Bea has turned 8 and she and her good friend, Cameron, were baptized today. Their birthdays are a day apart and they have enjoyed sharing many special events together.
She is our last one to take the plunge and we are all so excited for this day.
Our families are great friends and it is like having family here. We are so grateful to all our friends who support us here and have become our family.
Wet and beautiful.
Thanks to Emma for sharing her baptism dress with Bea.
Noah conducted our most recent court of honor. He did a great job and everyone thought he was very funny.
He also received several merit badges and his first class advancement.
are finally ripe here in the northeast. I woke up early Saturday morning and realized that there wouldn't be a better time to take the kids strawberry picking than then. So, despite the rain, I woke everyone up and we took off for breakfast and strawberry picking.
She is 8!
Bea had a soccer game in the pouring rain tonight, but it was her best game ever she said. They won 9-0.
Good Morning birthday girl.
I got to tag along with Bea's second grade class on their field trip to Mendon Ponds. They have been studying pond habitats and got to spend a little bit of time getting their fingers wet in the real thing.
My youngest brother came to visit this weekend. John has been living in Japan for the last few years and we haven't seen him since he watched our kids when we went to Paris four years ago.
We now have church at 11:30, so that gives us time in the mornings to take a walk or make a big breakfast or just enjoy the Sunday paper. Today, Darren, Bea, Winnie and I went on a walk along the canal.
This red-winged blackbird was the first thing we saw. 
We saw two woodchucks...
..and an usually attractive dog hidden in the grass.
Oh, wait, that is Winnie.
We came across lots of pretty flowers.
Any idea what kind of plant this might be? We thought it was quite pretty. Did you find the bee? Click on the last flower.
Water break.
Lots of folks were out on their bikes. Darren saw a patient riding past us.
Two wiggly little bums caught my eye.
More snow in June
from these trees.
Our morning walk was a lovely way to start a Sunday and get in a little exercise as well.
on June 3rd, that's how long Darren and I have been married. We typically celebrate by going out to a fancy restaurant. We don't buy each other gifts, just a nice dinner.
This year, Darren threw all that out the window when this little gift arrived from the FedEx guy early Wednesday morning.
What a wonderful surprise.
I have needed and wanted a new computer for a couple of years now and we had decided that we would eventually get a Mac. I have been keeping a little mental Mac fund in my mind. Every time I passed on Starbucks or skipped a trip to Target, I would add that to my little mental fund. I have mentioned this fund to Darren, but there wasn't much in the fund so far. I was hoping for Christmas, if I was lucky. So imagine my surprise when the box arrived. I shed a little tear.
He scored major bonus points in the gift giving realm this year.
Look at the tiny keyboard. I love everything about it!
Darren, you're a rock star!!!
BTW, we still went out to dinner, but nothing fancy.
Anyone recognize this ?
It is everywhere these days, especially in my pool.
Cottonwoods like the adjacent neighborhood and the cotton is a flyin'.
