Summer Part 1 - Goodbye New Jersey!

Once we found out we were headed to Nashville in August, we tried to ensure we saw everything Jersey had to offer.  This didn't take very long :)  Haha!  We have been quite vocal about our excitement to leave the garden state, but in all honestly, there were a couple nice things about it.  Wonderful neighbors, a sleepy downtown with a great ice cream shop, great delis and diners, and easy access to all the East Coast has to offer.

We headed back to Princeton over the 4th of July to show my parents.  It's a beautiful area, though it was VERY hot the day we went.  Poor T was about to pass out.

We also headed to Lynn and Chris Allen's house in nearby Lake Hopatcong for some fun in the sun!  They have a beautiful home and setting and we all had a great time!

Worn out from a BIG day!

How cute are my parents!...

And then there were the fireworks...as my mother said "We aren't in Kansas anymore"...or Chicago, or Austin, or anywhere else we've seen fireworks.   Neighbors had told us Dover, a neighboring town, had the best fireworks.  Craig watched Taylor while my parents and I checked them out.  I don't know how to describe it except we sat on a street corner with the thousands of other people, right between a motorcycle shop and a tatoo parlor.  Definitely the most interesting fireworks setting we've had.  But a good show!

We finished up Jersey with a trip to the Jersey shore.  Overall, it was nice.  The beach was beautiful, the water and waves great. It was T's first experience on the beach.  As typical first-time parents, we were extremely conscientous about sun screen and sheltered him under the umbrella for the one hour we were out together! 
Craig in front of our hotel...