a couple of times, it is one of my favorite. It shows him like he really was. He lived to make everyone happy! He did not like sadness. You must be telling some pretty funny jokes up there Papa, you are making every one laugh so hard they are crying. Miss you every day Papa!

Disney World

In just a few short days we will be heading to Walt Disney World. It will be Austen's first time and we are all so excited to go. We are very blessed that my parents are taking us using their timeshare points.  We can not wait to go see all the parks as well as have Breakfast with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters and then dinner with the Princesses! Addison was lucky enough to go when she was 2 so this is her second time going and I think she is even more excited. My parents bought both kids autograph books so they can get autographs from their favorite characters! I have attached a picture of the whole family when we went last time.

Florida Memories

I can't help but think about past Florida trips with our trip to Florida this year coming up so quickly. I usually get a little sad around this time thinking about all the time we went to my grandparents house on Fort Myers Beach and how they are no longer with us. Those times were filled with so many wonderful and memorable times that it is hard NOT to think about them. I have to say how lucky we are that my parents have a place down in the same area where we vacationed for so many years, but it also makes me sad that Addy won't be able to experience the exact same experiences that I was fortunate to experience when I was her age.

-Waking up to look out on that amazing view of the ocean as you see the morning walkers walk the beach
-Grapefruits that my Boppa always left out for all of us at the kitchen table for breakfast where he was always sitting at reading the paper
-Feeding the seagulls right out in front of the house (okay not always a favorite thing, but I did enjoy watching other people feed them) :)
-Walking to breakfast down to the GulfShore and always looking out for dolphins or other types of animals
-Sitting on the deck and watching the sunset as we would eat crackers and Port Wine cheese that my grandmother(Muz) would always bring out
-Of course one of the big memories was getting engaged right in front of my grandparents beach house, Jay knew how important that place was for me and now forever our engagement will always be tied to that place

I really have so many wonderful memories, but one of my most favorite would have to be whenever we would be arriving at the beach, Boppa and Muz were always so excited to see us and they would be right there when we opened the door. We could really feel how happy they were to have us there. I know that my brother, sisters and I were so lucky to have experienced vacations in Fort Myers Beach and glad that we still vacation nearby so we can still go to the Gulf Shore Grill for those famous breakfasts that Boppa used to always take us too. In a way Addy still gets some of that experience and of course even more because my parents make sure that we always have the most fun-filled vacations.
Enjoy these pictures that I was able to find. The first one is me at 2 years old. There aren't too many since we didn't have digital cameras back then.