Cleveland Browns Uniform Reveal

The players were so kind when we jumped in the picture - what a great evening!

As soon as she saw Pumpkinhead, B asked for a picture.  He was so sweet to immediately pose with her.  Thank you, Pumpkinhead!

Happy Birthday to the Hubs

To celebrate his birthday in style, B and I treated Greg to the Butcher & the Brewer for dinner and great seats at the Cavs game.  Happy birthday, sweetheart!

Pink Is Our Favorite Color

Years ago when Meg was little, we would frequent this diner in Athens because they had great grilled cheese sandwiches and fun names for their crayons. She loved Tickle Me Pink and Marvelous (but you have to pronounce it like Billy Crystal during his SNL days).  These colors came out well before OPI nail colors were popular.  I came across an assortment of "pink" crayons while coloring with Bridget and was reminded of that old diner and their clever crayon colors.

You look mauvelous, dahling, simply mauvelous!

Vancouver Aquarium

On our final full day, we visited the Vancouver Aquarium as our little treat to B.  She had been such a good sport going to a cold location for her Spring break.  We must have heard it twenty times, "Everyone is going to the beach on their Spring break, but MY parents think that skiing and being cold is our Spring break."  I'm pretty sure that seeing the whales, jelly fish, octopus, fish, and other sea life made up for the "cold" weather vacation location!

Vancouver Aquarium where the jelly fish were electric!

Even the fish were sad that Megan wasn't with us :(

Peak2Peak Daytripping

Day three in Whistler and our first adventure took us on the Peak2Peak Gondola Ride connecting Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.  The views were simply breathtaking.  We even enjoyed lunch at the top, which was a nice little break.

Next, we decided to check out the Olympic Center to see the skeleton and bobsled in action.  This was on Greg's list - no way would I be traveling on my back at 90+kph!  Unfortunately, the center was booked for a private party, but we were still allowed to go up to the top and watch.  Wow, so cool.

Olympic village and winning the gold!

Amazing views from the Peak2Peak gondola ride - a must do on this trip!

My fun "pair" on the mountain during our gondola stop.

Learning the skeleton at the Olympic Center.

Bike Riding Around Whistler

Day two at Whistler and B decided to spend the day with me while Greg tackled the slopes again.  We went bike riding around the lake and she even tried out the motocross bike course!

This kid is always up for an adventure!

A Great Little Ski Town

Whistler is now tied with Breckenridge as my favorite ski town.  Loved how small and charming it is.  So easy to navigate and an unbelievable number of activities for the non-skier (that's me).

First full day at Whistler, Greg and B decided to head up the mountain and enjoy a day of skiing.  Because this was early April, there was unfortunately no snow at the base of the mountain.  Usually, this is not the case in Whistler as they have snow till mid-April.  They enjoyed a full day of skiing while I headed off to entertain myself.  First on my list was a nice long run/walk.  I was treated to a magnificent day, sunny day with temps in the mid-50s.  I was easily able to squeeze in my 10,000 steps and meet my Fitbit goal.  Before meeting them at the ski lift, I popped in to the best little coffee shop for a latte (it really was little - 4 foot walkway and about 20 feet deep.  While waiting for them to end their day of skiing, I sat outside, drank my latte, and closed my eyes taking in the sunshine.  What a wonderful way to spend the first day in the mountains.

Mid-50s for skiing and they didn't have to layer on the clothes.  Beautiful views from my run.

A bit of an intrepid smile, but she loved her day on the slopes.

Megan, you would have enjoyed this cup and the sunshine that came with it!

Capilano Suspension Bridge - Oh My!

It was Greg's idea to visit the Capilano  Suspension Bridge Park.  I was a bit nervous, but figured it was worth a visit.  I am so glad to did.  Amazing views and breathtaking scenery - great day for a hike, an easy way to add up those steps for my Fitbit, and a wonderful afternoon of family fun.  Highly recommend stopping here for families - Bridget had no trouble navigating around the suspension bridge or the tree house walkways.  If you're afraid of heights, this will be tough for you, but very rewarding!

I think Greg had a wing span larger than Canadian Geese!

Bridget was a Raven!

I'm a Great Horned Owl - I'm sure it's because I am so wise (and nocturnal)!

Scared to death to cross the suspension bridge and even more nervous climbing from one tree house to the other.  After the second tree house, I was fine....but phew! It was a great afternoon and I'm so glad included this on our trip!

The best part of the day was Howe Sound Brewing in Squamish - great afternoon sitting outside on the patio enjoying a good IPA. 

Vancouver White Caps Game

After an exhausting, but fun, day at the Granville Island Public Market, Greg was able to score tickets to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC soccer game.  They played the LA Galaxy and we were treated to a tense match in which Vancouver won.  So much energy at this game!

Never knew how much fun a soccer game could be!

Vancouver - Day 1 at the Granville Island Public Market

We landed late Friday night in Vancouver.  Being on West Coast time, we woke up way too early.  With the entire day ahead of us, we decided to start off at the Granville Island Public Market.  What a great choice!  The market reminded us of our own Westside Market or Philly's Reading Market. So many interesting stands filled with delicious foods.  I think the pasta stand was my favorite because each pasta was crafted like art.

While at the Granville Island Brewing Company, this was a "stag" or bachelor party.  The groom is dressed up as a girl with pigtails (reminded me of the Foo Fighters video) - too cute of a picture to pass up!

I love trying out a new or different Bloody Mary while traveling.  This one didn't disappoint, but my favorite is still in Austin!

Such a good picture of them outside the Granville Island Public Market

How cute is this? Old silos.

Loved the Granville Island Public Market.  Just look at how delicious everything is - pasta, baked goods, fruits and veggies.  Yum!

Puppy Love Is the Beginning of a Lifetime Affair

I came across this sign while shopping in Whistler, BC and started tearing up just thinking of my puppy, Jameson. Puppy love...

Virginia Beach Family Visit

Love visiting my brother and his family and wish our visits weren't so spaced apart. Even though it was unseasonably cold at the beach, we were still thrilled to spend time with family.

Where's Waldo? Having fun at Cloud 9!

Cousins

Wish these visits lasted longer!

Pink Sparkly Spa Party

So my youngest wanted to celebrate her birthday with the Pink Sparkly Spa Party theme. Wow, 10 little divas enjoying mani/pedis, facials, craft, spa robes and spa food. What was I thinking?! Turns out it was an absolute success and a great way to ring in her 8th birthday!

 

Happy Birthday

I actually don't mind birthdays. My favorite place to celebrate my birthday dinner is any place owned by Chef Eric Williams. Nearly every year since we've moved to Cleveland, we've celebrated at Momocho's. One year was Happy Dog, but I quickly returned to Momocho's. Might be because of the Patron XO...a great way to cap off another year!

Happy Valentine's Day

Father-Daughter Dance

By my count, this is B's fourth father-daughter dance in the past 18 months. It's become her thing. So awesome to see!

Victory Brewing

On our way back from a weekend trip to Chautauqua, we decided to take a side side excursion to Victory Brewing. What a great little find. Husband and I had a delicious Hop Devil IPA and Golden Monkey. B had a root beer and enjoyed her iPad while the hubs and I added a new brewery to our list. Definitely worth a follow up visit.

My Little Artist

I never get tired of my kids' art shows. I have saved many of my oldest daughter's artwork and catalogued it by years. The youngest is no different and I have already started saving many of her fine pieces of work, including these. Love the use of color and imagination.

Learning to Knit

Rather than engage in "resolutions", we decided to challenge ourselves with learning one new thing every month and to tackle it together. For the month of January, we learned to knit.

We signed up for Knitting 101 at Birds of a Feather and had the most kind, patient teacher, Steven. He managed to teach all three of us, help us through our mistakes, and encouraged us to enjoy this new skill. 

So much fun!

Beauty Stumbled Upon

I love visiting This is Glamorous blog.  I can get lost in beautiful images - a time luxury I haven't had in awhile. But as I was catching up on this site, I came across these images and thought I would share. 

I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Basketball Begins

It’s been a season of learning new things.  B just started basketball and is having a wonderful time.  She’s even been the leading scorer at a couple games and I can’t believe the hustle she shows.  So proud of this little girl!

Go #25!

Antiquing and Wineries

I love antiquing.  Always have.  I don’t really have a “thing” I’m looking for.  I just enjoy browsing through time and hoping to come along a little something special. Even better is if the “little something special” item has a story.  While we enjoyed stopping at a couple really awesome places, probably the coolest find was an off-the-beaten-path winery.  We pulled into the lot, walked inside, and instantly knew this would be a great little place on a rainy afternoon.  B played on her iPad while Greg and I enjoyed a tasting of yummy ice wine, a port, and some light reds.  Cheers!