Introducing...

...Queenie!!! The newest member of our household.

She was my grandmother's cat and now we feel very blessed to call her ours. She has certainly helped with the healing process and has already been the cause of lots of laughs in the short week that she has been with us. It was a little rough going at first...Tommy & Gracie didn't exactly warm to her but she is so loving and playful they are starting to come around. After two days of growling and hissing they are becoming friends (well Tommy and Queenie anyway, Gracie can't be bothered). They are laying on the same couch as I type and that make us very happy because we weren't sure what to expect. We aren't sure how old she is because she was abandoned but she acts like a kitten and the kids (and Ryan and I) absolutely love it. Welcome Queenie!

Peeking out from under the curtain, ready to pounce on poor Tommy

Quick snooze

A kiss!!! Tommy looks like a GIANT next to her! (The two bright dots above their heads are Gracie's eyes in the distance, where she likes to stay).

"Life is not measured...

...by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." - Unknown

My grandmother passed away last night...1 year and 5 days after my grandfather passed. Although they lived long, wonderful lives, we can't help but feel like they were taken away from us much too soon. I am very lucky to be able to say that she was an often-present person in my life. She and grampa came to a lot of our sports/school events, they hosted every holiday at their house and of course, Saquish. She taught me how to correctly make a bed, set a table and lattice a pie (I can't say that I have ever done the latticing since!) I have so many fond and vivid memories of the moments I shared with her. I will treasure them forever and she will continue to take my breath away. We love you Nana. Give Grampa a BIG hug from us.

This is how I will always remember them, relaxing in the yard or on the beach with their cold drinks, reading their papers and enjoying all of the wonderful people that they created.

Splash & Ski Weekend

Last weekend we headed up to North Conway for the weekend with Uncle Pete, Auntie Tara, Emma, Drew and Leah. We stayed at the lovely Weston Woods Chalet for the second time and everyone had a blast. Nick has had serious EmmaDrew withdrawals this week (that's how he says their names, like they are one entity!) Nick had his first ski lesson on Friday and he did a "fantastic job" (so said the instructor - at the beginning of the lesson I was hanging around to watch and she said 3 times, "See you later"...so I took the hint and Uncle Pete and I headed to the top of the mountain for some adult runs). I think I am definitely going to be a Green Circle skiier for the rest of my life. Unless the kids get really good and make me do Blue Squares with them! After his lesson, Nick and I stayed on the bunny hill. After about 3 runs and 14 falls, he was ready to go (and so was I). On Saturday we hit the Kahuna Laguna indoor water park at the Red Jacket Inn. Again, everyone had a blast. It was so great to go from being all bundled up, hurtling down a mountain (ok, maybe not hurtling) in 10 degree weather to putting bathing suits on the next day. After about an hour Chelsea wasn't feeling that well though so Ryan and I had to tag-team holding her all bundled up in a towel. Poor thing was burning up by the time we left. Nothing a little Tylenol couldn't handle though. Nick is already asking, "Can we go back to the ski house with EmmaDrew when I am five?"

Girlies cuddled up for a movie

Please do not interrupt, they are engaged in VERY serious business

First ones on the mountain!

And that's a rap!

TREACHEROUS sledding hill in front of the house. There were definitely a few tears shed (and not just by children) after flying over the "bump" that someone built in the middle of the hill

Snow pow-wow

Out to dinner

Not sure why they didn't kick us out after this one!

Putting on a brave face at the water park

Nick and Ry coming down the "big" slide

Took a few laps around the kiddie pool and kiddie slide before she called it a day

There they go again

Nick and Drew ran up this rope ladder thing and down the slide on the other side NON-STOP for at least an hour. I was exhausted just watching them.

Poor girl pup. Fell asleep on me for about 45 minutes (I knew she wasn't feeling well but secretly loved the baby cuddle time)

Breakfast!

Pig pile on Emma!!!

Bubble beards

"Mommy look, we look like Santa Claus!!!!!"

Sunny Snow Day

Despite having about 10 more inches of snow dumped on us last night it was a gorgeous day out today. The sun was blaring and I sweat my butt off while clearing the snow off my car. Perfect day for playing outside! (So disappointed in myself with the first videos taken with my iPhone...had to download free video rotate software so these would be upright!!!)

She is standing on a big, metal box that is in front of our house. Something like an electrical transformer or something...in other words, something that a kid probably shouldn't be standing on!

King of the mountain

Nothing like a tissue box to warm up your cold head!

Annual trip to the NE Aquarium

Gotta love those free passes from Ryan's work!!! Another fun trip to the aquarium while Daddy had a week off between Christmas and New Year's. This year we hit the IMAX show too...gonna be another few years until we do that again!!! The kids were freaked out by the fish "swimming" up to their faces so they watched basically the whole show with no 3D glasses on. Hopefully their vision wasn't too damaged!

On the Red Line! Not sure what they liked best, riding the train or the escalators!

Hermit crabs and starfish

I always get freaked out that the sharks are going to choose the day that we go to start eating the other fish in the big tank and the kids will be scarred for life!

Comfy?

I hope that she retains this ability to sleep in any position with minimal comforts surrounding her and is not like her mother who needs her 4 pillows exactly positioned for maximum comfort...