They come and they go

This morning Danna left to go back home. I cannot tell you what a spirit-lifter having her here was for me. There's just something about having your mom around that makes everything a little lighter. Even more than the help she was, her physical presence was just what we needed.
We didn't get to do much while she was here because Nick hasn't been well, but we certainly did enjoy our evenings outside. She was glad to get out of the crummy Montana weather, although I'll be she'll be a little glad to get back to cooler temperatures now. We spent several evenings outside--catching fireflies, sitting around the fire, going on walks, and hanging out by the pool.

Last night we picked up a couple dozen blue crabs and treated her to an authentic Maryland-style crab feast. We got some crab cakes, too, so we were messy and smelly by the time it was all said and done. And happy. :)

Jarrett came up a couple of days ago and will stay for a week or so and we sent Alyson off to camp this week. This place has a revolving door, I tell you!

Father's Day

This is the 20th Father's Day I've gotten to celebrate with my husband. 20 years of parenting together, from diapers through driver's licenses and beyond. When we were dating, we used to imagine what our little family would be like one day. Of course, things didn't turn out exactly the way we planned--for one thing, the kids keep growing up! :)
But I am so thankful to have gotten to make this journey with this man. Have you seen the movie Cliffhanger? In the heart-stopping opening scene, Sylvester Stallone can't hold on to a panicked girl while they are both dangling from a line suspended high above a canyon. It is so terrifying but one thing I've always known is that Dave would never let me--or any of the kids--go.
Thanks for holding on to us, my love.

The kids treated their Dad really well on Father's Day. He enjoyed a nice, long nap to recover from his two camping trips and in the evening he played badminton with the new rackets Joshua got for him.

The big kids gave him a bucket filled with all the things he loves and then treated him to dinner from Famous Dave's Barbecue. Alyson's new driver's license has come in handy! Joshua also made him a picture frame and put a picture from Cub Scouts in it. A nice day.

Weekend Happenings

Well, school is officially out for the summer and we kicked things off with a bang! First up, Dave and Joshua and hundreds of other Cub Scouts got to go to a Bowie Baysox game where they participated in an on-field parade, watched the Baysox come from behind to win, enjoyed the fireworks, THEN got to set up their tents and spend the night in the outfield! The movie Up played on the big screen and Joshua excitedly reported to me the next morning that he stayed up till 1:20 am! They got up at 6 am and he headed home for some zzzz's while Dave switched hats and headed out the door to meet the Boy Scouts at their campsite north of here.

Yesterday afternoon, Joshua and I accompanied Alyson to Six Flags for her end-of-year track celebration. She got her varsity pins, a certificate, and an award for re-breaking the school record (which she previously broke last year...)

After lunch at the pavillion we headed out to the rides. Joshua was excited that with shoes on he is now 48" and can ride some big kid rides! Here is a picture of him coming off his very first "real" roller coaster, called The Wild One. He was thrilled and chattering and excited! 

There's also been some intense sun-enjoying and several enjoyable afternoons in the pool so far. It's a bit too hot out for Nick during the day but the temperature in the pool is warming up and I foresee some nice evenings outside swimming as well in the near future....

Two Words

HAPPY DAY!!!

Danna is here to visit and help and keep us company!!

(and apparently eat chocolate.....)

Science Experiment Gone Bad

Possible Captions:

1) This didn't happen on Mythbusters.....

2) I love Avatar!

3) This is what a true Tarheel fan looks like

4) Poor circulation runs in our family.....

Any other ideas?
p.s. yes, those are stained. And yes, we have church tonight.

Weekend Round Up

This weekend was beautiful. We have officially gotten to the evenings-in-the-gazebo days. This year we have a new addition, thanks to some good friends. We have a fire pit now which is perfect for marshmallow roasting (especially since I ditched the charcoal grill for my big beautiful gas grill) and Dave, Alyson, and Joshua got it all set up to enjoy. There were some scuffles, but I'm glad to report they worked it all out. :)

Joshua and Dave continued our tradition of placing flags at the Veterans' Cemetery in nearby Crownsville. This was the first year Joshua got to participate in uniform and he was very proud. It warms my heart to hear him talk about what Memorial Day actually is.

And in the middle of all this Alyson had the MD State Track and Field Championships. She took 5th in the triple jump with a jump of 34' 9". Way to go, Alyson!

Nick had a friend over this weekend who brought him some freshly picked strawberries-yum! He was feeling poorly all weekend so we also had fun watching some tv shows and movies on our new subscription to Netflix. His new special sunglasses should be in today so hopefully he will be able to tolerate this beautiful sunshine a little better. We will be consulting with his doctors today to discuss possible remedies for the high blood pressure he's been experiencing the last several days.