thoughtful contemplation

thoughtful contemplation
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

labor day spent hiking along the potomac river.

john and tom

wishing we had our canoe. a perfect day for a paddle on the river.
swim?
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

hi ho hi ho

off to school
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

it's off to school we go.
school is starting and both boys are returning to fallsmead after some intensive negotiations with the school system. all seems to be going well so far.

boys and walls

boys and wallsJPG
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

you just can't fight the magnetic attraction between boys and walls. got to climb each and every one.

mike, tom and i took the day to explore the franklin instititute in philadelphia. one of my favorite museums for kids.

the heart

the heart
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

walking through the heart- a rite of passage of childhood, not to be missed.
mike and tom pose before entering the left atrium.

domino fun

domino fun
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

mike is enjoying building a LONG domino chain. this museum is fantastic for learning about science in a hands on fashion.
ben franklin would be proud.

tom is mesmerized...

tom is mesmerized
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

by this rube goldberg contraption. 30 minutes of uninterrupted joy as he examined each and every part of this machine. the engineer in him was overwhelmed with excitement. sort of like on the ride up to philadelphia, when we passed under the maze of soaring, tangled highway overpasses in downtown baltimore, tom says" oh man, this is my favorite part of the ride- those overpasses are just beautiful'.
it is all in the eyes of the beholder.

finally, dinner al fresco

finally, dinner al fresco
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

the heat has broken and, once again, we can dine al fresco.
the best!
it is a quiet evening tonight with both madeline and sarah out at the movies.dinner with only two kids seems so empty.
you can see by the darkened sky that we are on our usual european dinner schedule- 9 pm is actually a bit earlier than usual.
the start of school willl be harsh.

mandevilla mania

mandevilla mania
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

evening is my favorite time on the deck. the mandevilla are beautiful- they must have enjoyed the recent searing heat. one of the nicest attributes of these flowers is that they attract hummingbirds.

today's haul

today's haul
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

the garden is flourishing even if we do have to share it with our resident woodchucks.

The Gang Partially Assembled

the gang partially assembled
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

the casey clan begins to assemble for tom and rebecca's wedding at their horse farm in new jersey. sarah has yet to arrive after driving up to new jersey herself, in the morning, because she could NOT miss the kenny chesney concert the night before in dc. bob is in the farm house helping out, leslie and matthew are on their way in from nyc and vincent and christina will arrive one minute before vincent has to walk down the aisle, making an entrance in their beautiful blue mercedes convertible. mary and ben will be pleased to have all their sons and families together.

Thoughtful Moment

thoughtful moment
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

john takes a moment, before the ceremony begins, to compose a toast for tom and rebecca.

solemnity

solemnity
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

our big kids watch with solemn interest. who will be next?

getting ready for the cold weather

getting ready
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

john helps the boys to assemble their various layers. it is ninety seven degrees in the shade and the rental tuxes have polyester shirts. enough said

Rebecca

rebecca
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

rebecca is a truly beautiful bride.

A Rare Sighting

leslie, vincent, christina and john. once every ten years we are lucky enough to see vince and christina. it is always fun to catch up with them. and it has been too long since we have seen leslie too. so much to talk about at these family gatherings.

A Job Well Done

their job is done, rings are delivered and i can heave a sigh of relief after only having to search on the grass once for a ring that fell off the pillow.

Mushy Stuff

tom whispering "do i have to watch the mushy stuff"

Cousins

tom,elizabeth and mike were adorable as ring bearers and flower girl.

Chris and Bob

the happy parents of the bride. though i imagine this is a bittersweet moment. sweet to know they have found a soulmate with whom they will share their life and yet somewhat sad to realize that they are moving on from the family you have created to create one of their own.