Spring Break Vacation

It looks like I will be very busy with work this summer, so Josh and I decided to use the opportunity of spring break to take a family vacation. We know most people like to head somewhere tropical for spring break. But we’re Floridians, so we decided to go to the frigid north instead!

We went to New York where we got to spend some time with my parents out on Long Island. We made a couple excursions into the city to have authentic Chinese food that’s scarce in Florida, take the kids to their first Broadway shows, and treat DJ to her first visit to the American Girl store.

Next, we drove upstate where the kids all saw snowfall for the first time. AJ and JJ are now pretty adept at skiing, so they had fun at Hunter Mountain with their uncle and cousins. DJ and MJ had their first time on skis with a private lesson. We hope that starting them young will help them ski as well as their older brothers soon.

All in all, we had a great time seeing members of both sides of the family we don’t see often enough, and experiencing many firsts that we hope will be great memories for all the kids.

Our Family Summer 2018

Our summer began with back to back birthday celebrations, and ended with some quality time with both sides of our extended family. Both sets of twins had birthday pool parties at our home on consecutive weekends. We enjoyed summer day camp where I was able to drop all four kids off in the same place for 7 weeks before DJ and MJ start elementary school, and JJ and AJ move on to middle school. I think I was more excited about that than the kids were. Next, we had a family reunion with Josh’s side of the family in upstate New York. Finally, we went on a Caribbean cruise and brought along my newly retired parents. It was an enjoyable summer, and now we are looking forward to the next big challenges…kindergarten and 6th grade!

The Guys Next Door

In recent years , I have been disappointed by some sensational portrayals of gay parents and surrogacy in the media. That is why I was so pleased to be given the opportunity recently to screen a new documentary The Guys Next Door.

This documentary chronicles the journey of gay couple Erik and Sandro with their friend Rachel, who offers to help them build their family by acting as gestational surrogate for them not once, but twice!

Erik and Sandro very honestly discuss their feelings on parenthood, and I know this because Josh and I have had many similar conversations. The selflessness of Rachel is so amazing, a quality I see in so many women who choose to become surrogates.

For those interested, it is now available to watch for free on Amazon Prime, or just $2.99 for rental. Check it out!

Halloween 2017

We had a great Halloween this year. The costume theme was Justice League. Even Tyson and I joined in on the super hero action! DJ and MJ also had their favorite Disney characters that they changed into for some of the events of the season.