Back to the Girls' Homeland

There's so much I want to remember about this last week we had in Boston.  It was such a great time...we loved being back there--and in one of the best times of year in the city...beautiful, warm, cool in the evenings, perfect.  Think this might need to be mostly a review in pictures because otherwise I'll never get through this and SG's birthday is tomorrow and I don't want to get behind!

So, here it goes.  I'm not very good at making things short and sweet, so no promises...

We flew in on a Wednesday night and Emmy and I went straight to the North End to meet up with my sweet friends at my very favorite restaurant down there, Galleria 33 (I say that like I used to go to the North End all the time, I didn't, but if I did, I usually went there and usually with Lisa and we always split the same tortellini that I could never remember the name of). It's so sweet when so many people you love get together all in the same place!  It wasn't a super emotional week for me, with the exception of walking into the restaurant and seeing friends...mainly when I saw Lacey.  This weekend was for her.  We brought our whole family back to Boston for her wedding.  I was SO glad to finally be there to celebrate her and help her after not being there for the past 4 months in all the planning process.  So seeing her and everyone together, brought a few tears.

Lacey and Canela lived with us (in our basement) for 4 1/2 years.  They were (are) part of our family.  They were there when we brought all three of our girls home...they have rocked, fed, bathed, dressed, laughed with, played with, cooked dinner for, put to bed, gotten them up, and on and on and on!!  Ellie started calling them Lala and Nana as soon as she could talk...and they have been this for all my kids ever since.  They helped keep me sane...especially in the early days of mommyhood.  They would see me stressed or overwhelmed and always know just what to do...take E to Panera with them for a Saturday morning, or the backyard to play, or they'd just come and be with me while I rocked, nursed, or consoled a baby.  They'd stop and pick dinner up for me when they knew things had been crazy, or offer to watch the girls while Trav and I got a date.  Somewhere they crossed over from being just good friends...and becoming part of our family.  When I didn't have the hands to hold all my kids, Lala and Nana were always there for them.  How we love you!  We miss life without you here!

And while Nana is on her way out here to us as we speak to live with us again, Lala is not.  And we miss her dearly.  BUT--we had a great time with her last week...on with the pictures (I knew I couldn't make this brief!)

My kids have always been in lots of good hands...but Emily has missed out on some of that since we moved, so this week she made up for a little lost time!

Lala and Emily

Lisa and Emily

Beth and Emily

After dinner, my FAVORITE mocha down the street!!

 

 The girls, and Emmy

The next day we got to see lots and lots of old friends.  Friends that we have loved and walked with for years.  Though we've only been gone 5 months, it was such a sweet reunion...so encouraging and refreshing to be around people that know you and that you know so well.

For the most part, I didn't take a ton of pics because I was just enjoying being with them...but here are a few:

Ellie and Annie Kate.  Reunited.  They hadn't missed a beat.

They didn't want to leave each other when it was time for naps, 

so they decided to "take naps" at the Goodes.

Emily and Emily.

This baby bump definitely wasn't there 5 months ago!  

Ok, if only we could get a family pic this good!  We love you, Seth and Em.

 

 We jumped right back into to swing of life there...we loved it.  Ellie especially LOVES being around people and was eating up every minute of seeing all they people that love her and that she loves so much.  I don't think she fully understood what it would be like when we went back, but she quickly figured out, it's a place where she is well loved.