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Happy Father's Day - 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:02:00 +0000

Happy Father's Day to the BEST Daddy in the whole entire world...

I love you so much!

Love and Kisses,

Zachary

And, another great big shout out and fist-bump to the other favorite guys in my life - Poppie and Great-Grandpa! Hope you have a wonderful Father's Day!

NJ State Special Olympics - 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:17:00 +0000

Our family experienced one of those moments that will go down in our family history as a true proud and unforgettable time in our lives. You see, my nephew CJ Inverso is a celebrity (no surprise to those who know and love him, of course)... out of over 2000 athletes who qualified to compete in state-level Special Olympics for New Jersey, CJ was chosen to light the Olympic torch during the opening ceremonies on Friday evening at the College of New Jersey (Trenton State College). We've known for a little while now, but had to keep it a bit of a secret until right before the big day. I don't think I'll ever forget this moment in our lives... to see the tears of pride and joy in the eyes of my sister Lynne, brother-in-law Chuck and niece Hailey right at the moment CJ climbed the ladder, tilted the heavy hand-held torch of fire, and lit the cauldron warmed my heart like nothing else. CJ must have had almost a hundred personal fans in the stands cheering him on (among the thousands there), and there was barely a dry eye in the bunch. The look of absolute surprise on his face as the flame ignited was absolutely precious... I am the most proud Aunt on the face of this earth!!

The ceremony leading up to the torch lighting was quite a sight... like nothing I've ever seen. They did such a fantastic job with the event... right down to the fireworks choreographed with a Bruce Springsteen cover band (how Jersey!) that closed out the evening. "Amazing" doesn't even seem to describe the event, but I think it comes pretty close! Here are some of the pictures I took Friday night (6/13/2009)... (Yes, that's Zachary in the corner... totally didn't even try to do that on purpose... too funny!)

CJ qualified for and competed in two events... one on Saturday, and one on Sunday. He also medaled in both of those events... bronze in the 50 meter dash and silver in the tennis ball throw. Our little athlete is quite the sportsman... you really could tell he truly enjoyed his time in the spotlight!

I'm just so impressed with the entire experience... so much thought and attention was applied to every last detail (the carnival for the athletes, the medal ceremonies with music and all, the food provided for everyone free from Shoprite, the volunteers and everything they did to make it a wonderful experience, the health fair in the Student Center... I could go on and on!). It was an incredible experience - both for the athletes and their spectators! I can't wait for 2010!!

Here is a link to an article with more pictures and info... http://www.robbinsvillereview.com/specolympics.htm

First Big Boy Bandaid

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:56:00 +0000

Today was such a nice day... we played out front while our neighbors were also all enjoying the weather. Zachary loved running up and down the sidewalk while Daddy was supervising the activity. He was so excited, he got a little ahead of himself and took a spill... worst one yet! (Did I already mention he was in his Daddy's care? LOL) Anyway, Zachary's fall caused a pretty nasty scrape with a good amount of blood - thank goodness our neighbor is a mother of 4 and came to the immediate rescue with her handy-dandy first aid kit already in hand! (We really gotta get one of those! It even looks like a little plastic medical bag... too cute!) She had adorable crayon shaped bandaids, which Zachary just loved and made it "all better!" He was very proud of his war wound and bandage... he handled it all relatively well - just a few crocodile tears with lots of hugs for comfort!

After all of the drama, we went for a walk to pick up some much needed comfort food - pizza and donuts! Daddy couldn't wait until we got home before digging in...

Zachary really loved his glazed donut... fun to play with and equally delicious!

Editor's Note-

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:50:00 +0000

I had a lot of catching up to do with May blog posts... as a result, I posted more than can be viewed at once. To see all of the most recent entries, please be sure to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of this page to see the rest of May's latest and greatest. Enjoy!!

Happy Memorial Day - 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:27:00 +0000

Len, Zachary and I all agreed that it would be best to stick close to home this weekend, and avoid the crazy traffic with all the weekend road-trippers. We were still able to find something fun to do, without having to drive for hours. Since we had a beautiful day on Saturday, we packed up the car and headed north to Havre de Grace, MD. It was only about a 40 minute drive (which normally would take about 25 minutes without traffic) and it was very much worth it. We parked and walked throughout the town, enjoying the sights... we even saw 4 different weddings taking place (they sure had a beautiful day for the occasion). Here are some of the awesome pictures I took on the pier and of the lighthouse... what a fantastic, relaxing afternoon for our little family!

Hang on tight, Da Da (please!!)...

Cool view of the lighthouse on the mainland from out on the pier...

Cheeeeesseee!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Figuratively and literally! Here's the little critter sitting at his new picnic table enjoying a sippy cup and a piece of cheese! It matches our deck furniture perfectly, and Zachary is just thrilled to have his own personal little retreat out on the deck!!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Looks like Zachary inherited a sweet tooth from both Mommy and Daddy! Chocolate chip pancakes were a hit, as Zach tried them for the first time this morning. It was a bit messy, but soooo totally adorable to watch him enjoy a new treat!

"I YUV YUUUUU!!"

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Sat, 16 May 2009 00:58:00 +0000

I think these are the most magical three words... and when they come from your first born for the very first time (from him to me), it's the most amazing thing to hear! That's right, Zachary's latest words are, "I yuv yuuuu" (a.k.a. I love you). I say it to him ALL the time (obviously) sometimes while pointing to him across the room, and much to my astonishment and wonderment, as I said it to him today, he returned the sentiment while pointing straight to me. Words can not describe that moment... it's absolutely one of my favorites so far as a mom!! Have I said how incredibly blessed I am?!?

Happy Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:23:00 +0000

I simply can not put into words how privileged and lucky I feel to have been chosen to be Zachary's Mom. The ways life has changed from the moment we conceived him to now are by far incredibly amazing and unbelievable... I can't imagine this world without my two favorite guys... Len and Zachary.

Earlier this week, Zachary (Len) sent me at work a beautiful bouquet of pink roses, arranged in Lenox (of course!). He sent it earlier in the week, so I could enjoy it for several days in my office before bringing it home... every time I glanced over or caught the fresh scent of roses, it reminded me of the most amazing little family I have.

Today, we celebrated Mother's Day by going to church and stopping at Cold Stone afterward for a decadent treat. We did the same last year, so now I suppose this is officially a tradition... yummy!! Here's me and my amazing little critter enjoying our ice cream sundae!!

On Friday, Len also sent me an email with a verse that quite honestly says it all... as I read it, it reminded me just how blessed I am, and I don't think I could've said it better myself:

Before I was a Mom,

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt!

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,

the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,

before I was a Mom .

As I sit and reflect about being a Mom, I can't help my thoughts turning back to my own mother and everything she's taught me, making me the wife and mother I am today. Happy Mother's Day, Mom... thank you for everything you've done to make me the person (and Mom) I am today. I love you and honor you more than words could ever say!!

And another special shout-out to my Mother-in-law and Zachary's "Grandma"- thank you for always being so thoughtful, generous and loving! We love you and appreciate you so very much!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the special Mom's out there!

Zach's new chore...

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Sun, 10 May 2009 20:30:00 +0000

The Easter Bunny brought Zach the coolest toy... it's a lawn mower just like Daddy's! We finally had a nice afternoon where the two men of the house could head out and work on the yard together... I think Len secretly wishes Zach's mower cut the grass as effectively as his. Well, this is a good start, and I'm sure in a decade or more, Zach can take over. Hang in there, Len... only a few years to go before you can pass the baton!

Once Da Da brought out his lawn mower, Zach seemed more interested in that one! To keep it safe, and still enjoy the lawn mowing experience together, Len took a different approach than the side-by-side stance... this definitely sped up the process!! Too cute!

The Hopeless Romantic

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:10:00 +0000

I'm so lucky (I know... I never say that!! LOL)! I always talk about how lucky I am to be Zachary's Mom, and sometimes (but not often enough) talk about how lucky I am to be Len's wife! Every now and then, he does something that just melts my heart and puts a little twinkle in my eye.

We've had quite a lot of rain lately, and as a result, it has very quickly blown all of the beautiful pink petals off of the tree in front of our house. When I stepped out there today, it looked as though it snowed PINK! I just couldn't resist taking a picture of the scene. After snapping a couple of shots, I came back in to get the broom and continued sweeping it off of the walk (mostly to mitigate the tracking of pink petals throughout the entire first floor of the house!). I was able to make some progress, but was called away by Zachary, who was just waking up from his nap.

I believe that's when Len went to work... here is what he did to sweep the rest! My husband is a hopeless romantic, and S hearts L, too... always and 4VR!!

Grandma and Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:09:00 +0000

While we were in NJ visiting last weekend, Zachary and Grandma had some special "alone" time to hang out together, after a very busy and fun filled couple of days. Since the weather was nice, they decided that a little bubble-blowing was in order. Without them even realizing, I took the most adorable pictures to capture this very special time they had playing together.

A long string of posts...

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:23:00 +0000

The month seems to have just FLOWN by... every chance I had, I would start a post that I would save as a draft, pending me taking the time to download the many pictures I had taken. It has been a super-busy month for both Len and I... work and home-life, so I'm finally now just getting to publishing everything I captured throughout the last 3 weeks. As you scroll through April's entries, the dates of the posts are when I actually started the draft, so they coincide with the events I'm writing about. Have fun catching up!

Another Sunday Stroll!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:10:00 +0000

Grandma and Poppie took the critter out for a stroll this time... no ice cream stops along the way, but he had his sippy cup in tow for refreshment as needed! How adorable!!

Road Trip - A Birthday Weekend in NJ!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:54:00 +0000

Another incredible road trip to NJ this past weekend, we went for several wonderful reasons... first, we celebrated Grandpa's 85th birthday on Saturday, and second we were finally able to get together with Len's cousin, Julie and her family (and celebrate her birthday, too) on Sunday!

We arrived Saturday afternoon and started our visit at my Mother's house... she actually watched Zachary while we took Grandpa to a fantastic seafood restaurant in Trenton. Though I'm sure Grandma would've loved having Zachary with us during the phenomenal meal we enjoyed, it was really nice to have a quiet dinner out knowing our little critter was in the loving care of his Mom-Mom, Aunt Lynne and cousin Hailey. Here are a couple of photos Len took with his camera phone - one of the birthday boy and the other of Poppie enjoying their incredible meals...

After drinks, appetizers, dinner, a bottle of wine and dessert, we eventually waddled ourselves out of the restaurant and back to Mom-Mom's for some primo Zachary entertainment... what a beautiful way to round off Grandpa's special evening! Then, it was back to the Goodman's for some much needed rest, in anticipation of a big day on Sunday, as we reunited cousins Zachary and Connor.

Everyone arrived in the early afternoon... the critter was napping so we had a wonderful solo visit with Connor. I can't believe how much he's grown up since the last time we saw each other. What an adorable, polite little boy! Our timing was a little off, because as soon as Zachary got up, Connor was ready for a little shut eye himself. Eventually, both were well rested and ready for some fun. It was so interesting watching the two little men play... sometimes interacting with each other and other times off in their separate ways. We sat out on the deck for much of the afternoon and enjoyed everyone's company... it's so hard to believe that we all sat out on that very same deck almost two years ago, Julie and I with our little bundles of joy kicking inside of our bellies! This time, they were kicking around a kickball!! Too fun! Here are some of the adorable photos I took to help us remember the family visit...

We really tried to capture a poignant moment with our little boys and their Great-Grandpa... needless to say I didn't snap the perfect photo to capture the moment, but this one was just way too priceless not to share!

There were lots of high fives... or should I say attempts at high fives. Sometimes they connected, and other times it was a swing and a miss. We were eating it up, and they knew it!

And, here's our next installment of the 4 Generations:
Some more memorable moments...

We were all completely wiped out after such a fun, busy day... especially the critter!

Happy Birthday Great-Grandpa!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Zachary would like to send a HUGE shout out to his Great-Grandpa

as he celebrates this momentous occasion...

Happy 85th Birthday, Grandpa!!

Here's a great big birthday kissy, too!

Our little boy in his new big-boy car seat!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:12:00 +0000

After another weight-check visit to the doctor this month, our little critter has finally reached a milestone we've been looking forward to for quite sometime, now. He's finally big enough for his next car seat... he weighed in at 20 lbs, 4oz! YIPPEE!! Len installed it yesterday afternoon, and we immediately went for a quick drive to see how he liked it.

The verdict... at first, he wasn't so sure, but then he really seemed to love this new view on the world, and also being able to high-five Daddy while he drives!!

What a beautiful afternoon!!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:09:00 +0000

Yesterday, we enjoyed a wonderful Spring afternoon... we loaded up the car with our bikes, some refreshments and our little critter and headed out to the Ma and Pa Trail. When we arrived, we parked the car and headed off for a 3 mile bike ride to an awesome park and playground. The ride there was mostly on an uphill grade, so needless to say, pedaling both Zachary and myself was and interesting adventure... we made it safe and sound, though (and it was a wonderful ride back to the car)! When we arrived at the park, the ice cream truck was there, so we treated ourselves to a cold, sweet treat before venturing out to play on all of the really cool playground equipment.

The swing still seems to be Zachary's favorite activity... Len really pushes him high these days!! He even ventured onto the tire swing with his Daddy!

Tight squeeze on this slide, but amazingly adorable to watch them have so much fun slithering down...

It was an exhausting afternoon, as you can see here, Zachary fell asleep on the ride back to the car... too cute!

Zachary's first Micky Mouse Pancake...

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 04:09:00 +0000

In the true spirit of Goodman family tradition, Len has taken on the role of Micky-Mouse-pancake-maker (sans blueberries this time) for his baby boy... he now shares this responsibility with his Dad. Zachary gobbled it up in delight!

More please...

Yummy... thanks!

Kissy, please!

Happy Easter!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:01:00 +0000

We had a beautiful Easter weekend with another road trip to NJ to be with our families! On Easter Sunday, we started off the day with breakfast in Bordentown. It was wonderful to spend the morning with Grandma, Poppie, Grandpa and Dan! That's right... Dan made a trip up from North Carolina for the occasion, and Zachary was just thrilled to spend time with his uncle.

After a delicious meal, we packed up and headed to my sister's house for a late brunch buffet and an afternoon of playtime for Zachary and his cousins. Zachary enjoyed his meal (if fact, we ALL did... Lynne did a beautiful job with the spread... it was super yummy!), as he was building up enough energy for his very first Easter Egg hunt. Hailey and CJ worked very hard to prepare all of the eggs and hide them in the yard for the big event. Zachary, Len and I were just so thrilled they thought of the idea and made it soooo fun for all of us... thanks, Inverso's!!

And the hunt is on...

Zachary also just LOVED digging into his Easter basket and goodies from Mom-Mom, along with his cousin, Hailey!

After a fun afternoon, we headed back down to Grandma and Poppie's for Easter dinner... needless to say, by the end of the day, Len and I were stuffed fuller than our candy-filled Easter eggs!

The Easter Bunny!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:26:00 +0000

After church on Palm Sunday, we swung by the mall on the way home to pay a visit to the Easter Bunny! What a lucky creature... Zachary gave him lots of kisses while I held him. He really seemed to enjoy sitting on his soft furry lap, until the photo part. Unfortunately, as soon as the photographer snapped a shot and the flash went off, Zachary's love of the visit to the Easter Bunny flew right out the window. Anyway, it was still sooo cute!

And check this out... what a difference a year makes!

Chillin' on the deck...

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:02:00 +0000

What a beautiful afternoon it turned out to be today! When we got home from Palm Sunday church service, Zachary finished his nap (he fell asleep in the car), then we all got in our Sunday comfy clothes and chilled on the deck, basking in the warm sun and relaxing... it doesn't get much better than this!

Here's to good times with the family... CHEERS!

Bartender, another sippy cup for my Mommy, please!

Kissy, please!!

We rounded off our leisurely Sunday afternoon with a family bike ride up to Baskin' Robbins for an ice cream sundae... and then some playtime in the yard to run off the sugar!

My Daddy and Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:51:00 +0000

I just love zurburts from my Daddy!!

It cracks me up!

Taming the beast...

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:36:00 +0000

Sunday was a big day of firsts for Zachary! As you an see in my previous two posts, he took his first bike ride with both Mommy and Daddy and just loved it. In addition to that, Zachary had his official first haircut!! That's right... I finally bit the bullet and tamed that beast of a hairdo the critter would sport after a long, restless night. I would actually need to comb out knots in the back if he was particularly restless when sleeping or in the car seat. There was one specific bunch of hair right in the middle of the back of his head that was the most in need of a trim, but I have to say it was so cute... we called it his little curly tail. I could actually hear whispers from my Father in one ear (and loud and clear words from my Mother in the other... hee hee) imploring me to give that poor little guy a haircut.

So, on Sunday evening, that's exactly what we did. I did it myself, and must say, I think I did a pretty good job. No weird strands of hair sicking out anywhere or bald spots where I cut too much off. If I do say so myself, he does look so amazingly handsome now, and even a bit older I think!

Before:

After:

Update!...

noreply@blogger.com (Len & Susan) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:14:00 +0000

So, after the storm blew through and Len finished putting the child seat on the bike (in the house during the storm), we were able to catch about 15 minutes of storm-free riding before another storm cloud rolled in and the sun went down! Len and I were both so totally excited to see how Zachary would react on the back of the bike. And the verdict........ HE LOVED IT!! It was just soooo adorable to watch the breeze blow in his face as he sat like a good little boy and enjoyed the ride.

When we first went outside, I was holding Zachary next to the bike, and I said to Len he should take a lap around the court so Zach could watch and see how fun it was. Instead, the critter was practically leaping out of my arms to climb into the child seat, so we just went for it. What a blast... we can't wait for a true family ride the next nice day we have off from work!!

Don't ya just love his cute little helmet?!?