Hudson and Wawa

Yes, this is Chris. If you didn't notice, we have figured out how to show which one of us is posting. Usually Beth, but here I am.

Hudson story of the day. Hudson and Anna are playing nicely on the floor after breakfast (which is actually becoming more of a regular thing - I think he likes to see the reactions she gives him.) All of the sudden, he begins pushing her back (albeit gently) in the opposite direction to encourage her to crawl away. Mommy says, "Hudson, that's not nice, please don't push Anna." He looks up with a very serious expression and says, "Anna has a bad smell coming from her body." We laughed so hard, Beth was crying.

The other reason I am compelled to post is to publicly acknowledge and thank Thayer from Wawa. Some of you are wondering what the hey a "Wawa" is? It's a convenient store like 7-Eleven, Turkey Hill. OK, so as we returning from the beach last Saturday we make a stop at a Wawa outside Philadelphia and in the craziness of getting Hudson into and out of the bathroom and getting us all back in the family truckster (homage to National Lampoon's Vacation) I leave my cell phone at the store. I realized this by Saturday evening and received confirmation that the phone was at the store. I was picturing a three-hour round trip to get my stinking phone. But Thayer (reminds me of a character on the cartoon He-Man), one of the managers of the store mails me the phone back. He says, "Just put in a good word for Wawa." So, that is what I am doing - putting a good word for the dudes at Wawa. I always loved Wawa (ask my wife) but my respect level for them has increased tenfold. Wawa saved the day.

School Starting Nostalgia

Anticipation thick in the air. The smell of freshly cut construction paper. Name tags laminated and not dog-eared or penciled on. Windows shining from recent polishing. Water fountains glistening in their glorious cleanliness. Round tanned faces, gleaming eyes and tentative smiles. The silence of the non-verbalized fears, juxtaposed with understandable excitement. Perfectly placed bows, ironed collars, shoe laces that will never again be as white as the first day at school. All these things I miss about the first day of school.

It's weird, I know, because I truly believe that I have the best job in the world. Really, right now, being a mommy to my kids 24-7 is the best job and most rewarding job that I could ever want or hope to have. But that teacher side of me, that side that says "what about your professional goals?" still echoes in me, specifically at the start of the beginning of every school year. My kids aren't old enough to participate in the yearly migration into halls of linoleum and brightly colored bulletin boards, and I am not necessarily looking forward to that day. But the heart that God has placed in me for children to learn and seek and grow - the part of me that made me want to be a teacher in the first place, has not gone away...in fact, it is present every day as a mommy. Every day here is like the first day of school - unknown, exciting, and never a disappointment!

So, as we enter the foray into another school year, I am nostalgic about the first moments of school, but so blessed and so overwhelmingly reminded at every turn, that for right now, God has given me the perfect job for me. And it's spelled M-O-M-M-Y. (Hudson will learn how to spell it someday!)

Meet the Beach

Unbelievable. Gorgeous. Beyond Words. Ok, so I'll try to use words, but this past week at the beach was a week to beat all weeks, weather-wise that is. It was barely 80 most of the days that we were there, and on the sand, it felt incredible. Now, that is to say that the Atlantic beaches are not always the warmest of waters, but it was swimmable. "Our" beach house was only three houses from the beach, so getting to and from the beach with two little people was easy to do. Plus, because of how close everyone's houses were, and all the local attractions, we rode bike nearly everywhere....oh, how "green" we were last week. I think we used the van to drive to the beach, to the lighthouse one night, and back home. Made me miss the flat streets of Arizona where I could ride whenever I wanted to - around here I don't think they've ever heard of flat, or sidewalks, for that matter.



We were able to enjoy the week with the Weidner clan, Mom-Mom, Poppy, Aunt Steph, as well as Caleb and Naomi. Jim and Jenny didn't get to join us until Thursday when they got to bring Ruby home from Guatemala! It was exciting to meet her and hold the little hand of the baby girl we've been praying for since Anna was born. She and Anna are 3 days apart - and quite fun to see admire each other. Of course, anytime Anna hears Mom-Mom speaking baby, she assumes it is for her and starts to smile, even if it is directed at Ruby. We had our usual beach favorite treats (as always, centers around good food): yummy tomato pie, roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella on crusty bread, Uncle Dick's gravy (that's spagetti sauce for you non-italians!), SEAFOOD, and Big Dipper Ice Cream. I am going to try to post a slideshow of pictures...we'll see if it works!

"Putting Up" Peaches

Ok, so admittedly, Marion and I don't really get the whole phrase "putting up" that they seem to use so frequently in this region, but last night, we "put up" peaches (for the normal people out there, that is canning). Mom came over and taught us how to can peaches so that maybe we can do some other stuff as well - on our own. Anyway, amidst 6 children ages 5 and under (with the help of Gwen managing them all) two daddies come and gone, two large cheese pizzas disappeared, several apples picked from the unrippened apple tree devoured, countless juice boxes and two bushels of peaches later, we were able to can 31 quarts of peaches. Yummmm....they look so good. And if you're nice, maybe I'll share them if you come to my house for lunch or dinner. ;o)

This is fun, right?

Workin' hard.

Peanut Butter Playdough

On this gorgeous and sunny day (yes, it is August and my kids had to wear jeans today - ahhhhmmmmaaaazing! It'll get hot again though, I'm sure of it) Hudson and I ventured into the edible playdough world amidst our enjoyment of outside adventures. I am sure I will have some Hudson the Hero stories sometime soon, but for now, you just need to know that he likes playing the hero and rescuing people in his big wheel jeep. We had fun eating our creation, and Hudson had fun cutting and decorating his playdough. A perfect day with the perfect food...er, uh, playdough.

This last picture is what Anna decided to do while we had fun in the kitchen. She likes the tissues, snotty nose and all. :)

The Big Woods

After a long week for Daddy, our family was able to enjoy a day together this past Monday. We went for a hike in the woods and found many treasures! We loved the foilage (so different from the unique beauty of AZ - Hudson first thought there were going to be cactus like our AZ hikes), found some huge mushrooms, and even got Bubbaloo to hold a spider, after a bit of cajoling. We loved the weather and had a great time of exploration!

PS. BIG NEWS! Not really - Chris has set up that you can tell that it is me (Beth) posting now. Before, it said his name, but it was always me. Now you can assume it is my beautiful voice you are reading, unless otherwise stated :o)

NYC Birthday

For my birthday, my wonderful husband surprised me with a trip to New York City - no children - just us! We left early on Friday morning the 25th and headed toward the train station. I had no idea where we were going, I was just instructed to have my bag packed. Once we got to the train station platform, I was presented with two tickets to NYC. We had an incredible time - relaxing, yet busy, and lots of yummy food. I keep saying that the trip seemingly revolved around what we were currently eating, and what treat or meal would come next! Of course, we had to take in a show since our hotel was only 2 blocks from Times Square and the Theater District. We saw Legally Blond - not just because it's one of my favorite movies, but because my thorough husband did a lot of research and it is one of the most highly acclaimed shows on Broadway right now...for a great reason! We couldn't stop smiling and laughing during the performance, and Chris is still singing the songs, a week later! We hit Times Square, many good restaraunts, Central Park, St. Paul's Cathedral and several other hot spots. We had an incredible time...memorable and one of my best birthdays ever!

Us before a night out on the town - like real people! We even got to stay up late and eat desserts at a diner after the show!

It was a MEGA - HIT!

One of our "TOP TEN" highlights - outside the Ed Sullivan theater.

Jamba, Jamba, JAMBA!!! Oh, how I've missed you! The perfect birthday treat!