4th Of July (Photo Shoot)

Four years ago, a July 4th tradition was born. My friends Amy and Valerie ended up buying the same flag dresses for their girls for Independence Day without each other's knowledge (great minds!). I ran out and bought the same dress for Bri because it was so stinking cute. We got the girls together and had a July 4th photo shoot. 

Every year now, we get the same dress or shirt for the girls to wear on/around July 4th and snap some photos.

The shirts my friend Amy found for this year were so adorable.

Here is the photo shoot of our three Asian American beauties/besties...

Here are the girls over the years (click on the photos to make them bigger)...

I absolutely love this tradition and hope to do it for years to come!

Blueberry Pickin' - Year 10!

Every summer, Briana and I visit a blueberry farm to pick blueberries. It is one of our favorite traditions.

Each year differs - sometimes we meet up with our friends Chani and Kathy for picking, sometimes it's just me and B, sometimes the picking is good and sometimes not so good.

Chani and Kathy could not join us for picking (they were on vacation), so this year it was just me and Miss B.

Here are links to all of our previous years of picking...

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

The blueberry farm opened very early this year due to all the rain we've had. They actually opened in June instead of July 4th weekend. I watched their FB closely to see when they were having heavy picking and when they would close a few days to replenish their crop. I sent a message through FB the day before we went over to make sure berries were plentiful and I was told things looked good.

But when Bri and I arrived first thing in the morning, I was then told the exact opposite. The owner told me that they were pretty picked over and that we would really have to search for berries. Grumble. It was the only day I had available to pick, so Bri and I had to make the best of it.

Luckily, the weather was beautiful (no mugginess). Very unusual for late June...

Bri looks a bit lonely without Chani...

I sprayed Bri with bug spray and of course, she got bit immediately anyway. She was touching her mosquito bite. She looked super cute anyway...

We had to reach really high to get plump berries...

I would pull the branches down and Bri would grab the berries...

We were very nervous about poison ivy throughout the field. We did our best not to touch any...

Bri is becoming a pro at this...

After really spending some time searching for berries, we were finally done. We took a quick break...

We paid for our berries and headed home. We got a bucket full...

The farm actually closed the next day and stayed closed for a number days until the crop replenished a bit. Glad we went when we did.

The berries were definitely good on pancakes (Bri likes her berries sprinkled on top, Doug likes his in the batter and I am fine either way!)...

I'm not quite sure we will attempt blueberry picking again next year. I'm on the fence about it. We've loved doing it for 10 years and it's been a lot of fun, but it's also a long drive for us to get there and it's quite exhausting/sweaty/buggy! I'll let Briana make the decision next year. If she is still into it, then we'll continue our tradition. If not, I know we will find something to fill our time!

Father's Day/Birthday Recap

It's the middle of August and I'm just talking about Father's Day and my birthday now. Dang I'm so behind!

Doug had quite the "Star Wars" themed Father's Day. Heh.

We got him the infamous Chewbacca mask. I have to admit it is pretty dang funny. Bri was hilarious when she tried it on...

Just listen...

Bri's really wanted to give Doug a facial for Father's Day (don't ask me why) and he obliged...

What a trooper!!!

For dinner, Bri and I took him out to his favorite Cuban restaurant...

This was my dinner (nom, nom, nom)...

The Saturday before Father's Day, I hosted my family for our annual Father's Day/Birthday get together. Because my sister's and my birthday always land right around Father's Day, we crunch things together and it just makes life easier!

Father's Day celebration...

We brought in Mellow Mushroom for lunch...

Doug and my dad getting bottles of wine...

Then it was time to switch gears to birthday mode...

My sis and me...

My family seriously spoils me on my birthday...

 My actual birthday landed on (Monday) the first day of Bri's sweets/cake decorating camp. My friend Amy was so nice to bring and pick up the girls from camp that day...

For lunch, I wanted something quick and easy (since we were having a nice dinner that evening). We went to this hot dog joint not too far from my house that had been there like 4 years and I had always wanted to try it...

The hot dogs were delish...

The owner gave us free fried oreos (waaaay too rich for my liking)...

Seriously - four days after I discovered this place, it shut down. I shut the freaking place down!!! LOL! How did that happen? I guess I at least got to try it. Sad - it was really yummy.

That evening, we had plans to eat at a particular restaurant and it didn't work out. We were told there was only a 20 minute wait and it actually started nearing an hour with no end in sight. I wasn't happy that had to happen on my birthday. (I complained later and got a gift card - so all is good).

Luckily, this little restaurant saved our evening...

They served really good tapas and the place wasn't crowded at all...

We got home and I blew out the candles of the cake Doug made me...

Doug got me two beautiful paintings that I had admired while we were in Rhode Island. Such a surprise (click pic to see larger)...

And then Briana gave me her gift. My mom had bought it for her and asked her to fill it out. All on her own, she filled out each and every page. It seriously had me doing the ugly cry...

There was the restaurant hiccup, but otherwise is was a great day. And the sky gave me a gift that evening too...