Flashback Friday {Christmas 2015}

I think I'm going to use Fridays to record things I

want to remember over the last couple of years...things that didn't

make the blog because I was on my extended break!  

Brady took this picture.  We had just finished decorating our tree.  As he gets older I worry that he might not feel the same excitement for these traditions as he has in the past.  But, he continues to prove me wrong.  He loves tradition too and decorating our tree as a family is pretty high up there on my list of favorites.

Eric took this picture and I never even knew it until looking through my photos.  It might be my favorite picture of us ever.  Messy hair, sweatshirt and no make up....don't care.  This is my boy and I making his favorite Christmas treat- oreo cookie truffles.  He said that he will make these with his kids someday.  I have said this before.... Brady is going to make a great husband someday.  He has always been so affectionate.  Someday meaning when he is 30 :)

We only made a couple easy treats this Christmas and kept it pretty simple.  I need to remember this new discovery for next year because it made for a wonderful almost stress free month.

Speaking of stress free....I took this simple tray to a get together with friends.  I opened up jars of olives and pickles and added some greenery.  It was a big hit and I didn't spend tons of time preparing beforehand in the kitchen.  Easy.

This is our annual dinner with friends...and that's Eric and I 

in the back ruining the picture!  The funny thing was that none of them had any idea until they looked at their cameras hours later!

Brady opened up new pajamas on Christmas Eve.  He said it's one of his favorite traditions....I did not know this!  He's always very

thankful...one of the qualities I love about him.

We didn't need to wear coats to church on Christmas Eve.

I secretly pretended we were living in a warm state. :)

The past couple couple of years we thought we were too busy

and didn't make time to go to church on Christmas Eve.  This year

we went and it was a wonderful service.   With my husband and son sitting beside me...the true meaning of Christmas was received loud and clear and I knew without a doubt we tried to have this in our hearts all month long.  We changed things up a bit this year.  And I'll be honest...I was a bit worried at first. Brady came to us right before Thanksgiving and said he didn't want any presents this year.  Instead, he wanted the money that we usually spend on him to go to a family member that was struggling. I remember patting him on the back and saying that was awfully nice of him to say that and that we would talk about it.  Brady was relentless though...and wasn't going to let us dismiss his wish.  I feel bad admitting this...but I've always been about the presents.  I only have one child.  I like that surprise on Christmas morning when he walks into the living room and sees a crazy number of gifts under and around the tree.  But I learned something big this year thanks to my son...and I pray that I won't ever forget it.   We ended up getting Brady just a few gifts, he got Eric and I each a small gift, and Eric and I each got each other a small gift....and it was truly the best Christmas ever. 

First Concert

We went to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra this past weekend in Hershey.  Eric has always wanted to see them and so I'm really glad we went.  It's funny, but I never realized or thought about it before this but we have never been to a concert in the seventeen years we've been together.  It was also Brady's first concert.  I think we should go more often because we sure had a fun evening.  TSO played for 2 1/2 hours and put on a fantastic concert and their light show was amazing.

Brady recorded a few videos for me.  Here are a couple of them!

Apple Picking and A Corn Maze

Going to the orchard seems to have become a fall tradition for us.  It's one of those things we never really plan for and then we stumble upon a free Saturday morning.  You never know when your kids will want to stop doing a certain thing that you always look forward to doing with them.  And then, they remind you that they are waiting to go and you jump in the car as fast as you can before they change their mind! :)  

I have a lot more pictures but for some reason they are not wanting to upload...no time to waste so I'm moving on...

We also tried our first corn maze this fall.  Cherry Crest Farm is about 15 minutes from our house and everyone raves about it....but we had never been there before.  Definitely a neat place to go.  Everything from animals, pumpkins, games and food.  Oh, and the corn maze that was featured in USA Today as one of the top 10 corn mazes this year.  The maze is 5 acres with over 2.5 miles of paths.  There were three different levels/paths to choose from....Brady wanted to do the most challenging course (Eric and I did not!).  It took us two hours to find all of our clues and get out of there before it started to get dark.  I followed behind they guys eating my tub of kettle corn and letting them do all the work!

This and That

Brady turned 11 1/2 a couple weeks ago.  We almost missed the big day...thankfully 

Eric remembered and I was able to pick up a brownie at Panera's after dinner with a friend.  I think it was close to 10pm when I got home...better late than never I guess!  Brady seemed somewhat embarrassed that we were making a fuss.  Oh well....at least he knows he's loved. :)

Brady went to a big Barn Bash at our church Friday night with hundreds of 5th and 6th graders.

He was the lucky winner of this ridiculously large inflatable swan.  He thinks it's perfect for t.v. watching.  I think we now need a swimming pool. :)

School pictures were this week.  It's the first time in 7 years that I didn't buy them.  We usually give  5 x 7's to the grandparents and then the rest of the pictures never see the light of day.  I did buy a class picture.  I feel somewhat guilty about not getting them....although the school pictures of Brady have never been spectacular.  I quick snapped this one on picture day before we left for school.  I'm no photographer but....this smile is more natural than any school picture we've ever purchased.

Speaking of photographers....we had our first family photo session (ever) scheduled one day last month in the park.  I just needed one good family picture for something we're working on.  I was pretty excited about it since we've never had one taken before.  I wanted something fun....not formal.

Anyway....we waited and waited at the park and the photographer never showed up.  As we were leaving a lady walked over and asked us if we wanted her to quick take a picture.  Her kindness (and my frustration) made me a little teary.  She said she had seen how long we were waiting and figured we had been stood up.  Yep, we were.  I never contacted the photographer and she never contacted us.  Weird.  And disappointing.

Even though this picture is blurry and exactly what I didn't want...it still makes me smile.

I am blessed.  Hopefully soon we can try this again...with a different photographer.

13 Years With My Love

 

Eric and I celebrated our 13th anniversary last Friday at this

adorable cottage about 20 minutes away from our house.

 

All of the pictures are from my cell phone.  I took my camera but forgot the camera card.

Eric said that might not have been such a bad thing. :)

 

 

I had seen pictures of the cottage on the website...but when we pulled down the lane

and saw the cottage nestled in this beautiful wooded setting, we were speechless.

( I may have even started clapping!)

 

 

The cottage is a recently restored stone house that was built in the 1700's.

It sits in a secluded spot beside a beautiful creek.

 

The rear shaded stone patio overlooks the creek.

We could have sat in those comfy chairs forever.  Really.

 

When we walked into the cottage, there was a boquet of lilacs on the kitchen table.

Lilacs are my favorite...and you can imagine how the sweet smell filled the entire place.

 

Everywhere we looked, the cottage was filled with little touches of love.

Eric and I enjoyed looking through journals of all

the different couples who have stayed at the cottage.

Couples from California, Texas, Florida, Canada, Australia to name a few have enjoyed

this little romantic spot.  Many of the couples wrote such heartfelt words.   What a gift

this place has been to so many people.

 

 

Eric and I made dinner in the little kitchen.  We both agreed it was one of our favorite meals.

I had everything put together, we just needed to bake it and cook the asparagus.

 

We had cheesecake for dessert and our favorite champagne.

 

Everything here is so quiet and peaceful.

We opened the windows so we could hear the creek. 

No t.v. or computers...just talking and relaxing.

 

I really hope we get to go back again someday.

 

 

To see pictures and a video of the cottage you can go HERE.

 

If you live in the area or are passing by...I highly recommend staying here...

especially if you are celebrating an anniversary. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

To My Husband

I think I've shared with you before that I'm not very good with words.  I feel deeply, but have a hard time expressing those feelings.  These last few weeks I have been flooded with emotions as I get ready to leave my nest and head back into the workforce.  I have mostly been excited....but also nervous and anxious.  However,  the feeling that overpowers them all and is at the forefront of my mind and heart is extreme gratitude for my husband.  This afternoon during lunch I finally decided it was a good time to tell him how I was feeling.  I debated about putting this on my blog...but in the end, I decided it's the reason I have a blog in the first place.  I want some of my memories and feelings recorded and I also want Brady to know what it meant to me to be a stay at home mom and the very reason I was able to do so.

Eric,

-I know our plan was for me to be off work for one year after we had our little boy.  Thank you for never reminding me or mentioning that one year plan ever again after Brady was born.  One year turned into 9 1/2 years.

-Thank you for carrying the weight of our finances on your shoulders.  I know how heavy that weight must have been for you.  Even though we struggled at times and could have used the extra income, you never once suggested I get a job.

-Thank you for telling me often that you appreciate all the things I do at home.  And, thank you for never making me feel like all those things were solely my responsibility.

-Thank you for always understanding that just because I didn't work outside our home, didn't mean I didn't need a break sometimes.

-Thank you for telling me the reason you believe Brady is so confident and secure is because of ME being home with him.  It's one of the best compliments you have ever given me.

-Thank you for allowing me to stay at home once Brady started school.  Because of you, I was able to volunteer, go on field trips and be a room mom.   

-Thank you for always being so proud of me and making me feel like my job was an important one. It is because of YOU, I had the confidence to apply for this teaching position.

-Thank you for never questioning what I did with my time during the day.  Ever.

-Thank you for always being so happy when Brady and I got to do something fun.  You never made me feel guilty that you were missing out.  Instead, you were excited for us.

-Thank you for letting me be there for all of those early milestones in Brady's life.  I know so many moms aren't as lucky. 

So, after being home now for 9 1/2 years, it's time for me to get my butt back to work!  I am excited and ready. I look forward to being a working mom!  Thanks for being the most excited for me- times a hundred!  And it's not because you're excited about a little extra income...rather, you are genuinely happy for me.
 I will forever be grateful to you for all this time you have allowed me to be home.  I love you so much.

Kerri

xxoo

PS. I will miss our weekly lunch dates!



The Lazy Days Of Summer...

....has not applied to us this season.
Sometimes things just aren't the way you'd like them to be.
I miss our summers of going to the pool, laying under a tree and reading together,
playing in the sprinkler, having cookouts and just taking it easy.
I feel like I work hard to bring other things to Brady's life besides tennis.
Brady had a friend over for a couple of hours to play, we had a campfire,
 Eric and Brady went fishing one evening, Brady and I went to the pool one day.
But it's tiring when tennis seems to always win out over the other fun things.
Brady does not often ask to do other things besides tennis.
We are often traveling to and from tournaments on the weekends.
I think family and friends are often frustrated with us that we are not around much.
Brady goes to camps, and clinics, and match nights.
He gets invited to other school's tennis programs.
He hits for hours by himself with a ball machine.
He gets lessons from his dad.
Last week he was at tennis camp 7hrs. each day.
It wasn't enough for him.  He wishes he could do that everyday.
The new USTA rankings came out the other day.
Our division consists of Pennsylvania and four other states.
Brady is the top ranked 9 year old in our division.
I know to be good at something you have to put time into it....I just never
expected it to be this much time.
Brady was in his last tournament of the month yesterday.
:)
No more tournaments until September....I put my foot down.
Brady will still play tennis in the evenings...but during the day, he is mine.
I will NOT be taking him to the tennis courts.
We've been watching the olympics every evening.
Gymnastics, swimming, diving and beach volleyball are my favorites.
I think the stories behind many of the olympians are what make it even more special.
I recently watched a special on moms of olympians and I cried through it all.
It made me sad.  One of the gymnast moved 3,000 miles away from
her family at the age of 14 to get better trainning. 
It was her dream...and her family supported her.
Well, not this mom! 
I would have to sleep in a tent next to the training center...that would be the only way!
Anyway, many of the stories made me sad. 
And, I'm not saying I think my son will be an olympic tennis player...just that when those
moms were describing their kids at a young age they used words like unbelievable drive, determination and desire.  Those parents weren't the ones forcing their children to play sports. 
Howerver, without their parent's support...it wouldn't have been possible for them.
Okay...moving on!

Today is one of our first days this summer we are home without any plans.
Eric came home for lunch and I suprised him by making fajitas.
It's the only meal I have cooked in almost 2 weeks.
They were good.  I love eating out...but even I have had enough lately!

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In other news, I interviewed a few weeks ago for a teaching position at Brady's school and...
I got the job!
I'm so excited!
I have been waiting for this position to come open.
I will be teaching reading and math to kids who need extra support.
My first full time job in almost 10 years!
It's going to be a big change....but I am ready.
I am thrilled to get to be at Brady's school with him for two years before he heads
to middle school.  Brady is excited for me to be there too.
Brady says he would like to ride to and from school with me instead of going on the bus.
He has always loved the bus...so I will have to see it to believe it!
I start on Aug. 27th.

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Brady has been bugging asking me if he could start a tennis blog to record his memories.  I have to admit I wasn't very excited about this.  I knew he would need lots of help...and frankly I don't even have the time or energy to keep up with my own blog.  He was relentless and I gave in.   The other day I showed him how to make a header.  He picked out pictures and wanted it to look just like mine.  I have a feeling it won't take him long to get through the steps and before long he will be posting all on his own.  Which scares me ALOT!  I tried to influence his first post...but he knew what he wanted to say and didn't want my suggestions.  I wanted his blog to be private....and then he starts talking about how he can't wait until he gets some "fans".  Oh brother.  I told him that I will wait to share his blog with my friends once I know he is going to do a good job with it.  He wasn't too happy about that and said he wanted to go "public" right away!  Since I'm the mom, and I'm in charge around here....we're going to wait.  It should be interesting to see what he writes about.  Remember, he is 9....it's going to be hard for my type A personality to not want to correct everything.  I guess we'll see how it goes.  I'm sure once school starts he'll forget all about his blog!

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We're meeting these guys at the swimming pool tomorrow and then the boys are coming back
to our house for a sleepover.  Brady is really excited!
It's the first time he's ever had a friend sleepover at our house.
I have tears in my eyes I'm so excited for him.
To me, this is what summer is all about.

Life Is Good

Our weather has been HOT...and I love it!

Brady was off school yesterday and asked if we could go to the bike trail again.  We left early before it got too warm out.  I have a feeling we will be going there often this summer. 

When we got home, Brady asked if we could sit on the patio with the sprinkler.  He chose this over going to the pool.  So, we sat on the patio in the sun with the sprinkler squirting all over us.  Such a simple thing we do together that I think will stay in his memory bank forever.

Eric and I celebrated our 12th anniversary this past weekend.

Brady spent the night at grandma and grandpa's house.

Honestly, we couldn't wait to drop him off!

Eric and I headed to Philly.  We walked around Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel and the mall.  We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.  We rented The Vow.  We had cheesecake and champagne at 11pm.  We slept in and went out for breakfast and did a little shopping.  Life is good.  I'm lucky I get to share my life with this man.

On our way to pick up Brady on Sunday, we stopped by our old church where we were married and took some pictures. 









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Only 5 more days of school left!

We have so much on the calendar this next week....

I hope I can keep up with everything!

I hope you are all having a great week!





Hard At Work

My husband works in the office in the front of the building, and runs the shop in the back of the building. To get to the back of the building quickly, he rides this Amish scooter that is parked outside by the front door. I just couldn't imagine him doing this...but I finally caught him in the act one day last week when I stopped by...

Doesn't he look embarrassed happy to see me?!