Sleepover!

Casey and Emma hosted their best friends, Isabel and Nick, for a sleepover Friday night. The weather didn't cooperate for playing outside, but the kids had fun inside instead. We ate pizza, watched Annie and Escape to Witch Mountain (the old version). Chris scared them silly playing a made-up game called "Shark in the Dark" in the basement, that even gave me the willies. But, they kept asking for more! The next day we woke up to a pancake breakfast and ventured to the library for a fun storytime and then to the McDonald's with a great, big climbing play place.

While the kids and I were at the library and McD's, Chris spent some fun time with Jacob on the playset. When I came home, I found their shoes like this on the deck, just outside the sliding glass door. Thought it was cute!

Sunday Sunset

We had a great time today! My wonderful in-laws spent the day with the kids so Chris and I could enjoy a crab feast with new(ish) friends, Don and Linda. The company was fun, the weather was perfect, not too hot or humid, and the crabs and shrimp were huge! Chris, of course, declined any seafood, but enjoyed some burgers and dogs.

We came home and had a fun time with the kids up on the playset under a beautiful sunset!

Author's Note: All photos taken by Casey, except the photo of the moon, which was taken by Emma.

Congratulations...

...to my cousin, Sean, and Mandy on their new baby boy, Braydon! Hugs to Grandmom Judy, Pop Pop Dave, and Uncle Eric! Can't wait for pictures (hint, hint).

Don't Mess With Texas

Jacob's giving a shout out to our family in Texas!

Summer Fun at the Beach

Last week, we were very lucky to be able to spend 4 blue-sky, sun-shiney days at the beach. We stayed in a beautiful house in Fenwick Island with my sister-in-law and her family and my in-laws. We enjoyed the pool and the kids' "splash zone". We spent time at the beach at Fenwick Island, Rehobeth, and Ocean City (lucky us!) building sand castles, burying kids in the sand, getting wet, and looking for sea shells.

I had fun...

...watching Casey learn to body surf and boogy board with her dad and cousin, Megan;

...burying Emma and Jacob in the sand;

...getting a pedicure from Megan (blue toenails!) and watching Robin, Megan, Casey, and Emma paint each others' nails;

...watching Casey, Emma, and Zachary catch frogs at night with Megan;

...taking Megan, who just got her learner's permit in July, on a few drives;

...having a steak dinner date-night with Chris (thanks to Robin and Megan- super sitters!);

...getting a very late-night "texting for dummies" tutorial from Robin and Megan (lmao!);

...making a giant spaghetti dinner for everyone to share;

...having a 5K adventure with Megan to the bayside pier (even though I'm still scratching the tons of mosquito bites I got on that path);

...watching the kids ride rides at Funland at Rehobeth;

...sharing Jacob's inaugural beach experience (loved the sand, hated the water);

...staying up late to play cards (hearts- Chris lost!); and,

...spending lots of quality time with family!

Malibu Chris...

Casey caught her first frog- they were FAST!

Emma caught one too- after hopping on the sidewalk and saying "ribbit, ribbit"...

Happy Birthday, Aunt Jenn!

More pics to follow on Facebook!

Visit with Pop and Poppy

We had a fun and full house yesterday evening! Pop came down to visit, Poppy came over after work, and our friends, Isabel and Nick, came to play! I got more gardening tips from Pop, the girls picked green beans with him (that I will be freezing as we are up to our ears in green beans!), we all ate a yummy spaghetti dinner, the kids played outside with their friends until they had to go home, and then played with Pop and Poppy until WAY past their bedtimes!

She Must Get It From Her Dad

Casey is like me in many ways...the obvious blond hair and blue eyes, her desire to please, her drive to succeed and do well in school, her love of reading and reality TV, her nervousness and anxiety. But, this....

...she does NOT get from me!

The Playset: Before & After

The kids love their new playset and have played on it every day since it was installed. We've already had one big fall- Emma fell off the swing and hit her poor little head so hard on our rock-hard ground. Very scary. We were having a wood mulch vs. rubber mulch debate (to cushion any falls under the playset) and, after her fall, I think rubber mulch will win. I'll be researching rubber mulch when we get home from our trip. If anyone has any experience, good or bad, with rubber mulch, I'd love to hear it!

Dutch Wonderland

After repeatedly checking the weather for Lancaster, PA and seeing only blue skies and sunshine forecasted, we packed up the van, met our friends, and headed up to Dutch Wonderland for the day on Saturday. We started in the water park area, which I have no pictures of because the camera was in a locker, and the kids and grown-ups had a GREAT time. I thought it would be a cold day in you-kn0w-where when I walked around an amusement park in a bathing suit again, but, what can I say, the fun outweighed my modesty. The girls (and Chris and I) particularly liked a big twisty tube water slide that you slide through in inflatable rafts (especially the one that was really dark so you couldn't see the twists and turns).

Later, we re-dressed and headed over to the other side of the park to the rides. It was so nice that Casey and Emma had Isabel (age 7) and Nick (age 4) to ride with, as they always had a buddy to go with, no matter what the ride was. Despite the weather forecast (thanks, weather.com), we suffered through 1-2 hours of terrential downpour and all got SOAKED! No thunder and lightning, so the rides stayed open. Casey and Isabel kept getting on the antique cars because there was no line and they just got wetter and wetter. The rest of us chickens hovered wetly under a nearby awning. Even Jacob rode a few rides...he really enjoyed the merry-go-round.

The kids are already looking forward to a return trip! Thanks to our friends for suggesting such a fun adventure!

Do you Facebook? If so, "friend" me, as I'll post more pictures there (they're so much easier to upload)!