New York City trip.

Over Memorial Day weekend, my friend Whitney and I took a girls trip to New York City. It was so nice to get away for 2 whole days but I can't say we did a whole lot of relaxing! The city is just so fun we tried to pack in as much as we could in the (basically) 48 hours we had. We took every bus tour and ferry trip we could, saw a comedy show, went to the bar from How I Met Your Mother, walked a ton, visited Central Park and Times Square, got served breakfast by singing broadway stars and so much more!

I always have these grand plans for family vacations and NYC always comes up because it's my favorite place in the world. But after taking the trip, I think I'll wait before we bring Javi. A stroller in NYC just seems like a lot of work. 

Impromptu road trip

Last week a huge storm hit the east coast. We were happy to be in sunny California when it was happening but it really messed up our flight home. Originally we were leaving Tuesday night (that flight was cancelled), we moved it up a night (that flight was cancelled), we moved it back to Thursday night (that flight was cancelled), we finally moved it to Wednesday morning but when we got to the airport, our flight was delayed. Once we boarded the flight and started down the runway, we had to turn back because of a maintenance issue. We sat on the plane at the gate forever, they thought they fixed the issue, we started down the runway once more only to turn back because the pilot said "I wouldn't fly my family on a plane I didn't think was safe, and this one isn't safe". As you can imagine, after a delayed flight and sitting on the runway -- people were a little annoyed. After that it was a mad rush to get in line, get on another flight, I had JetBlue on the phone and the helpful woman was telling me "get to gate 8! there's a flight to JFK" and I'd run to gate 8 and they were auctioning off tickets and the woman in front of us got the last one (damn her!). Then the woman would say "get to gate 4, you can get to San Francisco with a layover you can be Boston tomorrow morning" and we'd run there (with Javi, a stroller, 2 backpacks, etc., etc., etc.) -- she eventually said "I'm so sorry, but that was the last one. The next flight to get you anywhere close to the east coast is Sunday". SUNDAY. It was Wednesday. So we decided to cancel the flight, rent a car, and drive. We were in Long Beach, California and we live outside of Boston. It's winter. And we had a toddler with us.

// star wars sweats // book //

// mickey magnetic fun //

It didn't take long for us to realize that Javi wasn't going to make the trek. He fell asleep immediately upon sitting in his carseat. He was out... for 3 hours. So I started researching airports along the route home and then seeing which ones could get us a flight within the next day. Eventually we settled on Phoenix (about 10 hours from where we started off in Long Beach) so we booked a random hotel on Expedia (yay for last minute bookings that are super on sale!) and headed toward Phoenix. 

I've been to a lot of east coast states, and a few years ago we drove from Seattle to San Diego -- but I've never really spent any length of time inland on either coast. I've always been pretty close to the ocean (with the exception of a few trips to places like Vegas and Lake Tahoe) so the views of mountains and deserts was something I've never (in my adult life) seen before! The drive definitely made us realize that we aren't ready to embark on such a trip with Javi (as a 17 month old) but that in a few years (!) we will definitely make the trip across the whole country! If I could have taken pictures of the stars at night -- I would have! It was like we were in the planetarium at a museum. That's how bright they were! We finally made it to the hotel around midnight and it was such a nice hotel we were upset that we were only there to sleep for 6 hours! We wanted to spend more time there. Phoenix is definitely HOT. When we woke up at 6AM it was still 75 degrees outside.

We did eventually get home. The following day (Thursday) we got on an 8AM flight (that's when this whole thing happened) and landed in Boston around 4:30. We were really excited up until the moment we stepped off the plane and felt the -degree weather and we were all "sooo.... why were we rushing to get home"?!

:)

Day 2: San Diego, California.

Day 2 in San Diego brought more indoor workshops for me and lots of outdoors and sunshine for Javi and Sean! They ventured to another mountain for a hike, a few playgrounds, the beach and more. Javi is becoming quite the toddler on this trip as he is beginning to refuse any and all help from us, wants to do everything himself (including walking rather than being carried or pushed in the stroller), and has become quite the rowdy participant at restaurants. :) 

Tomorrow is the end of my conference so it'll feel like the first day of vacation! Unfortunately, we had to cut our trip short by 24 hours because of the winter storm so we're leaving Monday night rather than Tuesday night. But I know we'll have a wonderful time on Monday because we're going to Disneyland!

Here are some pictures of the day!

// Javi's t-shirt //

San Diego, California.

We're in sunny San Diego so I can attend the American Montessori Society conference. Having Sean and Javi travel with me seemed like a perfect way to incorporate a mini-vacation so we extended the trip and will stay a few days after the conference ends. Today was our first full day here -- I plan to write a full post about our flight adventures once we get back. I spent most of the day inside the conference halls (more on that later, too) but I was able to sneak away for lunch time and my last workshop of the day finished around 5. Sean and Javi sent me lots of pictures throughout the day and I'm super jealous of their special time on the west coast together! They went to the playground, a park, the beach, the mall and on a hike! It's safe to say the sunshine has exhausted him. :) We're loving the nice weather and we're pretty happy we're missing out on the snow back home. We have so many pictures from today but here are some favorites! 

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Follow our instagram for pics and instastories!

// sunglasses // Javi's shirt //

// steve madden ecentrcq sneakers // colored skinny capri jeans // Javi's adidas sneakers //

It's safe to say this place has won over our hearts. 

Yearly Recap: 2016!

What?! It's already time for the yearly recap?!

2010 // 2011 // 2012 // 2013 // 2014 // 2015

I'll admit that this year's yearly recap will be mostly from memory since I wasn't that strong at blogging and what I did blog, I often wrote weeks and sometimes months after the fact and just back dated the posts. Oops. But here goes, anyway...

January: We brought in the New Year with my family. If I remember, Sean was still working at the liquor store and had to work that night but managed to get out in time to celebrate. My uncle Chucky leaned on a candle and caught on FIRE and my aunt Regina put out the fire with her hand. It was funny because it was all good, and she covered her hand in mustard the rest of the night because someone was positive that helps burns?! January also meant that maternity leave was over and I had to go back to work. It was rough. Javi started school and got his first (?) real cough and it was horrible. We watched a lot of Pats games, but I think they ended up losing? We celebrated my dad's 50th birthday.

February: It snowed a bit in February and Javi was invited to his first child's birthday party! Sean's grandmother passed away and we attended her wake and funeral. Javi made his first Valentines (foot prints in the shape of a heart), and we took him to the park for the first time even though it was FREEZING.  I started to Konmari.

March: Javi took his first school pictures :) and we started to give him baby food. He started to roll over for the first time, and I took him to the White Mountains for scrapbook weekend. We spent some time outside and he went on a swing for the first time. We celebrated Sean's 30th birthday, and Javi met the Easter bunny!

April: Javi was all about rolling over and rolling across the room! Sean stopped working at the liquor store. It started to become nice weather and we went for a lot of walks. We went to the marathon start line, and Javi wore his first track suit. We went out with friends for Sean's delayed birthday celebration and we got locked in a room with a zombie that we had to escape from! We went into Boston with Sean's family for dinner. 

May: I celebrated my first Mother's Day. We signed up for a 5k and went but since it was pouring we didn't actually run. It got hot out and Javi enjoyed sitting in a dishpan outside on the deck. (I don't remember much else...)

June: Javi got a crazy diaper burn and it was awful! I survived my first week with Javi... without Sean when he went to Florida. It was hard. So hard. We took him to the aquarium. I finished my 7th year of teaching and summer break started. The cats caught colds... seriously. I started taking Javi to story time at the library and swimming classes. Sean and I had a date night and saw Macklemore in concert. Sean celebrated his first Father's Day. We spent a lot of time outside and Javi LOVED my parent's pool. 

July: Javi went swimming almost every day. We celebrated the 4th of July. We flew to Seattle and did A LOT of stuff while there. Javi started drinking from a straw (which is one of my favorite memories). We rode on a ferry and a ferris wheel. We celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. We vacationed in Puerto Rico and Javi loved the pool... but didn't enjoy the ocean. Our luggage was lost but then recovered. We celebrated my mom's birthday. We saw my great-grandmother. 

August: I continued to Konmari. I started to plan Javi's birthday party. I took Javi to Touch-a-truck. We got a new car and become a one car family. We went to Maine with friends and left Javi for the weekend for the first time. Javi finished swim class and got his first (of many, I'm sure -- ha!) ribbon. I started my eighth year of teaching. 

September: I turned 30 and Javi turned 1! We celebrated him with a "you are my sunshine" theme party. He started to walk. We painted a few rooms in our house. Javi found his lovey -- a stuffed dachshund from Ikea we named Frank. My parents and Barb sold their house and Barb moved in with us!

October: We went to a pumpkin patch that was all out of pumpkins. We "ran" a 5K. Javi got his first basket (in his basketball hoop). We went to Patriots place and community day. Javi was dracula for Halloween and we went to the zoo! We went trick-or-treating at trunk-or-treat. My great-grandmother passed away. 

November: We went to our friend's wedding. I tried to purge our basement. Joe and Kim visited for an early Thanksgiving. I colored my hair for the first time in 5 years. We went to the Cape for Thanksgiving. I spent an entire weekend watching the Gilmore Girls revival and hated it. I was totally devastated after the election. 

December: I tried to get my act together after weeks of being pretty angry over the election. We decorated for Christmas and did all sorts of fun things that we'll turn into traditions. We took Javi to see Santa 3 times, just to get a good picture. We went sledding. I started posting on my cat instagram account again. I also started Konmari, again. We bought a lot of furniture from Ikea and moved around the rooms in our house. We celebrated NYE at home, with family and actually stayed up until 1AM! Javi was in bed at 9 (very late for him!)

It was a tricky year. I won't lie. Sometimes world events and things out of my control get me down. But it's also really easy to look around and be so thankful for our little family. I'm excited for what 2017 will bring and to watch Javi-man grow!

Happy new year!

Couples trip to Maine.

Last weekend, Sean and I went away for the first time without Javi! I was hesitant to leave him but him being with my parents for the weekend made it a bit easier. :) I didn't really know if I would really be able to leave him behind, and even the morning we were leaving I said to Sean, "maybe we should just take him!?". Ultimately, he stayed back and it was the right decision... and we were only gone from Friday to Sunday. (Still a long time away from the little guy) The trip was a lot of fun though. 

We traveled to Maine and met our friends Whitney and Kyle (two years ago we did a trip to DC and we would have gone somewhere last year had I not been pregnant and put on bedrest). So this year, we decided to plan a trip and continue the tradition we'd like to begin. Since Maine is so close, we chose there!

We had a very packed 2 days! We saw the sunset, a sunrise, spent more money on food (lots of lobsters!) and beer than ever before (in just 2 days), watched movies, spent hours talking, went on a boat... the list goes on and on. It was a great trip and it was nice to be with our friends and to eat meals without (an adorable) interruption. 

The first night at dinner, we decided to take the plunge and taste Pappy van Winkle whiskey. Apparently, when you see it on the menu, you should try it so we shelled out more money than I would EVER spend on one drink and tried 12 year and 20 year whiskey. I preferred the 12 year much more. 

 Here are some pictures of our weekend!