July, in summary.

I am almost afraid to post, it has been so long! I think that if anyone is left reading this blog, it's a miracle! Anyway, since I have been absent most of July, I will try to catch you up. Beware! Lots of pictures ahead!

Ok, so to start off the month we went to Ed's parents' summer place in NJ to celebrate the 4th, as well as their retirement. We went to a parade the morning of the 4th, and then to a little town celebration where the kids ran a couple of foot races and participated in a peanut scramble. Later that evening we all went out to the Lobster Shanty to celebrate the retirement, and then finished off the night with fireworks on the river.

The next weekend we spent with our friends Bob and Aimee, and their daughter (who is one of E's best friends) down at their Brigantine condo. The weather was absolutely gorgeous all weekend, and the beach is my favorite that I have ever been on. You get to it by walking through the dunes, and it is flat and uncrowded. There are even tidal pools that form up on the beach (so it goes sand/ pools/ sand/ surf) that were perfect for K to play in, although she loved the waves too. The kids really enjoyed playing in the tidal pools as the tide came in, because they formed a little stream along the beach with a current that was perfect for riding boogie boards on. It was the best weekend of the summer thus far.

The next wednesday, the 16th, we left for our yearly vacation in NH where my family has a cabin on an island on Lake Wentworth. Although we had some nice weather, the majority of the week was rainy/ cloudy. On Thursday the weather hit the peak when there was a hurricane that came through the area with a tornado that touched down on the shore of the lake. Thank the Lord that he protected us!! Despite the rain, we had fun with my sisters Cara and Sandy and Sandy's 3 year old son Elijah. The kids liked playing together, and went in the water at every break in the rain. When we asked the kids before bed each night what their favorite part of the day was, N always said, "Playing with Elijah". After the kids went to bed at night we played games and talked, enjoying each others' company without the noise of children in the background. Finally on Friday, the day before we left, we had a perfect sunny day in which we took full advantage- swimming all day, and kayaking around the lake. It was unfortunate that we had to leave the next day, another perfect day, but we were ready to go home to running water, indoor plumbing, and showers!

We actually added an extra stop on the way home, spending Saturday night in Connecticut where Ed's brother Bill, and his wife Becky were having a party for their daughter Aubrey who just turned one. It was nice to break up the trip home, and visit with Bill and Becky, as well as join in on the celebration.

Sunday we returned home, and since then I have done 10 loads of laundry! We are getting back into the routine of being home. The kids were excited to play with their toys, and I greeted my dishwasher with a big long hug. Well, not really, but I was glad to see it again! Vacation is fun, but sometimes the best part is coming home.