Fun at the Beach!

Obviously, since we were on a "beach" vacation, we spent a lot of time at the beach! I have tons and tons of pictures of the kiddos (and the adults!) doing all kinds of fun things in the water and sand, but because Blogger would probably freak out and crash if I tried to upload all 500 of them, and because you would be bored out of your minds looking at all of them, I decided to just pick a few favorites. Hope you enjoy them!

Kendall, getting ready to ride the waves...

Aunt Amy found a nice relaxing spot to watch all of the fun...

Barry trying to help Noah learn to boogie board...
And he's off!!
Kendall's turn! Go, girl!!
Kayla and Kendall, taking a break...

Joe and Amy...relaxing before the upcoming nuptials!

Noah checks out the waves...

Whoa! Look at this hottie I was checkin' out on the beach!

Taking a break from the water to play in the sand...

Here I am, doing what I'm always doing...taking pictures!

Up next...our parasailing adventures! Stay tuned, peeps!

Vacation, Day 1... Norfolk!

**First of all, let me apologize for the delay on these posts from vacation. We've been having numerous computer issues around here since we got back. But let's hope we've finally got some things fixed. Now, on with the show...**

On the first day of our vacation, we stopped in Norfolk, VA to see the Nauticus Museum and the U.S.S Wisconsin. The kids (and the adults!) were psyched to see the ship and also to get a break from sitting in the van! Since we were only about an hour and a half away from our beach house, we could afford to take our time and see the sights, which was really nice.

We spent the majority of our time on the Wisconsin, which was really interesting. As cool as it was though, I think I would go crazy being stuck on that thing. The rooms were so tiny! The kids were interested in all of the details of the ship, while the adults soaked up the history and facts. But all in all, I think everyone learned something and had fun doing it!

Afterward, we walked down to a shopping complex on the bay and had lunch before getting back on the road. We were so anxious to get to the beach!

Look at the size of that anchor! There were TWO of these on the ship!

Each link of the anchor chains weighs 120 lbs. Do some figurin' and get back to me on the weight of just one of those chains...
It was HOT and HUMID!! Kendall was miserable after having been out on the boat for a while. She was searching for any little bit of shade she could find. This little bit was made by the "big guns"...

Barry, getting a look at the base...

Family picture in front of the Wisconsin...
When you're hot and tired, this is the way to go! Good thing Daddy is so strong!
Noah was not cooperating for a family picture...as usual!
The whole group, headed to lunch...

Fun day, folks!! This was definitely a favorite of the kids... and even better? The adults all found it very interesting as well, and it didn't take a large amount of time. I highly suggest checking it out if you're in the area!

The Miracle of Birth

You know, when I gave birth to both of my babies, I was too much of a chicken to let them pull down the big mirror so I could watch my precious babes make their way into the world. I knew that I would get scared and distracted, and believe me...with the length of time I was in labor, I could afford no distractions! Even with the understanding of why I chose not to watch, I still sometimes regret the fact that I missed such an important moment in my life...especially when Barry tells me how amazing it was. Both times. I really wish I weren't such a chicken.

But I digress. The point here is that I was thrilled to have the opportunity to watch not one, but two baby chicks hatch...and to have Barry and the kids there to watch too. It was so...so...so... I don't know what the word is. But I had tears in my eyes when it was over. The miracle of life is no small potatoes, that's for sure.

So if you've never witnessed a birth of any kind, I just wanted to share, so you can see what I mean. And guess what? Birth is not just hard on the mother, folks...just look at all the work this little dude went through!


Now keep in mind that I skipped the pictures of the first couple of pecks at the shell. It took a long time for him to get through. This whole process took a while...this little guy worked hard, I assure you. He would push and rest...wriggle and rest...push and rest some more. Once we made sure he was ok, we left him alone to rest. The next morning he was just a cute, healthy little puff ball. And then we watched his sister make her way into the world... what a day!

I'm back from vacation!

Hey there folks...I'm back from vacation!!

Most of you probably didn't even know I was gone, did you? Well, we headed to Nags Head, NC for a week of fun in the sun and my SIL's wedding. What a wonderful way to end the week spent with family!

I have many pics and stories coming (I took over 1,000 pics that week!), I just need to get my thoughts organized. There will also be some new recipes showing up on Party in the Pantry, so be looking for those as well!! And if that weren't enough to be excited about, school is starting on Tuesday, so hopefully I'll be able to get back to my regular posting!! I miss all of my blogger buddies!!

Happy Friday everyone! Can't wait to catch up with you all!

Boonshoft!

Have any of you been to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in Dayton? We've been wanting to go for a while now, and finally got the chance a week or so ago. We woke up on a Saturday morning, and it was raining and gray...Barry looked at me and said, "I don't want to do any work today. Let's do something fun!" So I suggested Boonshoft!

We called up the Huntingtons and told them to get up, get dressed, and get their butts ready to go have some fun. I don't think we had to twist their arms too hard. :) It was a fun day, but very crowded, probably due to the fact that it was a Saturday and it was raining. I thought there was a lot to do for the little ones, but I'm not sure how fun it would be for older kids.

Barry & Deetra

Kendall & Shea, being silly

Kendall digging for treasure

Noah & Shea, checking out one of the Lego exhibitsShea, practicing being a veterinarianNoah & Shea, doing some grocery shoppingWill, getting in on some grocery action...The kids had fun, therefore so did we! Afterward, we decided to go grab some dinner at Smokey Bones. THAT was not a good idea. Every part of that experience sucked! We were in that restaurant for 2 freaking hours...with tired kids. Enough said.

Anyway, check out Boonshoft if you live close...your kids will really enjoy it!

Garden Success!

If you remember, earlier this summer I mentioned that this year my garden would be my biggest venture yet. Well, it was...and with all of the great weather we've had in central Ohio this summer, my garden has gone hog wild! I've picked 60 or so cucumbers so far, 2 cuttings of lettuce, ruby chard, and red cabbage (and a ton at each picking!!) buckets of green beans, a few peas, zucchini, and tomatoes. The tomatoes are just now starting to ripen, as we haven't had the heat we are used to, but I have tons out there just waiting to turn. I also have 3 cantaloupes growing, 1 watermelon, and a few spaghetti squash. Very exciting! Check out the pics, peeps!




My, oh my, have we had a great year for growing!! I've put bags and bags of green beans into the freezer, as well as 12 cups of blackberries. Yes, I said BLACKBERRIES!! This year is the first year we've been able to beat the birds to them, and boy, were we excited!! We were able to get out to pick twice, and Noah was into it, let me tell you! He wants a pie, and he wants it bad. He's gonna have to wait until we get back from vacation, though!

Did you all get some good fresh produce this year??

A Bunch of Monkeys

My mom came down a few weekends ago and brought my uncle's two youngest kids with her. Katie and Andrew are 5, and fit in really well here! The kiddos had so much fun running around outside, playing wii, chasing chickens, and just being silly. And for my kids, it was a treat just to have some kids over to play with! Don't they look like they're having a great time??
Of course, now Kendall is trying to wrap her brain around how they are related to us. She's having a problem understanding how these kids can be my cousins AND her cousins. I guess in her very structured mind, this makes no sense. Some day it will...but for now, I told her to quit analyzing everything and just go HAVE FUN!!! :)