Caught her off gaurd!

For Tanya's birthday Brad and I got her a pedicure at the mall. Tanya is one of those mom's that everything she does, she does for her kids. I thought she deserved a pamper hour for herself.




We were a little worried she would never use her gift certicate so we caught her off guard and called one morning just after she put the kids on the bus and asked her what she had planned for the day. She shared that she was going to clean out the girls cloths, we invited her to join us at the mall in an hour to have her toes done. She couldn't say anything but sure!!





As you can see it was a BIG hit and Tanya loved every minute of it!!












She went from "don't look at my feet" to "take a picture of how good my feet look" Happy Birthday Day Tanya! I think we should make this a tradition!!

Wecome Brianna!!

We have a new addition to 107 Franklin Street. Her name is Brianna. Her mommy Sheila is one of the tenants in the house.




Memories certainly came back to Brad holding this little girl. Hard to think Caitlyn was this little 14 years ago!!













Always fun to hold but I never have any regret giving them back to their Mommy's and Daddy's. I LOVE other peoples kids!!




Welcome to the world Miss Brianna! It can be a BIG scary place, but always safe in Mommy's arms!!

First project of the summer!

Sunday morning I was on a mission and Brad didn't have clue! After breakfast I suggested we start working on the deck, maybe we could sand the porch a little and see how much it would take to get the maroon off so that we could paint it green to match the addition and match the lattice work we did last summer. Before you know it we had the WHOLE deck DONE!!

Art in Essex!

We were excited to find out that there was an Art in the Park type of event in Essex at the fair grounds. After my morning appointments we headed north. We stopped in Middlebury to get Cait her summer swim suit. Then off to Burlington to get sandwiches to have in Battery Park.

What a day!! What a view!!












Here are Cait and Brad with Lake Champlain in the back ground!










HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY! I was thrilled to be with my family and not at a convention. My first weekend home in a long time!!




















One I took and one Brad took. Any guesses???(why go there?)






This was a pivotal moment in our day. Cait's cell phone fell out of her pocket, unbeknown to us!
About 20 minutes after leaving Battery Parkand 15 miles away, Cait realized that her phone was missing. Brad kept calling the phone to see if it was in the Jeep. Nope! Then we got a call from a young man who found her phone. Convenient enough, the police station was right there and he left it there for us to pick up on the way home.




Off to the art show we went. We all came home with some goodies. Cait was able to find her mother days gifts and even something that said CAITLYN on it spelled right!








On the way home Brad couldn't help but stop and do a Geocache!









Of course he had been here before so he watched Cait and I look. She had advantage of having found a previous cache hid behind a electric cover plate








Look what Cait found!









Time to add our names!!

















Look who's name is already on the list!! ( so I get around a little)
















I guess we wore her out!!

Tanya Turns ???

We traveled to Manchester to celebrate Tanya's birthday. And as you can see by the title we are not revealing her age.

While waiting for Greg to arrive the kids played on the trampoline. Cait's cousins liked the fact she could bounce them.




Tired but Happy!!!!! Renae, Cait, Rachel, Richard.









Lola and Shadow getting to know each other.







Lola thinks its great, someone to chase and chase her back.







Was that a kiss?!?









Someone got winded, want to guess which one?









HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!








Tanya greeted by her cake and her children. Only one candle to disguise her age.









Cake, cake, we want cake. Wheres the ice cream?





Happy Birthday Tanya!!

Last stop on the Tour De New England

I have been here before, but never as the PPANE president. And I will tell you this was the best visit to the North Conway Hotel EVER! NHPPA really went out of their way to make me feel welcome!

I did it!! 6 convention in New England with NO SNOW STORMS and NO SPEEDING TICKETS. My Dad's will be proud of ME!! My last stop was NHPPA, it was in the 90's the whole weekend and blue skies the whole time!








This was the only second convention that Brad didn't make and it turned out to be a girls weekend! Gillian and I had planned on going being that both of us were judging. Last minute Nancy was added to the list. Night one was out to dinner at a special restaurant with special toasts of happiness. What comes around, goes around!



Oh the FUN we had!! This is one panel to remember!





Here I am with my PPANE board members from NHPPA. I can not say enough about these three, other then I am VERY thankful to have you on the PPANE team.


Look at this SMILE. Could it be refective of my LAST state speech???

Brad went 3 for 3!!

"Crokus Tears"

Brad made a goal last year to enter VPP print competition. Well.......he DID IT!! And he got THREE red ribbons! ( I took this photo in Luedinghausen, Germany on Windmuhlenburg Strasse on an early misty morning stroll to the Backeri for morning pastry)

"Psychedelic Journey" (shot this inside the exhibit from worlds fair in Brussells, Belgium)






"Limited Access" (This is shot across the moat at Berg Vischering in Luedinghausen, Germany)

The Emperess of PPANE

Ok... how many Vermonters get to stay at the Equinox?? VPP got an AWESOME deal for rooms and meal packages for our annual convention!




Being PPANE president made the stay EXTRA special!



Keeping up the Vermont tradition of having a kick ass convention, we had the coolest hospitality suite in all New England. I can officially say this after attending all of the state conventions this year. How COOL ... is this fire pit!!



Brad was happy... I was looking to him to cuddle up for some extra body heat!!




Nothing like a good story to go with a toasting fire. Good thing Ed Pedi was there to tell us a story!!






One of my finer moments this winter was the forthought to ask Helen Yancy to do my official PPANE president's portrait. The pressure was off me to ask ONLY ONE New England friend to do it. Not only is she out of area, she is the BEST at what she does!!



And the fact that she LOVES Golden Doodles too! It was awesome for Helen to meet Lola after all the stories and photos we have exchanged about our doodles!






I have been in a lot of board photos for VPP, but this year was special. Don being president of VPP and me being president of PPANE. It was just plain COOL!



VPP kept it's tradition and made my visit as PPANE president extra special. Years back I crowned Arny Spann as the PPANE King, then Bob Lizzari as the Jester, and Gillian as the Queen. I am offically the VPP Emperess of PPANE.


OK, I have given way too many speaches this year. And this was by far the hardest to do. You would think amongst friends it would have been a breeze. Nope, quite the oppisite. I was full of emotion and overwhelmed with graditude. VPP has made me who I am, for good or bad and looking out and seeing the faces that did this was hard to hold the tears back!


WE could RULE the world!! Nancy and I really admire and look up to Helen. She is one of a kind. I want to be her when I grow up!








Nancy with Nancy. You had to be there to really get this!!















My one and ONLY award this year. Maybe next year when I stay home long enough to actually work on my comp prints I will do better. I did need to win this award as Brad was the creator of this particular competition!!





VPP at 80! WOW!! We get it at 80!!









Matty and Me! Matty the MARRIED man now!! I am showing off my medal I was awarded at his wedding! Best one I wear around my neck!






Don and I awarding the National Award to Nancy. This what what this award is all about. Nancy you are the best example I give to explain what the National Award is about.






VPP wouldn't be VPP without Anne Jenks. Memere is our Groton matriarch. She is the mother of VPP'r Bob Jenks... enough said!




SURPRISE! SURPISE! ... ok I wasn't surprised but what a thrill to have Bernie and Ricky there. Bernie went home with two new golden girls!




Nancy danced the night away!










My all time bestest VPP friend, Sharron. Life has taken Sharron in a different direction but we still keep in touch and it meant the WORLD to me having her at the banquet this year.





Blast from the past. Mr Kennedy graced us with his presence at VPP this year. Jay was my mentor for years and he introduced me to VPP.







One BIG family!! Brad was upset we didn't do this the banquet night. He left for work before this shot. We got busy with all the 80th celebrations. Sorry Brad, you will have to wait till next year! ( thought you guys had photoshop skills...hint hint )



When you look at this group, you can see why VPP is the association it is. The past presidents vision, dedication and heart is what makes VPP what it is!!