One turned 4...another turned more than 4...

Another great joint birthday is in the books! After a fantastic long holiday weekend (love having birthdays so close to, and sometimes on Labor Day!) filled with the return of Hokie Football, a successful birthday party, and lots of family time, Adam and I celebrated our actual birthdays by going to work and school. Boo! No one should have to do such things on their birthdays, though Adam had the benefit of bringing cupcakes to share with his classmates. As my co-workers are spread throughout the globe, I simply enjoyed the steady line of Facebook messages. :) 

At the end of the day we were ready to party (again) and after a great dinner of braised short ribs (one of my faves) we opened some more presents (mostly clothes from us, but Adam still gets pretty excited about new threads!) and some jewelry for me (yay!) 

Hard to believe it had been 4 years since we brought Adam into this world, and I suppose my folks were thinking the same thing, though it's certainly been far more than 4! ;) 

A Splish Splash Birthday Party!

We had a "low key" (or at least that's what I had told Andy it would be, whoops!) birthday party for Adam this year. Just a few friends, family, and hot hot hot temperatures which made his End of Summer "Pool" Party quite fitting! 

The kids had a blast splashing and playing and the adults did their best to stay cool with cold beer, lemonade, and the occasional water gun spray from the little ones! 

We set up a "Snack Bar" and while Andy grilled up some kielbasa and wings, I served up some dips, chips, and a fruit bowl that had everyone "chomping" away on the summer's best berries and melons.  

Adam LOVED his "Nemo" cake and had a great time hearing everyone sing him "Happy Birthday!" 

He was spoiled with some amazing toys and books which have all added to his blossoming imagination. 

A special shout out to Grandma & Ava for coming to party on THEIR birthday! :)

So it might not have been "low key" but I can't imagine anything better than watching your son light up at the site of friends and family gathered to celebrate him! 

Don't worry Andy, next year we'll scale back......(she said with her fingers crossed) ;) 

New York, New York!

I travel to New York just about every six weeks or so for work, but really I'm just in the city for, oh about 15 minutes, before I head out to Tarrytown where my office is. So it's not often I really get to enjoy the city. Of course there was last year when I got to take in a match at The US Open which was ah-mazing, and then this year where I got to hit up Broadway!

A couple of us decided to take in a show and so we hit up the famous Ticket Booth in Time Square for some super discounted tickets to see Newsies. I have been in love with Newsies since High School when my volleyball team would watch it before games and sing the songs on the bus. One of those memories that even as the years go by stays strong in my mind. 

Before the show we grabbed some cocktails and appetizers at Guy Fieri's restaurant. The food was so good, I know it may seem a bit "touristy" but if you ever have a chance to go there, I'd take it and be sure to order the Ahi Tuna Tacos, woah, or as Guy would say, "winner winner chicken dinner!" 

The show was unbelievable! We all left there with the biggest smiles on our faces and all agreed we had the urge to just start dancing in the middle of Time Square (it's important to note that we did not break out in dance, but it's safe to say that had we, we would not have been the weirdest sight to see, boy are there some weirdos in NYC!) :) Seriously though, if you get a chance to see this musical, do it! You won't regret it. The singing was great, but the dancing was what really blew me away. So so good! 

Adult Sippy Cups! Ha, seriously, they sell cocktails and let you bring them into the show! Who knew?!

I definitely heart NYC! 

Seeester night at Wolf Trap!

I have a confession to make, I'm in love with another man. Yep, there, I said it. But it's ok, Andy is well aware and is actually supportive.  The problem is, my sister is also in love with this man. Yep, we're ready to go the mats over this one....his name....Josh Groban. Ok ok, so Andy is ok with it because he knows there's truly no threat, though it must be mentioned that he is on my "list" so there, it's not out of the question :) And Kathleen and I really don't have to fight over him, instead we can share our love for him, and last month we did just that. 

Our boy Josh graced our presence at Wolf Trap, which is pretty much the Best. Venue. Ever. 

We met up at our house, Andy took some pics, I critiqued his photo taking abilities, and then we spent the rest of the night taking about a gazillion "selfies."  

"uhhh, Andy, take the pics from a bit higher up..."

The weather was unbelievable, especially for the middle of August, the wine was chilled, the people watching fantastic (including another twosome dressed surprisingly similar to the two of us), and of course, our boy Josh was beyond amazing. Love. Love. Love. 

Of course as good as Josh is, the evening spent hanging out with my seeester was the best part of all!