This past summer and fall, I got to cheer on my favorite niece and nephew as they played baseball and soccer. Paxton’s the next Chris Sale out there on the mound, and Hadley is so fast, definitely the next Alex Morgan. Watch out Olympics, here they come!

Last August we spent the week down with the Merlos in Eastham on Cape Cod. It was an awesome vacation full of beaches, rockets, and sunrises/sunsets. The week kicked off with playing fetch in a local field with Tucker Giglio. It was a bit chilly from the clouds and wind but still had lots of fun running and splashing in the surf at First Encounter beach. Made a day out of Marconi Beach, which being 🐕 friendly meant Sandy could join us. Another 🐕 friendly area was my personal favorite swimming…

On the first weekend of February, the Merlo family descended upon Waterbury for a weekend in the woods. The beautiful house was set on top of the perfect sledding hill, and came with miles of trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Being only 25 minutes away from Stowe, I just had to hit up the slopes for a few runs in the morning. We also ventured out to a skating rink. Many games of pool were played (Jack won most of ’em), and the hot tub and outdoor fire was enjoyed by all.

This past May the Merlo clan camped at the Mohawk State Forest. Much fun was had hiking and playing and being with family. I snuck in an ambitious bike ride (was hoping to get all the way into Vermont but the Berkshire climbs are no joke), and Sandy did really well on her first nights camping.

This past weekend we celebrated Haley’s birthday outside with the fantastic weather. Sandy’s still struggling to respect her elders, knocking over poor Aunt Bella while trying to get her to play. Sandy’s lost a couple teeth already, so she’s happiest with a salmon no-hide stick to chomp away at.

Last weekend, Sandy thoroughly enjoyed the great outdoors, going for a long walk with family around Fawn Lake and playing in Somerville with Addie and friends. She also started sitting in the backseat of the car all by herself! Another big upgrade - girl got a queen size bed! She took to it immediately, including turning it over to scratch the hell out of it. She may be getting bigger by the day, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to hang out in her favorite cubby. Won’t be long…