Summer has finally arrived...

Let's get this summer started! The longest school year ever has officially ended and we are so ready for some time off. The boys finished their last day of school and let me snap a rare picture of them, not to be posted anywhere. OOPS. 

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This weekend we did a little strawberry picking and a whole lot of yard work. I hope to make jam this week. The lawn has come in enough that we were able to mow it for the first time. It took forever! I weeded and planted a few more flowers (100 daylilies I got online for a steal!) and the boys helped me weed. Once we get the yard established I hope the maintenance will be a little easier. 

Saturday we watched Andrew's baseball game. He played 1st all game. He hit a single with an RBI that tied the game and then was able to score the winning run. It was an exciting game to watch.

Sunday it rained. ALL. DAY. LONG. Seriously not used to the length of these storms. It was a nice day to stay indoors. I got caught up on some work and did a lot of crafting. Chris relaxed and the boys vegged out with video games and movies. Not a bad start to summer.

Strawberry picking at Verrill Farm in Concord, MA.

Strawberry picking at Verrill Farm in Concord, MA.

Depot Road yard - first mow.

Depot Road yard - first mow.

Surprise HAPPY mail from Utah. Dad mailed our growth chart we forgot to pack - thank you!

Surprise HAPPY mail from Utah. Dad mailed our growth chart we forgot to pack - thank you!

Fifer's Day

We are used to celebrating July 24th or Pioneers Day in Utah. In our small town of Boxborough they celebrate Fifer's Day.  The town puts together a parade, fair with booths and fair type things. We were invited to sit along the parade route with a few new friends from kindergarten. Nicholas met 5 new kids and collected parade candy. He declared "this is the best day!".

  1. A fifer is a non-combatant military occupation of a foot soldier who originally played the fife during combat. The practice was instituted during the period of Early Modern warfare to sound signals during changes in formation, such as the line, and were also members of the regiment's military band during marches.

Some history for you about our town and why it celebrates Fifer's ... taken from Wikipedia: 

Boxborough is known for its annual Fifer's Day celebration. The day commemorates Luther Blanchard, the fifer who marched the local minuteman company to the Battle of Concord on April 19, 1775. At the North Bridge, minutemen companies from various towns of the Commonwealth successfully engaged the British, forcing the redcoats to retreat. During this action Blanchard was wounded slightly, one of the first battle casualties of the Revolutionary War. He survived to fight the British again a few short weeks later at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he was again wounded. But in September of the same year, he died, ostensibly of the wounds he received in these battles. He is buried at the Old Burial Ground in Littleton, Massachusetts.[17]

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Andrew had a baseball game near the coast later in the day so we decided to head down a bit early and check out Marblehead. We stopped by Devereaux Beach, ate some yummy seafood and watched Andrew pitch in the game. 

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June 11 Weekly recap

We had another great week and busy weekend. We helped Benjamin celebrate his 13th birthday and we now have two teenagers in the house. Happy birthday Ben!!! 

Ben is not really into having his picture taken however he is into playing destiny, texting, reading, soccer, hanging out with friends, going to the yogurt shop, and being sarcastic. We love this boy!

The weekend was filled with three soccer games, two baseball games, few frozen yogurt stops, dinner date, seventh grade dance, neighborhood barbecue and an overnight visit from Leslie. It's so nice to see family.

The grass is growing and so are the weeds. Somehow we were able to fit in a couple hours of yardwork to weed the yard but seems like we might need to do this every weekend for the next few weeks. No complaining here as we have growing grass!

Happy June! 7-1/2 School days left, we are counting it down.

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Settling in

We've had a very busy and fun week. The fun started on the weekend when Chris and I had a rare date night. We enjoyed walking around Concord and had a nice meal at 80 Thoreau. The next morning Chris chauffeured me around as I looked for yard sales. I found some goodies. Later we took Nicholas to a small carnival where he got his face painted and was able to play a few games. We topped the weekend off with a nice walk with Nicholas and Lucy through Steele farm. Nicholas is so sweet and always is picking me beautiful flowers. I fit in some crafting. The older boys were involved in a weekend full of sports, finishing homework and playing video games.

This week I helped with the end of season baseball banquet and used some of my crafting skills to make pennants and centerpiece decor. Chris and I attended the banquet With Andrew, and are proud of Andrew's accomplishments. Ben had two nights of soccer tryouts for next season and Andrew started summer baseball with the local legion team. 

The fun continues as we celebrate a birthday for Ben tomorrow!!!

 

 

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Preschool Graduation!

Nicholas has graduated from preschool! Today we celebrated him in a closing ceremony at the Acton Coop. He started with this preschool class in January. He loved attending the Frogs class and enjoyed his teachers (Kelly & Emily). In Utah he attended the VIP preschool with Mrs. Bascom for the last 2 years. Thanks to all he is well prepared for kindergarten in the Fall! Yippee.

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Kelly created a darling scrapbook for Nic document his last few months at school. I've compiled of few of those pictures from his book into this PL layout. What a great year!

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And, of course... here are the end of year teacher gifts for Kelly & Emily.  I created the Tag from the Sprinkles of Life RMHC stamp set, Tree Builder punch and some BARC Wood paper. Nicholas signed the back of each tag and gave these gifts shyly to his teachers.

Sprinkles of Life tags - teacher gifts

Sprinkles of Life tags - teacher gifts

Sprinkles of Life Apple basket Tag using Tree Builder punch. Stampin' Up!

Sprinkles of Life Apple basket Tag using Tree Builder punch. Stampin' Up!

Let it grow!

The sun will come out three days after tomorrow Yep, this is a song title pun post. Last week our yard was seeded with Hydroseed and we were very excited and then we had three days of nonstop rain. We received a flash flood text alert for our area, which tells you how much rain we received. We now are wondering if the seeds have been planted or if they were washed away? Not much we can do, Time will tell. Chris and I are literally watching the grass grow.  🌱💦☀️

 

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Soccer Champ!

Winner, Winner... Ben has been playing on the local town soccer team as well as a club team. Lots of soccer games and practices. The schedule is winding down. His new Strikers team just took 2nd place in their division. Pretty cool. Ben's not digging having photos taken lately so I had to resort to stealth selfie paparazzi type photos.  Enjoy!

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AB Colonials 2015 JV Baseball season

Andrew enjoyed a great season of baseball on the AB Colonials JV baseball team. He really made some great friends and grew his social and baseball skills. We are so proud of him — it's hard to come into a new town, try out for a team, make the team and then play well. Way to go Mallett! His teammates call him 'Utah' or 'Mallett'. He played 1st base and pitched most of the season.  Here are his stats in Chris' words: 

Andrew had a terrific Freshman season. He was the only Freshman to make the JV team at AB. Played nearly every inning. He didn’t hit all that well (ok, but not great), but he played a terrific defensive 1B and couldn’t have been much better on the mound. 

 

Andrew pitched a lot. He finished with 4 wins and 1 loss with a save and a no decision on the season. He pitched in some very clutch spots and did well every time. His only poor outing was the loss. The team from Wachusetts hit him hard. His no decision was a 4-3 win in extra innings against Bridgewater Raynham. He gave up just 1 earned in that one – his first start; pitched terrific. He pitched complete games in his last two starts for the win in both. Three games back, he gave up just one hit through 4 before getting pulled in a blowout win for AB to let others pitch. Today (the last game) was his best effort of the season. He threw a one hitter, struck out 9, walked 3, and got the complete game win against Concord Carlisle.

Here are some fun photos of the team and shots taken at various games.

AB Colonials JV 2015 Team

AB Colonials JV 2015 Team

Number 18

Number 18

Coaches -vs- Cancer game

Coaches -vs- Cancer game

Andrew and Henry at the Miracle League game

Andrew and Henry at the Miracle League game

May: Yard/NYC/Baseball

It's been a busy week... I got the opportunity to go to New York for the Stationery show. Kathleen was in town and had the weekend free so she tagged along and we did a little sightseeing. It was super fun she treated me to see Les Miserables!!! We eat ate at fabulous restaurants and I got all my work complete. Not a bad way to spend the weekend.

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Our yard is slowly coming along.  This week we have the flowerbeds, sprinklers and walkway installed, now if we can just get our builder to hydroseed the yard we should be close to done! There was a little propane tank mishap and we met the local fire and police crew but that's all we will say about that.

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Baseball season is wrapping up. Andrew has a few more games until the season is over. The other day he pitched an entire game which was pretty awesome, they won 4 to 3.  Andrew participated in a charity event Saturday called the MIracle League where players help kids with disabilities play a game of baseball. Afterward Chris and Andrew took in a Red Sox game.

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Tree trims

Our trees needed a little trim. It's amazing how tall and glorious these trees are. We have large oak, white pine and pine trees covering the woods. It's hard to tell as many of the trees are still budding out. The forest must account for hundreds of years of growth. Our landscape plan calls for few new trees under the canopy of the larger trees to add some variety and spring color.  We had the dead wood and a few of the trees in rough shape removed. Not something you can handle without a cherry picker!

The yard has officially been started! 

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Yard déjà vu

You may recall quite a few blog postings about installing a yard a few years back …  I hate to break it to you but this may be the first of many posts about installing a new yard. This time but we need to install a front and back lawn. Our new yard is a blank canvas, which is awesome but it's also proving expensive. 

Here's a glimpse of some of the planning and plant research that I've been doing. While apparently it's the same zone is Utah (5) we have different challenges and I'm not quite sure what will grow here or how the plants will grow here. Now I need to get someone out here to start helping us.

 

Lot plan and plants

Lot plan and plants

Color, I miss you. 

Color, I miss you. 

Forsythia is gorgeous around here! I might need some. 

Forsythia is gorgeous around here! I might need some. 

Welcome May!

Let me first resolve to post more. Somehow the month gets away from me and my desire to post is lackluster. 

Here are a few highlights from the last couple of weeks:

1. Andrew was the only freshman to make the JV baseball team, very exciting! He's had games and practices almost every day. He's tired but working hard and doing really well.

2. Benjamin is on two soccer teams and also is on the track team. He's enjoying working hard after school, running, and building his endurance. He is soon to be 13... crazy that we will have another teenager in the house. 

3. Nicholas is counting down the days to his fifth birthday. This boy is beyond excited to turn five, he is constantly in the mix, learning new things and quite the little dramatic performer. We got all of his paperwork for kindergarten turned in and he is ready to start full-day kindergarten in the fall.

4. I'm still unpacking the house - buried in boxes - but less so day by day. I found my "people" in Manchester New Hampshire at a CK scrapbooking convention. I spent a fun day crafting, taking classes and shopping. I went by myself but still had a great time. I'm unpacking my craft room, which never ends, but I have a desk and a place to create! Life is good.

5. Chris is busy working on work and finishing up his doctorate. He's been at Northeastern University now almost 6 months and the job is going well. He is happy to be in a house again (no more apartment living) and around and able to attend the boys sporting events!

Last month we had some visitors. Yay! We got to see Grammy and Billy Jack, they stayed the night and Nicholas was thrilled to have a cousin to play with. Our friends Jen and Gabe stopped by for a night on their vacation and Nicholas got to play with their sweet kids. He was beyond excited to have people his age around.

Around the house we are trying to get a yard, continuing to unpack, decorate and settle. We had to put a water filter on our well due to higher than normal iron count, that was an unexpected expense. We also decided to put rain gutters on the house. Home owners = broke.

We are planning a Utah trip in July or August and then perhaps again at Christmas time. Before then, or whenever, we would love to see you. Our house is always open if you'd like to stay over or stop by. Welcome!

Oh and I finish our taxes on time, in case you were worried

 

April randomness - clockwise: Ben and track, Andrew pitching, flowers from Chris, Mischievious Nic and markers, a crafting desk, running into an old friend on the East coast, Nic and cousin Billy, the future craft room, and a stick collect…

April randomness - clockwise: Ben and track, Andrew pitching, flowers from Chris, Mischievious Nic and markers, a crafting desk, running into an old friend on the East coast, Nic and cousin Billy, the future craft room, and a stick collection.

Nicholas created an "upside down" countdown calendar to his 5th Birthday. The kid is jazzed.

Nicholas created an "upside down" countdown calendar to his 5th Birthday. The kid is jazzed.

Rugs

Finding nice inexpensive rugs is tricky business. The flooring in our new home is completely hardwood and area rugs are needed in just about every room. Nic stated after just two days in the new place that he missed carpet. Funny how tactile he is but I can totally relate. I have a couple of rugs from our previous home that will work great in many rooms but most are on the smaller side and basically scatter rugs. I've been on the rug hunt for a couple of weeks now. I find shopping for rugs online really hard because I like to touch the rug and see the fibers. I did find a couple of great resources here and here which helped me narrow down my in store visits. I may still end up purchasing a rug or two online after I become more familiar with what I am looking for.

Home Goods is amazing. I love this store but it's never predictable. After four visits to 3 various HG stores I I found this gorgeous wool rug at the Home Goods in Acton. Seriously 10% of the cost of this similarly cool wool rug from R&H. Bargain! I thought we might put this in our bedroom but I think it fits perfectly in the dining room. Tip for shopping at Home Goods... if you see it and like it BUY it. You can always take it back but usually the cool stuff is snagged up pretty quick, IMO.

Here is the Restoration Hardware version. Super nice and beyond spendy.

Here is the Restoration Hardware version. Super nice and beyond spendy.

 

I like the look and feel of a shag rug. I was so inspired by Joellyn's living room rug and wanted to find something for our living room with a similar feel. I found this super soft grey shag rug from Home Depot of all places - cheap. I had my doubts about the quality but the instant we laid it on the floor I was sold, and so was Nic. He started making carpet angels and rolled around on it like a puppy. It so soft, especially with a nice carpet pad underneath. We will see how it holds up to vacuuming but for now I'm in love. 

Have good rug tips or resources you'd like to share? Advice welcome.

 

March Updates (in April)

Days are flying by, filled with school, unpacking, and basic tasks. As we try to catch up and get back to normal we are realizing it'll take some time. Patience. I've been neglecting the blog, not taking photos, showers, basically all letting things slide as we unpack and settle in. I've still got to do our taxes and really need to focus on some work. Here are a few random pics from the last month. Hoping everyone is well. Thanks for reading. We miss you - say hi sometime.

Nature walks - Nicholas loves to walk our land and find treasures. 

Nature walks - Nicholas loves to walk our land and find treasures. 

The moving truck came (a day late) and the items were delivered (a little chaotic) and we've been unpacking (slowly).  The house is coming together.

Moving truck day.

Moving truck day.

Still getting snow... in April. Ug.

This morning - April 9.

This morning - April 9.

We have trash pick up! A huge deal as our garbage has been piling up. Nicholas is pulling the right bucket up the drive.

We have trash pick up! A huge deal as our garbage has been piling up. Nicholas is pulling the right bucket up the drive.

Chris turned 42! Happy Birthday babe!

Chris turned 42! Happy Birthday babe!

Easter came, eggs were colored and kids were spoiled. We relaxed, a rare treat.

Easter came, eggs were colored and kids were spoiled. We relaxed, a rare treat.

Nicholas continues to entertain and keep us laughing. This is his 'surprise' face. He'll pull it for you on command.

Nicholas continues to entertain and keep us laughing. This is his 'surprise' face. He'll pull it for you on command.

Welcome to the Depot!

We are here! Officially moved and closed in a new place. Now we just wait for our belongings to arrive. The transport of our stuff has been a bit of a hassle. 3 days late but what can you do? Our stuff is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Maybe. Let's hope.

Anyway... Thought you might want to see where we are living. The outside of the home atleast. We have settled in Boxborough. This section of Massachusetts is a little more rural, lots of trees and forest and nature. It's pretty quiet but very charming. We love it. The schools are amazing, the people are very cool, and now we just need to settle in.

Here are a few pics of the outside of the home. We need to landscape since this is a new home but that should be fun albiet at rather spendy.

I haven't surveyed the bug situation yet I'm assuming it is terrible but we will see how it goes. Living in the woods has its consequences. 

When our furniture arrives and get situated I will take pictures of each room and post so you can I'll see where we are living. Much love, miss everyone... hugs kisses and the like. 

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The house from the perimeter. 

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More house. 

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The finishes... Tried to play off the landscape with the choices I had.

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If you want to reach us, and please reach us … You can mail at 430 Depot Rd. in Boxborough, MA 01719. Mail love letters, packages, junk mail, anything at this address. Much love again miss you all... please stay in touch.

February updates

My poor blog has been sorely neglected. Below are a few project life digital layouts that maybe will give you all an update on what we've been doing here as we've been experiencing an insane amount of snowfall. We have over 90 inches of snow, all falling since we've moved to Massachusetts!!! Many days we are stuck inside of our apartment but on the great days that we do get out we've gone bowling, visited the Boston Museum of science, explored our town, and caught up with East coast family.

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A couple weekends ago I flew back to Utah to finish packing up our Ashley Mesa house and oversee the move of our belongings into storage. 

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Snow days

We were home bound again yesterday. Another snow day. We received a foot of snow overnight and the local schools and the NEU campus closed. The boys have had only 3 days in school, and 3 snow days. Not such a great record. And hard to build momentum at school. This morning was clear but school started with a 2 hour delay.

Friday was my birthday. It was a busy day. I got the boys off to school, and then Nic to preschool. It started to snow so I carefully drove around town to run errands; opening bank accounts, getting Nic set up with a new doctor (so we can get someone here up to speed with his needs); groceries, etc. Our Nissan handles the snow on well but seems to be one of the bigger vehicles on the road. Not sure why. The boys took me to dinner and found a great cake. It was a busy but super nice day.

The kids are adapting to a new school and environment really well. Andrew has involved himself immediately with baseball practices and work outs. Ben had his first futsal game. School is going well. Andrew's math teacher had him take the math midterms to see how the curriculum matched up with his learnings from his old school at the first half of the year. He felt he bombed it, but in my opinion, he did ok given that much of the items he hasn't been taught yet. We are looking for a math tutor to get him up to speed on the curriculum here. Ben started French midyear (they don't offer Chinese). I can't imagine starting a class midyear let alone a new language. Our kids are tough and I am so proud of them!

Took the kids and dog to Burpee Steele Barn and surrounding land. The kids played in the snow and Lucy ran but it was way TOO COLD to stay for long.

Took the kids and dog to Burpee Steele Barn and surrounding land. The kids played in the snow and Lucy ran but it was way TOO COLD to stay for long.

On the house front - we think we have found the one! We put in an offer and it was accepted. The real estate process here is different than we are used to and has been frustrating. But we are under contract! I think... Ha. I do a house post soon.

This week in Acton - School, Blizzard, Home Search

We are slowly acclimating to life in Massachusetts. We miss Utah and all of our family and friends. We feel your love and thank you for your frequent contact.

All of the kids have started their new schools. Nicholas is really enjoying his new preschool and all the the new friends he has immediately made. Andrew and Ben had a great first day and came home is good spirits ready to take on new academic challenges. 

We experienced our first Nor'Easter which resulted in two days of school closure due to weather and road conditions. The NEU campus was also closed as well as a travel ban instated for all motor vehicles. Chris was able to work from home and the boys enjoyed two more days of "vacation".

We have looked at and pretty much eliminated all the active home listings in both Acton and Boxborough. It's not that we are picky but we need a few more to choose from. I think I am almost over the sticker shock but still feel we should LOVE the house we will eventually purchase and not settle. While we are completely comfortable in our apartment, we miss our belongings and personal spaces. Lucy misses her yard. We are motivated to find a home!

The boys resume their second day of school tomorrow! 

Random scenic shots from around Acton and Boxborough.

Random scenic shots from around Acton and Boxborough.

Apartment living.

Apartment living.

The "Blizzard of 2015"

The "Blizzard of 2015"