It's Hot Around Here

Now they tell us. 

So, when you don't have a community pool, you make do with gymnastics mats, a tarp, duct tape, and a hose when you are 12. 

And then you run and jump. 

Beach chairs in place, that is fun for an afternoon. 

We're waiting anxiously at this point for False Fall. 

Second Birthday

In our new year-round school schedule, the kids were out of school for three weeks exactly three weeks after starting school.  It is a bit awkward. We took advantage of the time, to take a girls trip to the beach for a night.  This time the Outer Banks, where you drive over the water quite a bit.  The girls were not fans. 

The beach--fans. 

We stopped here at the end of the day, thinking we'd just wander up to the top.  But you have to get timed tickets and we were a little late. 

So we wandered elsewhere for a bit. The local woman who offered to take this photo for us without being asked also stopped to tell us to have a wonderful time in the Outer Banks and she was tickled by the girls.  We have been away from Southern hospitality for two years too long. 

And the real reason for the trip--hitting the beach on horseback at sunset. 

It turned out to be a beautiful evening, even if I couldn't get a clear picture while I was bouncing around on the horse that the owner said, "You just have to be a little careful because she likes to bite the other horses."  Um, noted.

Cape Hatteras was across the street from our hotel, so we made sure to get up the next morning and get the first tickets to climb. 

And they were very comfortable up there; I may have been clinging to the inside wall while I snapped this photo. 

I was good for about the first five flights but started to become convinced the thing was going to topple over with me in it from floors 6-10.  Outside on the deck up top, forget it. 

Then we had to. 

And we were off. 

After our wild ride, we had to go for pedicures, of course. 

Elaine is experiencing the massaging chair for the first time here.  She was delighted.

But this is the highlight of the show.  

You can't not smile watching this guy. 

Our First House Guest

We went all out to make Cousin Erika feel at home when she stayed with us between college apartments last month.  We are very welcoming. 

I do believe we managed to take the sign down prior to her arrival. 

And we made sure to do her hair as well.  

We are full service around here if you are lucky enough to stay with us. 

Clean bathroom, hair styled, and a few games made for a perfect week. 

Having a wonderful young woman around for a week while we were trying to figure out this new place likely did more good toward making us feel at home here than she'll ever know.

We May Be in Suburbia

But the sunsets off our back porch are amazing. 

And the dog is interested in the nature here too. 

Because these little guys are a daily site.  There is a little family living two houses down from us that the dog really wants to meet. 

And morning runs are beautiful, even if it is already 72 degrees at 6:00 am with terribly heavy air--I think the Dew Point indicator on the weather report calls it "Nasty".  We agree, but remind ourselves that in a month or two, we'll still be outside while our Chicago friends are turning on their heaters.

Happy Anniversary to Us

Happy 22nd Anniversary Patric.  

You loved your new-to-you riding lawnmower. 

With an attachment for carrying stuff around, I'm actually getting some of the mulching accomplished.  Elaine is not quite heavy enough to keep the seat down enough for the motor to continue running, but she makes do.  

And when the neighbor asked why we would buy a spreader attachment instead of just borrowing his, my lawn was fertilized!  We go all out for our celebrations around here. 

The Birthday Celebration

We found a wonderful local bakery that put together an amazing set of celebratory cupcakes for the girls' 12th birthday with about 2 hours notice of our order.  After trying a new local restaurant for a birthday dinner, we destroyed these as well. 

And Nicholas is forever offended by the birthday gifts.  Here he believes Alida just opened Airpods; they were a knock off, and she loved them and Nicholas was quelled. 

And Elaine was very excited for her backpack. 

A very special backpack that she can carry the cat around in.  

Poor thing is a good sport.

All Good Things

Must come to an end.

 

So, we scurried back from the beach, cleaned ourselves off, and sent the children off to school on July 9 to start their 7th and 8th grade years.

 

Year-round-school will take some getting used to.

 

I did have to go back to the archives to remind myself that Nicholas did once know how to smile.

Which made me smile.