The Fab 5.

Have you ever heard of The Fab 5? Me neither. Until this weekend, anyways. Apparently they're a group of gorgeous, young, happening, and as the name states - fabulous women....and I'm one of them! Let me explain...

On Friday night I was part of a group that put together a karaoke event in memory of my friend, Ryan 'Quazie' King, who passed away almost eleven years ago. Our goal was to raise money to purchase a memorial bench in his name. After our first attempt with 'Quazie Ball' last Spring, we had raised half of the $5000 needed. Friday we planned 'Quazie-Oke' in hopes of completing the purchase and it was a huge success! WE DID IT!!! 

At the event there were all kinds of people who had enough courage to get up there and let loose with their inner rock stars...I however, was not one of them. I watched these people get up on that stage with such admiration. Some had great voices, some not so great, some brave enough to fly solo and some who chose a duet, serious attempts from people who seemed to be auditioning for American Idol and others who rocked out with hilariously funny songs that had the whole place laughing and singing along. The one thing they all had in common? They were having SO much fun! 

A group of my friends and I had been catching up in the background for a while when we couldn't help but notice the show taking place all around us. We had been joking around and teasing each other about what songs we'd sing or how many drinks we'd need to muster up some liquid courage. Finally, one of my girlfriends Kaitlin, decided she wasn't going to wait any longer and took it upon herself to march up to that DJ and sign us all up for a group performance of  the classic, 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'. As she approached us with the 'good news' she declared, "I said we were The Fab 5!!" What?!? Were we really gonna do this? Hmm...why not!? If I was going to get up there and do a little number it might as well be with four of my favorite girls since grade school! I don't think the other three ladies shared the same enthusiasm as Kait and I, so I think I'll start referring to them as the not so fabulous portion of the group ;) sorry girls! 

As we sat around that bar sharing stories, laughing and taking pictures to duplicate ones we took as kids, I kept an ear out for The Fab 5 to be called out over the speakers. The night carried on and song after song was played while those brave performers took the stage. Eventually, the party started to die down and the crowd was dwindling and I began to realize that The Fab 5 might never make their debut. We never did get a chance to sing that night but I do have high hopes for the future of The Fab 5.  Maybe even a new found confidence that'll give me the courage to be one of those people that I had been admiring throughout the night. We've I've already started planning our next girls night and even if it ends up being us standing on the living room couch singing into our hair brushes, I fully intend on making 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' a performance we'll remember forever!

"The Fab 5"

Christy, Lynden, Sophia, Tiffany, Kaitlin

PS. To my group members,

Thank you for a fabulous night out and know that this is not the end...The Fab 5 is making a comeback!! Until next time... xo

Cupcakes

Every now and then I like to pretend to be among the likes of Julia Child, Martha Stewart, and Paula Deen. The truth is, I'm more of a "Ten Dollar Dinners" or "Semi-Homemade" kinda girl. If you watch food network at all, you probably got that reference but if not, those are the shows featured for the 'not so fancy chefs'...Well, cat's outta the bag - that's me! Not that I don't know how to whip up a good meal by any means, but I certainly don't have the talent that those women do! I would much rather google a few recipes and then swing open the cabinet doors and see if any of those ingredients ring a bell. If they do, into the pot they go! Usually I end up with a pretty decent meal for the family so I guess it's working for me!

^^^ ME ^^^ 

Every year when my children or their cousins have a birthday it's pretty much assumed that my mother in law is going to be doing the baking. She's never had any experience, but after a few really good cupcakes she didn't really have a choice anymore. Once we come up with a birthday 'theme' we usually throw out ideas and she comes up with some sort of fabulous birthday treat for our little ones!

 Some of Laurie's famous birthday treats from over the years!

Do you bake? Do you like to pretend you can bake, like me? Or maybe you'd just like to be part of 'something bigger than yourself'?? Well, if any of the above apply to you, consider entering the "Team Tommy Cupcake Festival" on February 9th! If you recall my recent post, "Doing good does you good" you'll see that my husband just participated in an event with Team Tommy and we were so glad we did! This time, they're at it again to celebrate Tommy turning 7 years old and using money raised to help local families affected by pediatric cancer. It's free to enter the contest, and all you have to do is show up to the event with at least six cupcakes to be judged. Then stay for the bake sale after and buy some of your favorites to take home! You can find more info on that event HERE Doesn't it sound like fun? Especially, if you have kids who are old enough to help you in the kitchen...what a great way to teach about giving back to others! 

Are you planning to enter? ...To attend? There's even info if you'd like to judge! I'm thinking about trying my hand at baking, but at the very least I'll probably have to stop by to taste some of the cupcakes! Maybe you'll even see my mother in law there, I'm hoping this post will convince her to enter!! 

Have a good weekend, friends!!

Memory Lane

Do you keep a memory box? You know, the little box where you store all those little keepsakes like a picture of you and your best friend when you were twelve, a ticket stub from your first movie date, a letter your grandmother gave you...those kinds of things. Well, I do. Or I did anyways. You'd think I'd be more sentimental about those things now that I have children but I guess I'm still pretty sentimental, I'm just too preoccupied with the children themselves to remember to save everything!

 Memory Boxes

Back when I was a kid, probably say, pre-teen up until having my own kids, I kept all sorts of things like that! I eventually bought these two big red hat boxes and deemed them my 'memory boxes'. I had a big one to store all my 'friend' items and the smaller one held all my 'boyfriend' items once Eric and I met. I would hold on to all kinds of pictures, (because back then we actually printed them) mini golf score cards from dates, funny birthday cards from friends, little notes folded into footballs from back in highschool, I even saved a napkin from Applebees because it was Eric and I's favorite spot when we started dating! Overboard? Maybe. But it was sweet and I always loved getting home and tucking them away in their safe place, and then pulling them out on a rainy day or when I needed a reminder of just how great my life was. As my life changed with time, so did my memory boxes. What was once my small 'Eric' box, soon became overflowing with keepsakes and my 'friend' box slowly started to look a little lacking. I felt somewhat guilty when I noticed, but with time I decided that it was okay to swap them and in a way it represented my life too. Not that I didn't love my friends just as much, but I guess that's what happens when you start to grow up and find relationships, right? 

Life changes...but with my little boxes there to remind me, the memories don't. It was sort of comforting at times. As I get older and my life is different, it's kind of nice to remember what's in those boxes and a time when everything was just that way. I still have my memory boxes stored away and every now and then I go digging in the basement and pull them out for a walk down memory lane. Care to take a stroll with me??

  

                       

                     

Life Lately.

Life lately, or more like in the past couple of years, has been full of everything you might think it would with a family of five. Yes, I said five. Because after scrolling through my old posts I realized I sort of jumped from being half way through a pregnancy to all of a sudden being thankful it was Wednesday. Well, somewhere in between all that I did give birth so don't worry, he's not still in there!

 Meet baby Gavin! 

...Who is now 18 months old!

Throughout my pregnancy with Gavin and the time following his birth we also made our way back to Massachusetts, and spent some quality time with my parents. (and by that I mean crashing in their spare bedroom for months until we could close on a house) And finally we did. Back to where we started out and finally settled in our home for over a year now. Amazing how time flies! 

Here's a family picture in our front yard at Mason's 3rd birthday last September

Also in the fall Owen started preschool! He goes right down the street from our house two mornings a week and loves it! He turned five in November but missed the kindergarten cutoff so I've come to realize my already super big boy will probably be the giant in his class next year. I guess no one will mess with him, right? He's also been playing soccer in the Spring and Fall where Eric has been his coach! Mason is still too young but likes to be 'assistant coach' for Daddy. Mason spends most of his time trying to be Owen by getting ready for school and soccer and whatever other thing Owen decides to take an interest in. For now, Owen seems to like the admiration but I'm pretty sure that will turn to annoying far too soon. Maybe at that point Gavin and Mason will bond more? Perhaps when Owen does start kindergarten they'll shift roles in the family...time will tell! Gavin has already started to try and tag along with them lately. He imitates their dance moves, runs after them in the house and will do mostly anything they tell him to. Perfect little brother! Here's some memorable moments of the three of them and some others that I just can't resist! 

P.S. Here's where I get picture crazy...Enjoy! Or don't! :) 

 July, 2011... Playing with their new 'toy'

My three sons <3

Superbowl 2012 reppin' the Pats!!

Why are these guys in my cribby, Ma?

 Wild boys in Spring 2012

 

 May 2012 visiting the Palmquists in VA

 Boston Fans...Go Red Sox!

 The Brat Pack

Daddy helped build a snowman last month after the storm, and with muscles!!

  Sweet Gavin, waking up with bed head just last week, and playing toys

 Mason on Thanksgiving and then practicing his name!

 Owen's Fall pix, Soccer and First day of preschool!

As for other news, Eric now works for Utz and loves his job in Human Resources! I'm still at the same job as before, stay at home Mama to the crazy, exhausting, adorable little boys and loving it every single day...even when I don't like it! ;) 

Hopefully you enjoyed this little update and now I can feel less guilt about moving forward without acknowledging my third child! Haha! I'm sure there's things I forgot to mention that have probably had some significance along the way, but for now this should suffice. Hope you've all had a great couple of years as well and I look forward to posting again in 2015!!! Just kidding...I hope! 

Doing good does you good.

Almost a year and a half of no blogging. About time, huh? Maybe at some point I'll try and get a "Life Lately" post up, but today it's not about me. Today is about something bigger than myself...

Have you ever heard of "Freezin' for a Reason" for Camp Sunshine? It's a fundraising event that takes place all over the country. Our local one happened just this past Saturday at a mountain...yes, a mountain. In Massachusetts. In January. Full of snow and ice. And wind. Ok, you get it. Well, I had heard of this event over the years and thought how crazy these people must be! At our Wachusett Polar Dip here in Mass, they set up a pool and fill it with the snow guns right there in the middle of all the people skiing and snowboarding in their warm winter gear. The fundraising teams get out there one by one and stand on a ladder and literally 'dip' into this pool...and by dip, I mean jump, canon ball and belly flop. It's pure madness. You have to be some kind of crazy to go through with that kind of thing, don't you think?

 Well, the news of the Polar Dip came about and I decided I wanted to be a part of it this year. After becoming more aware of families right around me, even in my own hometown that are struggling with cancer and tumors and all kinds of terrible illnesses that should never be part of a childhood, I wanted to help. I wanted to find a way to be part of something bigger than myself, and this was it. So, there I stood this Saturday atop that mountain freezing my butt off. Wind blowing, hands and toes numb, cold beyond cold...watching my husband get ready to plunge into that ice cold water!! Waitttt....you didn't think I was going to jump in, did you?!?  No, thank you!!  I did what any sane woman would do...I signed up my husband! There he stood in his bathing suit, barefoot on an icy mountain while waiting to hear 'Team Tommy' called to take their turn to dip. What a champ! Back when I got that urge to be part of something great, I turned to Eric and made a deal. "I'll help you raise the money if you do the jump?" He agreed. What a team we were! With the help of all our family and friends who so generously donated to our cause, we were able to raise a whopping $505 to contribute to Team Tommy for Camp Sunshine. It was incredible!

When it was Eric's turn, we moved forward with the boys to get a closer view of the pool. He climbed on top of that ladder and the announcer welcomed him as a Polar Dip 'virgin' and told him to have at it. In typical Eric fashion, he chose to belly flop into the pool and the crowd cheered and cringed as we watched that dreaded smack into the water. I was so proud. To be there watching each of those people was amazing to see, but my husband in particular was something pretty special. I stood there alongside children who are suffering from cancer, families who are supporting their own child, people who have lost a child and still come out to participate. We were all standing there for the same reason. To give back and to be there for these kids and join together to do something as crazy as jump in freezing cold water to make it all happen. (or at least cheer on someone who would)  This is what it's all about I thought. This is my something bigger. 

HE DID IT!!!!

Camp Sunshine in Maine

We are already looking forward to next years Polar Dip and truly appreciate the support from everyone who helped us accomplish our goal! Team Tommy as a group raised about $8000 to contribute to Camp Sunshine and it's amazing to think of how many families will benefit from those funds! Have you ever done a fundraiser or been part of something 'bigger than yourself'? Did you get that sense of pride and accomplishment like I did? If you haven't, consider it...it's a feeling like no other! Doing good does you good!!

**Updated...Check out THIS post I wrote later, which piggy backs just how amazing this cause is!