In the Summertime.

I like Fridays.



They are the movie trailer for the weekend. They get you all excited for the real deal. And, they go great with a glass of wine and a hot tub, might I add.


Hot tub, courtesy of Poppa's Place, but in my imaginary house, I have one too.

We didn't have bathing suits, so we improvised. She went naked; I wore a strange hodge podge of undergarments. She had juice; I had wine. But together, our glasses made a nice clink when we toasted to a fabulous weekend.



And, speaking of fabulous...

Brett and I set out for our anniversary date last night. He asked me all day where I wanted to go. I'm all for traditions...and this night has always had us chopsticking shrimp and sucking the last remains of the most delicious ginger dressing of all time off lettuce scraps (and I admit, I once tipped my plate and slurped the final puddle of dressing like a dog--it's that good) at our favorite Japanese steakhouse. But last night, I wasn't feeling it. I didn't want to sit in a booth with people I didn't know. I wanted to wear jeans and eat something fried and drink freezing cold beer belly up at some cool bar. So, that we did.







...and the combination of live music, fried mozzarella sticks, a cold beer and a chair where my feet could dangle and not touch the floor was just perfect. And who says grafitti-walled bars aren't romantic?


Thank you, Dave, for the pic!

And because we are just a little bit sentimental, on the way home we passed the church where we were married, desolate that late and enchantedly lit up by a smattering of street lights, and we couldn't help it. After one of those are-you-thinking-what-I'm-thinking glances, Brett pulls a U-ey, and out we jumped for this pic.



Aw. Sacred ground, Baby. Sacred ground.



And the best part? Coming home all relaxed and full to snuggly babies who were safe and happy with Poppa.





Insert another shameless opportunity to light candles and sing...because we love us some candles. This time..."Happy Anniversary to Us" is, I think, how it goes.



Just in time for my annivesary, this little package arrived.



My fingerprint necklace from Tina Steinberg. Its smooth silver pebbles are impressed with my girls' little prints on one side and their names on the other...so they can hang close to my heart. I keep finding myself reaching up and grasping them, rubbing my fingers along those sweet impressions. Love, love, love.

And, today's favorite moments?

What Nella sees:



What we see:



I used to call it "The Brett and Lainey Show" when Lainey swooned and smiled and went completely mush at that same age. And the ratings for Nella's spin-off show are just as grand.



This weekend, summer calls.





Cheers to that, Baby. More to come.



For now...Enjoy.



And this song so makes me want to run through a field of daisies, barefoot--waving ribbon wands and leaping into blue skies. Summer anthem, Baby.

...and check out our quick little ditty about blogging over at Nickelodeon's ParentsConnect HERE.