6 Years Young!

Yesterday my littlest little turned 6 years old! We threw him a special birthday celebration here at home and of course the birthday boy got to pick his favorite dinner and cake! For dinner he chose chili dogs with mac and cheese, and he requested a homemade carrot cake with ice cream. Yum!

He's really into Minecraft right now, so we made that the theme of the party. 

The only gift he asked for was a remote control truck, so of course we had to get him one! He loved it and played with it all evening. He also got some other Minecraft toys and shirts, plus money from family.

Hopefully next birthday he can invite some of his school friends to celebrate with him. Speaking of school...as of this week the boys are in class 4 days a week!!! That's the most since March 2020!! Progress.

Hiking NY: Darien Lake State Park Loop

Yesterday my mini me and I took our first 2021 hike together! My growing boy need new hiking shoes, and the pair I had ordered online (along with my new pair!) ended being too small for him. Luckily I was able to find a larger pair in a different brand at Sierra Trading Post that he loves! My new pair is from Decathlon and are the prettiest aqua 😍

For our hike on a beautiful 80° day, I chose a new trail at Darien Lake State Park. The trail I found on AllTrails called the Conservation Trail to Gasline Trail Loop. It was only about 3.6 miles with minimal elevation gain, and was just right to get warmed up. 

There were 2 creek crossings that we had to navigate, and one of them involved a tricky rock that slipped and submerged my whole foot. My shoes were champs and the wet foot didn't bother me the rest of the hike.

The trees aren't leafed out yet so we got a lot of sun! Thankfully that also helped minimize the mud we encountered.

In the end, we were both very satisfied with our new hiking shoes and Brad is very excited about going on many adventures with his momma this summer!!

Easter Fun

We had a lovely Easter celebration here at the Pierce household! The festivities were held a day early since I had to work on the holiday.

The boys woke up to their baskets filled with treats and toys. You can see they are very impressed.

I cooked a delicious dinner for us in the afternoon! Glazed spiral sliced ham, Hawaiian rolls, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes with gravy, macaroni and cheese, steamed corn, and brownies for desert.

After we all digested our big meal for a bit, Nick and I hid the eggs outside and set the boys loose finding them. Thankfully we had beautiful weather and only 1 egg was unaccounted for! They added all the treats to their basket and spent the rest of the day in a chocolate coma.

Even though it's only early April, spring is in full force here in Western NY! I just know another sneaky cold blast will be around the corner, so I've refrained from planting any flowers or veggies just yet. I have however gotten a head start on pruning all my fruit trees/bushes, rose garden, and flower beds! Maybe I'll actually keep up with it all this year....

I hope your Easter was great with family quality time and good food.

Girls Only Getaway to Florida

Last night my girlfriend Jessica and I got back from a MUCH needed beach vacation in Florida! We headed out Monday afternoon and soaked up the rays all week. We stayed in a super nice condo right on the beach and had groceries delivered so that we could eat all our meals in.

Every flight there and back was packed! No worries of Covid shenanigans--we are both fully vaccinated and wore our N95 on the plane.

The condo had a full kitchen, dining room, living room, 2 queen beds, and a balcony with an AMAZING ocean view!! Check out that scenery....

Our first day there, we put on our beach dresses and checked out the pool area and beach to see where everything was. Then we did a costume change and put on our suits to hit the sand! Our room came with several beach umbrellas and chairs to keep us happy.

The waves were pretty good our first few days there, and very calm our last day there. It made for a good variety. We enjoyed getting warm in the sun and cooling off in the water!

We brought with us a good variety of spirits....and we put together several great meals that we enjoyed on the balcony each day.

We discovered a city-run shuttle that serviced the area we were (Hollywood Beach) and for only $1/person fare we headed to the Hollywood Boardwalk for an afternoon of food, shopping, beach time, and people watching!

We brought books and journals to keep us occupied while soaking up the rays...

Our last evening there we got to watch some thunderstorms roll through after dinner. It brought a "cold" front that dropped the temp pretty nicely!

Our flight home had a layover in Nashville so we enjoyed some lunch and drinks there.

And of course I had to get a souvenir for my rockstar hubby!

We both had a great time getting away from reality for a bit and enjoying ourselves. The quiet time was a nice reprieve! However I missed my boys and it's always nice to be back home to sleep in your own bed.

Until next time!