Good Help

Before we left for the beach, Steve snagged my dad and brother to help him put the finishing touches on our deck.  Ok, not really the finishing touches, more like laying all the decking.  Anyway, it was fun to have everyone hang out here for the day.

Claudia took this shot of Afton.  I thought it was pretty cute.

Aaron absolutely LOVES Drew.  It's so cute.  After playing with him for quite some time, Aaron comes up to me and says, "Mom, someone else needs to pe-tect Drew.  When I tell him not to, he doesn't listen to me."

Avery, the butterfly catcher

Our first supper on the deck.  So fun!!  Thanks, Dad and Chad, for all your help!

Old-fashioned fun

When I was a kid, I desperately wanted my parents to install an in-ground swimming pool.  I never had any luck with that request.  The closest thing we got to swimming at my house was playing in a drywall bucket.  I've sat in many, many buckets.  It was funny to me that yesterday, Morgan and Greta were playing outside and next thing I know, Morgan had Greta sitting in a bucket.

Vindication

Oh, it feels so good when I am FINALLY right.  For years and years, I have remembered and craved this certain pickle that my Grandma Rudy would make.  It was a dill pickle, not tasting any different than another dill pickle.  But it was a sphere, usually no bigger than a golf ball.  I remember going into her canning cellar and opening a jar.  Oh, I loved eating them.  My mom tells me that she remembers no such pickle, that they were probably just big cucumbers cut into rings.  I haven't really asked around the family to see if anyone else remembers eating them, but for years now it has bothered me...was I not remembering right?  Was there ever really a golf-ball-like pickle?
Last night, my sweet neighbor brought some goodies to our door.  She told me she had tried a new variety of cucumber this year, called a lemon cucumber.  I could not believe my eyes when I saw them.  THEY WERE IT!!!  Oh, they are so cute.  I ate one and don't have the heart to eat the other.  I am certain these are exactly what my grandma used to can.  I can finally rest...

Last Day at the Beach

We headed to the water one last time before we went home from DE last week.  The kids all loved the water and just couldn't seem to get enough.

I was a little surprised that Aaron loved the water.  I had my chair down by the water for awhile and he just ran and ran and ran back and forth.  He was having so much fun!

Groundbreaking

Last night was a huge night for our church.  After 29 years of meeting together, we are finally breaking ground on our own building!  There was so much excitement in the air as we gathered on the hill together. It was a moment that I hope our kids never forget.

Greta and her friend, Myla

This doesn't even begin to capture the crowd that was there.

The beloved Mr. Baker.  Greta found these binoculars on the ground and was having lots of fun with them.

SO MAD that this picture is blurry

Aaron was NOT a happy camper when he was told he had to stop digging and participate in the whole church photo

My sweet friend, Shannon. We chatted as the amazing sun set behind us.

Date Night

One evening while we were at the beach, my parents very kindly offered to watch ALL of the kids so Steve and I and Chad and Miranda could go out.  We went to Harpoon Hanna's, a very popular place that sits right on the bay.  Let's just say that the setting made up for the quality and the price of the food!  After supper, we headed to the Ocean City boardwalk.  We walked the hotel end and eventually got to too many crazy young kids and headed back (boy, are we getting old!!).  Steve and I even resisted the temptation of an overpriced funnel cake.
It was a great evening hanging out with my brother and his wife and the kids and grandpa and grandma all seemed to hold up well.
At the bay at Harpoon Hanna's:

Love this shot of Miranda.  I had her pose so I could test the lighting and this is what I got!

I got some more fun ones of us on the beach but they are on Miranda's camera.

Boardwalk

The kids were all thrilled with these pets.

Love this view.

Aaron thought it was so silly that he put a dot of ice cream on both him and Drew's nose.