My Grampy

Today my Grampy passed away. It's never easy to say goodbye but I am comforted knowing that he is in Heaven, as healthy as can be, probably teasing Grammy and joking around with anyone and everyone. Growing up, he was so much fun to be around; he was goofy and made us laugh constantly. Watching my dad be so silly with Gabriella reminds me of how Grampy used to be with us as kids. 

We saw him in June; he knew the cancer had spread but he was still as positive as possible. He teased and played with Gabriella and I will forever treasure the photos we took that day. He was a great grandfather and person and we will miss him! 

xo,

Mary

Happy Birthday Ben!

Sweet, lovable Ben is one!! It seems like just yesterday that we were all anxiously waiting by the phone for the call that our newest nephew had arrived. He will always have a special place in my heart- Sandy found out she was pregnant right when Gabriella was born and watching her have a healthy pregnancy and delivery was so uplifting. Ben is cuddly and loves to give kisses. He loves FaceTime and will try and kiss the phone. He "shows his teeth" , says hi and is pulling up on everything. He is such a lovable boy and we are so lucky to be his aunt and uncle! 

Happy birthday Ben!! We love you!! 

xo,

Mary

Summer days

It's mid-July and we have had a great summer so far. Gabriella loves being outside and so many of our mornings and late afternoons have been spent running around the yard. She loves running through the grass(which is looking really pathetic with the lack of rain), and searching for chipmunks and bugs. 

We had a play date with cousins and Gabriella had a blast! The boys are older than her but were so good playing with her. She wasn't a fan of the sprinkler until they came over and she happily had Jack carry her through over and over. He then shared his chips with her and from that moment on, she was officially his little shadow :) 

Gabriella is also fearless and is into climbing. On everything. I stepped out of our sunroom for less than a minute to grab a spoon, and came back to find her standing on the table, eating bean salad like it was no big deal. I nearly had a heart attack but of course snapped a photo to document the little monkey :) 

She is as sweet as can be but my goodness, she keeps me on my toes! 

Finally, a little find from Target that I have to share. They have back to school stuff out already and the dollar area in the front has some small items for teachers. We grabbed a pack of animal flash cards for $1 and removable adhesive shapes and colors for $3. The adhesives are paint-friendly and adorable! 

Have a good Monday!!

xo,

Mary