......Brooklyn adventure.......

.....we have been way over do for one of our excursions.......the excursions that exhaust me to the core when they are all said and done......but it is during the reflection and the discussion for days, weeks and sometimes months afterwards that would have me doing them all over again......just to ensure that the memories are branded into my little one's minds because they are always spectacular......

.....not many people can think through their options for a play date and decide on the Brooklyn ferry for starters and a ride on the new carousel when we arrive at our neighboring borough......not to mention, a pit stop for the creamiest and most delicious ice cream on the east side of the river......

....there are certainly perks for being a curious preschooler living in Manhattan.....now that Sara has left her cave after birthing her sweet boy and I am in high gear ready to savor our last summer in the city, the adventures are back on.....there is too much to NYC than to stay in our own neighborhoods......

.....and the kids love the change of scenery.....

....not to mention that the older ones are mature enough now to ask good questions, appreciate the views around them and learn some history about our fabulous backyard......maybe they don't understand the concept of time well enough to realize that 13 years to build a bridge is an enormous amount of labor and effort, but they still give the factual stuff plenty of ooohs and aahhs as they take it all in......

.....my clan has always loved the carousels and I think of my grandfather every time I ride one, so the new ride in Brooklyn was anticipated by all of us......

.....and after several spins with Manhattan as our backdrop, we worked up an appetite......

....time to cool off, take a break, and love on our babies too......

....after enjoying the delight of ice cream in the summer, we still had time to explore before we needed to head back......the playground we found nestled around a surprising corner definitely has the best view of any park I've been to in NYC......

....no wonder my girls always ask why there are so many trees when we drive outside the city......when they play, their view is shiny steel and concrete and a sky line they have grown to love......

....but skylines, ice cream cones, ferries, new playgrounds, carousels......of course, the whole experience is grand.....hopefully the pictures will remind them in years to come that we do have a backyard of unique and cool urban escapades.....however, I know what they will remember most about their early years as city kids is their friendships......and our little love nest of a building has been the biggest blessing......

.....yes, there are days I tend to focus more on what I don't care for in our city way of living......small quarters, no storage space, no backyard to lounge in a hammock or play a good old fashioned game of tag......and my biggest gripe with three kids is that my laundry room takes 3 minutes to get to and also requires me leaving my apartment with clothes and babies in hand.....I could go on.....believe me, I could go on.......but the good has always outweighed the inconvenient in our situation.....and so today, I choose to focus on the good.....

Photography by Sara Blackburn

.....easy, breezy.....

....I think sometimes when I am at the end of my rope, I need this space to filter through some of the angst, emotion, frustration or anxiety so I am left with one big heap of gratefulness.....there have been so many circumstances when I have stated that this blog allows me to have my own reflection.......an opportunity to take an outside perspective and peer through the windows of my own life......and even in the midst of feeling overwhelmed, or negative, or pessimistic, I still show up and write......knowing full well that my rant is not showing my best self and that my words are being seared into an archive my children will read and know someday......but it's real and it's raw and it's part of who I am......and this blog is written for them, with them in mind, to preserve all aspects of our life today......the good, the bad and the rants, too......

....so when last weekend arrived and Brody was doing well after his mid week ear procedure, we packed up and got out of dodge......

.....there is something about leaving the tall buildings and concrete during the summer......we noticed it our first July in NYC when we used to escape on a Saturday to another extension of this island we have called home......the intensity level of life seems to simmer down and the decompression from routine sets in after the first breath of fresh air.......we needed this family time over the weekend and it was clear that our babes enjoyed the change of scenery, too.....

....sometimes a change in routine can spark a wave of inspiration to view life in a new light......to tweak our faithfulness, renew our appreciation for the small things, and to grow a more thankful heart regardless of our circumstances.......

.....we may move, we may not....we want to move, but our path to CT isn't clear.....there are a few obstacles that are still in the way and moving those road blocks is out of our control........the showings, the cleanings, the viewings up north have whittled me down the last five months......on top of raising three little ones, it has made me very weary....

.....keep my steps steady according to your promise......

.....so I sat back and watched my kids play this past weekend......I played......Stefan played......and it was just the remedy we needed for a time out......it kick started a new week that has truly felt like summer.....

.....easy, breezy.....just what we have been waiting for.....

....Amen!....