Lou and I left yesterday for a short cruise to celebrate his parents’ 45th wedding anniversary.    Lou and I, his sister Debi and Rich, and Mom and Dad – no kids.   Gavin ran out the door with a huge grin as we pulled away, turning to give us a butt shake.   I had mixed emotions knowing how happy he was to see us go!!   Sometimes I worry that he was passed around so much as a baby that he’s a natural independent and I tear up over visions of him moving halfway around the world someday.   But then I remember kissing him goodnight and yelling up to him, “I love you more!” as he’s heading up the stairs, only for him to run back down to say sternly, “Let’s not argue about this right now, Mommy.   I love YOU more!”   Then we play a game where whoever says it last loves the other person more, and I make sure we end at the same time.   “It’s a tie! I guess we both love each other the same.”   He needs me J . Off we went, leaving from NYC and zipping up to Canada, we

... truly, I can't thank you enough. The Mess Fest was outrageous.  The best day of the year, no doubt.  Once again, people came in droves.  We surpassed our 2013 fundraising goal and I am confident enough to say that the event was flawless.  The weather was like a huge smile shining down upon us.  There were ladybugs landing on children and laughter filling the sky.  It was pure magic.  Everything Ty ever would have wanted.  And I am proud.   VIEW THE GALLERY HERE . We couldn’t have done it without the 100+ volunteers who selflessly donated their time, the incredible fundraisers who participated in the Dirty Dunk, and all of you who attended to make this event the tremendous success that it was.  Special thanks, of course, to our long-time friends at Kiwi Country Day Camp for donating the most amazing place on earth to hold this incredible event year over year.  Lastly, our sponsors, because without their generosity we would not be able to reach our fundraising goals to suppo

Ty's first and only Muddy Puddle We are counting down the minutes to The Muddy Puddles Mess Fest 2014!  The weather looks PERFECT and the event is already a success thanks to all of you.   It is going to be everything Ty would have wanted, and he will be smiling down on all of us that day! Ticket availability:  We are prepared to sell hundreds of additional tickets at the gate, however, we cannot guarantee that the event will not sell out.  In order for our team to be best prepared, please try to purchase tickets in advance, when possible.   Use promo code friends for an additional 10% off now until Saturday.   Parking and Shuttle Buses: As indicated on our registration site, all parking is off-site this year. Everyone must park at the Mahopac High School, 10 minutes away, where several large shuttle buses will be running non-stop to transport you to the camp (421 Baldwin Place Rd, Mahopac, NY 10541).  There is absolutely no parking at Kiwi Country Day Camp (with the exc