August

The sweetest of '"hello's" after a month-long drill. Poking about in 130+ year old farmhouses. Visiting Connecticut for the first time to wander through a playwright's personal castle. Hidden waterfalls on the Massachusett/New York border. Swimming in its ice-cold basin. Taking Michael to NY's largest garage-sale, watching his eyes grow bigger and bigger. Jumping into a new position (read dream job) at work: still pinching myself to make sure it's real. Goldenrod blazing the ditches along the drive home. Wedding planning dates after work, trying to tackle to-do lists while hungry and caffeinated (hint: not a good mix!). First taste of fried dough at the county fair. Flying to Bellagio with his entire family for his sister's wedding. Watching as their Italian heritage came out in full force. Eating gelato at least once, sometimes twice in a day. All the pasta. Climbing endless cobblestone steps. Waking up to the sound of church bells and doves in the eaves. Listening to the littles practice their "Ciao!" Scooter rides into Switzerland. Taking a wrong turn ending up on the speedway after being explicitly told that we weren't insured for that. Dancing the night away with family. Flying back to New York and having it feel like coming home.