Many Happy Returns, Grandmommy!

Ozzie and Harriet know how to party.

We all think you're a princess, even when you don't break out your crown.

You've been a blessing to us all, from the crib to the...er, crib. Thank you for passing on all your love, talents, faith and quirkiness. We love you!

How to milk it

I heard a piercing "Ow ow ow owwwwww!" that turned to sobs. Frankie had shut her finger in the front door. She rebuffed my efforts to console her. "It'll feel better in a minute," she wailed between sobs. Then, suddenly, the sobs stopped. She looked at me wide-eyed, lip quivering, "I think jellybeans would make it feel better..." Man, they learn how to milk the system early. Of course I gave her some. Hmm.

Happy Birthday Lolo!

Wish we could all be together to celebrate. Thank you for being such a steadfast, generous and fun dad, father-in-law and lolo. Have a great day!

Bethany Beach

Gracie, Julia, Hilary and a very pregnant me carrying Teresa back from the beach.

Itching to get in the water, can you tell?

Kudos to mom for bringing plenty of crayons and coloring books for those chilly non-beach days.

We hit a few snags on this inaugural trip as a family. The weather was a toss-up, and we had bad luck the first two days, but we did manage to get a couple good warm days in before leaving. The kids were happy to brave the icy waters, regardless. Next summer, we'll choose a condo that's less than 7 stories from the ground; something low is generally desirable when you have babies on balconies. And sickness...who can account for that? It hit, and God seemed to be calling each of us to a higher level of patience. Nonetheless, we were able to celebrate my parents' 39th anniversary by sending them off to a nice beach-side restaurant, the little ones enjoyed the sand and pool and ocean, and we all got to bond :)