Our Day on the Bay!

When we left Arizona, we had lived there for a little less than three years and we never saw the Grand Canyon. We thought we had time, we were wrong.  So, when we moved here I vowed we would see and do as much as we possibly could, never knowing when our job would call us somewhere else.  It is exciting living in a place where each day you can wake up and say, "Let's do something we have never done before!" and you never seem to run out of options.  This weekend was pirate themed. It all started with a trip to the movie theater to see the new movie...

It was pretty funny and had the boys speaking pirate all night.  The next morning we drove to Annapolis and the beautiful Chesapeake Bay.  We were going on a pirate cruise!  The whopping 45 degree heat kept the other pirates at bay and there were only 7 of us sailing that day. 

First step, dress like a pirate complete with tattoos:

Next, get on the ship, get debriefed about the dangers lurking in the water, and do some push ups to be strong enough to face said dangers.

Once we set sail it wasn't long before we were attacked by Blackbeard himself. Never fear the kids took care of that scallywag with their water cannons! ARGH!!

The kids pulled a treasure chest out of the bay and a bottle of ice cold Grog, aka Rootbeer, for all of us to enjoy.  They had a fantastic time and worked up one heck of an appetite. 

 Our plan was to visit the famous Chick & Ruth's Delly, home of the 6 lb. milkshake and 4 lb. cheese burger.

Annapolis was also hosting it's annual Sail Boat show, after all Annapolis is the sailing capital of America, so eating at Chick & Ruth's was a little trying but after a long wait, some tears, and a lot of Peek-A-Boo with Nash's jacket...

they brought the boys their shakes and me the most delicious Reuben I have ever tasted!

GOOOOAAAAL!!!!

No, I am not referring to a Latin American soccer game with that post title. I am referring to my weight loss goal.  I DID IT!!!

25 lbs. lost-no 25 lbs. gone because I am never going to find them again.  I am feeling a lot like...

a super model.

Actually, no I am not. I am still insecure about all the same parts, funny how that works. But, I do feel healthier and much more energetic. If only I had taken a before and after shot in a teensy tiny bikini-NOT!!! The best part is that I finally have a valid excuse to spend money on pretty clothes. May I also just add, if I can do it with my total lack of self control and passionate love of chocolate, anyone can.

Now comes the hard part-maintaining it!

Circus People

Nash's previous goal in life was to be a JUNK MAN, or in other words a man who owns a junk yard. Of course, we have supported his dreams as much as possible. For example, we own a lot of junk. Anyway,  what kind of parents would we be if we discouraged such aspirations?  However after attending the circus last weekend, he is now leaning towards clown college as an alternative career choice, after his time spent quarterbacking the Washington Redskins that is.

   I think Nash's new found love of the circus might have something to do with his interaction with a beautiful Asian Yo-Yo-er!

BOOKS!!!

 Here are some book reviews you might be interested in adding to your summer reading list!

This is a great book about the horrors of the Holocaust. A must read!

5 out of 5 Stars

Loved this simple romance.  If your are a fan of Jane Austen this is a must read!

 5 Stars

If you are a Jane Austin purist or dislike the idea of Elizabeth fighting Zombies DO NOT READ this book. If you think it might be funny to see Elizabeth and Darcy in a different light, as ninja zombie warriors, than you might get a kick out of this book. 

3 Stars

This is a fabulous book written about the last two weeks of Lincoln's life as it parallels the plans of John Wilkes Booth.  I absolutely could not put it down!

5 stars

These books have been around for awhile, but I was very reluctant to read them lest I betray my beloved Harry Potter. But, I finished the series several months ago and they were surprisingly excellent. That is coming from someone who, with the exception of Harry Potter, is not that into fantasy. (Disclaimer: I hated Hunger Games)  If you are looking for something else to read to your kids, something for them to read, or something for yourself, you cannot go wrong with these books.

5 Stars!

The only Nicholas Sparks book I have ever previously read is The Notebook, but since I think Zac Efron is lovely and he is going to be starring in this book made into a movie I had to read the novel. I enjoyed it, mostly because I could imagine the main character as Zac Efron!

4 Stars

You ever pick up a book because it has been highly praised and you really want to love it, but you just don't? That is how this book was for me!  The premise was really intriguing and the historical value was fascinating. I just could have used a lot less of each generation's promiscuity. It added nothing to the storyline.

3 Stars

If you want to read something more than brain candy and would like to learn something about history, engineering, government, and economics-this book is a must read.  It is a little heavy with information and is something that should be ingested in small bites or you will be easily bored. That being said,  David McCollough is a master of historical writing and I learned a ton.

4 Stars

My boys love these books about a boy who is terrified of everything!
5 Stars

For the wee ones! Harley saw a friend at church looking at this book. She went crazy for it!  It is absolutely adorable complete with tail wagging and dog pee! Every little girl's dream

5 Stars

Spring Break

Before school let out for Spring Break a few weeks ago, Atley was given an assignment to write about what he was going to do over the holiday. Many of his classmates were going on elaborate vacations to Europe, Hawaii, Thailand, and of course Disney World.  I am assuming Atley must have felt that our plans were not quite up to par so this is what he wrote:

This Spring Break I am going to skydive out of  an airplane into the eye wall of a category 5 hurricane. If I survive, I am then heading to the sun on a super sonic jet.  From there I am going to make it rain a million dollars.  That brings us to Tuesday when I am going to drive a Corvette to Alaska non-stop, where I am planning on digging a tunnel to the center of the earth.  Finally, on Saturday I am planning a picnic on Saturn.

Ha! Take that you little second grade snobs!!!

While, his spring break wasn't nearly as exciting as he had hoped, I think we had a great STAYcation right here at home.

We went and saw Mirror, Mirror at the movie theatre, where all three consumed their weight in popcorn.

We went out for ice cream and played in the fountain at Fairfax Corner!

We visited Butler's Bunnyland and played on the farm!

We had a playdate with our friends and the mom's made hair bows/hats for the girls to wear on Easter.  I didn't get a great picture of her hat but HERE is a tutorial on how we made it!

We dressed up ALOT!!

We went to Olive Garden to celebrate reaching our latest Scripture Reading goal-Jacob!  Some of us were more happy to be there than others.

We captured the first critter of the season-a snail. He is currently lost somewhere in our house!

We dyed Easter eggs.

And of course the Easter Bunny made a special trip to our house.

So, it wasn't a picnic on Saturn or even a trip to Thailand, but we made lots of great memories!