Scott and Jeani's wedding rehearsal dinner

Yummy Greek food and lots of fun!

Sightseeing with Family

We had family here visiting from New York this summer. They came to attend my brother-in-law, Scott's, wedding. One of the days of their visit we spent sightseeing; visiting Garden of the Gods, the Broadmoor Hotel, and the Air Force Academy.

My favorite view of the Garden, right when you come around the corner on the drive...

Lunch at the hotel's restaurant The Tavern. Yummy salads.

The Air Force Academy Chapel

I had no idea there was a Buddhist Temple inside the Chapel.

Franci's Fourth Birthday Party

Celebrating with Franci on July10, 2009. Franci is Bree's new cousin! A little earlier than her actual birthdate, but what a great day for a party! Her monkey cake was adorable, and the cotton candy ice cream was a hit with Bree.

south lake

The last of our trip to Montauk... South Lake is a great place to find critters!

the north fork

Towards the end of our vacation, we piled into the rented Jeep Wrangler for a drive to the North Fork of Long Island. I was looking forward to seeing this area for the first time. After we made it through the insane traffic leaving the Hamptons, we had a lovely day of driving and sight seeing. Our first stop was in Cutchogue, NY to visit Cousin Joe at his business. We continued on through wine country - Long Island has many wineries to visit and we stopped at one of our favorites, Bedell Cellars. (Hmmm... why would we be drawn to that one?) It is beautifully landscaped. We all loved the bright hydrangeas, flowers I carried in my wedding bouquet, they were in bloom all over Long Island. Time here was well spent, exploring the grounds, letting Bree play with rocks, and purchasing a few bottles of Bedell wine to ship home and enjoy later. No tasting for us with a busy two year old! Instead we were off to Greensport and made a stop at a large old-fashioned carousel. Surprisingly, Bree absolutely refused to sit on a horse, which she will do at home at the zoo. Rather than drive back the way we came, we drove the jeep onto a ferry over to Shelter Island. Bree's first boat! (Even though she was in her carseat in the jeep the whole time, she could see pretty well and kept repeating, "boat!") Dan had been here years ago to photograph osprey and he did so again. Then the jeep boarded another ferry for a short trip to Sag Harbor and the return drive to Montauk.

Independence Day in Montauk

Patriotic Bree in the car on the way to the beach.

Hello Ocean!

I thought this was like something out of the movies - planes flying around us at the beach using smoke to advertise a Broadway Show, and Geico. It really felt like a holiday on the beach!

Dan spent many years in this house - he loves going back to visit Cousin Joe.


Visiting 96 year old Aunt Hedy. She is sharp as a tack and we enjoy all of the time we get with her.


What a wonderful fourth of July. Out on the beach, bonfires, the moon dancing on the water, and a spectacular firework show. Bree's favorites were the happy face ones!

more montauk

So much has been happening these past weeks! I am feeling very behind in blogging but will do my best to catch up. More from Montauk. We were lucky to spend time on the beach almost every day, the weather was just gorgeous. I guess we brought the sunshine with us, the weeks prior to our arrival were soaked with rain. I am missing the beach and the freedom to pack the kids in the car and head out for an exciting day without having to pay an entrance fee, really wishing we had beaches and the ocean here at home! These photos are from Gin's Beach, a great place to swim with a sandy beach for your toes.

Hanging out in Tony and Sue's beautiful back yard - Noah and Bree still can't get enough of the water.

Bree really discovered ice cream on this trip. She had never been very excited about it before, but we ate quite a bit of it and now she is constantly asking for "ice crean!"

Such a beautiful place to feed the ducks.

Dan and his friend Colin spent a morning on the golf course. Apparently, they weren't alone!

Montauk, New York

Traveling on the plane to Montauk, New York. Dan grew up there and has family and friends we went to go see. Plus, Montauk itself is a wonderful place to visit. This time around we actually had to buy Bree her own seat on the plane. The car seat was a great idea - it kept her in one spot and she is used to sitting in it. Really the only downside was that she kicked the seat in front of her. There was just no way around that. She did a great job on the flights. I highly recommend packing a portable dvd player if you ever find yourself flying with a toddler in tow!


Montauk is located on the very tip of Long Island. It is called "The End" by locals because once you reach it, you can't go any farther. You drive right through the Hamptons and then you are in Montauk. One part of the drive is called the Napeague Stretch, and on it you will find The Lobster Roll. It is only open in the summer and provides wonderfully fresh seafood dishes. The first time I ate here I ordered pufferfish, no kidding. (They were a little spiny, I probably won't order them again.) We stopped here for a bite, knowing that we had finally reached our destination after a long day of travel. The pile of sand was an immediate draw for Bree, it got us excited to see her in action on the beach.





Luckily for us, our friends Tony and Sue let us stay with them in their home in Montauk. They were the most gracious hosts and we were very comfortable with them and their two boys. They are both incredible cooks and we were seriously spoiled. Our first full day in Montauk brought sunshine (it had been raining the entire week prior) so we hit the beach. Tony grew up in Montauk and loves to fish - he caught a sea robin. His 3 year old son Noah is also an excellent fisherman. Bree, predictably, was in heaven with the sand, rocks and water. (Thanks to Sue for sharing these pictures.)


We ate out a place called Gosman's, and I had yummy sushi which I am craving still. Day one in Montauk was wonderful, more posts on our trip to come!