June 25th- still pregnant!

I am still so very pregnant. I know that I am not actually due until next Saturday but I am just so frustrated! Many people warned me that just because Gavin came 3 weeks early does not mean that this one will. But, WHY NOT?!?! I'm not terribly uncomfortable but am just sick of the anticipation. I am also freaking out that the baby is getting too big! When I went into the hospital a couple of weeks ago with false labor, or perhaps wishful thinking, the midwife who attended to me made a comment that the baby is really big. Really big, and by the way, you're not even close to going into real labor. Have fun growing your huge child! Seriously, I can see the headlines now, "Woman Births 20 Pound Sumo Wrestler." Clearly, I am freaking out.

My little sister Julie arrived on Wednesday. It has been nice to have her here and it's taken some of the stress away, knowing that she can be here with Gavin when I finally do go into labor. We haven't done too much considering my condition and not wanting to be too far away from the hospital. Adam will be home over the next few days so we're planning on taking a short hike tomorrow morning or maybe early this afternoon if it isn't too hot.

The humidity was pretty intense yesterday. We went for a short walk around the neighborhood and I swear that Max looked like he was going to die of heat stroke when we got home. That dog has major weight fluctuation. He gets fed the same amount every single day and does not get table scraps. It is the strangest thing. Anyhow, I don't think he can handle any more walks when the weather is above 80 degrees. I actually sprayed him down with the hose to cool his body temperature.

Oddly enough, until the past couple of days, I hadn't really thought much about what it's going to be like when the baby arrives. It's strange to think of bringing home a tiny little baby. I am so used to my big toddler. I'm excited and nervous. Do I have the patience to balance the needs of a newborn and also Gavin? I know that all of my concerns are completely normal. I just need things to happen so I can stop stressing myself out!

Well, not too much else to say. It's early still and everyone else is asleep. I think I will make blueberry muffins before it gets too hot to use the oven. Hopefully, my next post will be about our new baby. However, I have a feeling it will more than likely be about our hike!

No baby yet, but the garden looks great!

So the kid has decided to hang out for a while longer. I guess that's ok, considering its due date is still 2 weeks away. In the meantime, I continue to tackle household projects and chores. My garden had been frustrating me with all the weeds so I finally decided to just tackle them. Fortunately, I had a lot of help from my little pal Gavin. I have a walking path around my garden that is lined with bricks so I found that if I just sat down, I could pull the weeds around me and then scoot over to the next brick. It was a bit ridiculous looking but it worked. Gavin emptied the bucket for me so I didn't have to keep getting up. He would sit next to me and point out the big weeds. We worked on this for two afternoons this week and then went out and bought some mulch to lay down to hopefully suppress future weeds from taking over. The garden looks really good right now. Amazing the difference a couple of weeks make. Everything is growing and I'm getting excited for fresh corn, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, basil, etc. We've been able to harvest lettuce and spinach for salads. I need to plant another square of lettuce so that we have some when the other salad fixings are ready. Apparently, gardening is somewhat like childbirth- just requires a little patience. Here are some updated photos - I had to capture it on film because I doubt it will stay so well-kept once the little one is here! I'm actually quite proud of myself. I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to tend to this project so late in my pregnancy.

Peas are growing up some white trellis. The lettuces, spinach, and mustard greens are all being harvested.

Here you can see my newly weeded walking path covered with black mulch. On the outside of the fence:  rosemary, dill, columbine, and a bunch of mixed annuals that were planted by seed. 

Another view of the vegetable garden and what I hope turns out to be a cutting garden. The annuals seem to have all taken but the plants are still small. Hopefully, we'll have lots of flowers in a month or two.

Green beans are starting to climb the teepee and the corn plants are nearly a foot tall. That side of the garden also has the cucumbers, peppers, a couple of tomato plants, zucchini, and a yellow summer squash.

Updated square foot garden shot. The grass needs to be mowed around it, but you can see that the grape tomatoes are really growing. I intend to build a strong trellis for them, but haven't gotten to it yet. Oh, and when I say that I intend to, I really mean, I intend to have Adam build me one :)

Close-up shot of the little basil plants, marigolds, and cilantro- all planted by seed. If you have not tried planting basil or cilantro by seed, I highly recommend it. I have never had much luck buying transplants of either of these two herbs. Last year, I had more basil and cilantro than I could use. Think fresh pesto and guacamole and get planting!

Maybe one of my last pregnancy posts- let's make it a rant!

So I sit here after another terrible night of tossing and turning. I do not remember Gavin moving so much at night. This baby kicks all night long and shifts around as much as I do. I keep telling the kid that there is much more room to stretch outside my tummy. Come join us little one! I don't want to complain too much as this could very well be my last pregnancy. It really is an amazing experience to feel your baby move inside of you. Yet, I can't help complaining when I feel like my lungs are shoved up to my collar bone, causing me to be short of breath!

I have to admit, I'm getting quite a kick out of strangers feeling the need to share their own theory on what gender the baby is. I was at the grocery store last week and some lady told me that it is definitely a boy because my skin looks too good to be a girl. Really? I wonder if she goes up to people and says, "Your skin looks like crap, must be a girl!"

The checker at Target told me that she thought it was a girl for sure. You see, I'm carrying the baby really low- definitely means pink! Or, could it be that I'm nearly 37 weeks and the baby has dropped? Or- was it a boy when I was carrying the baby high and then it magically turned into a girl a couple of weeks ago? Mysterious, I tell you!

Theories are definitely better than touching. Fortunately, I think my facial expressions are pretty telling and when a stranger even considers pawing, my face must say, "Oh, hell no!" I have a big enough space bubble with people I'm comfortable with- I don't need some random lady's hands on my belly! I get that people are drawn to pregnant women and babies, but honestly, that's just inappropriate!

Well, there is not much else to rant about. We have the baby's room ready- we painted the walls a buttery yellow color and set up the crib. We hung a few pictures but are otherwise waiting to see if it's a boy or a girl before we buy any other decor. If it's a boy, I'd like to man it up for him a bit, with some navy blues and other bright colors. If it's a girl, I'm thinking blue and white floral bedding and accessories. Gavin is now in a twin sized bed, his big-boy-bed. He's very excited about that, especially his dinosaur sheets. I also got him another sheet set with animals reading books. I'm going to surprise him with those when he's having an emotional day when baby is taking all my attention. I have a few little things like that to help him cope and feel special. Anyhow, I will take pictures of both of their rooms after baby is born.

Who knows, my due date is still 3 weeks away. There could be some serious rants coming if baby takes that long to make its appearance. I've got it in my head that I have, at most, a week left. I was so lucky to skip this uncomfortable stage of pregnancy with Gavin. I really hope I'm not writing another pregnancy post in July! At the same time, as soon as the little one is here, that means I have to start taking care of 2 kids! Hmm... maybe baby should hang out a while longer...

The humble, yet complex, peanut butter cookie

Those who know me well, know that I do not have much of a sweet tooth. When I do crave something sweet, I seek something that has a nice balance of savory. Honestly, my idea of a perfect dessert is a glass of red wine paired with a cheese plate. Yet, when I am pregnant, I just love sweets which has led me in search of the perfect peanut butter cookie. Peanut butter cookies have that salty/sweet combination that I look for in a snack. Otherwise, if the treat is too sweet, you find yourself doing the, "well, now I got the sweet, but now I need a bowl (bag) of chips to offset it" routine. That's just a calorie disaster waiting to happen! And, let's be honest- we've all done it!

So let's talk peanut butter cookies. I have never had a great recipe, often they end up too dry. I pulled out all of my cookbooks and started reviewing. I landed on American Brasserie, a great cookbook that I picked up a while ago. I love anything bistro or brasserie related. It reminds me of being in Paris or Italy, sitting outside at a little table with a bowl of onion soup, a salad with goat cheese crostini, or an espresso. Typically, these types of restaurants have limited menus focused on seasonal ingredients. The recipes are inspiring, yet not intimidating. Anyhow, this book has a recipe for peanut butter cookies that I decided to try. Here is the recipe, including their introduction, which is over half the reason I decided to try it.

Big Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
from American Brasserie, Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand with Julie Moskin

People always say that peanut butter cookies are great for kids, but we suspect that grown-ups like them just as much. After all, this is a pretty serious cookie, with a salty-sweet flavor and crumbly richness that could even be called sophisticated.


Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chunky or creamy peanut butter (I used creamy)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. *
2) Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3) In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and cream with the butter. The mixture will look a bit grainy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter and beat until fluffy.
4) Mixing at low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. If using, mix in the chocolate chips by hand.
5) Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.*
6) Let cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container.

* I use parchment paper so I don't have to grease the baking sheets, making for easy cleanup. I also used convection bake and lowered the temp to 325F. This made for a longer baking time- nearly 20 minutes.

I have made this recipe twice now. The first time, I just made them as instructed without chocolate chips. The cookies do not look like typical peanut butter cookies, where you roll balls and then flatten with a fork to make the criss cross pattern. They look more like a chocolate chip cookie. They tasted excellent, but it got me thinking, would they be different if I used the traditional method? What about adding chocolate chips? So, I gave it another go yesterday, using all 3 methods. After all, texture and appearance do make a difference to your sensory palate. Yet, I have to admit- all 3 were good. I'm still not completely sold on adding the chocolate chips. I feel like the peanut butter stands very well on its  own and the chocolate is sort of a distraction. Rolling the dough and then flattening with the fork tines, gives the cookie its traditional appearance and I think more of an even outer layer, a little more crumble. The simple drop cookie method, is very chewy which has its own merit. My conclusion is to leave the recipe stand without adding chocolate chips. The next thing that needs to be tested is whether chunky peanut butter would be better... any guesses?

A preview of littlest deMars

At just over 34 weeks along, baby is estimated to weigh 5 pounds and 9 ounces. It was hard to get a great photo because the baby was moving around like crazy and blocking its face with its arm, but here's a glimpse of the little one. It's supposed to be 94 degrees tomorrow- if you need to reach me, my head will likely be in the freezer!

Baby has a button nose and lots of hair. So that's why I keep getting heartburn! 

You can see baby's eyelashes in the photo below. Technology is so cool!

A New England Love Affair

We just returned from a trip up to southern Maine. We had the most amazing time and the landscape of New England tightened its grip on me. I was sitting on the beach in New Hampshire, watching Gavin and Adam skip rocks and I found myself thinking, "what more do I need?" Now, to my west coast friends and family, don't be concerned- you all have a tighter grip on me than living back east. I have to admit, though, if you weren't there, I could live in New England indefinitely. I've been thinking a lot about this and I've decided that our time back here is somewhat like a love affair. It's new, fun, and a little adventurous. We've spent the past two years approaching life more as a vacation (well, not entirely sure that Adam would agree, working as a resident and all). I think this has more to do with why I love living here than the actual location. Let's face it, the Pacific Northwest holds its own with an equally beautiful landscape and there are plenty of beaches with rocks to throw. Gavin wakes up every morning and asks, "Have fun?" While he continues to say this all day long and it can get a bit annoying, I think it's a great approach to living. Why shouldn't we all wake up and decide to have fun? So, when we do return to the Northwest, I plan to explore the area like I never have before. And with that, let me offer a little show and tell of our recent trip through New Hampshire and Maine. There are a lot of pictures, but then again, we had a lot of fun!

Our first stop was to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We stumbled upon Fort Constitution, which is really awesome. This fort was used for several wars and it overlooks the ocean. We had a good time wandering through the secret passages.

The fort has a lighthouse and also these lookouts used for keeping watch for boats.

We found a great beach near Portsmouth and Gavin sat and threw rocks for an hour. Adam and I looked around for seashells and just simply enjoyed being near the ocean again.

We stayed in Ogunquit, ME

This area is Perkins Cove, located in Ogunquit. We had dinner at a little place across the bridge.

This is the beach in Ogunquit. The sand is perfect, but the water is very cold!

This bakery, Bread & Roses, will forever hold a special place in my heart. They serve the best Cinnamon Butter Puffs- it's a cross between an old fashioned doughnut and a muffin. They are moist, sweet, and savory. Basically, the perfect bite! We stopped here every morning to get coffee and treats.

We had fun looking for lighthouses. This one is in York, ME.

This was the first time that Gavin flew a kite. While he still preferred rock throwing, he did have fun!

We drove up to Portland, which is about 40 minutes north of Ogunquit. The town looked fun to walk through but Gavin didn't think shopping qualified as "having fun." We took a long walk down by the water on a promenade that was similar to the Burke Gilman Trail. It led to a public beach, yay rocks!

This is Portland Head Light, located in Cape Elizabeth. It was great because you could actually get up close to the lighthouse. Most of the others are located on islands and you can't get a very good view.

After seeing the lighthouse, we had lunch at the Lobster Shack Restaurant. Everything was very fresh and the view was amazing. The picnic tables are located above the cliffs, looking out onto the water. There were tons of lobster pots out, so we knew our lobster rolls would be top notch!

This photo doesn't do the food justice- we got fried whole belly clams which are a Maine specialty. They were delicious and the breading was not greasy or over the top. Gavin of course went for a cheeseburger!

We spent a day driving through a bunch of small beach towns, including the Kennebunks. Kennebunkport is where the Bush family has a huge compound that's been in their family since the 1800s. Don't worry, I resisted egging it! HAHA

Biddeford Pool, ME- another great place to throw rocks.

The last photo is of the footbridge that leads to the beach in Ogunquit. This really was a perfect family vacation. I can't wait to return. Maybe we'll head back up in the fall with our newest family member.

Happy Mother's Day: Lessons from my mom.

Last year I wrote about how much I've enjoyed being a mother so far and how motherhood has changed me. This year I thought I'd write about how much my own mother has influenced my life. There are the obvious things that I got from her: a love of cooking, home decorating, and, of course, drinking wine! But the single greatest lesson I learned came at around age 17.

Teenaged daughters cannot be easy to raise. I was actually a pretty good kid, rarely caused trouble but I know that I handed out my share of hormonal drama. At 17, I remember being really depressed about not doing well on my SATs and was sure that I wasn't going to get accepted to college because of it. And, even if I did get accepted, I'd never be able to pay for it, etc. So, I was sulking on my bed when my mom came into my room and started on a rant. She told me that I was in charge of my own happiness and nobody was going to do it for me. I could stay in my bed and be depressed or I could do something about it. Her rant included phrases like, "Oh poor Jenny, the world is just so tough..." I remember being a little pissed that I wasn't getting more sympathy. I think the word "bitch" even came to mind. I'm sure she doesn't even remember this because she was probably dealing with raising three other daughters, 2 under the age of 5, and working full-time. Anyhow after a little more sulking, I managed to pull myself out of bed and she helped me get my college applications together. Years later, even after getting a college education, this little life lesson has made a bigger impact on my life.

It's pretty simple advice, really: you are in charge of your own happiness. I'm sure there are thousands of writings on this exact concept. Oddly enough, I've met plenty of people (many, much older than me) that just don't have a handle on this. It's often easier to be the victim of a situation than trying to find a solution. I had a hard time working as a manager because I was often viewed as unsympathetic. (Seriously, I had to take one of those personality tests as part of leadership training and I came across as very unsympathetic.) My mom raised me to have a strong sense of self and an equally strong work ethic. I just don't get people who lack either. I also don't get people who blame others for their own unhappiness. Sure, there are relationships that go sour and cause unhappiness. But, at the end of the day, it's up to us as individuals to make ourselves happy. We can't depend on someone else to make us happy. We need to make ourselves happy and then share that happiness with those we love. I love being married to Adam and he does make me happy. However, if I depended on him as my only source of happiness, let's just say- I don't like golf, NBA basketball, or poker that much.

So when I find myself getting bummed out, I do as my mom would- figure out if it's something big that requires me making significant life changes, or maybe I'm just in a funk and need to paint my bathroom blue, rearrange the furniture, or change the color of my hair. If all else fails, pour a glass of wine and snap out of it in the morning! Parenting isn't easy but I'm grateful for my mom's rant 15 years ago. I consider her to be pretty bad-ass, and can only hope that my kids say the same about me years from now. Happy Mother's Day Mom, love you!

April Showers, Bring May Flowers?

Well, it's April 27th, and again I sit here without much to say. It's drizzly this morning and very dark. I woke up early because my back was throbbing so badly. I haven't been sleeping well. It's not even just the pure physical discomfort I'm experiencing, but the inability to turn my brain off. I used to have that problem when I was working full-time. I'd lay in bed thinking about loan files, if I'd returned a phone call, or what needed to be done to accomplish my monthly production goals. Now I am kept up with thoughts that are just ridiculous. I find myself awake at 1am, thinking about compost and where I should buy my perennials. I think about the fact that I should be sleeping because in a few weeks, I won't be getting much. That leads me to thinking about the baby and what I need to do to be prepared. Finally, I'll think- just count. I'll begin counting to myself and then realize I'm now thinking about why people count sheep. I mean, there are not any sheep to count. It's useless. Somewhere around 2am, I'll finally fall asleep.

As I mentioned, it's drizzly today. It's 8:30am and I had to turn on the lamps in the living room because of the lack of sunlight coming through the windows. Normally, Gavin is up by this hour. He's probably being kept asleep by the lulling noise of cars driving by on the wet pavement. Even the beagles are still in bed. They usually greet me downstairs, eagerly awaiting breakfast and to be let outside. Yet, there they lay, snuggled up together like puppies on a Hallmark card.

The spring rain is necessary though, as it works to green up the landscape. I planted quite a few vegetables out in my garden late last week. I have several growing inside and I can't wait to get them planted. They seem eager too as they grow towards the sunlight. I turn them daily so they don't grow sideways. I have drawn out plans for a cutting garden that is going to surround our patio- I bought seed packets of zinnias, larkspur, and other annuals. I'm not sure how they'll do but if it works out, it'll be $5.00 well spent. I normally don't want to spend money on annuals but this could be a good way to go. I love growing plants by seed. It's not the instant gratification that you get when buying transplants, but I like to watch the plants sprout up from nothing.

We are taking a vacation to Maine next week. We found a cottage to rent in Ogunquit, which is on the southern coast of Maine. I am so excited to see and smell the ocean. We're excited to have some time together as our little family of three before it expands. I plan on indulging in lobster rolls and New England chowder. It should be a fantastic getaway.

And, with that, I hear "Mama" being called out. Better run.

Hello Spring- my thoughts on life this week.

Hi again. I have to admit that I'm only posting because I feel bad when I neglect writing for over a week. These impromptu posts wind up being somewhat of a rambling of thoughts, my apologies in advance. My little family has been battling colds and allergies, like many others I know. Adam seems to have it the worst, with a cough that keeps us both up all night. Fortunately, he started taking antibiotics yesterday and should start feeling better soon. My cold has been more annoying than anything else and it's just adding to my exhaustion. My body is telling me to slow down and rest, while my mind keeps adding to the to-do list. I'm having trouble reconciling the two.

I think one of my favorite things about living in the northeast is the obvious change in seasons. I love watching everything turn green after it was brown and bare for so long. All of our trees are flowering and the grass is coming alive. The birds have returned and even my detested squirrels have revived swagger in their tails.  The beagles are happy to be outside for hours at a time. Even now, when I look outside, Starsky has a clear smile on his face.

I've been working on prepping my garden for planting. I'm glad that I did the heavy-lifting last year and just have to pull weeds and add some compost this year. I have started about 80 plants inside- they have all germinated but they are still very small. Next week, I will plant the lettuces, spinach, carrots, and peas outside. May 20th is the predicted last frost date, so I'll plant out the rest of my seeds and transplant my seedlings then. My mom recommended a book on square foot gardening by Mel Bartholomew. It really simplifies the entire concept of growing a vegetable garden, and, had I read it last year, it would have saved me a tremendous amount of work. I decided to test the method and Adam helped me build a small raised bed on the other side of the yard. Once I get the squares marked, I'll post some pictures. We still have some work to do, but our yard and gardens are starting to come together.

Meanwhile, the little tyke in my tummy is growing rapidly. I feel as though there is no additional space but it still has 10 or so weeks to go. If this one is on Gavin's timeline, he or she will arrive in just about 8 weeks. I'm excited to meet this little thing. (Is it weird to call a baby a thing?) We're going to start changing our guest room over to the baby's room and moving the guest room up to the loft. Yes, I've decided to rename our finished attic, "the loft." It sounds far more chic and once we get it all set up with an a/c unit, it'll be a nice place for our guests. Plus, they'll get a nice leg workout while they visit. Ha, now we can call it Canyon Ranch! Come, stay, enjoy upstate New York and leave with nicely toned quads! There is even a nice selection of yoga and pilates dvd workouts up there!

On that note, I'll end this rambling post. I hope you're all enjoying the beginnings of Spring.

Diannalynn's east coast visit...

Adam's sister, Diannalynn, visited us over the past week. She brought her youngest son Spencer, who is just 10 months old. It was interesting to watch Gavin's interactions with the little guy and get a little preview of what life will be like in a few months. He definitely displayed typical emotions like jealousy and neediness, but also took on a protective role as well. We had to watch him closely because he also tried to beat up the little guy a few times. Even in the picture below, Gav looks guilty of something... Oh, we're in for some fun this summer!

Adam worked during the weekdays so DL and I went on some short outings last week. Mostly just took the boys for walks to the park or down by the Hudson River. Everything just takes 10 times as long with kids, 2 strollers, diaper bags, etc. The weather was beautiful, low-to-mid 70s- perfect for relaxing out on the front porch.

On Saturday, we all went to Boston for the day. Again, the weather was absolutely fabulous! I had never been to Boston on such a beautiful day. Previous visits have always been rainy or dreary. Boston Common was packed with people picnicking and sunning themselves. Spring always brings such great energy to any city or town. We did a lot of walking- this time we walked the entire Freedom Trail. We started at Boston Common and walked down through Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market, over to the North End, and then over the Charles River Bridge. Rather than turning around, we continued walking through Charlestown and then passed over to Cambridge. We walked along the Charles River and then walked over the Longfellow bridge. That led us through Beacon Hill, a fabulous neighborhood that I had not been to before. The sidewalks are all cobblestone and the storefronts maintain old-world charm, even the 7-Eleven looked upscale. After a little more walking, we made it back to Boston Common. I would guess we walked at least six miles, probably more. After returning to the car, we drove back over to Cambridge and had dinner, complete with chowdah. It was an absolutely perfect day.

                                      

Walking along the Charles River in Cambridge, MA

Neighborhood of Beacon Hill

Random shots of storefronts on Beacon St.

Yesterday, I took DL over to Berkshire County to experience small town New England. We started in Williamstown, home of Williams College. I had read about the Library of Rare Books where you could view original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and Bill of Rights. They also have an impressive collection of first edition books. This turned out to be a hilarious little adventure.

We went over to Williams College, where the library was said to be located. There was a sign that stated that the library had moved to a temporary location while the original space was under construction. We got out our walking map and headed to the temporary building. Once we arrived, we saw a call box where you had to be buzzed in. Ok... this is sort of weird. The door opened and we walked down a hallway where a gentleman welcomed us with a puzzled look. Keep in mind, we were each pushing a stroller and this guy was probably thinking, "what do these two moms want?" We followed him into a small room where there was a lady behind the desk and they asked how they could help us. It was beyond awkward. Diannalynn said, sort of sheepishly, "I hear you have some great books." Then I explained that I had read that you could see the founding documents, such as the Declaration of Independence. I felt like we were in a scene of a Dan Brown novel, "I need to see the original copy of the Bill of Rights, STAT!" They informed us that during the 3 year remodel of the library, everything was in storage but the founding documents had been moved to the Clark Museum for display. The museum was, of course, closed on Mondays. They were very nice, but it really made for an awkward experience, yet funny. It still makes me giggle, even as I write this.

Outside one of the buildings at Williams College

New England architecture

We took a little break so the boys could play at the park before getting back into the car.

We walked around Williamstown a while longer and then drove over to North Adams, then through part of southern Vermont. We had a nice time driving along the winding roads. Well, Gavin didn't quite enjoy the winding roads. He got carsick as we arrived to Williamstown. He now owns sweats and a t-shirt with the Williams College logo. I knew I should have packed an extra outfit for him- total rookie mistake. Oh well... we had a nice day and met up with Adam for dinner back in Albany. I think we showed Diannalynn and Spencer a good time while they were here.