Memorial Day Weekend...

Looking for a journal entry that is FILLED with fun, happy and AMAZING news????  

Don't look away.

I won't keep you in suspense and save the best for last.  I can't even contain my joy as I share this.  My oldest niece, Emily, and her husband, Josh, are expecting their first baby!!!  I'm going to be a Great Aunt!!

Their lucky little snow baby is due in January - and I am secretly hoping she's a she so I can hand down all of Hope's clothes!!  How perfect would that be??

Josh and Emily had a little "practice" (not that either of them need practice) with a newborn Hope at Christmastime.

When Emily was born, I was a senior in high school.  My sister, Meg, drove from New England to Pennsylvania just to attend my graduation in 1988!  I was OBSESSED with Emily.  She made me an Aunt!  I carried her around in my graduation gown showing her off to all of my friends.  Emily grew up and became a third grade teacher!  And she even spent a month as Gavin's aide in our home!  It meant so much to me that she had that month to bond with both of my children.

I never dreamed that Emily and I would be having babies around the same time - but I can absolutely envision Hope and her little second cousin growing up together.  This is just the best news ever... and I know my Dad is beaming in Heaven.

Keeping it in the family....

Emily's younger sister, Hannah, came to visit this weekend!  Hannah will be graduating from high school soon (she'll become an Aunt at the same age I did!) and will be headed off to college at the end of the summer.  She and her friend, Gabby, decided to drive from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania to spend time with Granny and visit some family, including us!

Brian and Hope were so excited to see their cousin.

The girls showered Brian with attention...

...and he had such a great time with them.  He was giggling and showing off all afternoon.

It was a great visit!  And bravo to both of them for making that long drive.  Totally impressed!!

Brian announced recently that he wanted his own garden to take care of.  He was inspired by one of the teachers at his pre-school, St. Isaac Jogues in Wayne, PA.  Miss Rose had the kids plant peas (ours is still growing and doing well!) and taught them a lot about gardening on Earth Day.  Brian hasn't stopped talking about that since.  So this weekend, we worked on gardening.

Don't get too excited.  I didn't plant a "real" garden in the ground.  We started small.  Brian spent some time looking at all the seed packets trying to decide what it was he wanted to grow!

He ended up picking out "pods" that included - well, everything.  It was right up my alley - you literally just plant the entire container in the dirt!  But first, Brian needed the equipment!  He got a pail with a spade and a rake.  He was so, so into this!!

We filled up two containers with soil...

...and then planted the pods.

He chose to plant tomatoes and cucumbers. 

 (Cross your fingers that they grow!!!)

He also chose to plant a few things inside!  Target sells these cute little container kits that come with everything you need.  Here he's showing Daddy how the soil "grows" when you add water.  (I told you this was "starting small!"  ha ha!)

Our little gardener is going to be tending to...

Sunflowers!

Strawberries!

And Lucky Clovers!

We've had a fun and productive Memorial Day weekend!

We ended the weekend spending some time in Valley Forge Park.  Lucky for us, this park is practically in our back yard.  It was a gorgeous day to remember our fallen heroes and all that they sacrificed for our country and our individual freedoms.  Today we salute those that gave their lives - and the families that they left behind.

Happy Memorial Day!