Awesome Summer Days Like This

Fantasy Island @ Long Beach Island

Summer Ontario Bay Hockey

Our summer will include hockey. Noah will be playing with the varsity Ontario Bay team in Cicero. This is a first for him. He is very nervous, as he always is starting something new. This is another awesome beginning to watching Noah blossom. Especially having Coach Forsythe on the bench with him and the others from this seasons Peewees. Exciting times.

Alpacas, Roosters, and Chickens - Oh My!

Aunt Co Co loves taking the boys on adventures. She shares some amazing things, 'ya all. The boys just missed the birth of the alpaca by minutes this day. But, got to see the cute wobbly legged creature take its first drinks of milk. Another great day out with four lucky boys.

Twelve

Noah,

For twelve years I have been a mom. The one thing in life that I always knew that I wanted to be. When I was 12 and babysitting for spending money, I realized I wanted to be a mother. When GM designated me to watch over Uncle Matt, I knew I wanted to be a mom. Sometimes in college when others were talking about future careers, I was thinking inside, "does a mom count"? I knew when the time was right, the thoughts would become reality. Twelve years ago at exactly 7:32 am, I was born. I have never felt anything more real, or raw in my life.

For these twelve years, your Dad and I have experienced the rights and wrongs of being parents. The ups, the downs, the twists, and turns. Learning our way through this path of family life with only the hardest yet to come. And now that you are of this tender age, I wonder if you are thinking: my Mom is exactly who I want her to be?

As Mom, I watch as this 5'5" boy is changing in front of me. Every second, minute, and hour. You are beginning to pull away from the norm that we once knew. Are you ready? Did I prepare you enough for these changes? Do I intervene, or wait until the next time? Do I assist, or let you fail? Do I laugh or cry? I don't remember seeing this part of parenthood in my vision. But, I have, and always will, see love. Arms that circle you no matter what. A lap waiting for you to sit in whenever you need, no matter your size.

We pledge to you, son, in this book of your life, we will do our best. We will always look to have open eyes and ears to todays pressures. We will always be parents first, your friend last. With the ulitmate hope that someday when you have your own children, you will understand.

I love you,

Mom

The Boys

Happy 2011!

Owen, Noah, Samuel and Ethan

Snow Day

Introducing our Cousin

Miss Avery Lin Xuan was born in China, but met her parents of the heart in July of this year. They have been discovering each other for a few months now, and we are pleased to announce that the Newton Family now has a girl. A baby girl has been foreign to Steve's family for over 60 years. We are so thrilled for Gary and Allison. They have waited a very long time to begin their family. The boys, Steve, and I look forward to experiencing family life with the Newton 3.

**These beautiful photos are courtesy of our brother Gary. The backdrop is the front porch of Great Aunt Nancy and Uncle Tom's home. We all traveled south for the Great Pumpkin Hunt of 2010 and Grandpa Lew and Grandma Vi's 68th wedding anniversary. (How awesome is this that our children are taking part in an anniversary party of this magnitude!) The shots were not staged. This is where the kids landed sharing a few moments of cousin-ness. As always, Gary was with camera in hand at the opportune moment. If you are a reader outside of the family and are looking for an talented photographer, please send us an email or comment. We will be sure to pass on Gary's business information.

I've seen this image before...

Hockey has officially started! We're off to a great start: 2-0 after the first weekend. Here's a neat picture before this past Sunday's game - just like an AT&T commercial.

MORE BARS IN MORE PLACES!

*The above post was written by a proud Father*

A note from a proud Mom - Noah is a first year Peewee and he has gained a position on the tournament bound travel team for 2010-2011. Noah seems to have a passion for the sport now, and this season has us on the edge of our seats. Thankfully, the checking is a lot less scary than I originally thought it would be. I am finding out that hockey is definitely not for wimpy mothers!

It has been exciting getting to know a new group of families, and reconnecting with some that Noah has not skated with since he was four years old. I am confident that many of these relationships we have formed will be long lasting. For that I am grateful for this sport.

Owen is in his second year of hockey, and a member of the Mite team. The team consists of over 30 skaters/families, and is organized craziness at the rink on Tuesday and Friday nights. There are all levels of abilities, and the coaches make it tons of fun for the kids. Owen has been a bit ill, so hockey has been hit or miss with him. He went back on Tuesday this week and had a ball. He has mentioned that he thinks he may want to play indoor soccer next year. This child is a mover and a shaker, so laid back skill-honing practice is not enough. He wants games!

Oh yeah, I don't believe we have mentioned how redneck hockey we are. We have an actual clothes dryer in our driveway that serves as a puck target. This free broken down target has been relocated from one Wright Street address to ours, and was escorted by Grandpa's big John Deere tractor that landed it in our driveway. Who needs nets?!

First Day of School - 2010

Owen waiting with much anticipation, fighting back the tears for his first day of Kindergarten. Noah, going with the flow, looking cool, and way older than 11 for his first day of middle school.

The kindergartener and the middle schooler.

The Wright Street Gang. Our friends, The Blevins' have helped get Noah off to school since 3rd grade. This year, we are driving Mr. Zach and Mr. Ryan to school with Owen and Sam in tow. Noah is riding to school with Mrs. Blevins since she works in the same building. It is nice to have this time every morning with the school aged kids. They are so funny to listen to. They talk about their classrooms, their teachers, what's for lunch, hockey, baseball, what they did the night before, what happens on the bus on the way home, who gets in trouble, they sing, they dance, they raise the roof...oh my goodness...I never new you could have so much fun at 7:15 am.

The three amigos on their way through the Mannsville doors. The first day Owen went off with the two other boys without looking back. I cried all the way home with Sam asking me if I was okay. The next two weeks were not so easy for Owen. He cried, he screamed, he had me by the pants and would not let go. This was torture for both of us. My heart hurt leaving him every day like this. He tried to tell me that he could learn at home, he was sick, that two minutes away from me was to many...but, with the help of the Blevins' boys and the school staff, we turned the corner, and surprise, no more tears. I will never forget those weeks, and how he still wanted his Mommy. I couldn't tell him, but I wanted him to stay with me just as bad.

This first day of school felt like five days to me watching the clock, Sam asking when the boys would be home, and the dog following me since his buddies were gone. It all ended well, with the best moment I could witness with two brothers sharing their day while meeting up in the driveway. These minutes as a mom, visualizing the love, make my throat close with emotion.

And, then there was this...Owen removed his jacket with a huge smile as he proudly displayed the chocolate milk he was covered in for half a day. BOYS!!

This is Noah in September 2004 on his way to Mannsville for his first day of Kindergarten. Owen was born the following February. It is crazy how life changes and you are given exactly what you pray for.

A pretty special Dad

The boys each had special items for Daddy on Father's Day that made Steve's day a memorable one. Noah made a jigsaw puzzle picture frame, Owen made a bluebird house with Poppy and GM to surprise Daddy with, and Sam wore a shirt all day that said "My Dad is a Rockstar". Isaac took on the role of protector to give Daddy the day off. He stood guard on the back forty for most of the day.

Since we are weeks later, the picture frame surrounds Noah and is proudly displayed on Daddy's dresser, the birdhouse has been hung and birds have built a nest in it, and the shirt...well, it is a bit stained, but when Sam put it on the other day, he said "This is Daddy's shirt".

Special Birthday for a Special 11 Year Old

Sometimes I am unable to wrap my brain around motherhood. The ups, the down, the ins, the outs. Occasionally it is like I am in someone else's body. Blissfully happy, but tortured by the never ending list of things to do. I pinch myself as if I am going to wake up from this dream. The ultimate dream come true...a mother of three happy, healthy children.

Noah recently turned 11 and is beginning juvenescence. It seems that he is unsure if he wants to be a little boy or adolescent. I am right there with him. There are days that I look at him like he is an alien spawn from some unknown planet (ironic, as he was an alien for living art in his last elementary art show--picture below). Other times I want to squeeze him and never let go. Funny, as I type, I am believing he probably thinks the same of me. You know, because when you become a certain age, your parents no longer know what's best.

On April 30th, the boy turned 11. He and I had a special date. A mother and son date with a good friend and her oldest son. We dressed the boy's up and introduced them to some big kid stuff. It was a sunny day with a peaceful ride to Seneca Lake. (I enjoyed my adult time, too!) We stopped at a beautiful castle for brunch. The boys enjoyed the 3 room buffet of food. They each had Shirley Temple's - big deal ya' know! They were very well behaved, with their napkins on their laps and using their manners. So not like our tables at home were we constantly have to remind them!

From the castle we traveled to Rochester to see Wicked. After seeing the show in January, I knew that Noah and Andrew would love it. We were not disappointed. The theater, the sets, the costumes, the orchestra, and yes, even the singing seemed to impress. Noah cracked me up as he was keeping beat with the orchestra. He didn't even realize that he was doing it. A bit of a distraction for the three of us with him, but his band teacher would have been proud. A stop for some ice cream on the way home with some motherly torture of making the boys converse with us during the car ride. We decided no video games, they had to discuss their highs of the day. Isn't it great to be a Mom where you can do evil things like this?!

Noah is the orange alien. His good friend Anthony is the grey guy.

And, their alien pods...ART - an expression of oneself.

I swear I will never question him! I was a weird art student once, too.

I melted crayons, splattered them on paper, and won awards.

Perhaps I should change this whole post - his weirdness is my fault, isn't it?!!

Reading with Big Brother

A few special minutes shared between brothers. Noah and Sam are almost a decade apart, but the love of books certainly brings them together.

Moments such as these make a mom proud!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Don't forget to take time to look around, and enjoy all of the splendor of the season.

Below is a glimpse of our month of Christmas wonder. Sam didn't like Santa. And, based on the mug on Santa, I don't think Santa cared for Sam! Enjoy...

Light Beneath the Blue Evening Moon

Date nights. Love 'em. Shoot...why wouldn't I? A night in dress up clothes; going somewhere fun, a little adult drink and conversation away from the pressures of real life. Whispering sweet poetry on a magnetic board at a candlelit booth for two. What's not to love?

We were supposed to go away for an entire weekend to celebrate 15 years of being married. Wow, that is weird to say. However, the flu bug decided to fly into our home. So, we settled with just an evening out taking in the show we planned for. This was our gift to one another; concert tickets to one of our favorite bands, The Tragically Hip. Thank goodness we are blessed with two great aunts and a cousin who braved the Newton house of cooties to take care of the boys. So, off we ventured all hyped up on Motrin, with Halls throat lozenges in hand.

We left early enough to grab dinner in Armory Square and stop at Clark's for a pint. Funny how this evening was the first time we noticed we were hanging with a grown up crowd. No more college hang outs for us, I guess. We have evolved. Isn't that a nice word for "We're Old"? Anyway, every conversation we accidentally, on purpose overheard was about "The Hip". So many people in one tiny place doing the same thing. And, here's the head-scratcher...the band loves hockey. The first time we saw them live, Noah was dancing in utero. Who would have thought it! The boy was born a music lover and hockey player.

This band, in my humble opinion, are edgy, raw, and a bit eccentric. (Kind of like my husband.) Their lyrics are like poetry. Sometimes you get 'em and sometimes you don't. But, the music! Oh that loud, but yet sweet music that they tie to Gord Downie's words...it just keeps you coming back for more. Four times more in our case. But, this viewing marked a first. The first time spectating that I was not with child! Oh, what bitter-sweet bliss.

We ended the night with a stop at Dunkin' Donuts to refuel our bodies and heal our killer sore throats with some hot beverage. 'Cause DD keeps you runnin'! My plan upon arriving home was to tackle some midnight laundry. But, when, what do my wondering eyes should appear, an aunt angel surrounded by stacks upon stacks of clean smelling gear!

Needless to say, we had a nice time reconnecting under our blue evening moon. A date night that happens...once in a blue moon.

Some of our highlights:

I wish you all angels that wash your dirty digs while you are out having fun!