VT

Our quick visit this weekend to Vermont included:

 ROAD TRIP

 very excited to be on the way to see Nana and Auntie Kathleen

 I would run every day if I knew this was the view at my halfway point - Lake Champlain
Saturday morning

the view after turning around and heading back to the house - not too shabby either

made me want to stop running and sit but I kept going...

 mainly because I knew our afternoon would include a trip to Al's for soft serve ice cream!

 picking flowers for Nana while Tony, Kathleen and I did some serious mulching

 beautiful!

Hiatus

So OK, I've been on a sort of blog hiatus.  It's not that we don't have anything going on or that we don't have any new pictures to share.  It's actually the opposite.  Our household has been extra busy with getting the boat ready for summer and spending long hours outside.  The past few nights we haven't eaten dinner until after 7.  Instead, while Tony mowed the lawn the other night, Jill and I took Rachael for a walk down the street which turned into a run.  Jill sprinting down the street, pumping those little arms and keeping them almost straight, looking just awkward enough to be hysterical and adorable at the same time.  She turned her head to yell to me, "Look Mumma!  I'm exercising!!"  I just wanted her to turn around and watch where she was going before she ran straight into a mailbox. 

Here's a look of what we've been up to, in no particular order because I can't remember:

 posing by the sunset

 "Look Momma, I'm Cinderella"

 new outfit from Nana

 warmer weather is here - time for wiffleball,

playing on the swingset,

 and uncovering the boat.

 Jill and her cousin, Guy, helping uncover the boat.

 that same afternoon we checked out the fair at Bristol Aggie
Jill loved the turtles!

 one of the small turtles poking its head out to say hello

 This definitely happened: Jill walking a goat.

 Here's the purple pansy she picked out in the greenhouse.

 Then we met Mel and Cole at Somerset Creamery for the first time this season.

 Dighton Town Hall playground visit

 she loves this place

 smelling the daffodil she picked for Nana for her visit a few weekends ago

 Friday morning snuggle session

 making tea for Nana

 storytime at the library with Nana

 Dad and his tractor and Jill and her Jeep

 picnic at Dighton Rock Park with her buddies

 backyard fire with Ethan
There goes the Christmas tree!

 sandbox play time with Lily and Guy

Gone fishing

Hanging on to Innocence

Every Sunday night a reminder crosses my mind to sit down and update Jill’s blog. Then I put the chicken in the oven. Swap the laundry in the basement. Bathe Jill. Feed the dog. Go to sleep. I like to record our short and precious weekends in this electronic diary. It’s no secret that our lives are busy and time flies by. All of the sudden it’s Monday morning and we’re back on the highway heading into the city. This Monday was Patriots’ Day/Marathon Monday and the day Boston – no America – was attacked.

Just after 3pm I was sitting in a meeting, running the slides from my computer, when the news broke. My colleagues and I actually knew moments before the news broke from texts and phone calls from people there, waiting for their friends and family members to cross the finish line. Our meeting continued. Wait, is that weird? I think so. The focus shifted and people left the conference room to take phone calls and frantically track people down. Our meeting kept going and I didn’t pay attention. I nodded my head but wasn’t sure what I was agreeing with. A classic presenters’ oversight, I left the email pop-ups enabled while the meeting preparation slides continued.

The first email came from my husband at 3:12, “Explosion went off at the finish line of the marathon a few mins ago. Could be interesting to get home today. Sounds like a mess.”

“OMG I’m dying a little on the inside” – Heidi

“You have the news on?” – John Keane

Our meeting continued and I tried to focus.

Texts, phone calls and Facebook messages filtered in all evening and throughout Tuesday. Many friends from our Air Force days checked in. For the first 2 hours or so following the explosions my cell phone went dead. Networks were overloaded and I’m honestly embarrassed I was trying to make these calls when runners and spectators near the finish line were looking for their family members.

I logged into Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Friends running that day were safe. Friends watching were safe. An 8-year-old boy cheering on his Dad was not. A 24-year-old graduate student was not. A 29-year-old woman who never missed a marathon from the finish line was not. Many, many more were severely injured and will likely lose limbs.

Tony turned on the TV and before he could change the channel Jill noticed the smoke. He told her they were camping and quickly found a kid-friendly show (mostly likely Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy). I haven’t watched the news. I’ve barely read any story content. Headlines and pictures are as far as I can go and I don’t want Jill to get even that far. Let’s keep this world as innocent as possible for now.

Grandma's 80th

Another weekend came and went way too quickly.  On Friday, we brought chicken, rice, watermelon and pizza to Gram Furze's for dinner.  On her way out the door Jill said to my Mom, "Granna, you used to change my diaper on this couch when I was a baby!"  Does she really remember that long ago; or was she talking about late 2012 before she was officially potty trained?  I wonder... Tony and I were rebels and stayed up about 2 hours later than a typical Friday night and watched The Hangover II.  I'd recommend it.  We had some good laughs!

Saturday we celebrated Grandma Smith's 80th birthday at her house in Athol.  Jill had a blast playing with her aunties and handing out hugs to Grandma and Nana.  On the way home, we stopped at Uno's in Leominster for a snack with Andrea and Chris.  Jill was attached to Chris's side.  Late afternoon our friend Heidi came over.  We relaxed on the front porch with drinks while Jill ran around in a dress barefoot (now it was getting cool).  Heidi read Jill a book before bed and then Heidi, Tony and I drank beer (gluten free for Heidi), told stories and laughed all night.  Operation Get-To-Bed-Early failed, again.  Oh well, it was really nice to visit with Heidi.  It had been awhile!

Today included breakfast by Heidi, a family trip to BJ's and a walk around the neighborhood.  While Tony tried to get Jill to nap, I did the grocery shopping at Hannaford's.  The funny part is that we went to Market Basket after BJ's earlier in the day.  We drove into the parking lot and turned around.  It was entirely too crowded for a kid who desperately needed a nap.  Did I mention she just finally fell asleep in Tony's armpit, at 5:40 p.m.??

Saturday's sunset from the front porch

Happy Easter! Love, the Musantes