Catching up on holiday fun

Once again, my computer has been away getting fixed....twice in the 2 short months I have owned it....it is a MacBook Air and I love it...when it works......
So, I am catching up on what has happened while my computer was away:

Our beach is being replenished....more sand pumped in from the ocean to make our beach longer and better able to withstand winter nor'easters.

Jack at the beach where he celebrated his 7th birthday with his cousins, a trip to the Winterfest of Lights, Grotto's pizza and a big chocolate, snowflake cake.

Jenni and Will riding through the light display.

Cousins on the play ground.

Christmas, 2011

Woke up on the Cove at Dave and Ann Marie's on Christmas morning to this beautiful view of Wells Cove...lovely!

What followed was a busy morning of opening gifts and sharing food at David's for our traditional big breakfast of eggs and hot dogs and cheese pastry.

Then on to Jenni and Larry's where we met up with the Hartsigs and the Haarhoffs to celebrate a Mexican-themed Feliz Navidad, complete with a snowman pinata, fajitas, chips and queso and all the trimmings.

On our way home we drove through Easton, MD and stopped for lunch here.

Good coffee and delish wrap of turkey, apples and Brie.

(Took this picture with my new camera. Thanks, Jim!)

Birthday #7

Here is Jack standing by his school's sign out on the road announcing his birthday.  We are very proud of Jack and love seeing his name on a sign!   December 30th is the big day.

Howdy.......

This snowman seems to be tipping his hat and saying, "Howdy!"  He is one of many new lamp post lights in our neighborhood.  Most of the surrounding towns sport these lights...all different....some nautical, some angels, some Santa and reindeer...all fun!

Sunday baking.....

Last Christmas cookies done! *check*  This is the BEST recipe ever for gingerbread men, given to me by my neighbor Jeanie in the Waldorf days when kids were very little......that would mean that I have used it for over 35 years, and it has never failed me.  Of course, I must wear my "MOPPY'S COOKIES are the best" apron for good luck!


C'mon over and share a cookie with me!

OBX Day 5 Thanksgiving Day

Lots of activity in this big house today, preparing for the meal and watching a 5K  race  run right by our street.... just for starters.  Then shopping locally where the clothes are half price at a boutique nearby.

T shirt made by Moppy and Pop

Layne

Will

Ella

Runners in the Turkey Trot

Aunt Jenni oversees the making of pine cone turkeys

....and the frying of the turkey

a place setting

photo by Layne..."a double decker wave"

after eating.....fishing

and another beautiful sunset.

OBX Day 4

Today was partly lovely, so we took advantage of it with another trip to Jockeys Ridge now that all the grands are here now.

Yes, we are in Duck, NC.

All the grands in the hot tub.

Grand girls on top of one of the dunes in Jockeys Ridge.

later on OBX Day 2

Travels to Wright Brothers  Monument and Jockey's Ridge...largest sand dune on the east coast.

Orville and James....visionaries

Eva running down Jockey's Ridge

OBX Day 2

This morning dawned a beautiful sunrise which Jim captured.......

and then the walk to buy hot Duck donuts.

Later we are traveling to Jockey's Ridge and The Wright museum.

OBX Day 1

Walking to the beach today we saw this name on a beach home....they are named here, just as years ago we named our Bethany Beach home Sea Shellter.

Guess this says it all!

Jack is embracing the ocean on this beautiful day.

Layne told us that she would be in the ocean when we planned our trip here....but in mid-November?  And she did!

OBX day of arrival

Arrived in time to take a short bike ride to the beach and then walk to a place where we could  watch a beautiful sunset.....Jim with the camera ever ready!

Sunset at Duck,  North Carolina

Turkey day

GOBBLE   GOBBLE!

Won't be long now until the big eatin' holiday and we are planning a Destination Thanksgiving in Duck, NC....all 17 of us!  We are renting a big house that will hold all of us for a week.  Weather reports look nice and warm for the week.

Jeanne Marie

My mom died on this date in 2006....five years does not seem like such a long time.  During this time we retired to the beach and watched our grands grow some more and welcomed Will to the clan.  But it seems like forever that I have not been able to think of her living where she retired, or been able to hop a plane and visit with her and my dad.  She was a strong force in my growing up and she was my friend.  She was wildly enthusiastic about seeing her grandchildren and loved making them gifts...like an entire Barbie wardrobe!
Most of all, she was the love of my dad's life and they had been together forever!
It is difficult not having a mom around to help you remember all the little things about your childhood, or to remind you how special your children are, and how pleased she is to have great grandchildren.  However, I remember so many happy times, made even more special because she was my mom.

Busy day in Arlington

We are spending time this week with Will while Jenni is in DC at a conference.  The days have been sunny and the leaves showing the colors we had expected to come out by now, but better late than never.

Where there are leaves and a three year old boy, there will be hiding

and throwing

and jumping.

And then, what a surprise!  Uncle Bobby was in Arlington and drove by.  What a big truck he drives!

Home again

Our beach has sustained some damage from last week's nor'easter.

The beach is shorter, tides bring the ocean closer  to the dunes, and waves are high.

Day 5 Cape Cod

Today we stayed more local in our travels and went to Woods Hole and Falmouth.

Mermaid...isn't she pretty?

Tiny little beach house atop stilts...it is called appropriately, SANDBOX.

Woods Hole marina...one can ferry to Martha's Vineyard from here.

Bread pudding from Pie in the Sky....New Englanders love their pie!

Good bye to this beautiful scenery.....

Day 4 Cape Cod

What do the following have in common?  pie, beer, JFK, a walk on a beautiful beach and an old library?  These are all things we did today!  It was a lovely day, full of sunshine and we started it with photos of the sunrise and then a walk through the hood.

The walk on the beach was part of a mile hike in the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge near Chatham, MA.  I am looking a little bent over as the wind was blowing against our efforts.

The JFK Museum in Hyannis.

Beautiful old library (Eldredge Public Library) in Chatham.

...another light house!    Chatham Light House

A beautiful sunset right outside our door, ending a day which also included the Cape Cod Microbrewery and some beer tasting and a pumpkin pie from the Centerville Pie Company (featured on Oprah).

Cape Cod Day 3

The day began cloudy, so we missed an opportunity for sunrise pictures.  But since we were up, we took a walk around the neighborhood close to where we are staying.

These men are clamming...looks chilly!

clam rake

Plymouth Rock

Mayflower II

Here we are with a real Salty Dog on the Mayflower II

So many gray houses here in MA....even Starbucks!