HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

My favorite ornament.

Whoa! Where did all these come from?

Steamroller...


Reading with Grandma

Hello All!

Hoping you all had a wonderful Holiday! Things were a little crazy around here at the VonFranks, but we pulled it together at the 11th hour... Andrew has been battling an ear infection and not quite himself. On Saturday before xmas, Ian got a stomach bug. Poor little guy. It was his first real illness. Not so much fun. On Monday, it hit Andrew and I. HARD! This was not a fun place to be for a couple of days and Andrew and I may never look at eachother the same way, again. So a lot of the last minute Christmas stuff I meant to do did not get done. Christmas morning, we all felt a lot better. Not great, but a lot better. We had a wonderful morning with Grandma and Grandpa eating waffles and opening presents. We came home and opened more presents and got ready for an early dinner at Nancy's house. Oh Yeah. More presents. Ian hadn't napped and did not have much of an appetite, but we made the most of it. He and I went home a a little early and had to unwind. He was so tired, but wanted to play with everything he had gotten that day. It was hard to watch. Eyes half open, sluggish. He was really trying to give everything his equal attention. We finally went to bed. It had been a long day. The next day, we ended up at the doctor. He was not good and I wanted to make sure he didn't have anything serious. He's fine. I just hated to see him not his usual happy, energetic self. Four giant bottles of Gatorade and various foods to "bind him back up" and we are well on our way to recovery. We are off to Massachusetts for New Year's Eve with Brian and Jess and then back to the grind. I'll post a "Best of 2008" when we get back. Have a Happy and Safe New Year.

Big Love,

Sarah

WOW!

THANKSGIVING 2008...VONFRANK STYLE

HOUSE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR

Hello All!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful day at Andrew's parent's house. Ian hadn't had a nap, so he and I cut out a little early. The food was great as was the company. Their house is so comfortable and feels as if it has been lived in for years. It felt really good to be surrounded by family. It has been a rough month and I really needed some positive time with positive people. Andrew had been sick for a few days, so the house took some time off from being built. I hadn't been down in a very long time, but took some pictures at Thanksgiving. It's so Awesome! It is open and airy, but comfortable and cozy at the same time. Needless to say, I can't wait until it's done. On that, I have a lot of catching up to do. This month flew by and I seem to have missed some very important steps. Until next time.

Big Love,

Sarah

HOUSE UPDATE

Ian is so excited...

Our house with the roof rafters..

Hello All!
I am in total awe of my husband. I find it amazing that he has been able to do this all by himself. The house is now almost totally enclosed and I'll get some more pictures on Sunday. We went to Home Depot last night and picked the sliding glass door that will eventually lead to the screened in porch and started to look at appliances... It's really coming together and it's all I can do not to start packing. Windows and doors are next, then the woodstove, electrical, plumbing, insulation, sheetrock, more walls.... I guess I should wait on the packing. But, who knows with the speed he's been able to get this stuff done. Update later..
Big Love,

Sarah

OUR HOUSE!!!

Hello! I know it's long past due for this update on our house. Sorry. I can't believe how much 2 people can do... Unfortunately, Brian had to leave for a few weeks just before the roof was supposed to go up. He does have a life elsewhere and we are grateful for the time he has been able to put in. That said, Andrew has enlisted the help of his sister, Nancy. Between her, Andrew, of course Andrew's father, and some serious engineering, the roof is going up. I've been up to the second floor and can't wait to wake up to this view every day. This place is truly awesome and I'm looking forward to watching the seasons change from our living room. I hope you all can get up here to see it someday. I'll try and keep up with the progress a little better.
Big Love,
Sarah

framing in the corner windows

closing in the first floor

roof going up

TRIP TO NAHMAKANTA

Hello All!
Well, Andrew surprised us two weeks ago with a trip up North. We spent 3 days away from phones, TV and computers. We got to the lake camp by seaplane very early in the morning. It was Ian's first plane ride and my first sea plane ride. Highly recommended! Ian was great and the view was spectacular!!! We were shown to our cabin and where things were. Andrew's family had gone there for years, so he was familiar with everything. I could go on and on about the view and the hikes, but time is scarce. Some highlights include: Ian falling asleep in the canoe. Classic. Almost seeing a moose. There all around that area and sightings are not that uncommon, but we didn't see any on our trip. Really nice people and beautiful surroundings...


the plane that took us to the cabin.

the view on day one from our cabin


very cloudy the scond day, but still beautiful.
Big Love,
Sarah

VONFRANK RESIDENCE PART 2

Hello All!

As you can see by the pictures, we are in full swing of building our house. I am always amazed at how quickly things can get done. The subfloor is already up and the view is awesome! Last time we went down, I forgot the camera, so I'll be sure to take some pictures this week. Brian is here and helping with the construction. I can't wait for the walls to start going up. It's so cool. Unfortunately, it's rained for the last 4 days, but we're looking at clear skies this week. Ian gets so excited when we pull into our new driveway. It really feels like we are going home. The store is doing okay. The economy is killing me and others in Boothbay, but we'll try and stick it out this winter. Keep your fingers crossed. Bundle up and kick some leaves. It's that time of year.

Big Love,

Sarah

WHERE DID THE SUMMER GO????

Well, well....
Hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer 2008. Ian and I finally found a beautiful beach just 5 minutes from work. Only to be followed by 2 weeks of rain and temps in the low 60's... But we are looking at a stretch of beautiful weather and am looking forward to spending a few days getting salty in the sea. The beaches are not the most accessible here, but their beauty more than makes up for the trip. I spent my life at the beach and never once felt compelled to take a picture. Here, pictures are almost mandatory. I'll be sure to post some as soon as we get there. The store is doing well and I am feeling very lucky to have the girls taking care of things there for me. Unfortunately, school is right around the corner and I will lose them and have to actually work. This is the most relaxed summer I have had since I was 12. I mean, I do have a very active 2 year old and a house to try and maintain, but, it's been nice to just go in to work, check things out and go... That will end in the next 2 weeks and I'll have to back to the crazy pace. Such is life.
Big Love,
Sarah

A DAY OUT WITH THOMAS

Hello All!
Hope all is well. Well we survived a day with Thomas the Train. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when we arrived, but we had a great time. Ian can't wait to back. We got to ride the train and look at old antique cars. Boothbay Railway Village is really neat on it's own and I'm not sure we would have ever gone if it were not for this event. It's got some great old barns filled with old, beautiful cars. Ian was a trooper and very patient with me hobbling around. Next year we can do the bouncy pirate ship and all the other little rides. Just couldn't do it with a broken toe... One of the major attractions for him was the first aid station. There was an ambulance and the EMT turned on the lights and let him go inside. I think he was more excited by that than anything else. Wish I had more to report. We are all, as usual, very busy.
Big Love,
Sarah

JUST A QUICK HELLO!

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick hello to let you know we are all still here... We've had a very busy couple of weeks. On top of it all, I broke my toe. If you've ever broken a little toe, you know how bad it hurts. Not so much fun with a 2 year old around. He's been very wonderful and knows I am hurt, but still wants to run around outside. Not so easy for Mom. It's getting better, though I may never wear pointy shoes again... This Saturday, we are going to see Thomas the Train at the boothbay railway village. Ian is very excited. He doesn't really know that much about Thomas, but he loves trains. I'll be sure to take some pictures. It will be his first train ride, so it should be a very fun day. Wish I had more to report. The next post will be full of excitement...

Big Love,

Sarah

WHAT A WEEK!

Awesome rainbow

Windjammer Days

Ian's been making this face a lot lately...

Hello All!
Wow. What a difference a week makes. Where do I begin? Let's start with the best day I've had so far. In Boothbay Harbor, every year, there are the Windjammer Days. Basically a big old water-based festival that lasts for 2 days. Crazy amounts of people, music, food and GREAT BIG BOATS!!! I decided that Ian and I were going to stick it out for an entire day on Wednesday and really enjoy ourselves. I was a little hesitant as I wasn't sure how he would react to spending the whole day at "work". It was an awesome day! It was nice to have the store to go to and chill out for a little while, but we spent most of the day out and about, ending the day with a HUGE parade complete with shriners and their little cars. There was constant music and sunshine all day long and I truly felt like I was on vacation. It was the kind of day I had been dreaming of. Looking forward to many more of those. Onto the next... Ian has a healthy fear of thunder and lightning. It never bothered him before, but the other day, we had a good one and fear struck hard and deep. I explained to him what it was and that it was okay to be afraid, but that it couldn't hurt him. We played the maracas and the tamborine during the thunder and that seemed to help. I also said that sometimes, after a storm, there is a rainbow. Not thinking that we would have one of those, we got ready to brush teeth and go to bed. Out of the corner of my eye, I see, you guessed it, a RAINBOW! I grabbed him and Andrew and showed him his first rainbow. At first, he didn't see it, but when he finally did.....wwwwoooooooowwwwww. It is so cool to watch your child see things for the first time. Enough said. Oh! There's more... Andrew had been talking about building a house for us to live on his parent's property. If you know Andrew, you know that sometimes he talks about doing something and it may or may not ever happen. I didn't think about this "house" thing too seriously. I knew that he been clearing trees, but didn't think much would be done past that. The other day, the driveway got done. Crazy! We went over and walked down to where our house will be and I bawled like a baby. The view is spectacular and I can't wait to get down there and take pictures. I'm crying a little right now just thinking about it. The next post will most definitely bore you with all the crazy flora and fauna that we find along the way. Looking forward to it?
Big, Giant, Love,
Sarah

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!

Hello All!

Well, it's officially summer. We are having a most glorious day here in Boothbay! The sun is shining, the boats are out, and the temperature is a perfect 75 degrees. It doesn't get much better than this. Not a lot has happened since the last post. Ian has not been digging daycare as much as he was in the beginning, but it's getting better. The crying just means he loves me, right? It's so heart-wrenching to leave him when he is crying, but that's what I'm supposed to do. The women there say that it stops almost as soon as I leave, so I know he's having a good time for the most part. I've been working a lot, lately and haven't had a chance to anything fun, yet. But the girls that work for me are out of school and, starting next week, I think Ian and I will get to do some of the things we talked about all spring...We'll keep you posted.

Big Love,

Sarah

A WEEK OF MILESTONES

Hello All!

This was a week of firsts... Ian and I were able to conquer two things that were becoming very necessary. Daycare and a haircut. Both were a lot harder on Mom than Ian, needless to say. When your child has basically been your Siamese twin for the last 2 years, it is very hard to decide to leave him in someone else's care. I found a great childcare within spitting distance of my store and made the decision last week to give him 2 half days without parents, and me some free time to get some work done at the store. Andrew has been a great sport about coming to Boothbay on some afternoons to pick him up, but it is kind of a drag. Not to mention it cuts into his day. So, on Monday, I dropped Ian off for an afternoon of fun. Surely, he would hold onto me and beg not to have to stay with these strange people... Not a chance. He found the playground and forgot all about me. I kissed him goodbye and left. A little teary, I made my way back to work. Surely there would be a message on the machine saying he just couldn't bear being without me. Nope. I went to pick him up at 5:30. surely, he would be waiting by the door, tear-stained and mad at me for leaving. I ran up the steps and in the door to save these poor people from my very sad boy. What I found was a very happy little boy who did not want to go home. Mission accomplished! He loves daycare and can't wait to go back. Much to my chagrin, he is not as dependant on me as I thought. I love my boy and am so grateful that he adjusts to change better than I do. Now, the haircut. If you have checked this on a regular basis, you know that my son has gorgeous white blonde hair. Unfortunately, he also has, or had, a mullet. Snap decision last night after dinner and before bath. HAIRCUT TIME! So, I got out the nail scissors because they are the only ones we have that are safe enough to cut his hair with. I started with the ponytail. Yes, I saved it. Then, I started cutting! And you know what? I did a really good job. He's even cuter now, if that's possible. See for yourselves. Oh, yeah! We saw our first moose! Picture below.

Big Love,

Sarah

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

IAN IS TWO!!!!

Hello All!

Hoping that you are all having a wonderful Spring! Well, our little boy is 2! Crazy! We had a blast at Grandma and Grandpa VonFrank's house. Above is a slideshow of one of the highlights. Little red horse will surely provide hours of entertainment. Andrew made some awesome swordfish and scallops on the grill and Nancy made a delicious birthday cake. It was one of the best days we've had in a long time. Below are some pictures of the day.

Big Love,

Sarah

HUMBLED

Hello!

Thought I would get a post out before the season starts. The last few weeks have been exhausting and quite humbling. For those of you who know me, you know how much I feel the need to try and do everything myself. I, at 40, have learned that I can't. Trying to run a store and keep it open with a 2 year old in tow has proven quite challenging. I just want to let everyone know what a wonderful man my husband is. Andrew has graciously agreed to come the 20 minutes to Boothbay and pick up Ian in the afternoon so that I can stay open. Were it not for him, I don't know that I'd be in any shape to do this. Ian has been wonderful through all of this, mind you. It's just that there is so much to do in this town that he doesn't want to stay put and that makes it hard to be open and productive. To all parents out there: Please make sure to thank those who help you out through the day. On another note, Ian is almost 2!!!! I'll be sure to post party pictures for those of you who can't be here to celebrate with us.

Big Love,

Sarah

A Million Miles an Hour

Hello!

Just wanted to post a quick one before things get totally unmanageable... Above is a peek at what life is like right now. A little crazy trying to balance work and home. Ian has been a trooper through all of this madness and I love him for it! The store is going okay. I can't stress enough how anxious I am for the "season" to start. It's very hard on the soul to have so much build up and then sit and wait for approval. I know it will come and I will be begging for a quiet day. Maybe. I'll just keep opening the doors and waiting. Hope you all are well.

Big Love,

Sarah

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

Hello All!

Spring is here in full force. The hyacinths and daffodils have shown their faces. The trees are blooming and the neighborhood smells like fresh cut grass. The store is open and we are now just waiting for the season to start. I can't believe what it took to get here, but with a lot of help from friends and family, it looks great. Looking forward to some business. Andrew's parents have finally moved into their house. I hadn't been over there in a long time and am astounded at how homey it feels. Even as open and spacious as it is, it still feels cozy and warm. I can't believe our boy is almost two. He is really showing his "boyness" lately and I am going to have to teach him the word "uncle." He's jumping all over me and has really learned to get me to the point of not being able to move. He's been great at the store and I really appreciate it. He loves Boothbay. We go down to the docks every morning and look for starfish and crabs and watch the fishermen prepare for a day's work. I know this may be fleeting, but I am taking advantage of every good day we have. As usual, I've attached some pictures. Hope you all are getting out in the sunshine.

Big Love,

Sarah

READY TO WORK!

Hi Guys,

Hope all is well. Finally, the time has come for me to back to work. I get into my space on Tuesday and I can't wait. These last 3 months have been wonderful. I have loved spending every minute with Ian, but the stress of not working is killing me. The VonFrank Residence is almost ready for living. I will post some pictures as soon as it's cleaned up a bit. It's going to be spectacular. As we are gearing up for spring, we got hit with another 3 inches of, you guessed it, snow. Although it was a little upsetting, it was beautiful and I was compelled to take some pictures. It can melt now. Ian has been an angel and I shed a little tear every day when I realize how lucky Andrew and I are. He is incredible. Smart, funny, cute. Not a bad bone in his body. Yes, we are blessed. He's looking forward to going back to work, too. On that, I will try to keep up this blog as best I can, so that you all can keep up with our crazy lives...

Big Love,

Sarah

I can't believe it's March!

Hi Everyone,

Well, daylight savings time is upon us and Spring is just around the corner. The trees have taken on a certain fuzzy quality and the light is completely different. That said, we still have about a foot of snow that still needs to melt and some new wet snow is falling as we speak. Ugh. I'm sure that by the time I'm done posting this, it will have turned to rain. I wish I had more to report at this time, but there is not a whole lot of new stuff going on. Ian is starting to read. Crazy! He only knows a handful of words but he learns a few more every day. We have a very wonderful boy. The VonFrank Residence is progressing. The water works and the oven is in. The bathroom is very close to completion. I can't wait to see it all come together and sit down and enjoy the view. Sorry for such a short post. As soon as something new happens, you'll see it here first.

Big Love,

Sarah

The Greatest Sound in the World

Just a quick video. Couldn't resist. More later. By the way, the word is bazoink!

Big Love,

Sarah

VONFRANK RESIDENCE UPDATE

Hello All!

Here are some new pictures of the VonFrank residence. It has been a long time, but I finally got over there and got some new shots. The floor is down, and it's really beginning to take shape. Andrew and his dad have been working every day and it shows...

Here is Dad making a door...

Here are the stairs going, well, upstairs...

The beautiful front door...

And, of course, the upstairs. I'll try and take a quick video so that you can see how the house flows.

Big Love,

Sarah

BACK FROM OUR TRIP

Hello Everybody!

Hoping you all are well. Well, we are back from our trip to EH. It was short, but fun. We stayed with Urban and Maria and Natalie. It was great for Ian to have a playmate. They got along really well and Nat is just about as sweet as can be. They spent most of the time going up and down the slide in the living room. It was a great visit. Ian and I went into town to visit some old friends, and, I have to say, I've not felt so out of place in a really long time. It's just not the East Hampton that we grew up in. I'm glad we went, but, I don't think we'll go back for a while. We had some nice but quick visits with Andrew's sister, Jennifer and her son, Morgan. And then on to brother David and Vicki's to visit with them for a bit. It was good to see family. For those of you we didn't see, I apologize. There just wasn't enough time. Our poor son spent an awful lot of time in the car going from house to house and he just wasn't digging it after a while. We did get to see Gene and Danielle and their new baby, Parker. Alas, everyone had a cold, so it was a short visit. Parker slept the whole time, but he is gorgeous. The perfect combo of his parents... So, we're back. Ian did not escape the cold that was running rampant and is just a boogery, sleepy mess right now. I am very thankful that he deals with his colds very well. The only way you'd know he was sick is by the endless stream of snot coming from his nose. On that incredibly appetizing note, I bid farewell to the month of January and look forward to the next 2 months before I can go back to work.

Big Love,

Sarah

JANUARY IS ALMOST OVER

Hello! Well, January is almost over... I'm going into NYC for a tradeshow on Monday, then, we'll be in EH for the following weekend. Really looking forward to seeing some friends and just relaxing. The trip into NYC is going to be very fun. Ashley is already very nervous, as she's never been on a plane before. Nor has she ever been to NYC. I'd love to stay longer and really show her around, but Mom needs to get back to her boy. I'm already having withdrawal and I'm not even gone yet. The VonFrank residence is really taking shape. They have moved a lot of stuff from storage and into the space. Some walls are up and the arrangement of the kitchen seems to be figured out. The nice thing about new appliances is, of course, the box... Ian now has his own house made from the box from the wall oven, complete with a skylight and some french doors. A lot of time has been spent in there already. He loves bringing his stuffed animals in there and showing them around. Really quite cute. Well, that's all for now. I'll post after my big trip into NYC.

Big Love,

Sarah

HAVING FUN

Hello Everyone,

Hoping everyone is happy and healthy... Things here are plugging along. Still can't get used to not working, but I manage to keep my days full. It's hard not to with my little monkey running around. We went to our first playgroup the other day. Anyone who knows me at all is probably having a hard time picturing me at a playgroup. All I can say is that it was interesting. The other kids really didn't play with eachother. Poor Ian kept trying to get involved with what they were doing and really wanting to share. They were having none of it. It was interesting enough for me to go back. There was one other mother there who was really nice, and it was neat to see that Ian has much better social skills than most others much older than himself. As for me, I am looking forward to my trip into the city for a trade show. It's going to be grueling, but, it's better than spending the night. Less than 3 months till I can get into my new store. I'm hoping it flies by. Still looking to get out to EH to meet Gene and Danielle's new baby boy. Usually, it's my schedule holding us back from travelling. Andrew is hard at work at the VonFrank Residence. We are all looking forward to seeing the finished product. I'll take more pictures this week as it's really taking shape, now. Till next time...

Big Love,

Sarah