Recent Pics...

Grandma and Grandpa's 60th
Anniversary...didn't post my favorite shot of the two of them...thought Grandma might not love it but it caught her in a hysterical laugh, grandpa still standing very much the same as in this photo

My best photo of the wedding was of the bride, (my second cousin), Linda and my cousin, Liam, breakin' a move on the dance floor

My funny boys....

Happy Birthday Great Dad!

Such a great fourth of July...so exciting to see "Uncle" Dave ontop of the fire truck and watch the parade with the Porco family and Uncle Chris!

Football camp super successful...can't believe the season starts in 2 weeks!

Summer is flying...

Sitting in a silent hotel room in Connecticut, the boys still sleeping after a wild wedding reception, I finally have some free time to catch up. It is amazing how fast the summer has gone! Joey and I were both groaning after we saw our first Back to School commercial yesterday! August 25th is coming way too quickly. It is hard to believe I was still in school when I last posted. Since then we have been busy... went to the shore for a few days visiting Grandma and Pop, ended a great soccer season, swimming at the pool almost everyday, spending time with Uncle Chris...never enough!, Wizard World, cleaning the house, Joey in football camp, super fun Fourth of July thanks to the Porco family, completed a graduate course in one hellish but enlightening week, painted (still needing to finish) the basement, rode my first 40 mile bike ride with Team Ox...getting ready for the MS city to shore, also trying to fit in running to train for the NF half marathon, celebrating my Grandparents 60th wedding Anniversary and attending my second cousin, Linda's beautiful wedding. I think that is about it! My 10 page paper for my graduate class needs to be mailed to my professor by Wednesday, so I am looking forward to turning it in so that I can start to really relax!
Well Owen is up, holding his Bear Bear in one arm, banging his sippy cup with the other against the side of the pack and play demanding, "Juice, MaMa!" so I better go. Will post more recent pictures soon...really

2 Days Left!!!

Joey and I are sooo excited!! There are only 2 days of school left! It is unbelievable that we are already in the middle of June...where did the school year go?? Realized the other day I didn't even post Owen's birthday. Sweet pea is two! He will gladly tell you if you ask him how old he is. Life has been super busy as usual...soccer, spring fairs, Me- Ma's birthday, taking the boys to the pool on the weekends, spending hours on grad papers, 6th grade events...Dorney in the rain, the dance, yearbooks and picnics, trying to keep up with my grading/lesson plans etc. (last night to finish report cards...better focus on getting them done), saw our first bike race, Owen and I participated in Churchville Elementary's Fun Run (the money was donated to the Children's Tumor Foundation, that check plus one more...thanks Timm...got fundraising started for the next half-marathon in September) and this weekend I leave the boys behind to go on a girls excursion in Jim Thorpe. Hiking...biking...whitewater rafting should be fun. Great way to gear up for a summer of training...half marathon in September, 70 mile bike race in October...yikes!

"Pool"

Normally my little monkey wakes up shouting from his crib "Mamma" or "Dadda," this morning it was "Pool." The pool opened this past Saturday and we spent hours each day over the long weekend out in the sunshine. For three days now he has repeatedly been asking to "Go Pool!" Too bad it is only open on weekends until school lets out. This morning Joey and I got a kick out of watching Owen roaming around the house with Joey's goggles on...

On Friday. Joey and I took Owen to get his port accessed, flushed and an hour IV of Pentam. This was our first time back at CHOP since Owen has started to walk and he was just so pleased to be able to lead me around to all of his favorite things. We visited the fish tank, the statue of the runner, played video games with Joey, looked at the painting of the beach ball and blew kisses to the nurses. Joey was excited to go to Au-Bon-Pain for chicken noodle soup after Owen was finished....

Joey sharing with Joe his published book about Rocks at his school during "Breakfast with

Books."

Happy Mother's Day!

What a wonderful Mother's Day! A beautiful "I picked this out, Mom!" necklace, lovely cards and a homemade school project. My parents and in-laws' unnecessary but very appreciated gifts. A fun day spent with my mom, dad, nana and the kids at Castle Park.

It has been a busy few weeks...again I cannot believe how long it has been since I have posted. I WILL get better at this over the summer. Owen's MRI came back and showed that the tumors have remained stable. Owen will need to go to CHOP in the next couple weeks for some port-related meds and a check in with the neuro-oncologist and neuro-ophthalmologist but the chemo continues to be on hold...hopefully permanently! He started to take more steps about two weeks ago and now he is walking all over the place. We were leaving the gym this morning, my hands full and he walks right next to me to the doors. It is pretty unbelievable...he is finally eating and now walking!

So the weeks have gone by quickly...Dad did an amazing job trimming back all the trees in the front of our house...I ran the rainy Broad Street run with Alex and Jeff...soccer practices, soccer games...started the first course of my 2 1/2 year graduate program and I am feeling just a little overwhelmed with all the work that is due over the next eight weeks (I'm sure I'll rant more about that in another blog post) and Joey and I are counting down the days until summer break...27!!!!

Spring Skiing @ Killington

My favorite time to ski~spring break~warm sun on my face~light weight ski gear~nice soft snow...great times with family and friends. This year my friend, Alex and her two boys, Kaz and Izzy went up with us and we met my mom and dad for a quick weekend trip.

First Game of Season

First game of the season and Joey is a superstar!!! Incredibly exciting to see him bolt down the field, challenge the opposing players and tend goal...especially since it has never just "clicked" for Joey. It usually takes him weeks...it is going to be a fun season!