CAMP GRANDMA

The kids really look forward to going to "Grandmaland" to see family. A summer highlight is going camping together. They love swimming, fishing, making s'mores, and sleeping in the tent with their cousins. This year, there was even a local 4-H fair to enjoy. Yeah, Camp Grandma!

Eight is Great!

Haley has always said she would like to have a sleep-over party for her 8th birthday, and that she did! She invited some close friends and planned lots of fun "spa" activities. Her favorite, by far, was making soap. The dinner menu featured her favorite foods: ribeye steak, "mayonaise noodles" and even artichoke. The girls had so much fun crashing out in the toy room. Happy Birthday, my not-so-little girl!

The Outer Banks

The kids loved the Atlantic! Bigger waves than the Gulf and warmer water than the Pacific. Haley caught some waves on her boogie board that carried her into shore, all the while she was laughing her head off! Jenna's getting so grown up, she loved the adventure of the waves, too! What a great few days we had at the beach. The Outer Banks are beautiful...we drove quite a bit south and the dunes, vegetation, and beach views were something else. Not to mention the lighthouses. We all learned a bit about the Wright Brothers...Kitty Hawk offered good winds for take-offs and soft sand for crashes. :) We were on dunes so big, you would think you were in the middle of a desert, not along the seashore. Yet another place to consider when we are ready to buy our own beach house!

Colonial Williamsburg

What a great day! The girls were so cute in their colonial costumes...Jenna's bonnet was adorable, and of course Haley needed to wear a boy's hat with her dress. Outfitted as such, they were asked to do special errands around town: collecting a letter from the Post Office; delivering a message to the printer; and, best of all, planting turnips in the garden! We learned about many crafts, from basketweaving, to blacksmithing, to book-binding. Haley knows all she needs to know to make a gun...she asked the most questions at the gunsmith's shop! They even enjoyed colonial fare, corn chowder, stew, and salted ham and biscuits. The most fun was playing on the town green...the hoop and stick was their favorite!

Pickles, anyone?

Can you believe I used to babysit for these little girls? I'm talking about the women, not the kids! They are all grown up now with their own families. It was so great to see them again and to meet their husbands and beautiful children!