The summer of 2010 will always hold a special place in my heart. After all, we moved cross country in June when I was 35 weeks pregnant, enjoyed many hot days at my childhood hangout Crestwood lake, we welcomed a sweet baby girl into our lives on August 10th, and celebrated Massimo turning two on September 2nd. In between all of these great events, we simply enjoyed the everyday life of being home with my family and experiencing the joy that comes with "togetherness".
To commemorate the summer of 2010, my husband gave me two very special gifts. Gifts that weren't your typical "wrapped in a box with a bow", but gifts that would last a lifetime! I am so blessed and grateful to have a caring and thoughtful husband who loves to celebrate LIFE. Thank you honey...
My first gift, arrived on my birthday, August 18th. I pulled into the driveway after lunch with my mom to find a mid-size Japanese Maple Tree sitting in the backyard with a large pink bow. I laughed at first, thinking "what did he do now"?!? He explained to me and my family that the tree was a symbol of our summer here in NJ, the special memories we had and the life we welcomed into this world. My birthday tree has made it's permanent home to the top of my parents driveway. Every time we pull in we are reminded of this great summer!
Massimo was in charge of the rock garden!
The second gift (which was not intended to be a gift), was an essay Nick wrote about his "Summer in Allendale". His objective was to document the great things he learned about the little town I grew up in and how it compared to his small & historical town in Cape Cod, West Falmouth. Nick is a wonderful writer and we're hopeful he'll make his debut in our town paper soon...
“A Summer in Allendale”
By Nicholas V. Leone III
I spent many summers growing up on Cape Cod and did not know what to expect when my family decided to spend this summer in Allendale, New Jersey. The Cape is best known for the National Seashore’s white sandy beaches, sailing, clam bakes, and sunsets. Would my summer be the same in Allendale? What would I discover?
I might have arrived in New Jersey sooner had the Pilgrims reached their intended destination of the Hudson River. Instead, my ancestor Edward “Mayflower” Doty and the Pilgrims first landed in America on the tip of lower Cape Cod, and established Plymouth Colony in 1620. The group made up of English and Dutch religious separatists had declined and opportunity to settle in New Netherlands (now New Jersey) and sailing into strong westerly winds landed north of the Hudson River in Cape Cod Bay.
There is a lot to discover in and around Allendale New Jersey, especially if you marry into the Van Houten family. John & Paul Van Houten built one of the first homes in Allendale in the 1800’s. Stephen Van Houten, my wife Lindsay’s great grandfather and local realtor, developed Crestwood Park in 1930’s. Crestwood has a man-made lake with diving boards, docks, and white sandy beach. Could Crestwood compare to the beaches of Cape Cod? I confess, I have buried my feat in the sand there many days this summer and thoroughly enjoyed watching my son learn to swim and jump of the dock in the cool shallow water!
I discovered an appetite for the Allendale Bar & Grill which had its humble beginnings as a neighborhood tavern located in the old Allendale Hotel. “Mom” Connelly’s place is still in the Kunisch family and boasts a great burger. Following his famous trade from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth made the same journey I did to Allendale and enjoyed many a drink with Stephen Van Houten, my son’s great great grandfather, at what is simply called the “G” today.
Summer’s always come to an end and it was time to discover a steady hand and a sharp razor. Robert’s Barber Shop in Allendale is complete with red, white, and blue barber’s pole, old fashioned barber’s chair, and sports memorabilia. We made some of our own history at Robert’s who gave my son his first haircut and has cut five generations of handsome Van Houten young men.
Much to my pleasure this summer, I discovered America is still beautiful, especially in Allendale!
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I couldn't end without an update of our little Isabella! Bella is coming into her own everday, she loves to be held, eats like her daddy, curls her lips like mommy and has the same mannerisms as Massi when he was a baby. At her 1 month appt. she weighed in at 8.2 (that's a 2.5 lb weight gain in one month, woohoo!). We Love You Isabella...
September is here and promises to be a fun month, filled with football games and trips to local farms for fresh apple cider and doughnuts. Stay tuned for our next post!
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