Truro Part 1: hanging around the beach house. Nana's house.

This house. 

This beautiful old house. 

Built in the 1820's.

My great grandfather, Gerrit Beneker spent summers here, painted here.

My Nana, my mother, myself, and now, my children spend summers here.

This house is old. 

We sat down around the dinner table one evening to talk over what the next step is. 

It's too much for my parents to maintain 3 homes, so they asked their children: "what do you want to do with it?"

It's a tough question. 

There are so many memories here, many stories. There are spirits who still live here.

It would be hard to say goodbye to it.

But none of the sisters have the means to restore it. 

It's literally falling apart. 

When do you say goodbye and keep the memories in your heart?

My Nana put this wall paper on the dining room walls when she was 16. She's 94.

There is so much character in this home. It is a photographer's dream location. Dream! The lighting, the windows...it's truly vintage. So beautiful. (Mina, you should get married here.)

 As you can imagine, with babies who need naps and not too much sun, we spent a lot of time in the house. Lazy mornings passed us by and we'd head over to the beach each day for or after lunch.

It gave us all time to relax and get to know the new littles of the family.

Many mornings Ava would be picked up by Nana and Mina and she'd head over to their house to play before the beach. She spent the night there alone twice! 

Sarah was just beginning to smile at 6 weeks and Brad won the award for getting the most smiles out of her....she's smiling (and possibly flirting a little) with Brad in the photo below.

 naps on Daddy Dave. Dreamy :)

Auntie Coley giving Nathan some love and tickles.

 my sweet girl posing for me in the doorway

too hot for clothes most days ;)

 Mina catching up on the gossip magazine (that I bought). I caught her on an appropriate page for the part of the country we were in at that point in time :) I'm referring to ptowm, of course!

 Ava drinking the end of her shaved ice on the patio on the day we left. (Infrequent naps followed by sugar and jet lag = major meltdown by both mommy and Ava on our last day just before we said our goodbyes) :(

 but she sure looks cute sipping it up

we're grateful to the house for holding so many people and memories made by them every summer.

We visited with Nana to celebrate Nathan's 6 month birthday and Sarah's 8 week birthday.
Mom made cake, Mina made avocado pesto.
Nana met Nathan and Sarah for the first time.
We kept Nana out late. She fell asleep sitting up as we were all chatting away after dinner in the living room, so Dave drove her back to Brewster.
It was wonderful to see her and hug her. It was wonderful to introduce her to the last addition to our family. I hope she stays strong so she can meet Hailey next summer.
Looking great, Nana!

...more to come

our first day back in Massachusetts...

The trip to Boston was smooth. 

We have good traveling babies, but that's not to say five and a half hours of bouncing and exchanging children doesn't get tiresome. It does. But I have the silliest husband who pulls the weight when it comes to caring for our kids. He would rather be the one Nathan sleeps on. It's something I will never take for granted. So, as I'm trying to snap a photo of the beautiful sunset that we're flying across, I turned my phone on and the camera was reversed, facing me. Anyone who has an iPhone knows the attractive angle that is. I laughed at seeing myself at that angle and then saw Brad with this crazy face on. I just think its hilarious. One, that he made this face, and two, that he left it on until I saw it! 

So grateful for his patience and humor on that flight. I know I've said this before, but I won the lottery when it comes to right husband for me. 

 When Nathan wasn't sleeping he was doing this. As usual. Smiliest baby I've ever known!

 And after a movie and some snacks this little one snoozed for a good hour or more.

 And I finally got the shot I originally turned my phone on to get....so pretty to see things from above.

We arrived in Boston very late (east coast time). We weren't in bed until 3am- my mom is always up for talking until the wee hours of the morning. we've been having "bathroom talks" since I was in high school late night after I'd come home from being out with friends. On this night we graduated to sitting in my old bedroom on the floor, as there is no furniture left in it . She showed me the Little House series she'd saved for me to pack up and bring back to California with me. Time to read them to my girls. I can barely believe it. 

When we woke in the late morning and stepped outside, the first comment out of Brad's mouth was "it feels like a jungle". I laughed and agreed. It was so green--SO green! Just beautiful, but it sure did feel like we were in the amazon rain forest. Well, I've never been there, but I imagine that may be what it feels like :) It was HOT, and humidity was at 100%. Welcome to summers on the east coast. :)!

We spent most of the day in the air conditioned rooms. Nathan showed off his rolling over and beginning solid food skills for Nana and Poppi and they loved him up, while Ava played with all my old toys and skipped around the house & backyard.  Mina came by to greet us with boomies and we took him for a walk, and Nicole and Dave and my new baby niece, Sarah, arrived in the afternoon. Our plans: to have an evening picnic in the backyard with my best friend from 1st grade, Christene, and her family. Here are the photos I took during the day...

I can't tell you the joy I felt to see my sister like this. She has waited for this for so long. 

Everything is going so well for her. Her birth was natural and less than 10 hours, nursing is easy...you can't really ask for more as a new mom. 

She deserves that so much.

Ava knew exactly how to handle a new baby and Sarah seemed to like her too :)

Ava was in auntie heaven! 

UncleDave didn't skip a beat. He came ready to play (and tease) Ava. By the end of our trip Ava was teasing Dave too.

Ava's favorite part of the picnic, or any meal in general...dessert!

 Day 2 we left for the cape and my Dad brought Brad to the game. Here's the photo he sent me. 

They lost, but there's nothing like a game at fenway. As Brad says, they make even a base hit and it feels like you're at a world series game. The crowd it passionate, to say the least. 

Next year I'm going too!

 On to the beach! :)

Grampy.

We arrived home from Massachusetts on Monday morning and I got a call Wednesday that my Grampy is in the hospital. After feeling weak and tired (with occasional stomach pain) for months, and a trip to the cardiologist who told him his heart was fine, he woke in the early hours of the morning Tuesday vomiting. He was admitted to the hospital by 6am and had a CAT scan. They saw a large tumor in his colon completely blocking passage, 2 lesions on his lungs, and one in his liver. He has stage 4 cancer .

There are many options, and it's unclear which will be chosen at this point. 

He could undergo chemotherapy after having the tumor removed.  I'm not sure what he will choose.

My dad is there with my Grammy, visiting Grampy, and getting information from the doctors.

My Grammy is stressed, as anyone could imagine, and I'm completely torn up inside that I didn't get to see them while I was there and that I am so far away again.

Please send him love in whatever form you may pray.

I know we can't change what will happen, but we can send love, and if you think of it in a moment you're peaceful, some extra love going his way can only do good.

thank you. 

 *this photo has been sitting by my bedside for as long as I can remember. Sitting on my Grampy's lap is something I did until only 6 years ago. He always said I was his girlfriend (until I got married) :) As you can see, It's a cozy spot. I just wish I could be there to see him and hug him and tell him that I love him in person. For now, he is in my heart. 

And so it begins....

We knew she liked smothering him with love,

 putting him in her room to watch her play,

stealing his toys,

sneaking into his crib when he wakes from a nap,

 (which he LOVES),

climbing into his crib when she wakes up from a nap,

putting her princesses in his crib so he can "play" with them too, 

doing silly things to him to make him look silly,

(which she thinks is hysterical),

 teaching him the things big kids can do,

 helping change his diaper (while tickling),

And holding him, BUT...

today she dressed him up... in a bonnet! 

Poor Nathan!

I'm sorry buddy. 

This is life with a big sister.

:)

Someone is proud of his accomplishments | milestone: Nathan can roll over!

Our boy! 

Brad was the first to see him intentionally roll over just this past Sunday.

Now he's a total pro. 

Put him on his back and he'll flip immediately onto his tummy and smile. 

We're proud of you Nathan!!

Here is a little glimpse at his 3rd intentional roll over.
Brad witnessed the 1st (I'm so glad), he called me in for the 2nd, and then I realized I needed to document this, so I grabbed my camera for the 3rd roll.


*Please try and ignore my high-pitched mommy enthusiasum--:)!