A Celebration of Thanks

June 11th.

June 11th was a bittersweet day for all of us. June 11th was the day that we said goodbye to Julie as our everyday nanny.After 4+ years, Julie will forever be an important part of our family and will hold a special place in the hearts of our kids and our extended family. At the same time, we are also excited to know that she is moving on to celebrate the arrival of her own daughter, and we could not be happier for she and Glen. Julie will be a wonderful mother, and for as much as she instilled in our kids, we're hopeful they gave something in return that will benefit Julie as a mother and her soon-to-arrive little girl.

To celebrate the day, and avoid any of the tears, we had a little fun by visiting some of our favorite nostalgic locations near our old condo in the city, the very places that Julie, Owen, and Joey learned to explore together. We packed our bags and all road in the super Prius down to the city.

Our destination was breakfast at Nookies Tree, right next to our old condo. Julie enjoyed her favorite huevos rancheros, Owen had his traditional chocolate chip pancakes, I enjoyed the croissant sandwich, and Paxton chose breakfast pigs-in-a-blanket during her first visit to Nookies.

For good measure, we took a quick picture on the stoop of the old building. When Brecken and I moved 2.5 years ago (on Owen's 2nd birthday), we debated how much of the time in the city could possibly ever remember. Well...we stood in front of the building and asked Owen if he knew where his old house was. He pointed down the street. So much for that.

After a good breakfast, we walked around the corner to our favorite old playground. It was in this playground that Owen first learned to climb up and slide down a slide by himself.

Paxton took full advantage of the climbing opportunities in the park.

Both kids had a great time, and Julie and I laughed and recounted several of the old memories from the park, including the fact that some of the same old toys that someone deposited in the park are still there three years later.

This is a changing time, but it's not a complete goodbye. Thanks Julie for everything. Hey Owen...what do you say? "YEAH JULIE!"