A Beautiful Birthday and Labor Day Weekend!

 

Hi Friends.. hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!

I truly appreciated every....single...day!

I took two days off from work (and only snuck in a little work just to keep on top of things) and really decompressed with my favorites

 

Thursday (My Actual Birthday)

 

was filled with calls....texts...messages....cards...surprise gifts...and lots of QT and down time...felt like years since I have been able to exhale a bit...rough year...rough year....but following the joy!

 

Beth Ann brought me coffee and beautiful flowers first thing and we got to catch up and enjoy another summer coffee date....

 

 The girls and Rob surprised me with the best birthday cards ever and a new golf bag!

 

and then I headed to the Nutrition Corner- I still had a gift card from Rob from last year's birthday.  I thoroughly enjoyed my protein shake- even though I am all about eternal summer, I snagged the Pumpkin Oreo one and it was my fave yet!

 

Then Lea picked me up in her jeep and we headed to the beach!  Although it was cloudy, it was the perfect temperature and we truly relaxed

Yup...we did have to deal with a few aggressive sea gulls though (insert rolling eyed emoji here)

After a few hours, we were ready for a snack and hopped on over to Markey's...

 and then we were on our way to one of my favorite places ever- Wentworth By The Sea (a Marriott Property)...friends it was surreal just driving there...I kept thinking...wow....I haven't stayed at a hotel in seven months...surreal...but it also felt like yesterday...kept second guessing myself...a little nervous but excited for the adventure too...

 

The drive there....just beautiful...

 

 

Once there, I was able to calm down once I saw the safety protocols in place...made me relieved and sad all at once...such a different world...one where we all had masks on and had to stand far apart as we were checking in....

 

But once we did, I was thrilled to see my room....a hotel room....a huge bed...with no kids to wake me up in the middle of the night?  Seemed like a dream- ha!  Since we were also getting separate rooms, I got to keep my tv on all night like I love to do...boy did we have a laugh over this one...pre-Covid, Lea and I have shared many hotel rooms and she forbids me to keep my tv on so I never get a great night of sleep...this time I was doing my happy dance and we laughed so hard...as you can tell we decided on separate rooms this time just to be safe...here are a few shots of my room...

 

 and Lea's room..just snapped a pic of the door as she was treated to the "Commander's Suite"...we kept howling...

 

 

Once we dropped off our things, we headed downstairs to the veranda at Salt for another snack and a cocktail....it was so perfect out and we didn't want to leave...

 

 

After that, we headed to our rooms to get ready for our evening...we were headed into downtown Portsmouth (my favorite town in America) for dinner at Martingale Wharf...

 

snapped a couple of pics of my outfit...no Lilly surprisingly...just went trendy...Shop Chartreuse meets Venus...and Lea and my outfits ended up coordinating...hysterical...

 

 

We Uber'd to the restaurant and had some laughs and then we got seated outside.  The weather continued to be perfect...our dinner was amazing and we got really silly especially when we started getting texts from our hubbies...I have to mention that I had the salmon and Lea had the scallops and both were amazing.  I need to also mention my cocktail.  It was called Savannah Heat- it really tasted like tequila but it was vodka with pineapple and jalapeno and a chili salt rim- just the right amount of sweetness and heat...

 

Check out Martingale Wharf HERE

Selfie Time!

After shutting the place down, we reluctantly Uber'd back and called a night.

 

Friday

 

 We were up bright and early and headed home...just grateful to step away for a little quality time and fun!

 

 I came home to catch up with the fam and sneak a little work in and then Cass picked me up for another wonderful day.  My besties took me to one of my favorite places, Brown's Seafood in Seabrook.  They set up a lovely area for us out on the deck and Cass thought of EVERYTHING- pretty pink tablecloths, flowers, balloons, wine cups, cake , the works.  We devoured their chowder and steamers and lobster rolls and were so full!  We got to hang outside there for hours in our little corner...no one pressured us to leave...such quality time right on the marshes...my heart was full!

 

That night, I joined my family for Friday Night Pizza and Swim night and told them all about my magical few days!  P.S We were all in bed by 7:30- ha!

 

Saturday

 

It was another beautiful day...we really did have a beautiful summer weather-wise!  We had received our Nutcracker audition material so I worked with the girls and helped them memorize their dances.  Then we got them all dressed and I did their hair and makeup and we headed outside to the driveway to film their individual auditions.  It was a little stressful but really fun at the same time! Peaking into the bathroom, I saw this and my heart melted...

 

 

Later on, we dropped Diana off at a birthday party and then Rob, Pidge and I headed to Copper Door for dinner...yes another Bday celebration (I hope I don't sound obnoxious)...we had gift cards to use up and time to kill while Diana was "partying" and we enjoyed our little date...Pidge was so cute and we had some laughs...

 

 

After dinner, we headed to pick up Diana and ended up hanging with our friends at the fire pit the rest of the night...another perfect night in the books!

 

Sunday

 

This was our planned family day...we headed to mass and then prepared some snacks and my parents and brother came over along with my Father In Law and we celebrated the birthdays once again (my brother's birthday is the day before mine- he is three years younger) and it was my parents actual wedding anniversary too! I ordered a special cake just for the occasion...it came out so cute!

 

 

Monday (Labor Day)

Diana and I were on a mission to check off one more item on our Summer Bucket List and that was to have our Mommy Daughter Boogie Board Day!  

 

See our past days HERE

 

 We got to the beach by 8am so it was empty and pure bliss...just beautiful....the waves did not disappoint and the day was so comfortable...we got to relax and chat...and at one point she grabbed my hand to hold it...without saying a word...and I thought my heart would explode...friends?  She is 12...going into 7th grade so that was a miracle ;)

Meanwhile, at home, Daddy and Pidge had a great breakfast date along with a trip to the park and a bike ride! :)

 That afternoon, Claribel came over to cut the girls' hair (they usually only have their hair cut once a year so it was much needed!) Eva got a big cut- several inches and Diana just had a trim.  

Eva before....

 and after....

 

 

and Diana's trim...

and we wrapped our weekend AND entire summer with a cookout and s'mores on the deck and a fun game of Two Truths and Lie

The girls go back to school tomorrow...the first time in six months...it will be surreal...they are excited and nervous...we are VERY excited but I will still have a pain in my heart as always...I am praying they stay healthy...that we all do....and hoping they can stay in school as long as possible this year...