Farewell...

Hannah lost her last baby tooth while we were on vacation. The other night, the Tooth Fairy left a wistful little note...

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. (Hosted by Soulemama)

Maybe I'm not feeding them enough?

 

Rhode Island

We enjoyed a few days in Rhode Island, too...

Larry's mom, Mimi - what a delightful lady!

Al played piano for Mimi and other residents of North Bay Manor

We love you, Mimi!

It was a gorgeous day to enjoy the Roger Williams Park Zoo!

David had fun getting the attention of this funny looking bird.

Hannah got this great shot of him looking upside down at her!

Rachel was very happy to see the elephant!

Doesn't Mom look great?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tired kids at the end of our visit...

 

 

 

We spent the next day at Sand Hill Cove Beach...

A sand castle assembly line...

Larry and Mom...

The beach is the best place for a small boy to run!

Rachel was a good sport!

"Mom" by Rachel (4th Grade)

Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence

(I was going through the kids' school work that they took home at the end of the year and found this poem in Rachel's writing notebook...)

Mom

Mom, you are caring
Mom, you are sweet
You make all the food that our family eats
You laugh at my jokes
Even when they're not the best
Compared to other moms
There is really no test
And when I feel sick
Or feeling quite down
You make the world sunny
And lift up my frown
You're helpful at homework
Even when you don't know
What 10x10 is
Or something like so
You are a great mom
But the thing that's above
All the things that I'm saying
Is the way that you love!

(Must read this on those days when I'm feeling I have done nothing right all day...)

Maine

We spent a few days in Maine, visiting with Al's family and enjoying the beauty of the coast...

How many kids can relax on Grammy's hammock?

Spoiling Grammy's dog, Ebby...

Spoiling the Butler's dog...

David with his good buddy, Reese (can't you just feel the energy in these boys?)

Spoiling one of Auntie Laurie's dogs...

Al's sister, Laurie, now owns and operates their dad's business...

One of Laurie's new puppies...

View from Mt. Battie in Camden Hills State Park

 

David took lots of his own pictures with his sisters' hand-me-down pink camera!

Family hike...

Beautiful pine forests...

Introducing David to his dinner...

A true Cormier Family feast!

Mmmmm...

Traditional family card game...

David's learning the game, too!

Abbie considering her next move...

Owl's Head Light

Two things to note...

As you can see in the pictures, the Cormiers are "dog people". And it seems we are following suit. This summer, we are hoping to bring a new furry, four-legged member into our family. Because we need a little more noise and chaos in this house...

I have fallen in love with lupines, a beautiful flower native to northern New England. I learned that we can, indeed, grow them in northern Illinois, and purchased some seeds in Maine to grow in our back yard. 

Coming soon: pictures from Rhode Island and Vermont...