The Emptiness

What started out as a small project to fix the fireplace that Greg blew up in November, has turned into a full-scale backyard remodel. The landscaper told us that four trees had to be removed. Two of the trees were too big, and would cause structural problems if they weren't removed, and the other two were dying. Well yesterday, these men with horrible chain saws attacked our backyard. These aren't really before and after pictures because the after shots will hopefully look better once the work is complete. But now our yard is extremely empty. I never knew there was a view of the neighbor's house two doors down! What didn't help was Emily screaming every time a branch hit the ground. She is like her mom, she doesn't like change either!

First Day of School

Well, in Arizona school starts really early. Our school is about a week ahead of everyone else here, so the girls started school this past Thursday. For Emily, it was been-there-done-that as she is entering the third grade. It was a different story for Gabrielle. You see, our baby is entering Kindergarten, which is a clear symbol of a different phase of our lives. We no longer have preschoolers at home, with the flexible schedule and carefree days. We are now the parents of school-aged children. We are beholden to scheduled vacations that the school decides, and we have to wake up every morning at 6:30 a.m. The girls were both very excited to meet their new teachers, make new friends, and of course wear their new clothes. Both of the girls walked off with barely a look back at Mom and Dad, but I sobbed when I had to let my littlest start school. My mom was always very good at hiding her tears until we were safely out of sight. I am not my mom. I was able to pull myself together for the second day, though. Here is a cute picture of the two girls ready for a brand new adventure!

New York City Slideshow

NEW YORK, NEW YORK! (and CT)

We just returned from a week's vacation back east. We spent four days in New York City, which was amazing! It was fun to share all of the sights with the girls, but our feet sure hurt. A few of the things we saw included the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the WTC, the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square and more. We were lucky enough to see the Yankees play in the final season at Yankee Stadium, and we watched the 4th of July fireworks over the East River. All in all it was a fantastic weekend.

On Monday, we did some family visiting, which included stops to see both Greg and Vicki's grandpas. We then headed to CT to spend the rest of the week with Vicki's parents. After a whirlwind few days, it was nice to just relax a bit. We spent one day visiting the Potter side of the family, checked out a few movies, spent an afternoon at the beach, got to see our nephews and ate at our favorite seafood restaurant. We also attended Greg's 20th High School Reunion, which was fun and interesting.

All in all it was a fabulous trip, but it was the kind of vacation where you need a vacation to rest once you return home!