MDW 2015

Memorial Day Weekend. I absolutely love long weekends. It's such a funny thing how one extra day changes your whole outlook on the weeks surrounding. And this years memorial day was no exception. We were in the chaos of finals prep at school and there is nothing better for sanity at the end of a school year than a four day week. I would go out on a limb and suggest that a four day week is awesome for any profession but I shouldn't speak for anyone other than myself... Pair all this gloriousness with good friends and some spectacular cities and sign me right up.

First, please note my itty bitty baby bump. I know that I am still small and I know you can't tell how far along I am okay! I get it! It's my first baby so cut me a break and stop telling me I'm little because I want to be big, I want to look as large as I feel and I don't want to feel like there is anything wrong with my weight gain or lack thereof. I know that there will be a day when my future self trolls the history of this blog and sees this and wants to grab my first time pregnant self and shake her for the sake of my third time pregnant self. I am sort of assuming that this is like women and complaining about their hair, you always want what you don't have. And right now I want to be pregnant, feel pregnant, and look pregnant. All of this to preface that we went to Newport, RI on Saturday of MDW and the beautiful, kind, sweet, and attentive waitress at brunch noticed, and commented (!) on my baby bump. You are an angel and the first stranger to comment so thank you, thank you, and your tip was just for that little comment about the baby enjoying the french toast. And boy we did! Thank you for being the first to confidently affirm that this is not a burrito or the result of too much beer from our hibernating this winter, this is very much a little girl who will greatly enjoy french toast with bananas and peanut butter. Does this make me sound like a crazy pregnant lady? Do you think my nine month pregnant self will totally regret the praise of strangers comments? Did you even read this whole thing? Bless you. (As for a description of the picture: After brunch we went to the Breakers Mansion. Steve kept commenting on the gate for some reason so I made Tim take our picture here)

You cannot take pictures inside the Vanderbilt's Summer Home but holy cow, if you are looking for something to do in New England I highly recommend Newport and this place gets 5stars. Insanely fascinating and moderately concerning. Just do it, I really cannot describe until you take the tour and remember that this is their summer home. I felt like every room was a page torn out of the Great Gatsby.

Side view of the house, size comparison.

After going through the house on an audio tour, you can stay on property as long as you'd like and of course it is right on the water with a beautiful view. So we spent so time just laying on the perfectly manicured lawn.

Anyway, Breakers, do it.

After the Breakers we walked the town and we walked the marina. We window shopped in stores we couldn't afford and we daydreamed that we lived in Newport, RI permanently. It has the perks of Boston with a slower pace of life. What's a Midwestern girl not to like?

After dinner we drove to chase the sunset stopping to find a beach to put our toes in the sand and toss a Frisbee (rather I sat on a towel and watched Steve chase throw after throw from Tim and Meredith into the frigid ocean).

And watched a duck parade come too close for comfort. I strongly dislike birds and the worst are the ones that live near the water.

In search of the sunset, we found this monument we couldn't quite figure out.

And Steve and Tim (and eventually Mere) climbed the Jetty.

These goofs are my best friends...

Sunday, fun day. We went to mass in the city and walked downtown in search of the salad I was craving. I know right?!?!? I wanted nothing more than a salad and I don't think I've ever WANTED a salad in my whole life. Snagged a bumpdate to send along to the grandmas.

Happy MDW Boston!

And on Memorial Day I saw Larabean! I had plans for how we would spend our morning before she returned to Philly but then we got lost in conversation around the table which I think is even better. I miss this lady and August is way to far from now.

Then we hosted a little MDW gathering because we figured that we now have a grill and we're lucky enough to have a back yard so we ought to, right? 

Stewart and Mike came dressed to impress in their chubbies. 

Burgers, Hot Dogs, Beer, Corn Hole, and Good Company. This is what Memorial Day looks like.

And I would be remiss if I didn't post our Dairy Queen trip. Did you know that before this Spring, Meredith had never been to DQ? Well we have fixed that in driving 30 minutes each way for a blizzard/ dip cone/ dilly bar. And more than once.

Phew, I felt like this was a long post and I don't really know why. Add an extra day to a weekend and apparently I get winded talking way too much.

Springtime

Spring was good for the Boston Kenneys (I've found that's how we're referred to).

I joke that I've been Pavloved into needing a donut after morning mass. Growing up we went to 10:30AM mass every Sunday, went to Meijer immediately after, and waited in the car with dad while mom ran in to get a dozen donuts, a gallon of milk, and anything else we might be in need of for Sunday brunch. It was a blissful childhood, fighting over sprinkled donuts while mom made brunch to feed an army. And now, any Sunday that includes a morning mass necessitates a donut. Thankfully for my husband we mostly go to 5PM mass, but any weekend when we have other plans, he has no choice but to indulge me. Perks of marriage I suppose.

Hmm lets see what else there is to recap of my time before summer vacation. Perhaps most importantly, Meredith lived with us. You have a room here in Boston for as many times as we can convince you to come back. Maureen and Tyler hosted a little surprise party to celebrate that we all now have a friend to get us out of legal trouble!

And all parties are a little better with champagne (sparkling cider for me... hooray for feeling like a six year old allowed to attend the big kid NYE party) and party games.

Living with Mere meant lots of things like coming home from school to baked goods, watching way too many episodes of Sherlock and Meredith claiming that she was "too comfortable" on the floor to move to bed...

And how could I forget the things we found to entertain ourselves? Meredith told us she would put paper on her fan as a child and watch it fly all over the room, so naturally the overly competitive Boston Kenneys turned it into a game to see who could catch the most at once. And by overly competitive Boston Kenneys I mean my overly competitive husband.

On one fine Spring Sunday, we adventured to SOWA, an experience very reminiscent of Eastern Market. 

Three men and a baby.

Food trucks with fresh squeezed lemonade and gourmet grilled cheese are my new pregnancy love language. It's official.

A spring discovery that we have really celebrated is S'mores over the grill. Go on, try it. I guarantee you won't be sorry. After surviving our first Boston winter I've got to say Spring makes me think that this place really isn't so bad after all. Come one, come all, come visit; we'd love to see you all this summer before the chaos a new person will bring come fall.

Spring Breakers

I want to go on record and say that I started this post two days after April Break and then somehow Tuesday was the last day of school...

Perhaps one of the best things about working in a high school is that I still get the school time breaks. And friends who visit during their school time breaks. 

Apparently I didn't get any pictures of our guests but I did take a few of the city in the spring. It was so good to be able to walk MILES downtown. And I do mean miles because it's becoming more and more noticeable to me how much I am slowing down.

It was great to explore the city and eat out for the week. Even the ducklings were enjoying it.

And for my Spring Break (April Vacation for you New Englanders which includes me now which still terrifies me) I got to go to my other two homes.

My South Bend time, as always, was far too short, but I did squeeze in some of the important things like watching Big Meg get her Varsity Letter.

Every night I got to cuddle with my favorite pup and I made Tim rage with jealously by sending him millions of pictures of Murph... you're welcome for limiting it to two...

Mom and I drove Torey back to Purdue after the weekend and checked out the local diner, used-to-be drive-in, and most definitely a dive. It was everything I dreamed it would be.

And of course, my most important reason for going home, to see the youngest get confirmed.

Honored to be chosen as a sponsor for you Shafer, know always of my prayers. 

Blurry but what are you gonna do? 7/9 ain't bad folks.

And these two; can you believe how big they are?!?!?!? It makes me feel old that they are going on dates to the bowling alley and planning high school course load, where did the time go? 

When it was time to catch my flight to my next spring break location, I went for some McD's in the airport... They ran out of normal person bags so I was the person walking around with my breakfast looking like I could feed a family of six... Only eating for two thanks.

It was so good to be able to tie in DC to my trip even if only for 36 hours. I love every minute on that campus and I love every person.... which is going to be my excuse for having very non-existent pictures; I was enjoying the people so much that I forgot to document.

Except for my proof of the best pre-k 3 teacher in all of DCPS and most definitely the best dressed.

And of my community. I miss these people in my daily life but I take comfort in meeting them in daily prayer. (Note: Annie was there too but had to leave before the picture) Thank God that my job allows me to still be on school schedule... I'm really loving the breaks. I can't wait for all of the adventures summer will hold!