More pictures from NY. This picture of Ethan and Jared is one of my favorites!
Brandon was doing very well kayaking by the end of the day. Uncle Mark did a lot of work taking the kayak in and out of the water as Brandon got tired, or wanted to go again.
Kaytie and her brothers were chasing this little green frog (yes she is holding it). It jumped out a few time, only to be pursued by 3 very silly children. It was great getting to see them in the outdoors experiencing nature.
While we were visiting Uncle Patrick, Ethan decided to show Brandon who is boss. Watch out for the left hook!
WED : to savannah for delightful visit with old friends, 1.5 days,
Friday: to Stafford Va, for delightful visit with family, thanks April and Fred.
Sat: Fabulous family reunion, with football, waterguns, babies, horseshoes, food,pictures and MOM with ALL OF HER CHILDREN THERE! Couldn't be better!
Sunday and Monday: Down to Williamsburg for 2 funfilled days at Busch Gardens and the water park(for the big kids)
Then Tuesday and Wed we go up to Annapolis MD: More wonderful family to spend time with. thanks Glenn and Sandy
return back to Savannah on Thursday July 3rd. "goodbye Nathan we will miss you! Do well in school and have fun."
In Savannah we get to have Daniel join us. We ride bikes and fish and go to a giant picnic and watch fireworks and visit with Becca and her new babies.. we take a matching photo of Daniel and Becca on the couch.. It matches a photo taken of them when they were 4 &5. How fun!
For all of the controversy surrounding construction of the Nationals Stadium, the cost over-runs, tax-payer dollars, etc, the architects and builders got it right. It feels like a ballpark. The sight lines from any seat in the upper deck (gotta sit in the cheap seats) are incredible. Looking across the Anacostia River (I wouldn't want to swim in it), over to the Capitol Building or Washington Monument, there is something to see from every seat.
Canyon de Chelly is a severely under appreciated site in northeastern Arizona. The colors on the canyon wells look like they were painted. Friends of ours who have lived in Arizona their entire lives either hadn't heard of it or hadn't been. I think it is the second best thing to see in Arizona besides the Grand Canyon.
As you can see in the first picture, each of our kids are standing in a different state. It's pretty convenient that we have four kids. I can tell you now that it was all part of our great plan. Laura and I discussed early on how many kids we wanted to have. After little debate, we agreed that we should have four kids in order to have the ability to put one kid in each state when we visited the Four Corners National Monument. If you believe that. . .
We camped at Canyon de Chelly, a beautiful part of the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona. Having pitched our tent in the early afternoon, we explored the north rim of the canyon (pictures to follow at some point). We continued to cover the one hundred miles to stand in four states at one time. The excitement was building as we got closer. Imagine our great disappointment when we found that it was closed! Barbed wire fences and a gate prevented us from reaching the only place in the US where you can stand in four states at one time. My first thought as a responsible father was to hop the fence. I didn't want to drive 200 miles for nothing. After much debate, we decided to be good examples and not hop the fence. Sometimes it tough being a law-abiding citizen.
We toured the south rim of Canyon de Chelly the next morning, then took the very same journey northward to Four Corners. These pictures were obtained legally after we paid our entrance fee of $3/person. We were fortunate to get there fifteen minutes before two busloads of high school students rolled in. By then, we had taken pictures, jogged around the monument several times (just to say that we jogged all the way from New Mexico, through Colorado, Utah and finished our long journey in Arizona. We were then able to sit comfortably at a picnic table, dining on Navajo tacos and fry bread, a healthy and delicious snack. Who says lard isn't a food group?
I took a pair of green velvet pants that my mom made back in the 80s and used them to make a bag to hold Scrabble letters. I felt very crafty Saturday afternoon. It even has a drawstring that works! I also made it without a pattern. I am my mother's daughter.
This is Amanda being awesome. This t-shirt kicks butt. Not only does it say something super rad, but it's soft, well-made and fits perfect. So, tomorrow, instead is doing stuff, I think I'll just be awesome. I guess that means I have to be awesome while at work. Deal.
