My Faith and Joy… and Boys!

Some 4th of July celebrations are sunny and festive; this 4th of July was rainy and memorable!  We took the boat out in the rain (because why would you let a little precipitation, cold temperatures and strong wind deter you from a day on the water?) and in the process of trying to keep the boat under the shelter of a bridge, accidentally wedged a tow rope between the bridge beams.  The guys spent the better part of an hour trying various acrobatics and rope tricks to dislodge the rope, and were finally victorious.  We proceeded to have a wonderful (if wet) rest of the day on the lake, and returned home to a fun BBQ.  We even set off a few tiny fireworks in the driveway, which delighted the kids to no end.  It was a great holiday after all!

Uriah getting hoisted into the air via an impromptu pulley system:

Phil using a flip flop as a weight to encourage the rope back over the steel beam:

The girls were unimpressed by all the sophisticated rope wrangling taking place above them!

Jimmy offered to keep everyone warm with the heater hose:

Danny was my intrepid driving assistant:

Alli gave an encore performance of her gravity-defying piggyback surf ride, thanks to Uriah’s strength and balance:

Everyone was very eager to warm up in the hot tub when we got back home!

Ready for fireworks:

Happy Fourth of July!

I had the great opportunity to spend an entire day in New York City, thanks to the babysitting of my mother-in-law and the enthusiasm of my niece Alli and our friend Maria.  The three of us explored the shops on 5th avenue, the wonder of materialism that is Bloomingdale’s (including the best frozen yogurt I’ve tasted at Forty Carrots), and the magic of seeing Cinderella on Broadway.  It was a wonderful getaway for us all.  I hope to do it again next year!

Here we are using our Google Maps-dependent navigation skills:

We even braved the subway (albeit with a wrong turn or two!):

Oohing and ahhing over the American Girl store that I’m sure I’ll be visiting again in the near future with my girls in tow:

Maria teaching Alli and I all about the fashion world (red soled shoes = way too expensive!):

At the theatre before the show:

The lovely ladies in Times Square:

Photo courtesy of Alli (these girls make the best travel partners!):

This year was definitely the best yet at the beach for the kids.  Susie was a wave-riding pro thanks to her Bubba’s seasoned expertise, Becky reveled in becoming a sand-covered mermaid, Jimmy loved digging holes and filling holes and splashing in water-filled holes, and Danny – well, Danny loved EVERYTHING about the beach.  It didn’t matter how many times those waves knocked him over, he got up happy and ran in for more.  And even Jim and I, who aren’t really beach people, enjoyed the beautiful weather and seeing our kids frolic outside with family.  It was great!