Superhero Wes, Four Years Old

We thought this photo shoot would be fitting
considering his current obsession

Thank you to Katie for her great photography skills (as usual)

and a HUGE thanks to Marisa for being our master costume 

designer and sidewalk sketcher!

The Global Warming Crisis

I have been more than rattled by the recent Rolling Stone article on Global Warming. I have been consumed by it, to tell you the truth and I'm still digesting the information and determining what I can do to fight for the future of my sons. Please take the time to read it and understand how the way we live and the policies our government makes today can and WILL affect our children and ourselves within our lifetime. The future we have always expected and assumed is guaranteed for our children is not so.

The Ol' Fishing Hole

Wes has been taking Red Cross swimming lessons at the Quarry this summer.

It's just about the sweetest little spot I can think of to spend a summer day.

wouldn't you agree?

No Babies Were Harmed in the Making of This Blog Post

Oren is a handful. (To put it mildly.)

He does things Wes would have never dreamed of doing.

Abby and I joke about it all the time and when I happen

to catch him up to no good I usually take a quick picture 

if I can manage it safely and send it to Abby.

I thought I'd share them here with you..

This is a little something I'd like to call

"Places I've Found Oren"

and just think

these are just the times I've had my phone on me

and managed to snap a picture before josh or I rescued/stopped him

oren-ry

don't worry, we watched him do this to see if he could actually get up there.

josh is standing right out of frame.

fin.

From Saturday

Josh and I had a little night out on Saturday, just the two of us. We dropped the boys off at Grandma's and made our way up to Lakewood for a delicious dinner at Georgetown. The weather was just right, the food was excellent (scallops, yes!) and it was the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a good conversation with no distractions from our little ones and food that's still warm when you eat it. If you're looking for a nice patio this summer, this is the place to go. The bathrooms, however, are a little eh. I always make it a point to check out the bathroom whenever we go out somewhere. Maybe it's the interior designer in me but I feel like you can really tell a lot about a place based on the presentation and cleanliess of their bathroom. Like sometimes you go to an okay restaurant but their bathroom is totally decked out and you think, "Okay, I can respect this. I can get down with this place." But then sometimes you go to a really fancy place but then their bathroom is smelly and hasn't been updated since 1985 and none of the stall doors lock and you just think, "huh..."

 

After dinner, we stopped by the new casino in downtown Cleveland to blow a few bucks on the slot machines (I played the the mystical unicorn) and watch those who actually know what they're doing play poker and black jack. The whole gambling/casino scene isn't really my thing, but it was great people watching, plus it was fun to just wander around and check the place out. I kept thinking that whoever got the lighting contract for that place must have made a bundle because it is just crystal chandelier after crystal chandelier up in there. Oh, and the bathrooms are primo, and the soda is free, so there you go.

Summer Brothers

what else is summer if not tiny octopus swim shorts and

a fun day of playing in the kiddie pool 

(and the hose) 

(and the neighbor's sprinkler, too)

my very favorite picture of the summer so far

(can they never, ever grow up please?)

From the Weekend

We got to spend the last few days celebrating our friends, the world's most adorable (and newly engaged) couple, Colin and Elizabeth. A whirlwind couple of days full of meeting new people and catching up with the old, and we were so honored to be part of it. And if nothing more, this weekend proved two things:

1. I am an emotional sap. I mean, we all pretty much already knew that, but I took it to whole other level when I basically cried at literally everything all weekend long. I cried when they cut their engagement cake Saturday night, which was mostly just a practice run for the real thing in December. I looked around the room through blurry eyes while all this was happening and even their parents weren't crying. And you know why? --- because it's just an engagement cake and it's not a big deal for heaven's sake Emily, GET A GRIP. 

***

Then, Sunday, I started to get all weepy at the bridal shower when Elizabeth opened a gift from her sister and she got teary eyed reading the card. Why was I crying? I didn't even know what the card said. Lord help me come the real wedding day. I should mention, Wes is in the wedding, so you know I'm a goner. I'm just gonna go ahead and leave the mascara in Akron for this one.

2. We got to meet Elizabeth's whole family for the first time and I'm now convinced their last name should be GoodHair and not Brown. Their whole family? Great hair. Every single one of 'em. Elizabeth's mom, Anita GoodHair, as I shall henceforth be referring to her, is my new idol. Speaking as a person with naturally curly hair and no idea how to manage it and who has been straightening it within an inch of it's life for years, this woman is my new hair inspiration. You know my first thought when I met her? I wanted to pin her. And by pin her I mean log in to Pinterest, make a board called Who I Want To Be When I Grow Up and just pin Anita. That's all. New life goal. Done. She looks like a mix between Blythe Danner and Drew Barrymore, plus she's funny and sweet to boot. I mean, can we just be best friends? Elizabeth, I'm stealing yo momma. 

Side note: That's Anita on the far left in the picture above. Elizabeth center and Colin's mom, Cherie, on the right. Can you even believe how gorgeous the three of them are? Those future GoodHair-Morris kids are going to be stunners. Seriously, imma see if we can get some kind of pre-arranged marriage situation set up for my boys and their future kids so at least my grandchildren can get in on some of those GoodHair genes.

And that pretty much sums it up. Lots of crying and hair envy. Plus copious amounts of terribly blurry/over-exposed/under-exposed iPhone photography. But what else would you expect?

Oh, and it goes without saying, there was lots and lots of delightful food all weekend long. I tried not to over do it with the pictures for once, but here's one for the road.

you're welcome.

PS. BIG thanks to Cherie and all of Colin and Elizabeth's families for being such gracious, welcoming and wonderful hosts all weekend long. Those are two lucky and LOVED kiddos, but I don't need to tell you that ;)