It's not a Goodbye..

Our good friends are moving today... It's not a small move either. They are packing up their 5 kids, dog, and frog, and heading to MAINE! I've given up my last glimmer of hope that they will change their minds...( it's happened before, you should know). 

I've never had my best friend move away and I am grieving this loss. Garret's best friend just happens to be one of the 5 kids. He and Matty started preschool together when they were three and have been tight ever since. Garret is sad and questions this loss. He finds comfort in the fact that he can "Facetime" or "Skype" with his pal, but the daily smile, shared jokes, and sense of comfort that only your best friend can offer will no longer be there. I know his pain! 

We've decided that we aren't saying goodbye. Instead, we say "see you soon." Life won't be the same here without the Taggarts. We will all miss them terribly. There are families in Kennebunkport who are soon to meet a magical family. Hopefully one of them is welcoming, fun-loving, and liberal (the Taggart's need a left sided view of the world now and then!)  There's talk of a Maine vacation, Colorado visits, a Girls trip to Vegas (if our friends can stop having babies!), and lots and lots of texting, emails, and phone calls. 

See you soon, Taggarts! We love you.

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you always must remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is even if we're apart, i'll always be w/ you."

- Winnie the Pooh

We've got a Kindergartner in the house!

Owen had his big day this morning. He got up, got dressed, brushed his teeth, made his bed, packed his lunch box into his new backpack and was ready for school about 90 minutes early. He had happy, dancing feet, and the biggest smile knowing that he was finally going to Cottonwood. With all the parents crowded around the drop off area and lots of kids crying, Owen squeezed my hand and  told me that he's not shy and he's totally ready for school. Yep... you totally are!

Owen is in Kindergarten!

Garret and Owen are ready to walk to school

Collin and Owen ~ headed up the hill. 

Brendan, Owen, and Meg ~ so proud of our little man!

Planting Progress!

We added 10 new plants to our front yard yesterday! Thanks to John, Barbara, and Trudy for our early anniversary gifts, we started to fill in the bleak (...I mean eagerly awaiting to be landscaped) area next to our garage. We planted three Cistena Plums in the back row. These can grow to about 8' x 8'. We also added 7 Wintercreepers in the front. These will spread to about 4'x4'. So, while they might look small now, we are all about patience as long as we can keep those pesky bunnies away from them! Grow babies, grow!

Owen's Newest Accomplishment!

We ditched the last set of training wheels at our house!

We are proud of you, Owen! You worked hard, and when you were ready, you took off down the street. It's a good thing we had lots of little treats ~ you deserved them as you figured out this life long skill. You also lost your 3rd tooth in the same time period. Do you think the tooth fairy knew about you riding your bike?

Happy Birthday, Brendan!

Brendan turned 36 on August 1. His traditional birthday dinner is grilled pork tenderloin, roasted baby red potatoes, garlic bread, and a Caesar salad. He also really likes grilled salmon, asparagus, and garlic bread. Instead of picking just one, we said what the heck - let's have both. Sunday night was the pork (see picture below) and Monday was the salmon. While Brendan was at work on Monday, the boys painted a sign with Nana and we decorated the dining room for the festivities.  We also made him a new favorite cake (thanks http://sharedthreads.wordpress.com/)- a lime yogurt cake with fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream... YUM! Happy Birthday, B!

Owen's dessert plate...gone!