Groundbreaking Ceremony at Carlisle

Today we went down to Carlisle Elementary's groundbreaking ceremony. The school will get a gym (currently has a cafeteria - gym - multi-purpose room) and enough room to accommodate students through the 5th grade.

Hogback Ridge Preserve

Stop number 2 on the Delaware Preservation Parks letterbox tour: Hogback Ridge Preserve near Sunbury. We discovered turtles and sassafras trees in search of the letterbox.

Children's Musician Jim Gill

We saw one of the girls' favorite musicians on Sunday - Jim Gill, who is extraordinary at entertaining younger children and parents alike.

Jumps & McMillens Come to Visit

On Saturday, the Jumps and McMillens visited us. Who needs a tripod or selfie stick when we've got Kit? Bottom photo credits: Kit Parsell, age 6.

Peace Community 5K

Not my personal best, but 24:37 was good enough at Saturday's (humid) 5K hosted by our church. I slowed down, however, to let those water balloons catch me :)

Stair Risers: Before and After

This week I worked on the stair risers. After filling the holes and sanding, I primed and painted 3 coats of oil-based paint. Another big improvement!

Hardwood Floors: Before and After

While we were away, we had the living, dining, and hall floors refinished. I am so pleased with how they turned out!

Saying Goodbye to the Beach

On Monday morning, I hurried out to watch the sunrise. Gorgeous! Then Seth and I both got in final beach runs before packing up and letting the girls say goodbye to the beach.

Last Day, Best Day

The forecast Sunday called for "abundant sunshine," and we were pleased to get it! We started off with a pancake breakfast and then spent the day at the beach. The girls played in their massive sand hole the entire time. In the evening, after the Husemanns left, we headed to the beach for a little walk and ended up soaked again ;)

The Sun Comes Out!

On Friday, the sun came out! We were joined by Seth's longtime friend Matt Husemann and his daughters, Claire and Audrey. (Sarah was on a solo trip.) The four girls became fast friends and had so much fun together.

Happiness is a Choice

On Friday, the rain and cold was getting us down. Then a couple of things happened that helped put it into perspective. First, we played indoor mini golf, a first for the girls. They sort of raked the ball in rather than putting. Before we left, the ladies who golfed behind us gave the girls all of their game tickets to redeem for treats. An act of kindness after we slow-poked in front of them for who knows how long!

Then, I was talking with a young lady in the hotel gym. She explained that she was on vacation with her boyfriend and his family. The trip was a surprise gift to the boyfriend's dad. She told me that this dad works really hard and doesn't have the chance to get away. I asked if the weather was a letdown, and she said, "Oh, no. He said as long as he can sit out on his balcony and watch the ocean, he's happy!" 

So that's me, wrapped up on the balcony, watching the waves, enjoying the view, breathing in the salty air, feeling better.

First Day at the Holiday Inn

On Thursday, we checked into our room at the Holiday Inn. We were pleased to discover Lollipop the Clown (or "Balloon Lady" as the girls called her) in the lobby with her pet rabbit and goodies. She was a real hit with the girls!

Francis Scott Key Resort

Originally we planned to camp two days, but because of the weather, we came up with a new plan: indoor water park! We found a great rate at the Francis Scott Key Resort in Ocean City.

Assateague Island

Next, we drove to Assateague State Park, catching up with Grandma Lovie & Grandpa who were already camping there. The weather in Maryland was cold and rainy, but we made the most of it by driving around to see wild horses the next day and collecting seashells on the beach. We were fortunate to see two single horses and two groups of horses (there are 93 horses on the 65 square-mile island). 

Winnie's first impression of the ocean: "It's big and scary." It was Kit's second time to see the Atlantic, but she doesn't remember her first time. She said that it was cold (which was accurate!).

Vacation 2015: Day One

On June 1, we set out on vacation, stopping for the night in Lavale, Maryland. I love that Kit packed her "passport" from school in case any of our stops had stamps available (they didn't).