Blogger Catch Up- Soren is 5!

While we were distracted, Soren managed to somehow get another year older.  How could he possibly be 5 already?  He'll tell you himself it's true.

We celebrated the day by living it up at Zoombeezi Bay.  

They just happened to be showing Soren's all time favorite movie that night at the 'Dive-In Theater', so we stayed to watch the Lego Movie.

Then it was home for presents 

(many of them Lego oriented)

and (what else) Lego cake!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Soren Bird! 

Please don't grow up so fast!

Blogger Catch Up- Family Vacation- Deep Creek, Maryland

For Family Vacation this year, we all gathered at Deep Creek, a beautiful lake in the mountains of Maryland.  Just steps from our front door, 

we fished

and canoed.

We spent one rainy afternoon at the local nature center.

And one beautiful afternoon hiking at nearby 

Swallow Falls State Park

As a special treat, Rick and I went to a wine and cheese pairing at the darling Firefly Farms with my parents. Amazing!

And we brought home a chainsaw art souvenir. 

We call him Arthur.

Blogger Catch Up- 4th of July

The Fourth of July was a chilly one in Pennsylvania.  I had to run to WalMart and get long sleeve t-shirts for us to all wear under the snazzy red white & blue tie dye t-shirts we had made for the holiday.

We made a big mess early in the day with our favorite snake fireworks.  Luckily you don't have to wait until after dark to enjoy those.

After the town firework display, we went back to Grandma's and enjoyed the heck out of some sparklers in the front yard.

Happy 4th!

Blogger Catch Up- Memorial Day

Over Memorial Day we went to Virginia Beach.  It was part vacation, part investigation of a job offer (shhhhhh- the second part was kind of a secret).  During the long weekend there was plenty of time to frolic in the waves

and play in the sand

and stroll along the boardwalk.  When Soren saw the Neptune statue he said, "Look! It's the Statue of Liberty!"  You can't deny the similarities.

That big rubber duck was in Norfolk that weekend so we went and saw it.  

It was floating right next to the neighborhood where I lived when I was a dental resident so we showed the guys some of mom's old stomping grounds and found this great swing.

I spent some of my elementary school years in Virginia Beach so I couldn't resist visiting the old house

(I remember standing on that porch eating a popsicle when a tree in the front yard got struck by lightening- scary! I also remember roller skating off the end of the porch into the bushes... on purpose) 

and the old school.

I didn't end up accepting the job offer.  We opted instead to stay close to Rick's oncologist, whom he loves.  Virginia Beach is a big Navy town and we didn't realize how many friends we had in the area.  Maybe it's still in the cards for some day.

Blogger Catch Up- Spring Performances

Will still does ballet at Balletmet

And tap

And piano at Atkinson Piano Studio

Man, we've got to get Soren into some activities!

Blogger Catch Up- Right to Read Week

The theme for this year's Right To Read Week was 'Community'.  Hmmmm- a tough one to ignite the imagination for sure.  

Earlier in the week, Will went to school dressed as Jack Hanna for Dress-Like-A-Community-Hero Day.  After seeing Jack Hanna cry last summer on the news when speaking about having to shoot those wild animals which that idiot released before killing himself in Zanesville, I think we all gained a new respect for the heroism of Jungle Jack.

I carried the theme into our design for the cake contest and planned a cake based on the book 'Z is for Zookeeper'.  

Who doesn't love an heroic Zookeeper?

Blogger Catch up- Spring Project

I bought this pond boat at an antique fair.  Rick replaced the mast and built a base for it.

I made a Fairy Garden in it. 

Welcome Fairies!

Blogger Catch Up- First Communion

Will and his second grade classmates made their First Communion.  It was a very special day.  Will carried an olive wood rosary that had been blessed by Pope John Paul II which my mother had given to Rick when he became a Catholic and he wore a pin that my brother had worn when he made his First Communion.

I love that my children go to catholic school.  I love the small, nurturing community and I love that they are a part of the same traditions that I grew up with.  

The memories I have of my First Communion are that my mother made my dress and that when they handed me the chalice of wine there was only a tiny little bit of wine in the bottom so I had to tip the cup way up to get a sip and it looked like I was guzzling all the communion wine at the tender age of 8.  

Thankfully nobody guzzled the wine at this year's St Mary School First Communion.

Blogger Catch Up- Soccer

Soren played soccer in the spring.  

Here's an action shot of him looking like a little soccer stud.

Blogger Catch Up - Easter

We were in Bedford for Easter and on Easter Saturday we went down to the town square for the community easter egg hunt.  Yes, it was just as nuts as it looks.

After church on Easter Sunday we enjoyed a much more civilized egg hunt on Grandma's porch.  It was nice of the Easter Bunny to arrange that.

Love these Easter Fellas!

Blogger Catch Up- Gone Fishin'

Back in the spring we joined the Cub Scout Pack out at Camp Falling Rock for a little spring fishing. It was a beautiful warm, sunny day- just right for fishing. 

Rick got the poles all set up and luckily the very considerate fish in the Boy Scout Camp pond liked hotdogs better than worms.  We fished and fished and fished...

And took some snack breaks

Will broke the ice by catching a lovely catfish 

(who knew those fish made a mad growling noise?!

who knew fish made noise?!)

Soren and I hiked around the camp a bit to take in the other natural sights

Will could not be persuaded to leave the pond and he and Rick caught fish after fish late into the evening.

We're calling that a fishing success. To this day, that is Will's lucky fishing shirt.