Ta-da!

This time the produce came from the Farmer's Marketbut that doesn't mean that we are enjoying the pickled green beans any less.

Hooray for Fall!

Mums and pumpkin on the porch: check

Cement goose
(which Rick insists must live on the back porch so only our closest friends who love us anyway will see it)
dressed in his Buckeye uniform: check

Pumpkin spice latte: check

Photo-op in front a display of gourds: check

Aaahhhh- it must be fall.

Fishin' with Grandpa

Earlier this summer Will vacationed at Grandma and Grandpa's house and spent his week riding horses, picnicking, and geocaching through central Pennsylvania. When we drove over to pick him up, I had the opportunity to go fishing with Will and my dad. Because fishing requires two things that Will lacks: patience and the ability to remain quiet for several minutes, we didn't catch anything. But it was a beautiful summer day and we spent a nice afternoon torturing the worms.

Summer of Ballet

At the end of the school year I asked Will what activity he'd like to try for the summer. It may have been because he happened to be watching 'Olivia' at the time (that's a cartoon featuring a ballet dancing pig), but he said, "Ballet".
BalletMet runs some really neat summer camps that last for a couple of weeks and culminate in a 'recital' for families. Will participated in Folk Dances from Around the World,
Magic Garden,
and
Dance Me a Story.

If you've never seen little kids dancing ballet, it's pretty hysterical. And those teachers have the patience of saints.

I heard Will say to one of his friends on the playground, "I've been doing ballet so I can jump really high." He told me he enjoyed it and would like to continue in the fall.
I don't mind telling you that I would probably die of excitement if Will ever danced in the Nutcracker.

The Canning Craze Continues

As promised, Rick planned a peach picking trip to Apple Hill Orchard.

From this

To this

The next Adventure in Canning:
Pickled Green Beans
(which I hear are great as garnish for Bloody Marys!)

Mr. Smiley Goes to Washington

This past weekend Rick, Soren, and I traveled to Washington, DC to attend the
Restoring Honor Rally at the Lincoln Memorial.
We got there Friday evening and walked down the National Mall from our hotel to see some sights, take in the event preparations, and share in the building excitement.

There were already people camped out on the grounds, chairs and blankets set up, ready to stay all night to claim their choice spots.

On Saturday morning we met up with Grandpa who had taken a bus down with a group from Pennsylvania. Then we trooped down the National Mall again, this time with about 500,000 (by official reports) other people. We got there early enough to find a nice shady spot under a tree toward the end of the reflecting pool.

There were JumboTrons set up so that we could still see the program that included singing, prayer, and speeches by Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and Alveda King that honored the military and urged people to include the principles of Faith, Hope, and Charity in their lives.
Despite the crowds and potential for politically charged atmosphere, I am pleased to report that everyone we encountered was polite and pleasant and respectful.

Being a politically active citizen suited Soren well.
Or maybe what suited him was being an only child for the weekend.
Will was at Grandma's house doing equally cool things like making home made Play-Doh.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in July

At the end of last month, we managed to pull off a very festive
5th Annual
Christmas in July party.

A new addition to the revelry this year was Matt the Balloon Guy who amazed and delighted us with his creations including:

The Three Musketeers
A Frog Corsage
and The Little Mermaid!
We also observed the time-honored traditions of grilling out, blowing bubbles, and passing the parcel. Fun was had by all.

Funny enough, we spent the next day at Zoombeezi Bay where they were also celebrating Christmas in July. I knew it!
Christmas in July is sweeping the nation!