The Weekend in Review

Harry and Dawn brought the summer to a fitting close with an Ice Cream Social!! There was just about everything you could ask for - malts, floats, cookies, ice cream sandwiches, cones, sundaes, and a really amazing lemonade!


There was a bouncer for the all the kids that were there.

Miss Isla, like many others, was serious about her consumption!!

Eve made the welcome sign!

In true Dawn-style, everything was very nicely done!! It was hard to resist!! Fortunately, I had planned and just ate fruits and veggies all day so I had some points to spare for a small sundae!

On Saturday, Porter, Harry, and I went to GH to visit Grandma Mary and Aunt Donna.

The old homestead is still attracting the kiddos!

Some of whom still like to make faces when you try to take a picture!

Now it's back to school in our neck of the woods.

Sigh!

Happy Anniversary to Phoebe and David!!

Oh happy day when David joined our family!

And Phoebe is still taking very good care of David!!

When it rains, it pours!! (Or "water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink!")

This has been "Water Week" for sure!! Bonny and her water tank problems. Eliza and a burst water heater and an overflowing washer - from a filter problem. And then tonight, riding home from DC, a phone call from Noah - our water filter in the kitchen sink "blew!" And we had a flooded kitchen and dining room!!

At least he found it sooner rather than later!!

Maybe or maybe not we will follow up with details. We may just want to forget it!

A special treat!

Came home Sunday night to a voice mail message from Dawn Dequer!! She was in town and wanted to see me!!

She came over for lunch - and it turned out that Harry Dad, Bonny and girls were here too - we had a great visit!!

(I had been recalling on Sunday that 32 years ago this week we moved to Monrovia - and when we went to church that first Sunday, the Dequer girls were getting confirmed!! I also recall Sharon taking Jenny out of the chapel! Funny the "snapshots" that come into your head at times!!)

Nothing beats wonderful friends!! (Which would include all the Dequers!!)

Reunion Time Once Again!!

It comes around every 2 years - and those years seem to come faster and faster all the time!! I was recalling that the first one was in 2003 - so this is the 5th one!!

These first few photos are from Sunday night - a little Clayton get-together before Charlie, Sean and girls headed home.

Since we didn't score a fire ring at the beach, we had our own tonight - complete with s'mores!! Some traditions are essential!!

Joan came from Tennessee - she's a loyal reunion supporter.

Gretta enjoyed choosing from the Grandma's Treasure Box!

It was fun to see the Fredericksons!!

Eve loved finding some more girl "cousins" to enjoy hanging with!

All Bill and Debbie's kids and grandkids were there! Debbie's brother and his wife showed up too - they are in Carlsbad on a mission and had the day off!

Seven of the twelve were there - better than some years! Mom said, "Does my hair look bad?" We replied that all the hair looked bad - a casualty of windy beach weather!

This is from the Sunday night dinner - not sure how blogger arranges the things you post!! It certainly was fun to spend time with Sean and his girls. We haven't seen them that often in the past.

Terrills and Claytons - a good mix anytime!

Pete with Cheryl and LaDawn.

Joan and Bonny, hangin' out!

The presiding matriarch - what a good sport Mom is!

The Two Donnas!

Charlie, Sean, and girls.

Patrick, Bobbie and son.

Joe and Jane had all their kids and grandkids there too!!

This turned out to be the only shot I took of Harry and of Lois - they were pretty social and didn't stay in one place long - probably why I didn't get more pics of them! Can you tell Dad borrowed my hat??

Tom, Leslie and girls.

LaDawn's crew!

It was great to see Audrey and Ted's boy Jim and his wife Donna!!

Do we see a family resemblance?

Eve came with us since Harry had to work.

The young man on the left is Pete's grandson - I didn't have to tell you that either, did I? The other young man is Lois's nephew's son. Some of the connections were circuitous. You needed a program to keep track!

Taking photos was the order of the day.

Steven, Kim, and Gavin.

Josh and Amanda and their kids.

It was a beautiful beach day!

Tom gets the prize for being the "Renaissance Man" - he ran, biked, swam, ate, socialized, and even got some reading in!

If you weren't there, we missed you. The next one is scheduled for the first Saturday in August of 2013 - if that conflicts with something important - and you'd like to come - let me know - with advance notice, we are flexible!!

To those who came - thanks for your support! It almost runs itself now - so it was nice to be able to visit and enjoy one another's company!!

Back to work!

I am of the mind set that work is work - and some work is more enjoyable than other kinds of work. For example, I have just returned from spending 3 weeks with Eliza and family, to help out with new baby Lars and all that is associated with that. It is indeed work to get up and help care for small children, to fix breakfast, do laundry, mend, sew, clean up, vacuum, go the park and the playground. But such rewarding work - to see the smiles on small faces when you suggest going for a walk to mail a letter, or when small hands want to help toss the wet clothes into the dryer, to feel the warm comfort of a small baby next to you as you cuddle him, to hug your daughter good-bye at the airport and know that she is a strong and loving mother, ready for all that is ahead of her.

But then I come home to the work here. And it's valuable work - work that needs to be done - but it's not nearly as much fun!! It is good to be back with Harry, don't get me wrong, but as I sorted laundry, unpacked, went through the mail that had piled up, listened to the voice mails Harry had not listened to for three weeks, made the assignments for Anna May's luncheon on Monday, wrote grocery lists, and generally tried to get re-acquainted with our house, I was thinking that it's what I do all the time.

Maybe a change really is as good as a rest!

The visit winds down -

I will be going home on Thursday, and I will miss being here. It is work to help care for young children, but somehow laundry and dishes and child care is more fun at someone else's house!!

Hannah and Robbie took a "vacation day after a holiday" day and came to visit. We didn't do much, but it was fun to be together. Baby Lars was a bit fussier than he has been the whole time, but we all just took turns - including Robbie!!

Theo's preschool teacher sent home an erasable workbook for him, so he's daily been practicing his letters - and doing a great job. I love the little desk Eliza has - I'm not sure Theo appreciates how charming it is - but he enjoys working at it!

We often go walking to the mail box - and Theo has become my official letter dropper!! He's got it down to a science!!

Both Theo and Ida got haircuts today - we thought the short bangs made Ida look younger - add to that her charming conversational ways, and she's almost irresistible! (The photo does not do her cuteness justice!!)

And of course, the man of the hour, our own Mr. Lars, continues to win our hearts with his baby wonderfulness!

Weekend Wrap-Up, Holiday Style

It's been business as usual around here, with a little time off for the 4th of July!! We started out the day at a Pancake Breakfast at the ward - only here it's not the Scouts who do it, but the High Priests Quorum - and that makes a difference!! Not a bad difference, just a difference. We spent some time in the nursery - just to have a little oasis of calm!!

Theo doesn't look happy here, but he was - at least he enjoyed his breakfast!! That's what I get for not saying "Say cheese!"

Miss Ida loves her "piggy tails!"

I spent the weekend in DC with Hannah and Robbie, and when we got back to Matt and Eliza's, we got to visit with Hester and Moses via Skype. It was great to "see" Hester and Moses - isn't technology great??

Saturday night at Hannah and Robbies, we were all kind of engaged in her own little worlds. Hannah was making a quilt, and I was crocheting an afghan.

Robbie was enjoying their new camera!! We will be looking for some awesome posts on their blog!! At least awesome photos!!

I left on Friday afternoon and took the metro to DC. Hannah met me, and we walked to their place. Robbie grilled hot dogs - yum - and then we went to the show and saw Midnight in Paris - it was good - at least I enjoyed it - maybe you had to be my age!! Hannah liked it too - I think Robbie reserved his judgment!! After we went to the new gelato place - another yum!!

Saturday found us roaming around Eastern Market - fast becoming a fave destination of mine - waiting for the new French restaurant to open at 10:30. We hit the flea market - ah, the linens!! And the used book store - something you have to see for yourself!! Also tried out the chi-chi baby clothing store, but didn't even find anything we couldn't afford to buy!!

Brunch was great - I had Eggs Benedict with spinach and panchetta - with Creme Brulee for dessert - more yums!! Robbie then had some "chores" so Hannah and I prowled around the market some more and also checked out the local yarn store. I just love walking around the DC neighborhoods - they are so "historical!!"

Saturday night, Robbie and I sort of watched Guarding Tess on streaming on NetFlix. It was a slow film - a clever premise, but even Nicolas Cage and Shirley MacLaine couldn't give it a spark. Hannah just plugged away with her quilt - and got it done!!

Sunday we went to church, and then to a baptism after. Both of the Cub Scouts they have worked with all year got baptized - one on Thursday night and the other boy on Sunday. It was a special time - I was glad to be there to be part of it. After that we headed back for dinner with Eliza and family.

Friday before I left, I took Theo and Ida to Home Depot, where we bought some paint brushes - so they could "paint" the fence with water. It's a fun thing to do, and they caught on to the fun quickly. Matt suggested we give them polyeurethene!!

In the afternoon today, we attended a 4th of July BBQ in McLean. I am loving the Virginia countryside - I will miss the green, foresty feel of things.

But I won't miss the bugs!

To end the evening, we put the kids to bed and enjoyed Rocky Road ice cream and Dave. I'd never seen it - it was funny and entertaining.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's adventures!!