Summer Whirl

Well, since I am getting to my summer pictures finally, I might just get to Halloween in December! Sorry for the deluge of photos, but I am trying to put 2 1/2 months in one post! Below is how we started our summer; berry picking at Homestead Farms with our friends the Christensens. We had some great peach/blackberry cobblers and yummy treats after that trip. Our next outing was to the National Botanical Gardens. Anyone in DC who hasn't been here, I think it is definitely worth a trip. It is right next to the Capitol Building, but in the summer it almost seemed like a world away.

With no Capitol Building visible, one could almost imagine being out in a field.

They have a children's garden. It is nothing compared to the Childrens Gardens at the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena, but it still was a fun time for the kids where they can water the plants and even do a little gardening.

Christopher has been into photography for a while, so it was fun to watch him try to get some good closeups of the flowers and plants.

We then embarked on our first road trip to a dear friend's who lives in New Hampshire. It was the kids and I going it alone and I was a little worried that the drive might be a little crazy, but we loaded up on Italian lesson courses, books on CD, a few DVD's all from the library and headed off. This was at the first rest stop and the kids were energized. I had tried to leave really early in the morning in hopes that they would fall back asleep on the drive, but no such luck. They were a little sedate for the first hour or so and it was only about a 10 1/2 hour drive!

This was at the Gulf of Maine and it was a warm summer day and the scenary was breathtaking, but the water was like ice! Here is Jen and a bunch of the kids on the rocks.

We did a small hike (no small feat with 7 kids and a crowded touristy trail) but were rewarded with some very yummy ice cream!

And, of course we had to do a lot of exploring. Thankfully the water that got stuck in the rocks was warmed a bit by the sun and the kids loved finding these snails.

It was a race to see who could collect the most. Don't worry, we released them all.

The kids even went in the water. I don't know how they did it but they didn't even really complain.

We went to a fun museum and got to learn about whales and play with starfish.

And one day we went to Lake Pawtuckaway (am I spelling that right, Jen?) which was decidedly much more pleasant water to swim in. It was clear and wonderfully refreshing. Jen's husband, Mark, was kind enough to take the kids out in shifts for a Kayak ride.

Jen's husband also would take the kids around the yard on the mower trailer and they thought that was great. It was a fantastic summer trip and I would do it again anytime! Here is the day we left with the kids piled on the tractor.

About a week after we got back from New Hampshire, Christopher had scout camp which just so happened to be one of the hottest weeks of the summer. He endured it well and was proud of himself when he shot a few bullseyes.

Alex volunteered one day and caught some of the fun.

Then we tried to wind down a bit and made some paper mache creatures.

Our last trip was to Cape Cod which was the week before school started. Cape Cod had been in a drought summer and the week we were there it decided to rain for 4 days straight. We had purposely rented a place with a private beach so that we could maximize the water, but that plan got a little waylayed, so we found some other things to do. We went to a glass museum and took a train ride.

Mark was really tired of the rain!

This is a view of the private beach that we had.

Anytime the rain stopped we were out there trying to make the most of it.

And doing what they love most, exploring.

And finding crabs. They did pinch but it didn't hurt as they were too small to get much.

The sun eventually did come out and we were out there for 3 days straight, all day until we had to go home.

It was a fantastic vacation and a wonderful end to a very fun summer!

Assateague Island

We went camping at the beginning of July to an island that is off of the Maryland coast. Many people have either heard of it or its Virginia partner Chincoteague. There are protected wild horses and a beautiful beach. It happened to be a very hot few days when we first arrived and the sun was really intense, but we were at the beach, so who could really complain? Christopher spent a lot of time collecting tons of shells. He had piles and piles, but we only let him bring home 3. Alex is great and always gets in and builds sand castles with the kids. They love it and even helped decorate with a bunch of the shells.

The water was a perfect temperature and Anna wasn't intimidated at all. The waves were very mild...perfect for kids.

I think we were in the middle of digging a big hole as the kids liked to make "pools" to sit in. We found all kinds of sea life from ghost crabs to horseshoe crabs to watching the dolphins circle the fish and eat in the water. It was perfect!

We had heard that the bugs were terrible and probably would have been for us if we had camped on the grassy area of the site...

But, we were right on the sand. So, hardly any bugs and a constant ocean breeze. The drawback was that we were right on the sand and could never fully keep it out of the tent and food.

This is a picture of the span of the beach.

We saw the horses several times. You aren't allowed to touch them, but it sure was fun to watch them. This time they were just moseying down the beach.

Mark just being goofy.

The kids in one of the many "pools" we made while there.

A beautiful rainbow after a light rainstorm.

What a beautiful earth the Lord has given us! We were grateful to go and enjoy it.

Fourth of July

We have lived in DC for 3 years now and had never been to the National Mall for the Fourth of July. So, even though it was really hot and Alex was worried there would be unbearable crowds, we headed down and plunked ourselves in front of the Lincoln Memorial and we were so glad we did. I made a picnic of good old fried chicken (a buttermilk recipe that really turned out excellent) and pasta salad and even some dessert. We got there a bit early but were glad we did as after the picnic the crowds really did come in. Anna was really enjoying her chicken!

Our spot in front of the Memorial.

The sun getting lower in the sky with the National Monument and Capitol Building in the distance.

In case I haven't mentioned it before, Christopher is our budding photographer. He absolutely loves to take pictures and I have to admit that he isn't half bad. He has read a couple of books (from the children's section at the library) and tells me things that I had no idea about.

One of my favorite pictures of the many that Alex took of the fireworks.

The Lincoln Memorial at night.

Everyone stayed awake and had a wonderful time. We even got them up early the next morning for our 4 hour drive to go camping. The kids didn't even complain!

Christopher-isms

Christopher is officially eight years old now and has always said some funny things, but lately he has really been making me laugh. It is so fun to have a baby and then as they get older all of the phases that they go through. I might not think that he is so fun when he is a teenager, but I am enjoying him so much now. Here are two of the phrases over the weekend that made me chuckle:
"Mom, you are always telling me to eat a balanced diet."
Me: "Yes, I am."
"Well, I have been eating so many fruits and vegetables lately that I need to balance it out with some sweets!"
This was at a retirement party for his teacher and I had noticed that he had a plateful of junk.

Before going to bed one night he saw one of his favorite books "The Dragon Rider" by Cornelia Funke. He said, "This is the book that made my brain come alive!" This statement is true as he truly became an avid reader after this book as it stimulated his sense of fantasy and adventure. Part of this was helped by the book on tape version by Brendan Fraser who does a fantastic job with the voices of the characters. I'm so glad his brain has come alive!

California Trip

We went to California for Spring Break, mostly to see my sister who had her first child in December, but it was great to see everyone. My dad picked us up at the airport and then we went back to his place for a couple of nights. Here is Anna at a park in Torrance. My dad lives about a mile from Redondo Beach, so we went there. Prior to going out it had been so cold in DC and LA had been having very warm temps, so my kids were excited to head for warm weather, but when we got there it was a little chilly, especially on the beach. When we told Mark we were going to the beach but not to put on swim trunks he got very upset and said,'Then why are we going to the beach?" However, he had a great time playing in the sand and chasing seagulls, so he forgot to be upset once we arrived there.

The weather did get a little warmer as we visited with Alex's parents. They have a spa, so my mother-in-law got it bubbling and the kids played for hours. These are the only decent pictures I can show!

We spent a lot of time at my mom's as well which the kids love because there are so many animals and chaos. We spent Easter morning there.

Anna hanging out with our old dog, who my mom was gracious enough to take when we moved to places that wouldn't allow animals. Anna is a true animal lover and will pet any animal that allows her to.

Mark got bunny teeth for Easter and enjoyed wearing them.

Then, we had an Easter egg hunt with the family.

My kids with their cousing, Lucas and my brother, Tim.

Anna and Lucas hanging out with my brothers on Easter. It is so nice to have family around!

My sister-in-law, Samantha with my sister's baby, Hayden. I realized I never got a picture of Vicki and her baby together. It is so wonderful to have a new addition and to see what a great mom my sister is!

We got to visit with our good friends, the Kriders, and boy was it great to see them. Liz was gracious enough to have invited the craziness into her home and tolerated us all beautifully. It was great to see them!

Grandpa was terrific and treated us to a day at Disneyland. The kids lasted a long time and really had a wonderful time!

Mark and Grandpa on the dumbo ride.

Mark and Anna on It's a Small World.

Christopher on the same ride.

Grandpa and kids on the train. We were giving ourselves a little break and the kids thought it was fun at the same time.

Too worn out to go on any more!

My mom with 3 of her 4 grandsons. Samantha kindly offered to watch the kids while I packed to go home.

The trip was busy and I thought I would be tired since Alex didn't come with me, but it was rejuvenating to see everyone and we all came back with renewed energy!