Memorial Day!!

 With this beautiful, wonderful, praiseworthy holiday, we are officially entering the the season of blissfulness.

 Featuring friends and fireworks and food.  

So much good food.

(and good friends.  legal fireworks though: a strong, meh.)

 These are the days I hold on to for dear life.

Endless smiles and laughter and sugar and sandals.

It all just looks and feels a lot like summer.

May the Forth {was with us}

The first Friday in May was warm.  Like 80 degrees warm. Which after months of frigid, felt hot.

 I forced the kids to ditch school and escape to the beach with me.

 Let it be written: I AM THE COOLEST MOM EVER.

(or the most selfish. whatever)

 Ryder even got his bestie to join him.

 Let's be real: that water was a freshly melted icicle and I fully question the functionality of their neurons.

 We {obi} Wan today.  

In the most major way.

May 4, 2018 will forever go down in history.

*this concludes the entirety of my Star Wars knowledge*

April iPhone Dump

Rounding out the month that is suppose to look like Spring and feel like Spring, but turns out is actually just one giant tease:

Ryder got his braces off!!

 New York Auto Show

 Grandma and Grandpa came to visit!!

 Tessa spent a day as Jane Goodall

 I wallpapered the girls' bathroom.

 While Ryder was busy saving a small corner of the world via his Eagle project, my girls were saving their too-many-snow-days education.  Berkeley Heights mandated school on a SATURDAY!

Worst. Winter. Ever.

 Some Dinosaur BBQ to celebrate a project well done (for father and son, duh).

 And just because being in Young Women's with these beauties is the best.

April brought snow showers, which likely means no May flowers, but, but, dare I say, Winter is over.

Cue all the happiness.

F O U R T E E N

How?

 Watching this boy discover who he is and determine who he wants to become with a quiet confidence and a flourishing faith has made for an endlessly rewarding year from my mom-view seat. 

He is my happy hope.

 He celebrated with pizza and Infinity Wars with some buddies.

Happy Birthday Firstborn.

All Work, No Play

These adorable ladies got to ditch school to spend the day with dad.

BlackRock always does a truly superb job of making these kids feel special and smart and capable.  

Also, my children have a far better idea how their father spends his days than I do.

I need a take-your-wife-to-work day.  Stat.

Soaring

 Ryder had a goal to finish his Eagle Project before he turned 14.

After hours of preparation, work and precious support from friends (and father), mission accomplished: with a week to spare.

 He worked to revitalize as well as increase the capacity and efficiency of The People's Garden, a self-sustaining community garden utilized to provide a food source for families living in poverty in Newark, New Jersey.

I don't know how to be anything but proud of this kid. 

He is just good.  All good.  To the core good.

A Wallace Weekend

Tracy, Graham and Wendy opted to spend their Spring Break with us. Bless them.

We are a privileged people.

There was eating and shopping and endless cousin cuddles.

It really doesn't get much better.

 Also, photo reenactments felt necessary.

A quick burst of family to boost our spirits until Spring. 

Yep, bless them.