: rayford's crossing :

Moving on...

2010-08-06T22:10:00.010-04:00

Rayford's Crossing is moving on to Wordpress.

www.rayfordscrossing.wordpress.com/

Goodbye Blogger

Recipe Blog

2010-07-23T09:51:00.007-04:00

Good Earth Garden Market Recipes

Here's my latest endeavor. Click on the link above.

I can't believe I get paid to do this.

I love my job!

July 4th

2010-07-05T15:44:00.002-04:00

Good times with great friends....

Happy Birthday, America!

14 K - Solid Gold

2010-06-10T20:33:00.010-04:00

We got to see baseball history in the making Tuesday night when we saw Stephen Strasburg

take the mound. And as it has been said over and over again, he did not disappoint! Fourteen

strikeouts - a new record for the Nationals. It was definitely a

night we will never forget.

Photo credit for most of these pictures: Christoph

Girls' Day in Georgetown

2010-05-06T19:40:00.012-04:00

In keeping with tradition, the D.C. girls and the Philly girls hung out for the

day together; Elise, Ange, Casey, Sarah, Meg, Traci, Reenie and me!

This time we hit Georgetown - Clyde's, Dean and Deluca,

Anthropologie, Georgetown Cupcake, Mie N Yu.

Where to next time, ladies??

Tommy's corner of the mountain

2010-04-14T17:36:00.034-04:00

I am not an art collector. However, there are three original pieces I own - all

by Tommy Mullany. Tom, Maureen Hartnett's brother, is an amazing artist who currently

lives with his wife Kerrie

and sons, Will and Sam in the beautiful mountains of Rappahannock County,

Virginia. The farmhouse is almost literally carved into the side of a mountain.

I joined Kevin and Maureen on Saturday and drove down to Washington,

Virginia to see Tom's most recent Art Show at R. H. Ballard Art, Rug & Home.

Tommy is one of my favorite artists. His blend of realism and humor/satire

is so very appealing to me and I am privileged to own three pieces of his work.

The following are shots I took

on Tom and Kerrie's property. Tom's artwork is everywhere.

In the house, in the yard, on the porch.

So cool! And - the goats! Oh my!

This log below is what was left after Tom cut it up to create.....

...this amazing Indian Head! This is a reproduction of a piece he did years ago that got

destroyed in a fire. Tom carved this from a cherry tree in his yard. It stands

over 3 feet tall. It is gorgeous in person. The wood is a soft, smooth, rich cherry wood

and it's just stunning!

What follows are pieces Tom's created over the years that now "live" on his

front porch. Below is "Angel with an Uzi" in two different sizes.

This is a real skull, not one of Tom's creations.

Medusa:

Tommy's Art Show was at R. H. Ballard in Washington, Virginia, an absolutely

wonderful shop filled with beautiful French linens and various goodies

from Europe. You MUST go there!

After the show, Kevin and Maureen and I wandered around the town

and visited the Inn at Little Washington.

Yes, I think we might have to retire in Rappahannock County.

It's simply too beautiful.

Scenes from the Blizzard of 2010

2010-02-11T21:08:00.006-05:00

The Story of a Mural: Evelyn's Room - Before and After

2010-01-27T20:58:00.013-05:00

Meet Rebecca Hollandsworth, a very talented young artist that I am so excited to introduce to those of you who may not know her. I commissioned her to paint a mural in Evelyn's room after we saw the beautiful work she'd done in Ev's friend Bridgett's room. It just so happens that Bridgett is Becca's little sister. Becca came over one cold Saturday in early January to show us some sketches she'd come up with. We'd decided on a Chronicles of Narnia theme.

And the rest is history.....

Before:

During:

And after.....

Remember this name. And grab her while she's still available.
She will be famous soon. I'm convinced of it.

Maggie and Paisley, a.k.a. Mutt and Jeff

2010-01-12T09:42:00.004-05:00

My friend Adriene brought her dog Paisley over for a visit yesterday. The two of us, who SWORE we would NEVER have dogs, had a playdate with our pups. Amazing. They ran around the house for several hours and got completely exhausted.

We even brought them with us for a carpool run.

Never say never. :)

Christmastime in Williamsburg

2009-12-22T09:40:00.024-05:00

The third annual Mays/Ricucci Christmastime Weekend in Williamsburg was just wonderful! We escaped D.C. just before the history making snowstorm of '09. We had just enough snow in Virginia to make everything lovely.

Friday night we had the amazing seafood buffet at the Williamsburg Lodge. Since there were 14 of us we had our own private dining room. The snow had just begun to fall.

Saturday was spent walking/shopping/eating/enjoying.....

Lunch at the Cheese Shop.

Gary teaching my girls about the finer things in life. Does vinegar that costs $199.00 really taste that good?!

"I'm kinda tired. I'm just gonna go sit under the knives."

Visiting with Father Christmas at Aromas.

Saturday night we had dinner in the Purdie Kitchen at King's Arms Tavern. Once again we had our own private dining room. This room has no electricity, just candlelight and a roaring fire.

The Williamsburg Inn.

Sunday morning at Cracker Barrel before heading back home.

Evelyn adores JJ and Keara. I think the feeling is mutual. :)

I love our growing family! Merry Christmas!

Whatta weekend!

2009-11-30T10:49:00.015-05:00

Thanksgiving weekend was full and rich and great fun here at the Mays house. We had 17 for turkey dinner on Thursday and Dave and Eloise Keeler were able to join us! Can't wait until they're here in Maryland permanently.

Martin also joined us and kept everyone entertained. :)

Dan and Garrett caught in a post-turkey slumber.

The day after Thanksgiving we always get our Christmas tree. We picked out a gorgeous 10 foot beauty from, of course, Good Earth Market.

And as a reward for everyone's hard work - Alaskan King crab legs!

Saturday Christoph and Evelyn worked on her Medieval Castle model for most of the day. It's amazing!

While they built the castle, I was having great fun decorating wreaths and listening to Christmas music at work. How cool is it that I get to do what I love to do and get paid for it?! All while wearing bluejeans and a sweatshirt!

(Woot!)

Sunday we continued our 12 year tradition and went to Cracker Barrel for lunch with the Hartnett's. We look forward to this time together all yearlong.

And finally Sunday night we attended the Cross Country Team's Award Dessert at the Ferry's.

So very grateful for a wonderful, long holiday weekend. We are rich in friends indeed!

Old Town Alexandria with the Girls

2009-11-07T20:45:00.010-05:00

I went to Old Town Alexandria with Elise, Ange, and Casey today on this picture perfect fall Saturday. We had a great time walking up and down King Street and making fun memories at the Farmer's Market, Paper Source, super cool home stores, Bittersweet, antique stores, Christmas Alley, Sugar Cube, the waterfront, the Visitors Center - twice - or was it three times? And sometime ask Ange about the Buddhist monks in bright orange at the GAP.

There's a whole lotta dogs in Alexandria.

Josh and Kel, this picture is for you....

And I only included this picture for my son-in-law because I love him.
Congratulations on #27 G.

Shout out to sicko Meg whom we missed terribly. We will do this again in the spring WITH you. Get better!

I had a lovely relaxing day with you girlies. Thanks for including me.
Love you 3 so much!

Washington National Cathedral

2009-10-19T10:05:00.009-04:00

I went with Evelyn's 5th grade class on a field trip to the Washington National Cathedral last week. It was a cold rainy day, but we had such a great time. Miss Rohr is an amazing teacher and I am thrilled that Evelyn is in her class this year.

The kids in this class are wonderful! (Can you spot the cute teacher amidst the students?)

A Girl's Best Friend

2009-10-15T19:34:00.002-04:00

@ the Cook's

2009-10-04T21:46:00.004-04:00

Pat and Heather had us over to their beautiful home Friday night for a relaxing evening by the fire - and that it was. We could faintly hear the sound of raindrops while we sat out on the back porch.

May I come to your house every Friday night, please??

Thank you for a lovely evening!

Good Earth Market

2009-09-13T19:53:00.008-04:00

I've recently begun working at the Good Earth Market in Olney and am loving every minute of it! Good Earth, located at the corner of Rte 108 and Georgia Ave, just celebrated their 30th year in Olney. I've been able to combine my love of photography with my new job by setting up Good Earth on both Facebook and Twitter. You can follow us if you'd like! The website is here at Good Earth. Stop by and visit me!

From Evelyn:

2009-08-31T19:59:00.003-04:00

Worthy 09 Youth Retreat

2009-08-23T19:00:00.006-04:00

Last week Christoph, Janelle, Elise, Garrett, and I were able to attend the CLC Youth Retreat Worthy 09. It was an amazing time together! Here are a few of the photos from the retreat. Click on the links below:

Worthy 09 - The Cut

Worthy 09 - The Water

Worthy 09 - The Relay, The Flour, and The Mud

Worthy 09 - Youth Retreat

2009-08-21T21:06:00.001-04:00

Wow! I really did it!

(photo credit: Keith Furman)

Our new housemate!

2009-08-15T20:25:00.021-04:00

Meet my dad, Norman Bridge Keller, Jr. As of next week, he'll be living in our home taking residence in Elise's old bedroom. Wow. Three generations in one household; a dream my father has had for probably most of his life. As you can clearly see from the title of this blog, Rayford's Crossing is a "Photo Journal" and that it has been; not a place for me to "wax poetic" about anything that comes to mind. Why would anyone be interested in that? Well, when it comes to my dad, I take exception. This may be one of the only areas I choose to expound with my words.

My dad was 41 years old when I was born in Danville, New Jersey in 1963. The youngest of 4 girls, I was the "surprise." God bless him, his maturity was my fortune as his patience won out time and time again throughout my childhood. His care to take time to explain the details of anything and everything to me was endless. His gifting as an engineer paved the way for a lifetime of explanations that satisfied my unending curiosity. For example, my absolutely paralyzing fear of thunderstorms was driven away by his detailed explanation of what a thunderstorm actually is. He pulled out the encyclopedia and walked me through the process from beginning to end. Once the mystery was solved, the fear was gone. He gently guided me through the painful years of 4th and 5th grade when I was mercilessly teased by boys by simply telling me, "Boys will be boys." Enough said. He was once a boy. He understands them. He loves me. That's all I needed to know.

In 1972, his engineering company "temporarily" moved us from Los Angeles, California to Silver Spring, Maryland to work on the METRO subway system. "We'll be moving to 'Mary Land' for maybe one or two years. Won't that be fun?"

Thirty-seven years later, I am still here. I (we) never moved back West, although my sisters did. Somehow the East Coast suited me better. I need the change of seasons. Endless desert sunshine just isn't for me. And after all, it was here I met my husband, and my future!

Perhaps the most influential chapter in my father's life for me were the years following my mother's massive stroke in 1991 which left her completely paralyzed on the left side of her body. For nine and a half years Dad cared for her with the attention to detail that no hospital or nursing home could ever have even attempted to give. In the midst of this trial, he kept the mood of their home light-hearted and cheerful. She was bound to a wheelchair for all of those years, but he didn't allow that to hinder his playful repartee. He would often loudly serenade her by singing "Some Enchanted Evening" while he brought her downstairs on the stairlift. She would blush and turn her head aside every single time. What a memory that is for me.

Several months ago he and I met to share a lunch at a Greek restaurant close-by. He told me then that he didn't want to live alone anymore and that he'd "like to move into my house."
Oh? OK.

And so he we are. We've come full circle. We'll make precious memories with the grandchildren that will last a lifetime. By his own admission, my dad's memory is not so good. We'll repeat ourselves over and over again and so will he. And we'll all be the better for it because we're family and we're together under one roof.

OK, perhaps we'll all need to be reminded of that once or twice in the days to come. :) But I look forward to it. I don't know that my rendition of "Some Enchanted Evening" will be nearly as polished as his though.....

(You can read more about how my mom and dad met here.)

Myrtle Beach with friends

2009-08-10T23:06:00.018-04:00

We went to Myrtle Beach last week and took along some very special friends. The Minard family and Noelle Royer came with us and we had an absolutely wonderful vacation. Gorgeous weather, great food, fun, and lots of memories.

Janelle, Evelyn, Jojo, and Noelle climbed the rock wall at Broadway at the Beach (actually Evelyn wanted to do it first and the older girls decided to follow her!)

Fun times!! :)

Quite unexpectedly we had the opportunity to have dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse with Tom and Julie one evening. That was a pleasant surprise.

Neither Jojo nor Noelle had ever eaten crabs before. I still find that hard to believe. If you're gonna spend any time on vacation with our family, you're gonna eat crabs.

These three have been good buddies since they were little girls. It was a sweet vacation having them with us.

Friends, we loved having you join us. Let's do it again!!

National Anthem at the Frederick Keys Game

2009-07-26T20:04:00.017-04:00

The Covenant Life School Music Academy String Ensemble performed at the Frederick Keys baseball game Saturday night. Although there was a slight rain delay, they played beautifully!

Listen for yourself!

"This is better than Christmas!" - Andree Kless

2009-07-20T07:23:00.011-04:00

The Second Annual Mays/Kless Crabgate was even better this year. In attendance: Christoph, Jean, Dre, Becca, Rachel, Lauren, Garrett, Elise, Janelle, and Evelyn. We got our bushel of crabs from the waterfront and drove over to Nationals Park at 3:45 Saturday afternoon only to find out that Lot J didn't open until 5:00.

However, we have special connections and were not only let in to the locked lot, but also locked back in! Let the crab-feast begin. Of course Janelle's blue tape made many appearances.

(Who can take time to read signs when you're cracking open crabs?!)

God bless the Nats parking attendants. They are simply the best!!

Nell and Dre are stuffed, but of course Elise is still eating....

and eating.....

....and eating! Where does she put it all?

Can't WAIT until next year!

(Many thanks to my dear son-in-law for taking a lot of these pictures.)

Fun with sparklers

2009-07-05T19:14:00.003-04:00

And an "E" for Evelyn!

Through the eyes of a 9 year old

2009-07-03T22:18:00.007-04:00

Every once in a while Evelyn asks, "Mom, can I use your camera?" And this is the result. Talented little girl.

Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Ricucci

2009-06-01T08:57:00.004-04:00

The wedding was glorious! We couldn't be happier.

Kristen Leigh Wedding Photography captured it perfectly.

the almost Mrs.

2009-05-26T20:42:00.000-04:00

Setting up house....

Elise's beach weekend

2009-05-17T21:01:00.018-04:00

Off to the beach with twelve girls: one extremely fun weekend. Elise's bachelorette weekend in Ocean City was incredibly fun, relaxing, refreshing, and hilarious. Being the matron of honor, I was fortunate enough to be with all of these amazing young ladies, all of whom I consider my own girlies. Most of them I have known almost all of their lives. We started off with crabs at Hooper's Friday night and went back to the condo for gifts, dancing, movies, laughter and tiny bit of sleep. Saturday was spent sleeping in and hanging out at the beach.

One of my favorite points of the weekend was giving the girls their t-shirts. Several months ago I hired David Somerville to design these shirts as a memento of the weekend. What an amazing artist he is! Thank you, David!!

Nelly, Court, Kel, Em, Als, Els, La, Cwithtina, Lala, Ash, Case, Mum.

Courtney - super multi-tasker that she is. Nap and fun all at once.

What a SUPER time we had! Thank you girls for being such wonderful friends to Elise. I love you all so much.

"AJ" :)

Our pup....

2009-05-10T20:54:00.003-04:00

....needs Obedience School.

But we love her anyway.

Her fourth instrument

2009-04-29T10:17:00.004-04:00

Evelyn has begun learning her fourth instrument; the electric bass. Chris Perdue, her current cello teacher, has a way of making music fascinating to her. In addition to cello, he's now teaching her to play the bass using his extra instrument.

Chris, thanks for passing on your love of music to Evelyn. And thanks for letting her borrow your bass. I think. :)

Invitations

2009-04-16T23:03:00.002-04:00

Road trip!

2009-03-23T12:10:00.020-04:00

Road trip ~ destination: Greensboro, North Carolina to watch the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA East Regional playoffs. Let the Madness begin! Dre, Becca, Garrett, Elise, Christoph, and I drove down at 5:30 am Thursday and had a blast. Nothing but basketball, food, and relaxing for four days. Sweet!

After each session which is two games back to back, they empty the coliseum for 2 hours before the next session begins. We dashed back to our car through the rain and sat it out in the van. There's no getting back into that parking lot once you leave! Once the sun came back out, Dre was looking for a rainbow. But the way his words come out of his mouth are to say the least unusual. Needless to say, he kept us laughing the entire weekend. It was just one of those "had to be there" kinda trips.

Got a picture of the rainbow on his iPhone.

Friday there were no games so we just kicked back all day. How fun to sleep in, eat, relax, eat, play a game, eat, check emails, eat, make a run to Sheets.....

We walked a mile up the road to lunch. Dre ordered the "Number 2 Special." Ask him about it.

Settlers of Catan. Ok, this game makes you think way too hard to be called fun in my opinion. I hung in there long enough to understand the rules then baled and let Garrett take my place.

Becca always updating Facebook. :)

Back for more games Saturday. Apparently Garrett fulfilled one of his life goals; to see UNC play in person ~ twice!

Can you spot the famous photographer in the picture below?

Crazy "Dook" fans.

More ridiculous "Dook" fans.

I think Dre was done with basketball by the end of the weekend. Or maybe he just loves Doc. Personally I could have watched another 6 games. (And I do love Doc!)

Dre, Becs, Lise, and G we had a fantastic time being with you all! Thanks for making memories with us.

Maple sugaring time

2009-03-05T22:17:00.010-05:00

I got to go to the Dustin's this morning and watch them begin cooking the sap from the 40 or so Silver Maple trees on their property. Liz's parents, Bob and Jean, are here from Minnesota for a few months and have been tapping the trees for the past several weeks.

Bob built the fire pit and will keep the fire burning until all the sap is cooked down.

It takes about 10 gallons of sap to produce one quart of syrup. Apparently it's almost double for Silver Maples!

Bob and Jean both cut most of this wood by hand. Hardy folks. :)

It's quite an operation. Liz, thanks for letting Evelyn and I come over. Can't wait to have a taste. :)

Hoodwinked

2009-03-02T19:55:00.005-05:00

A rare snowy evening when we were all together for dinner. Typically that means laughter, craziness, chaos, etc.

You know what they say, "The family who wears hoodies together, ummm.......looses their sanity together."

JJ!

2009-02-28T17:14:00.002-05:00

Take a look at 3 video clips of Janice in "Dear Edwina."

"smrvl the amazing!" (my new fav superhero)

2009-02-25T14:17:00.004-05:00

Evelyn recently asked Casey if David would draw her a picture of Maggie. Just a simple little request from a little girl. So "smrvl the amazing!" created this......

Now you can even get your very own Maggie puppy T-shirt here.

And you wonder why he's my new fav superhero.

The boys and the pup

2009-01-27T19:48:00.004-05:00

Thanksgiving - November 27, 2008

January 24, 2009.
What a difference two months makes!!

(I still can't believe I have a dog.....)

On the ice with your bff

2009-01-23T13:46:00.003-05:00

Just a Thursday morning when the rink is virtually empty.

questions

2009-01-10T21:52:00.005-05:00

How will I know?

How will I know when labor has started? How will I know when she needs to be fed? How will I know when she's ready to take the training wheels off? How will I know how to teach her that she needs a Savior? How will I know if she's old enough to see that movie? How will I know that it's not just a "crush"? How will I know that he's the right man for her? How will I know it's the perfect dress?

How will I know?

How will I know how to let her go?

God. Only Him. What a humbling thing to see your children walk in the goodness of God. That's how I know. Because of Him.

"I have no greater joy than to know that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4

Dear Edwina

2009-01-02T15:07:00.023-05:00

Last weekend the girls and I went up to New York with the Glab ladies to see Janice in "Dear Edwina" and had a blast! The show was adorable and Janice did an outstanding job. We stayed in a beautiful hotel in the financial district one block from Ground Zero. Here's a view of Lady Liberty from our room.

We had a quick lunch at Georges Deli, walked around Trinity Church, and then grabbed two cabs north to Greenwich Village. (We got pretty good at hailing two cabs at a time, there being 9 of us.)

After the show we walked (30 blocks!!) to Little Italy for a wonderful dinner. Don made reservations for us at La Mela - thanks Don.

The star signing autographs.

We spent Monday just walking around Manhattan shopping at Puma, Quicksilver, American Girl, Build-A-Bear Workshop, M & M Store, Rockefeller Center, and had lunch at Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square.

The show may get extended into the spring so be sure to catch it. It's terrific. We had a great time making memories with you, Glab ladies! Thanks for driving, Kimmers. :)

Parenting 101

2008-12-27T12:24:00.010-05:00

We had a wonderful time in Williamsburg last weekend with the Ricucci family. What a FUN memory! I got a chance to watch Josh and Kelley up close as they cared for their children. They are such good parents and very intentional in the way they train their little kiddos.

Evan bought this little doll stroller for Keara while we were there. (I think that earned him "favorite uncle" status with her. She loved it!) At one point she started heading toward the street with it while Josh kept calling her to come back. Eventually she was intercepted by someone.

Josh firmly but lovingly made sure she knew how important it was to listen to Daddy. (Kel, remember to pull this picture out and show it to her when she's 15.)

OK, back to safety....

Neither Josh or Kelley got to sit through an entire meal uninterrupted.

Typical of Josh - not only caring for his own kids but mine, too!

These are the exhausting years when they're so young. I was freshly reminded how much work it is and I never had two under two. Josh and Kelley, keep up the good work! Remember Galatians 6:9, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

When friends fall in love

2008-12-21T20:16:00.006-05:00

Once there was a little girl named Elise who went to Michael's bowling birthday party. Garrett was there, too.

Elise ignored Garrett. She played with Lydia.

As they grew older, Garrett and Elise stopped ignoring each other, even though they tried.

One day Garrett asked Elise to be his wife.

And she said she would.

And now Elise loves him. And he loves her.

The End.

He asked and she said yes...

2008-12-21T08:23:00.002-05:00

Garrett popped the question to Elise.

You can see the amazing pictures Kristen took here on her blog.

The Feast, the Concert, and the Maka's

2008-12-15T11:19:00.018-05:00

Evelyn was able to join Miss Rohr's 5th grade class for the Medieval Feast this year. Sara was short one girl student and asked if Ev would like to participate. She practiced dancing and singing with the class for the past 6 weeks. It was a wonderful experience for her. Thank you, Miss Rohr!

Lord Schickler as a "Little Teapot."

The Dreaded Barbarian Leach.

The Dreaded Lord Somerville trying to pass himself off as a gift to the King and Queen....

The Tall Lord Buchanan - with strong feet.....

On Saturday, the Covenant Life String Ensemble performed a Christmas concert at the Mall. They sounded great and gathered a large crowd.

Sunday we joined the Maka's at Seneca Creek Park to see the Christmas lights. The kids all piled in the back of the truck, covered themselves with blankets, and sang carols while we drove through the park. Back at their house we ate ceral for dinner and made gingerbread houses. Great fun with great friends!

what are the chances?

2008-12-05T11:19:00.014-05:00

I've been tagged. I'm not a fan of these tag games. I'm too old for this, but since it was from Ange and she's so cute I can't bring myself to say no to her. She asked me to go to my sixth picture folder, pick the sixth picture, and post it. I have tens of thousands of photos so I decided to pick one from my new hard drive where I've recently begun storing them. Honest, this is the sixth picture in the sixth folder! What do I remember from that day? I remember a very funny car ride to Philly with the Riddlesbergers on a hot summer day. I remember getting to give Jer a hug and kiss before his wedding. I remember Jeremy's upper lip disappearing from smiling so hard when Ange walked down the aisle. I remember the view from my seat; that amazing scar on the back of Jer's head is such a picture of God's grace. I remember a handsome sweet young groomsman in the wedding party, of whom I am rather fond. I remember having a wonderful conversation with David and Andrea Sharp after not seeing them for years. I remember finally meeting Meg Hayes. And mostly I remember being so very happy that God brought these two kids together in marriage that day. To the folks in Philly, thanks for letting Ange go, hard as it was. We're taking care of her down here.

The handsome groomsman and his adorable date. (I'm including it because they're cute and I love them both and I'm the mom so I can. My seniority in this game allows me to ammend the rules.)

My friends, you have been tagged:

Kimmers, Kelley, Jess Aveni, Mrs. K., and Sarah Bearah

for the tree

2008-11-29T09:52:00.000-05:00

Our newest Christmas ornament.

maggie

2008-11-17T13:41:00.009-05:00

Miracles do happen. Evidence? There's a puppy in my house. In fact she's asleep on my lap as I type. For many years Janelle has asked for a dog being the animal lover that she is. She's owned numerous pets and has cared for them meticulously - and independently. She once kept a hermit crab alive for 3 years! Yet I knew that having a dog was very different than a rabbit or bird or hamster and to be honest, I just wasn't up for the task. Unbeknownst to Janelle, I had been praying for her to have a dog one day, but if I was going to say yes I knew it had to be God's doing, not mine. My heart began to soften this summer when Gary and Kathleen showed up at a soccer game with their new puppy, Gus. So we surprised Janelle for her birthday 3 weeks ago and told her she could have a dog. She sobbed - for an hour. Then she went up to her room and came down with money she'd saved for years in a small box under her bed. In another small box she'd written down prayers on little strips of paper folded up tight asking God to let her have a dog someday. Needless to say we were all in tears. The most tender part of it all for both Christoph and me was the way she had submitted to our decision and trusted us, but more importantly, God. What a joy it has been for us to see Him grant her the desires of her heart.

We drove up to the breeder's home in Pennsylvania yesterday to pick her up. She's a 7 week old Golden Doodle. Janelle has been in classes all day so Maggie settled in nicely on Evelyn's lap while she did school this morning.

Welcome home, Maggie

2008-11-16T20:51:00.002-05:00

Meet Maggie, Janelle's birthday gift. More pictures to come....

Off Broadway!

2008-11-01T08:47:00.004-04:00

My niece Janice (on left) got the lead role in an off Broadway musical production called Dear Edwina. If you're in New York city during the holidays, go see the show! Way to go, JJ! We hope to come up during Christmas break.

Bubba

2008-10-17T15:57:00.010-04:00

I got to have my favorite 3 year old over for the day yesterday. Jen thinks I was doing her a favor by watching him for her. Truth is I had a blast being with Caleb! Bubba is a delightful boy. He was such a trooper as I dragged him all over Upper Montgomery County driving carpools, running errands, going to doctor's appointments, cross country practice, a quick visit with Elise at the office, and more. We were actually home a couple of times during the day and of course I made time to stop at the toy store.

I told him I would take him to buy a toy. He said, "Mzzs. Maze I don't need any toys. I have toys at my house." Except that he changed his mind once he saw this Robot Hand claw thing that he called "tweezers." Those are mighty big tweezers, Bub.

Lessee how these tweezers work in Elmo's mouth.

He was a bit unsure of Spiderman at first.....

but eventually decided he was an OK dude.

So when we were actually home for a bit he wanted to watch a movie. "Mzzs. Maze? Can you watch dis movie with me cuz it's kinda scawey." Sure Bubba! "I need this pillow on my lap for the scawey part when da tiger comes."

When the movie got scarier, the pillow got thicker. :)

I think one of his favorite things to do at my house is play with skateboards. (Remember I don't have a lot of little kid toys anymore.) He talked about riding skateboards the whole time we were driving all over the place. "When we get back to your house can we ride skateboards and THEN watch a movie? Maybe we can watch a movie and THEN ride skateboards."

Bubba, you can come ride skateboards at my house any time you want. Please?

Tradition

2008-10-12T19:33:00.008-04:00

"Tradition: a long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting."

The fall begins a number of traditions in our family. (The Hartnett's understand.) If you are a parent, you know the importance that "tradition" holds in the lives of your kids. One of them is to take a drive through the country on a Sunday in October and ride across the Potomac River on White's Ferry and have lunch in Leesburg. I've captured it on film for the past 10 years. This time I got a few shots of Elise capturing it all on camera.

On the ferry, in the rear view mirror:

"Pray without ceasing..."

2008-10-08T10:18:00.005-04:00

Please keep praying for this sweet little girl. Sarah Brewer continues to require a significant amount of medical care and attention. She is a strong girl and holds up amazingly well under it all, but it takes a toll on her and on her parents. Dave and Jen are two of my heroes for the way they have trusted in God and cried out to their Savior for strength and grace to face each day. They live these verses:

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

Weekend in Philly

2008-10-01T15:48:00.016-04:00

We went to Philadelphia last weekend with Dre and Becca to see the final NATS game against the Phillies. Never mind that the NATS were out of contention long ago; we just wanted to take a road trip and the K's were up for the task. Dre's iPhone directed us north. Apparently mapquest is obsolete now. Who'd have known? (Just follow the purple line, Dre.)

We stayed at a hotel that was originally the Annex to City Hall built in 1926 now beautifully refurbished.

Based on a recommedation from a friend we had dinner at The Fork Restaurant. Really cool place. Amazing food. Fantastic company. :)

After dinner we walked around Philly together. Let me just say that these two have got to win the prize for "Most Endearing Couple." (Just made up that category and they win it hands down.) They are so warm, friendly, funny, godly, and they clearly are crazy about each other. What a joy it was to be with them!

For breakfast Sunday before the game we ate at the Down Home Diner at the Reading Terminal Market. This was one of Rachael Ray's picks on "$40 A Day."

Of course the Market, filled with meat markets, local produce stands, Amish goods, quirky used bookstores, etc was a great place for pictures. Have you ever bought mushrooms for $25 a pound? Or porcini for $48 a pound???! I think I've got that growing under my deck in the backyard!

Despite the fact that it POURED rain both driving to and from Philly, the rain stopped while we were at the ballpark. Fortunately for us the Phillies had clinched the division title the night before. The fans were not as eager to, uh, well, let's just say they didn't quite live up to their motto as the "City of Brotherly Love" to the NATS fans who'd attended the game on Saturday. They only laughed mockingly and sneered at us. At least there was no pushing or shoving or attacking our car.

Christoph is pretty sure it was because of Dre's presence. Thanks, Dre. :)

The bullpens are stacked at the Phillies Stadium. Christoph took this picture below. You can see both pitchers releasing the ball simultaneously. Great shot, Christoph!

Dre and Bec, we had a blast being with you last weekend! Thanks for coming with us and making for such a fun trip. And THANK YOU for driving through the torrential downpours, Dre!

Word. :)

Birthday in the Belfry

2008-09-13T20:09:00.028-04:00

Oh my, what a fun Saturday we had! Janelle's friend Rachel turned 16 in August. A year ago she moved to West Virginia and we've seen her very little since then. So this Saturday three of her best buddies, Janelle, Amanda, Kendall and I secretly headed out west over several mountains to surprise her. We arranged with her mom, Kathy to secretly meet them at Beans in the Belfry in Brunswick, Maryland which is nestled in the side of a mountain just outside West Virginia.

This little coffee shop is a MUST see for any of you who've never been. It is in an old church building and is absolutely delightful!

Rachel's favorite color is pink, so the girls decided to all dress accordingly. Now for any of you who know Janelle you will know that she owns absolutely nothing that is pink! She refuses to wear the color in any form. But for Rachel she was more than willing to do so.

They snuck into the coffee shop and peaked around the corner where they finally came upon Rachel who screamed as she jumped out out of her seat and hugged her friends.

SUCCESS!! What a joy to truly pull off a surprise.

Beans in the Belfry is one of the most unusual, quaint, and refreshing places I've been - a genuinely eclectic coffee shop and bistro. There is even a little stage with dress up clothes for little kids to play with while moms enjoy adult conversation and a cup of coffee. The girls dug into the treasure chest of costumes and hats for this shot.

We feasted on crab stuffed soft pretzels, spinach artichoke dip and chips, Roma Panini's, and spinach quiche along with frappuccinos, iced tea, and smoothies while Rachel opened her gifts.

Next we headed out of town, over the Potomac River, past Harper's Ferry to Rachel's house in West Virginia to finish our visit.

But first we stopped at a very steep street we'd seen earlier. As I said, Brunswick is built into the side of a mountain so most of the streets are pretty steep, but this one was crazy. The picture doesn't convey how steep it truly was. The girls said it was actually hard to climb.

Rachel dear, we loved being with you today! We were so glad you were surprised. We miss you terribly, but are so glad you're just over the river and through the.....mountains. :)
Happy Birthday!!

: photo credits - Janelle and Jean :

um....

2008-09-09T03:17:00.003-04:00

Lizzy and Nelly got their cross country uniforms today and, well, they're a bit large. Let's just say they won't be so easy to run in. They came downstairs looking like this. They call it "Cross Country in the Hood."

Got crabs?

2008-09-01T08:56:00.008-04:00

Have any of you ever been to Jessie Taylor's Seafood at the Wharf on Maine Ave? Our family along with Lauren, Dre, Becca, and Rachel stopped there on Saturday afternoon before the 7:00 Nats game and picked up a bushel of steamed crabs for the best tailgate meal ever!

Two and a half hours of eating crabs with fellow fans on a perfect summer evening. Sweet! This WILL become a new tradition. Join us next year if you'd like.

Almost game time and it's time to start packing things up. Everyone is pretty much satiated with crabs - except Elise - and Dre. They decide to see who has eaten the most crabs.

Elise won. Admit it, Dre. She's got you beat.
: photo credits Elise, Janelle, and Jean :

Welcome to the world, JJ

2008-08-25T16:30:00.004-04:00

Joshua Andrew Murphy, Jr.
Born August 24, 2008, 10:42 P.M.
6 lbs., 4oz.
19 inches
Baby, mother, father, and big sister are doing great!

He's perfect. Get some sleep, Kel.

Shall we play a game?

2008-08-23T21:08:00.015-04:00

It's that time of year again - CLC's Youth Retreat, Worthy '08. This year surpassed any I've been to in the last 7 years. It simply gets better and better. The pictures here are from the afternoon games. They involved balls, frisbees, oatmeal, watermelon, water, sponges, bubble gum, pudding, duct tape, water balloons, and blindfolds. The rules would be far too complicated to explain even IF one could understand them. Needless to say, it was great messy fun.

Can't wait until next year! Neal and Garrett, you did an outstanding job, but how will you top this one?!

Fedex Field

2008-08-13T15:19:00.012-04:00

Christoph and I went to the Redskins preseason game at FedEx Field last weekend with a group of devout Skins fans; Dre, Justin, Jessica, David, and Cody.

Our tailgate party in Lot 1.

(Don't worry KG Kids - it's ginger ale.)

Thanks to a very generous friend, Christoph and I had 3 tickets right on the field in the 8th row so we took Cody to sit with us. This was his first time inside FedEx Field and he is a fanatic Redskins fan. Included with our tickets was entrance to the Redskins Tailgate Club with tons of free food, autograph signing, raffle drawings, etc. Cody watches as the band marches into the stadium.

Just taking it all in while watching warm-ups....

Finally the team is announced and the game begins.

We won! Redskins 17 Buffalo Bills 14. Yes, it was a great game, but as Christoph said the best part about the whole thing was watching Cody. Agreed. I think the best part for me was determining that in fact the keys were NOT locked in the van and the only thing we had to contend with was a dead battery. Fortunately for us there were about 60,000 other cars in the parking lot so we did get it jumped and were soon on our way.

Cody, thanks for making it such a fun time for everyone! (Despite how he looks here, he had a great time and made sure everyone else did, too.)

A week at the beach

2008-08-05T07:49:00.038-04:00

We spent last week on a wonderful vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We stayed at this beautiful resort right on the water. This year we took a day trip 2 hours south to Charleston. We had a quick lunch at the famous Hyman's Seafood restaurant and had homemade ice cream in the general store downstairs. Then we took a carriage tour of the historic district and saw all those amazing houses and gardens.

Now Charleston is definitely a charming town, but it is HOT! And according to the locals it hadn't even gotten as hot as it was going to get yet. Honestly, we were melting. I think the humidity was about 117% which I guess is why the gardens are so lovely. It's one huge greenhouse down there. After walking from the Market we found a great fountain at the Waterfront Park which we couldn't resist.

Then it was back to the beach for the rest of the week.

Christoph and I were able to successfully pull off a surprise we'd been planning since January and had Garrett join us for the second half of the week. Needless to say, Elise was shocked when Garrett swam up behind her in the pool, popped out of the water, and said "Hi!" She almost fainted. Literally. It was great to have him with us.

Garrett brought along just a few hats....

Of course putt-putt golf is always part of our vacation at the beach.

At the end Elise and Garrett tied for first place, much to Elise's delight. Not that they're competitive or anything. (Ha!)

Eating steamed crabs is another tradition for us, but nobody in Myrtle Beach knows how to do real Maryland steamed blue crabs. Last year we found a Phillips down there so that has become a favorite place for us.

We spent the last two days of vacation at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Since practically every single ride involves water, I didn't bring my camera to the park. Christoph, the girls, and Garrett tried valiantly to get me to go on Apollo's Chariot and Alpengeist with them but to no avail. (The Griffon was closed due to "Technical Difficulties." Yipes!) Even Evelyn went on Apollo's Chariot. Twice! I think I did pretty well on Big Bad Wolf and Loch Ness Monster. Maybe next year....

I miss it already.

Secret Psyche

2008-07-22T09:39:00.015-04:00

Evelyn made Invitationals for the swim team. Each year the kids pick names for their "Secret Psyche" and and secretly give each other gifts during the week preceding the final meet. Evelyn's Secret Pysche left notes on our driveway and really fun gifts for her almost daily.

She loved coming home to new surprises....

....and more notes on the driveway!

At the Invitational Meet her Secret Psyche was revealed! Thanks for making her week so much fun, Corinne!

Preparing to swim

She swam 25 meter freestyle and butterfly. Here she is about to swim the first leg in the final 150 meter freestyle relay as Kendall cheers her on.

Well done Ev!

The poster and sunglasses were more gifts from Corinne that Ev found waiting for her at the pool the morning of the meet.

Spending the summer at swim practices and meets with you Glabs has been a wonderful highlight for our family. You're the greatest!! We love you!

CLC Youth Missions Trip 2008

2008-07-07T13:22:00.007-04:00

Please keep this group in your prayers this week as they head down to serve at Rancho 3M Christian Orphanage and School in Guadalupe, Mexico.

Have a great time, girls. I miss you already!

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
1 Corinthians 15:58

A summer spent swimming

2008-07-03T20:12:00.020-04:00

I think Evelyn has found her favorite thing to do - swim. Kim encouraged me to sign Evelyn up for swim team this summer and it's been a great source of delight for her. She is more than willing to get up early for practice every morning no matter how cold the water is. As long as she's in it, she's happy.

Evelyn was thrilled at a recent meet when both Elise and Garrett came to cheer her on.

Christiana and Evelyn: joined at the hip. You almost never see one without the other.

All the Glab girls are fantastic swimmers, but I particularly enjoy watching Kendall swim. She's a powerhouse swimmer.

Corinne cheering Kendall on.

Kendall at the end of a race, completely spent. She went on to win the 50 m breastroke.

Janelle and Kendall have played on a summer league basketball team together, but Kendall missed their last game to swim at the meet. Janelle came by after her game to root for her buddy (and her little sister.)

Ev, I love watching you work so hard at swimming. I love getting up early and heading to the pool with you while your sisters are still sleeping. And I love watching you compete at swim meets with such diligence.

(Thanks for taking our picture, Christiana.)

Kids and summer

2008-06-27T11:12:00.008-04:00

A healthy heritage - hopefully

2008-06-15T18:29:00.008-04:00

I spent Father's Day lounging on the couch watching the U.S. Open with my wonderful husband and my dad. My dad is a golfer. He loves golf and he is one of the healthiest people I know. He has survived physical trials like severe and debilitating childhood asthma, being thrown to the street from a Rumble Seat after WWII, and cancer, to name just a few. He began jogging over 60 years ago. He continues to walk/run daily. My dad lives on the 5th floor of an apartment building. Recently he lamented to me, "You know, I often take the stairs up to my apartment. Of course I take the stairs two at a time. Sometimes I get winded when I reach my floor." Just last week my dad competed in a golf tournament at Laytonsville Golf Course in 85 degree heat. He told me, "I found I could only finish 9 holes. I was astounded how tired I was after only 9 holes! This 'age' thing is really getting in my way."

My dad turns 86 years old in August. Unbelievable. I love you, Dad.

Class of 2008

2008-06-07T17:09:00.010-04:00

I got to attend Reid's graduation yesterday and the memory is one that will no doubt stay with me forever. Reid was the sole graduate of his class. It was standing room only and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Be sure to read Drew's eloquent description of the amazing staff at Longview School.

He was honored during the ceremony by his teachers, most of whom were close to tears at the prospect of having to see him go after teaching him for so many years. Reid was literally surrounded by adoring fans and doting teachers throughout the reception afterwards.

Congratulations, Reid! You continue to amaze and humble me.

The Sullivan Social

2008-05-28T13:28:00.007-04:00

Have you ever been to a party at your own house where you don't have any of the resposibilities of the host? It's nice - certainly something I could get used to.

Preparing for a party

2008-05-25T19:29:00.005-04:00

Our new renters, Shaun and Christy, are hosting a Memorial Day party tomorrow for 50+ friends in the backyard. Naturally, we had to test out the volleyball net in advance.

Let the party begin!

Because they're only 8 once

2008-05-10T20:23:00.009-04:00

Evelyn and Abby. Friends since birth. Partners in crime.
We have large boulders in our front yard where the two girls often play. Recently they discovered the art of mud painting.

Naturally, next a bath was in order.

There's nothing like a best friend with whom to spend a Saturday afternoon. Thanks for coming. Abs!

Family night @ Bruster's

2008-05-05T21:09:00.004-04:00

Little cellist

2008-05-03T09:33:00.005-04:00

The Beginning String Ensemble performed last night in the Covenant Life Music Academy Spring Concert.
Waiting to go on...
Praying before performing....

Well done, Evelyn! You played beautifully and we are very proud of you.

Shooting a "Shoot"

2008-04-28T17:21:00.007-04:00

I was asked to photograph a video shoot this weekend. The home schooled seniors have created a video which will be shown at graduation and I was there to document it. Out of over 400 shots, I got about 60 keepers. Here are a handful.

Thanks, Sue for the opportunity and THANK YOU for all you're doing to organize graduation day for these kids.

You're the best!

On the court

2008-04-21T22:39:00.006-04:00

A mixture of coaching and competition....

Another day at the clinic

2008-04-18T16:31:00.009-04:00

I got to spend some time today with Jen and Sarah at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Clinic where Sarah gets her treatment. Sarah is doing so well. She was such a trooper despite doctors and nurses constantly poking and prodding her.
I love this picture: like mother, like daughter. Exact same expression. :)

Sarah has to have her blood pressure taken regularly during treatment and needless to say it's very uncomfortable for her. The nurses couldn't get an accurate reading if she was fussy and moving around a lot, which she did.

Once Jen got her attention and started singing to her, Sarah was completely still and peaceful.

Jen, I love you my friend and we continue to pray for complete healing for your sweet little girl. Thank you for being my friend, for my birthday gift, for your example of trust in a sovereign and loving God, and for loving your baby girl. I want to be like you.

A Storybook Ending...

2008-03-31T17:03:00.021-04:00

That's how the NATS 2008 Season Opener at the new Nationals Park will be remembered - and we were there! We loaded up the Tiren's van (thank you, Craig!) at 3:00 and headed to DC for an 8:15 game. (Yes, it really was worth getting there that early.) NATS fanatics in the van in addition to Christoph and me included Dave and Jen, Don and Kim, Dre and Becca, and Jim and Andrew Cowan. (Andrew was in the back of the van asleep on the floor.)

Christoph and Craig share a fanaticism for the NATS that is difficult to compete with. But as hard as he tried, Christoph couldn't get a ticket for him for the opener. He entered virtually every contest there was to be had, but to no avail. The last resort was to try to get a ticket on the street once we got downtown. Long story short, Christoph was finally offered a ticket by someone selling one at face value for $38. It was 5:15 pm. He called Craig on his cell and said, "Craig! Score! Get on the Metro now!!" We went into the park and kept tabs on Craig by phone as he headed to the stadium.
Since President Bush was throwing out the first pitch, security was extremely tight. Fortunately we didn't wait in line at all and got right in.

Dave and Jen's new franchise:
As we walked around the stadium the line to get in grew and grew. Trying to get 40,000 people through security took a very long time. The line stretched farther than we could see. See? It really WAS worth getting there as early as we did!
Unfortunately, Craig did get caught in the long line. The pre-game ceremonies started at 7:45 when they showed a brief video and announced the Braves line-up. Craig finally made it to his seat at 7:54 when the announcer said, "And now, here is the Washington Nationals lineup!"

And there he is! See him? Right there below....

That fan with the binoculars looking right at us.....
The President's first pitch.

Heading toward the dugout to greet the Lerners, Mayor Fenty, and Stan Kasten.

First pitch at Nationals Park 2008.
At the bottom of the 8th the Braves tied the score 2 to 2. Time for rally caps. Even Dronkey joined in. And of course, Ryan Zimmerman hit his famous walk-off home run to win the game in true storybook fashion!

Thank you, Christoph for all the work you did organizing this crew of fans to see an amazing and historical baseball game. Being with you is my favorite place to be.

GO NATS!!

"Joseph"

2008-03-29T17:21:00.019-04:00

The youth at Covenant Life performed "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" this weekend and it was fantastic! My amazing sister-in-law, Cathy, was the director and once again did an incredible job with dozens and dozens of eager teenagers. (Is it really possible that I'm related to her?!) The most wonderful part about that is that she directed both Christoph and me in plays when we were teens, (eons ago!! Sorry, Cath.) Both Elise and Janelle have now experienced the blessing of having Cathy direct them in a musical that glorifies God. What a joy.
Janelle, in the middle row far left. Clearly a fellow-photographer knows when her picture is being taken. Or maybe she just knew Mom was pointing the camera in her direction.
Evan! Congratulations on introducing the family to the wonderful world of....musical drama. :)

Josh, Evelyn's cello teacher, doing a great job as Reuben in "Canaan Days." (No more fainting, please.)

Brett was awesome as Joseph. Brett, I could listen to you sing for hours! Thank you for glorifying God in this show. And John was excellent as Pharaoh, "Elvis style." All the teens did an outstanding job. Christoph and I both kept saying throughout the show, "Hey! He was in our caregroup! She was in our caregroup, too!" What a joy to see the kids we've watched grow in their relationship with God on stage. We are so very grateful for all of you.

How does she do it?

2008-03-22T17:10:00.035-04:00

I got to keep the kiddos yesterday while Jen took Sarah to the clinic. We had a blast and I now remember why I was thinner when I had small children - no chance to sit down. I figured the key to a successful day was planning. I even wrote out 2 different schedules of things to do! We host a high school History and Literature co-op at our house twice a week that Janelle is a part of, so I let the kids "spy" on the students from the balcony as they arrived for class. It wasn't my week to teach, so I left the house with one parent in charge of 25 teenagers. (tee-hee! Sorry Buff, but I heard you did an outstanding job!) While they discussed Moliere's "Tartuffe", we headed off to the Damascus Library.

Alethea is learning to read and apparently has never met a book she didn't love. She came home with about 34 books. Literally. Sorry, Jen. :)
We took a snack break outside on a picnic table, but everyone was too cold and headed into the van. {Side note: last week when we had dinner with the Brewer's, Janelle played a rousing game of hide-and-seek with the kids and completely won Caleb's heart. Now when he sees her he just stares at her and giggles like he's seeing a movie star.} While we sat in the van eating our snacks, Caleb was scarfing down his bag of chips. Without looking up, he shook his head and said to himself, "I love Janelle. I love Janelle." Yep, I spent much of the day laughing, mostly at Caleb.
We found a goofy broken-down playground and stopped to play for a while. Again, it was a bit too cold so it was time to head to McDonald's for lunch.

I made them eat their lunch before going into the playplace. Alethea asked for dipping sauce so I went back to the counter to get several packs and gave them to her. Then I see this little hand waving in front of my face. Caleb, of course. "Yoohoo! Yoohoo! Mzzz. Mays? K'nie have summa dat? Yoooohoooo!!"
We finished lunch and spent time in the Playplace. (Have you ever noticed that every kid that comes down that little slide has an entire head full of static electricity? What's up with that?) As soon as we got back into the van I hear, "Now what? What are we doing next?" Thank goodness for that "plan." We came home and had an Easter egg hunt in the yard. Evelyn had filled 2 dozen plastic eggs with jellybeans and she and Janelle hid them around the yard.

At this point we loaded everyone back into the van to take Janelle up to play practice at church. On the way home we stopped by the Airpark (which the kiddos had never been to - hint, hint Dave) and watched the planes take off and land. I didn't have my camera with me, so no pics. We stood at the gate right where two people were about to board their plane. They had a little dog with them that the kids got to pet her through the fence. The man said, "Her name is Amelia Earhart. She's my co-pilot." Mikaela gasped and looked at me with astonishment when he said that. I explained that the dog was just going to ride in the plane with them. Then they got in the plane, turned on the engine, and pulled up to the runway. We had a great view of the whole thing. They waved at us as the plane sped down the runway and up into the sky. Mikaela watched it climb into the sky, turned to me and said, "Wow! How does a dog fly a plane?!"
Elise got to come home from work a little early and the kids surrounded her. They curled up on the couch and watched "Jungle Book" and played Disney's Scene It.
Next on the schedule was dyeing Easter eggs which was a big hit, but was done quickly. "What's next?"
The day was almost over, so we headed back outside to play. Now remember my kids are a bit older so there's not a lot of little people toys in the garage anymore. So Caleb found a butterfly net and declared with great resolve, "I'm going to catch butterflies!" Bear in mind it was about 52 degrees outside.

I think all he caught was a tennis ball.
Garrett came by to pick up Elise. While he was walking across the yard, Caleb turned to me and said, "Who's him?" I said, "Caleb you know him. That's Garrett." Except Caleb can't pronounce his name quite right.
"Carrot! Hey Carrot! Chase me, Carrot! Catch me on the slide, Carrot! Watch this, Carrot!"

I like that. I think I'm gonna start calling him Carrot, too. ;)
All that to say, Jen I think you're amazing. Your children are a joy to be with and your's and Dave's investment in them is very evident. I look forward to many more days like this one. Once I get a good night's sleep. :)

Dinner at the Brewer's

2008-03-17T15:36:00.006-04:00

The Mays family descended on the Brewer family the other night, with dinner in hand. It was SO good to be with them and especially to see and hold Sarah. Although that's easier said than done. She is not the least bit interested in being still. You can check on her progress here.

Caleb. How does one describe this kid? Adorable and very funny only scratch the surface. I was so delighted that I actually got to "meet" his beloved blue sheet in person.

He truly is Linus. :)

Please continue to pray for this sweet little girl.

We love you, friends!

Blue no more

2008-03-13T22:14:00.007-04:00

On Monday morning, Evelyn dragged herself downstairs to have breakfast and start school. She wasn't quite her normal self; just sort of blue. And then I told her Keara was coming for a visit. She burst into a smile, pumped her fist, and said, "Yes!!!" What a difference a little girl makes.
Evelyn adores Keara. Look at that face. Who wouldn't??

Yep, we had fun.

Thanks for coming to visit, sweet baby girl.