May Update

Our trip to California was completely amazing!  It was just what we needed, and as expected, Colin did great at home with Nani and Pop Pop.  We arrived home on Saturday night, and couldn't wait to get our hands on our little munchkin!  Mom and Dave left the next morning to drive back to St. Pete.

We enjoyed the Mother's Day holiday at John and Kimmie's, and Ginna made a delicious brunch for everyone!  We sipped on mimosas as Colin played with the bubbles, and had fun playing corn hole in the backyard (a Mother's Day/Father's Day gift to John and Kimmie from all their kids!).  It was a very lovely Mother's Day for this mama :)

This began a very busy week filled with familiar faces.  Colin and I went to Charlotte Jewish Day School to visit with my former colleagues, students, and their families for the school's annual Grandparent's Day.  The students performed on stage with instruments, song, and dance, and Colin loved every minute of it - he was even dancing in the aisle!  It's been a whole year since our last visit to CJDS, so everyone couldn't get over how big he'd gotten (and of course everyone was obsessed with all that long, blonde, curly hair!).  We also had some visitors to our house this week.  Laramie and Hunter stopped by for a visit on Monday, and it was fun to watch the boys chase each other around the house.  I tutored a regular student on Tuesday while Colin played with her older brother.  I also began tutoring a new student on Friday, who has just moved to Charlotte.  On Wednesday, one of my former students came to visit after school with her mom, and then another good friend brought over some dinner and we had fun catching up while Colin played with her daughter!  Colin is obsessed with older kids right now, and wants to do everything that the big kids do.

But our most special visitor this week was Aunt Rose!  She came to spend a few hours with us on Thursday, and it was absolutely wonderful to see her.  She is in town visiting her son and his family who live nearby, and I'm so thrilled that she could come to visit with us for a little while.  She brought Colin some sweet gifts, and we had fun swinging outside and playing with all of his toys.  We hope to see Aunt Rose for Superbowl this year, along with all of my other "east coast" family, who have yet to meet Colin!  Thank you for coming to visit us, Aunt Rose...WE LOVE YOU!!!

Here are a couple of photos from our trip to CA, and from last week.  Enjoy!

T.G.F.G. (Thank God For Grandparents!)

The last few weeks have been very busy, but also some of the most fun to date (hence the absence from my blogging recently).  Even as I type this now, I’m sitting next to my darling husband, flying first class en route to San Francisco!  And is there a wiggly toddler in tow, you wonder?  The other passengers would be pleased to report that there is not…this is a (work) vacay for Mommy and Daddy J  I have the very distinct pleasure of being able to tag along for a work/golf trip with Marshall and his boss to San Fran for the day and night, and then we head to wine country tomorrow through Saturday.  Marshall will be participating in a golf tournament on Friday while I soak in the sun at our resort in Napa, and maybe even partake in some of the spa amenities.  I’m beyond excited to eat some delicious food, visit with Ashleigh and Ryan (who have just moved to SF), sip on some of our favorite wines, do a little sight-seeing, sleep in, and just relax.  I will, of course, miss my littlest love like crazy cakes…but I know that he is in the best of hands with Mom and Dave while we’re gone.  When the opportunity for me to join on said trip first presented itself, I (half-jokingly) inquired with my mom about coming up to Charlotte to stay with Colin.  And much to my joyful surprise, she and Dave willingly took me up on the offer!  I’m thrilled that Colin will be able to stay in his own environment and play with Nani and Pop-Pop for the next few days (and bonus - the pets will be taken care of too!).  In fact, Colin has enjoyed some quality time with all of his grandparents almost every weekend for the last few weeks!  In April I celebrated my 35^th birthday with a dinner date at Ruth’s Chris, and an outing with friends on another weekend to a Charlotte Knights baseball game.  Grandma Kimmie and Grandpa John babysat Colin for my birthday dinner, and again the following weekend so I could help out some girl friends at a local beer event while Marshall was out of town for the weekend for another golf tournament with some coworkers.  I also got to join some friends for a fun hockey game and concert, and got some much needed girl time too.  Colin stayed the night with John and Kimmie, and had fun splashing in the baby pool in the backyard.  Grammy Mary and Grandpa Lee stayed at our house for the weekend to watch Colin during the baseball game before heading up to the mountain house for the summer.  The following weekend, Colin got to go up to the mountains to stay with them while I co-hosted a baby shower at our house for our friend Katie, who is due with her baby girl this June.  Colin had a blast exploring nature and becoming a real mountain boy!  Needless to say, we are so lucky to have 3 sets of grandparents who love us and Colin so much.  They always jump at the chance to spend some extra time with him, and we never have to worry when he is in their care.  We can’t thank them enough for all they’ve done for us, and for Colin.  I know he’ll cherish the memories he’s had with them all, and I hope that one day he’ll share these experiences with his own grandchildren.  THANK YOU SO MUCH, GRANDPARENTS!!!  Now, who wants to take him next weekend?  ;)