New Name!

So when I started the family blog it took me a sweet forever to come up with a name.  Even when I did I wasn't completely sold on it!  Although it is 100% completely true it just didn't flow to me.  Well, I have discovered the perfect name!  It came to me after my Wedded Bliss post.  You know I love me an alliteration and I can't believe this didn't come to me sooner, but from here on out A Blessed Little Family will be affectionately known as Blissfully Blessed! Perfect right?? I mean it just doesn't seem right to NOT have an alliteration, what with me being an alliteration connoisseur and all! This pairs so well with Paladino Picks! LOVE it:)

Goodbye Cape Cod!

As much fun as we had on our trip, we were SO ready to get home.  We woke up and packed up the car and headed to the Irish Village for breakfast before we left! 

Joe is getting a little antsy!

Then his Aunt Casey gave him this stylish hat she bought him, so he obviously wanted to model it for us!

Look how zoned out he is in this picture!

We headed out and before we even hit the highway this was Joe!

He slept two hours! YESS.  And when he woke up he was all smiles.  Sweet boy:)

Then I played the entertaining game.  We started off with Mum's bracelet.  That lasted several minutes:)

Then he thought he'd dive into a chapter book.  Boy after my own heart!  This mama has taught him well:)

We arrived home in 3 hours and 15 minutes!! We unpacked the whole car, did three loads of laundry, went to the 5:00 mass and stopped and got a pizza for dinner! Let's just say we were exhausted by the time we got Joe to bed.  Andrew and I ended the weekend watching our taped episode of the newest Royal Pains and were in bed by 9:30! Another year of Cape Cod is done, and every year I am so thankful for my wonderfully fun family, keeping the tradition alive, and having everyone safely home in one piece!

Cape cod Day 3

On Day 3 we finally ventured to the Irish Village to have breakfast in the pub!  I love me an Irish Village breakfast!  I got the French Toast and it was pure heaven:)  Andrew got a bagel sandwich and home fries that he said were delish too!  Joey got pancakes.  But what Joey liked even more than his food were the crayons they gave him to play with at the table!  He was a crayon first timer and he loved them!  After breakfast, we headed back to put Joe for a nap and then all the girls went shopping!  First stop: The sweatshirt store of course!  It is not a trip to Cape Cod without a new Cape Cod sweatshirt!!  I got an adorable yellow crew.   I also got Andrew and me a new deck of Cape Cod playing cards for our cribbage games.  We then headed to this fabulous little jewelry shop where I bought a sideways cross necklace (totally in right now btw!)  I have no pictures to show of my purchases, but if you look close at my pub pictures, I am wearing my new necklace!

Then it was time to hit the pool for the afternoon!  Here's Joey all ready to make some waves:)

Mama and Joey matchy matchy in our blue and stripes

Lounging in the pool!  Saturday was the first day it was finally sunny!

Scootched in a pic with Moira and Maria!  

We stayed at the pool all afternoon.  At one point Andrew's mom came to get Joey because he was super cranky and needed a nap!  That night we had dinner with Andrew's family!  Nana Shea made some scrumptious potato salad and cole slaw!! And we had hot dogs.  After we put Joey to bed and played some card games, we headed back to the pub for Andy Cooney round 2:)

Luke and I!  Can't believe my little Lukey is going to high school!  Isn't he a little stud muffin??

My mom and dad:) Aren't they adorable?!

Moira and Annie busting some moves!

My favorite little dance partner, Sads!

Patrick looking like an Irish fool!

Sisters!! If my brothers are smart enough to keep these two gems:)

A little silliness

My mom's two bookends--oldest and youngest:)

Love this guy<3

Hmm, Andrew let the little gals doll him up

And then Dan was their next victim

This is Jake dancing with some old lady he picked up on the dance floor!  This is not the first random person Jake got to dance with him on this trip!

If you think Andrew and me have lost some of our "fun factor" now that we are parents, these pictures beg to differ.  

We still know how to cut a rug!  OK that expression totally makes me an old lady, therefore invalidating my previous statement!  I assure you I am completely sober in all these pictures!  A girl can have fun without drinking:)  My husband on the other hand...may have had a few adult beverages;)

It never ceases to amaze me how much fun my family has at the pub!  It was another entertaining year of Andy Cooney!! The Coonatics were back in action!  Rumor has it...he may be playing at my cousin's wedding next summer!  

Missed my recap of Day 1?? Click here

Day 2? Click here.

Today is Andrew and I's Wedding Anniversary!! Click here to see my top picture picks!

Cape Cod Day 2

Good morning Day 2!  I started my morning with cup of coffee and this gorgeous view!  The only thing missing is the sun:( Boo!

Andrew and I went for a long morning walk!  We walked to the Christmas Tree Shop in search of a float for Joey.  I also happened to find an adorable pair of flip flops!  Then we walked to the Irish Village to check in with my family.  They were just finishing breakfast and then heading to the pool.  We scooted home to get ready and join them!

All the girlies were still trying to work on their tans, despite the lack of sun.  And I have no clue what Annie is doing there on the end.  Possibly trying to tan her armpit??

Chatting it up with Sadie, Samm and Mol

Joey found the perfect spot and some new toys, a cell phone and coach wristlet!  We hung out at the pool for a couple hours.  Then Andrew abandoned us and headed out with all the boys to ride some Go Karts.  I took Joey home to nap and I rested myself up for the BIG night of dancing.

We headed back to the pub for dinner at around 6:15.  We sat with these two beauties.  We had the best table, the four of us didn't stop laughing the whole time!

Andrew and I:)

This was my meal! I got the herb crusted salmon(so yum!) and colcannon.  Colcannon is traditional Irish dish made from mashed potatoes and kale (or cabbage), milk, butter,salt and pepper.  It is SO good! I love it!

We asked our waiter if we could take a picture with him for my blog!  He was the most shy and awkward boy ever, yet he readily agreed and even ran to get his tray so he would look more official! So presh:)

At about 8:45 the dancing started.  My Grammie and Grampy were among the first to hit the dance floor!  SO adorable!

Here is a picture of Andrew dancing with his Nana!  Even she came down for a little while!  How handsome does Andrew look in this picture??;)

And the fun has begun...

Blurry picture of Moira and I dancing with my dad! But that basically sums up the night for most of my family;)

Let's just say we danced up a storm!  I was sweating my butt off!  I had to take a shower when I got home.  Our family basically owned the dance floor.  This did not go over well with everyone present.  We got some major dirty looks.  Sorry, people, we know how to have fun!

Wish I got more pictures of night 2, but I was on the dance floor so much and I was wearing a dress so I left my phone at the table most of the night!  On a side note: strapless dress and dancing do NOT mix.  I kept this in mind for the following night.  Keep reading for more updates tomorrow:)

Cead Mile Failte

Cead Mile Failte is an old Irish greeting that means 

"A hundred thousand welcomes." So Cead Mile Failte to my vacation blog post!

We just returned from our annual summer trip to Cape Cod and we had a blast!! I am exhausted from our late nights and non stop fun, sore from a obscene amount of dancing and have lost my voice from screaming singing at the top of my lungs to the fabulous music,  but once again I have taken away lasting memories:) This shirt was in the gift shop at the Irish Village and it basically sums up the trip!

I'm going to break up my recap of the trip over a couple posts because I have more than quite a few pictures, I know I know you're completely shocked!;). Here we go!

We packed up the car and headed out at 8:15. We stopped for bagels and coffee(can't start a road trip without coffee!) We were officially headed to the Cape! Andrew is trying to look like a thug, but we all know better:) Look how happy Joey looks.  Little did he know how long he was going to be stuck in that seat!

Here's my sweet boy after he grabbed my dress and used it as a blanket! Doesn't he look comfy cozy?? He was a cranky passenger until....

He fell asleep! But that lasted an hour:(

But he was all smiles with his wing tip nap hair and some snacks which missed his mouth! Oh and the continous 1:34 Bubble Guppies theme song You Tube video that I had to rewind over and over and over again:)

Woo entering Cape Cod! Not much longer. We made pretty good time. We didn't have to stop once! Surprising because I ALWAYS have to stop to pee, but I took one for the team and we made it in 3 1/2 hours! My family always stays at the Irish Village, but get this! Andrew's nana lives a mile down the road from where my family has vacationed all my life!! How crazy is that?? I like to think our kid selves may have bumped into each other at some point in our kid life! Clearly we were destined to marry:) This year we decided to stay at Nana Shea's and go back and forth between my family and Andrew's. Andrew's mom and sister came too and were super helpful with Joey! We were truly on vacation! They watched him for the whole four days!! Aren't we lucky?!

Nana Shea's house is on a lake. We took Joey down to show him.

But then we found a tick on his hand and I freaked! Back to the house we went! We never ventured down again, not that the weather allowed us too anyways!  

We basically spent the day getting settled in and grocery shopping for food and such.

Joe made himself comfortable.

And Andrew, Nana and I enjoyed happy hour. 

While playing a game of cribbage. I won:)

Then it was time to head over to the pub to meet up with my family for a night of live music. Usually the first night is pretty chill because Andy Cooney (the big performer we go to see) doesn't arrive until Friday. But this year, Thursday was bumpin!  I danced the night away:)

Annie and her best friend Sadie are my two favorite dance partners. I'm throwing this out there, but we brought it this weekend. There was no one that could touch our moves! Send it!

The sissys and I with Grampy! How adorable is he?!

My Grammie giving Jake an earful! Can only imagine what she's saying:)

We headed back early to rest up for the craziness ahead! Stay tuned tomorrow for Day 2!