Geronimo

So Jacob started doing this yesterday.  He said the first time he was nervous, but then it was so fun he wasn't nervous ever again.  You can imagine he did it about 800 more times.  AND...It's only, oh... 12 feet deep!!!! 

And then, just to get fancy...

Summer Hodgepodge

This summer we've either been extremely active or extremely lazy and today we're the latter.  I imagine that's not hard to believe, so these pictures are meant to exhibit that sometimes we are indeed the former. Got it?

 

Our second annual family trip to Cunningham Falls lake.

 

A couple weeks of summer camp.

  

Jacob, making his own sandwich for lunch (mainly because I refuse to add the cheddar, gross).

 

 

Visit with Pepaw. 



Metro trip down to the Mall and "dinosaur bone" (Natural History) museum, by way of the carousel.

 

 

 

 

Now we're just counting down the days until the beach!

We Love Vermont Part 2

I am amazed at my brilliance in coming up with this plan to get the second half of our Vermont trip pictures up.  I started this post "virtually" from Nancy's house at her computer. I was "babysitting" for her (obviously doing a grand job of minding her boys) and it dawned on me that I could access her pictures on her computer which include all those from our actual visit with Mary and Robert!  So here we go, but first a few outtakes:

Owen had a hard time accepting that Ben and Jerry's Wavy Gravy from the 90s was now in the ice cream graveyard.

 

Prepping to milk the cow.

The Lego Statue of Liberty - way better than the original.  (Lois, this made me think of you)

 

And finally...



Reunion! I've known Mary and Robert and their kids since I was born; that's when I was a Jersey Girl. 

Katie, Jim, Nancy and Anne back together again.  If only Rob had been there we could have recreated so many old pictures, ha!

It begins again...the next generation. 

Katie raises alpaca in her backyard.  I love Owen's "Don't be fooled...I can put on appearances, but I got my eye on you" face. 

Then it was back to life, back to reality but first a quick stop in West Point, NY on the way.

 

What a great roadtrip!!!  I'm ready for another!  If anyone wants us to come visit you we're accepting applications, just leave a comment below.  International offers accepted as well.  

Have Minivan, Will Travel - Vermont

You might want to listen to this as you read.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nLiQBV6A7c

Holiday Road trip!! 
A few weeks ago Memaw, Aunt Nancy, Sam, Anderson, Jacob, Owen and I (you counted right, SEVEN people, four of whom are 12 and under) all packed into my clean, shiny, basically new car to kick off summertime with an adventure up north to the Green Mountain State. We had lots of fun touring around and visited our old family friends, Mary and Robert and their kids Jim and Katie.   

My view, every time I turned around.

 

Day 1

Day 7

(Owen is hiding behind Aunt Nancy)

The people still look pretty clean, shiny and new, the car not so much.

First stop, New York.

We had a second little celebration of Owen's birthday with all his cousins and ate lotsa lox and bagels and enjoyed the spoils that come with visiting Nana and Papa. Nana and Papa got the priceless gift of spending time with seven winning personalities who basically took over their home for a day and a half! Lucky them!

Then we took a ferry to Connecticut and ate a little lobster lunch (thanks for the rec Ms. Sarah P., if you happen to be reading this!).

 

uh oh.

 

We made it to Vermont!!!!

Now, in my former career and travels I've been to my fair share of welcome centers around the country and this one might just take the cake as the classiest.  Nice work Vermont - if anyone has a trip planned there, stay a while, it's worth a visit. 

 

Wild and Crazy kids (at the beautiful Vermont Welcome Center I just mentioned).

 

 

Then it just kept getting better.  Fortunately it was an off season week and we got to stay at the gorgeous Sugarbush resort.  It was awesome, though the only downfall was that this was Jacob's (and Owen's) first experience at a "hotel" and I had to explain just about each evening that this was NOT the kind of luxury accommodation he/they could expect for future hotel stays.

 We visited a maple syrup farm...

 and a cider farm (we watched them make apple cider donuts, delish)...

 

 and of course... BEN AND JERRY'S! 

 

 We saw covered bridges...

...and went to nearby Shelburne farm where the boys... now five of them in case you're keeping count (that's Jim's son James, far left)...got to run around, take a tractor ride, pet some farm animals...

 ...and of course, MILK A COW! 

Back to the ski slopes where the boys tried to run all the way up to the top.  They did not succeed, if they had we'd probably still be in Vermont waiting for Owen to walk down.

 

There will be a "Vermont - Part 2", but at this rate I may not get it posted 'til Fall.  

 

The Fourth

Neighborhood kids ready for our annual July 4th street parade.

Start your engines!

 

This means War

Fireman costume (sized for a 2 yr old) + Batman belt + Invisible Cloak + Mickey Mouse on top = a formidable opponent in the game of War.