Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!!

Happy 4th from last year!

Such a momentous holiday and so LOUD!

Recycled the beach photo below from a 2009 summer vacay at Hilton Head.

I need a beach visit soon!

We love to celebrate the 4th of July though it's become

a lot tamer than when the boys were young!

During those noisy years, it seemed like we were

constantly running to the fireworks stands for 

more, more and more supplies!  

Most years we head to the pool for fun

4th activities!  I have been know to think about doing the

biggest splash contest or noodle races, but I generally chicken out!

One year, someone (not saying who) had me try out

for the karaoke contest.  I came in dead last --  but hey,
at least I didn't get booted

out of the contest!

It was after that I realized I'm better at lip synch

than karaoke! 
In other words, don't sing out loud!
I got the message!

Hope you all have loads of fun!

Stay safe!

Happy 4th!

Daydreaming on Below-Zero Days!

When it's Below-Zero here 

(as in -20 wind chill with temp at  -12),

I daydream of warmer days 

and beautiful places!

The beach scene at Hilton Head Island !

Riding bikes on the beach!

And

Little Miss M catching some air at the beach!

What are you daydreaming about on cold winter days?!

The Sweetest Thing

After we returned from our vacation to Hilton Head, Mr. Tennis, Maddy and I all thought about what we liked best about our trip.

Was it the beach? Oh yes, we loved the sand, the calming sound of the waves, body surfing!

Maybe pool time with new friends? Yes, that was loads of fun!

Was it bike-riding together in the mornings?

Even though it was very humid, we loved some bike time.

How about spending time with cousins and new friends? Yes, that was a special treat indeed.

But, while all those were so much fun, Maddy said it best. When asked what was her most favorite part of vacation, she said, "spending so much time with Mom and Dad!"

Right back at you sweetie!

Fun Times at Hilton Head Island

We had so much fun on our vacation reunion trip that I hardly know where to start. Of course, there was at least one travel snag on the way -- there's always something, right? Even though we had a Garm*in -- Ms. Garmin's directions conflicted with those provided by the Island Club properties, and I sent hubby the wrong way. Ooops! Oh well, Ms. Garmin got us straightened out and we finally arrived late Saturday afternoon. Note to self: Always listen to Garmin! :) HHI is so beautiful -- green and lush -- also warm and very humid, but with an ocean breeze to push a bit of that humidity away. The beach is so lovely there.

What special times we had with the other families! Maddy quickly made friends with the big girls (five-10 year olds) and the other two seven-year olds. It was almost as if the girls had all known each other their whole lives. Bonus - it was so fun for me to see how the tiny 9-month old babies that I met in 2000 had grown up in the past 9 years! They are beautiful and sweet girls - so fun to see them again and their parents. None of the parents had aged a single day, by the way and were just as warm and friendly as they all were when I first met them.

Most days our schedule consisted of something like this:

bicycle ride, beachtime in the morning, craft, lunch, pool time, bbq or dinner out, chatting time (lots of that) and/or evening beach walk. Oh and tennis -- Mr. Tennis played a fair amount. It was a blast hanging out with my sister and her sweet family and the other families too. They are all just as kind and welcoming as I remember them from the trip to China.

The ocean drew them all in the first evening -- in their clothes, of course!

Reunion

Some of my favorite memories from the Rickster's law school days are of trips to the Jersey shore. Since we didn't have a car for over 3 years (!), we took a rather convoluted path to the shore. First, we walked to the 69th Street station; then took the el train to downtown Philadelphia [I do love that city]; then a high-speed train to somewhere in New Jersey; and finally, a bus to our destination - Ocean City, NJ! Admittedly, we stayed at dive hotels -- friends at work could not believe the places we stayed -- maybe because there were no bathrooms with the rooms. But hey, there were hallway bathrooms and shower facilities, after all! To me, there is nothing much more relaxing than the beach. Unfortunately, there really isn't a whole lot of beach in Nebraska!

(Can't you almost hear the waves???)

Guess what -- we are at the beach. Not Ocean City, NJ though that is high of my list of places to go! I really hate to go anywhere with my Mom being so ill, but this trip has been planned for over a year and she said to "go, have fun, frolic on the beach, take pictures, come back and tell me all about it!"

This is a special trip. We're with my sister and her family and some of the other wonderful families from CCAI Travel Group 182 at Hilton Head for a reunion. In March, 2000, I traveled with Amy to China to meet her sweet daughter, Grace, and watched as the others in her travel group became parents too. It was the sweetest time ever!

The little girls were only 9 months old at the time. Now, they are a pretty amazing group of 10-year olds! Bonus - there are also a couple of little sister 7 year-olds, so Maddy has some friends her own age too. My Mom would be upset at me and Amy if we changed our plans, but we are definitely wishing we could be in two places at once. We will be keeping our Mom in our hearts and prayers and checking in daily (if not more) on her during our trip.

(Sunset at Hilton Head)