Ok - I got the camera to work. 2 posts in one day.

While Brad was away on business for two weeks in the desert, testing programming codes and being bombed at.......... I got to go see my family in Colorado. It was a blast! It was the first time we've been all together since my sister's wedding 4 years ago!





I've also started doing preschool with Brooklyn and Hunter. He grows so fast!!!
Just kidding- that's one of Brooklyn's friends- Quincy.



I'm so sorry Brooklyn- you got my stringy, wild hair.

Camera on the Fritz

So our camera lens won't open all the way. Until we can get it fixed, we are having fun sans camera. Thus we can't entertain you on the blog properly.

Here's a quick pictureless update none-the-less.

Celeste's vacation went well. She had tons of fun seeing her family again and especially having some solo girl time. You can check out more from her sister, mom, and dad. She had the first 4 performances of her play, and it's a great little show! She'll have so much fun this fall on tour. And she makes one alluring Evil Queen! I wouldn't mind getting trapped in her castle (wink, wink).

My trip to New Mexico went well. It was an intense week & 1/2 of testing, and we got a lot done. It was also a nice breather from the family. When I got home I realized how much I love them all and how beautiful and precious they are to me.

It's been a super Labor Day weekend, full of barbecues, food, and friends, but most of all, time alone at the house goofing off with the family. There's nothing better!

A Mryiad of Faces by Hunter and a little dancin by the girls

Transition

So we've had a rough couple of weeks. Things have been absolutely crazy. We finally finished painting the house and otherwise getting it all prepared for our move-in. We got our stuff all moved in and unpacked. And we also played host to my Dad and my sister and her 2 kids. It's been about a week since we officially moved in, and we feel that things are finally settling in a little. Life is still very hectic since Brooklyn and Hallee (my niece) spend every day together. They're both 2 years old, and can't be separated. They also can't get along! Well, it's not that bad, but they do have their moments. Even with 2 mommies at home, they're still a handful.

Amongst all this craziness, we have been having fun too. And altough summer is almost over, to me it feels like it has just begun. August and September are our months to take some time off and relax. So we're looking forward to that.

Enjoy the pics.

Leave of Absence

Do you feel overwhelmed?

We sure do. Where have we been? Well, I'll tell you. We closed on a house Friday 17th, and sealed our fate. We are proud new first-time homebuyers with a fabulous new (and expensive) hobby. And boy have we been hitting it hard!

Our main dilemma has been getting rid of the smoke smell. We busied ourselves on the 18th with washing down all the ceilings and walls on the main floor and painting the two kids' rooms. Then we learned about Kilz, and spent the next 4 days putting 2 coats of Kilz on the entire main floor, as well as priming and painting the master bedroom. Oh, and by the way, we chose a Spring Green for the master bedroom that turned out Neon, so we repainted that room twice! Friday and Saturday we put the finishing touches on the upstairs paint and ripped up all the carpet. We also finished painting the main floor in 3 colors we really like. We replaced the air filter and installed some new lights. All we have left to do is finish off the trim and touch-ups and a closet and the upstairs bathroom, let's not even talk about the basement, and something else......Oh Yeah! MOVE IN!

So we're in the thick of it. But we are genuinely excited to get into our new house and enjoy the fruits of our labors.

July 4th

We went to Annapolis to get into the spirit of the 4th. The Naval Academy was really impressive. Walking into the gift shop, I wanted to start watching Navy football. Touring the grounds, I wished I had studied in Annapolis. I also learned that more graduates of the Naval Academy have become astronauts than anywhere else.
Not only did the Academy impress, but the city was quite charming. I imagined Annapolis would have been a bustling metropolis. It's not. It's more like a sleepy beach-town. We had some delicious lunch at a Creperie.
We also visited William Paca's House. He had some beautiful gardens.

On the 4th, we went to a Mormon gathering at a farm. They had lots of food and had some interesting guests, like the Congressman for the area, Mission President, and some notable war veterans. That night we watched fireworks from the balcony, after putting the kids to bed. It was a fun weekend.

Heroscapin' it

Got some locals to try out the time-warp. We had fun. They're already beggin' for more.

Hershey Park

Summer Days