Summertime!! (sisterhood Challenge)

Summer time is such an awesome time... for both young and old alike!

Do you remember how exciting it was to get home on that last day of school?
What are your favorite summer memories of your childhood?
Is it something you did every summer, or perhaps one summer that stands out in your mind?

Blog Prompt by Tina M.

I do! I do remember the feeling on the very last day of school! We almost always had field day or a picnic or a yearbook signing day as our last day of school. The anticipation of that last bell ring was exciting! When the doors open, we all poured out into the school yard, some staying behind to finish signing yearbooks and t-shirts and getting phone numbers to 'keep in touch' over the summer. Truth is, we rarely kept in touch because we were ALWAYS SO BUSY!!
Some childhood summer memories include, but are not limited to:
1. Spending every moment I possibly could at Aunt Donna's with my cousin Kristen
2. Swimming in Aunti's pool
3. Making 'couch forts' and sleeping in them
4. SLUMMING! (playing in the woods by the river and getting dirty!)
5. Watching taped re-runs of Simon & Simon
6. Going to Maine with my dad's side of the family for 2 weeks.
7. The Ice Cream truck!
8. Having dinner out on the patio
9. Being in bed, listening to my parents chatting out on the back patio and the smell of the oil torches and sounds of the cicadas and night bugs.
10. Horseback riding camp with Chris and Kim!

One summer that stands out in my mind was the summer of my sophmore year. I was allowed to bring a friend up to Maine that year and we were wading, picking up shells. The water was right below our knees. We were finding lots of sand dollars. It was great............UNTIL I stepped on a small ray which struck my on the bottom of my foot with such a sharp barb!!! It was the first time I EVER said a curse word in front of my father and it just so happened to be the "F" word!

Landscape/Hardscape Progress! Day 1

Here are some progress photos to show day 1 of the work we're having done out front. In one day, they've take out the old pavers and dug out the area for the new walkway and landscaping beds!!

This is the side of the house where they put all the dirt and grass they dug out!

These photos were taken from my driveway and show the view of the dug out area for the new walkway.


Here's a view from the front yard. In this photo, below, you can see the flower bed is dug out, that's where the girls are standing


Below is shown the side of the house. They dug out a nice flower bed there for a few bushes and flowers to hide the air conditioners! I love the way all of the flower beds have been dug. They aren't just basic lines. I love the curves!


I can hardly wait until Monday when I can take more pictures!

Busy Busy!

It's going to be a fun-filled, jam-packed summer! Today was the last day of school here, though it doesn't feel like Summer at all! It's 70 degrees and overcast.
We're looking forward to many day-trips, car shows, concerts on the lawn at the town center and of course, let's not forget 6-Flags!~ WOOO!!
This morning the 4/5 year old classes had their 'graduation' ceremony. Although it was brief, it was cute! They sang a few songs, recited a little bit of this and a little bit of that and then all involved retired to the multipurpose room for refreshments.

The landscaper came today. He marked off the areas they are going to be working in and it looks like a sports field out there with white lines all over the place. They are doing a walkway out front, flower beds/gardens, some shrubs/bushes and a few small trees. The design looks really nice and they did it on the computer so we actually got a glimpse of what it's going to look like, before they even broke ground. They will start in 4 - 5 days with the front and then the back patio and landscaping will start about a week or so later. I'm PSYCHED! WOOOO!!

Hawaii ~ Chapter 2

The International Market Place in Honolulu is such a fun, festive place. Along the way there are various signs and statues. This one tells a bit about Queen Emma Kaleleonilani. The girls loved to stop at each one while we read the details and took pictures.

The girls loved hanging out in the courtyard at the hotel. There was a big Koi pond full of brightly coloured, BIG Koi fish for them to look at. I got a couple of good pictures of the girls 'posing' on the rocks in front of the pond.

This is a Banyon Tree . The roots grow down from the branches, resembling a waterfall effect. VERY HUGE and VERY cool to hang out and play under this beautiful tree! Ellie looks like a toy standing beneath just ONE branch of this enormous tree right outside of the Honolulu Zoo.
Mackie always walked ahead of us, just about everywhere we went, she was leading the way!

If you do visit Oahu, you MUST visit Waimea Falls! It's a little bit of a hike up to the falls but once you get there you're rewarded with a swim in the pond at the base of the falls! Here's Ellie, pretending to do a back-flip off the patio area near the Waimea Falls pond.


On our 1st day, we did the Circle Island driving tour. What a gorgeous circle! This was one of our 1st stops. This is Chinaman's Hat. There were very few people there that day. It was well into the 90s and the humidity was sooo bad! The girls didn't seem to mind. They ran right to the shoreline, plopped down and started playing in the sand!

I will have more pictures uploaded tomorrow.

Aloha Oe!!

Ahh...Oahu, Hawaii.. the unspoiled sea air, the black sand beaches, majestic volcanoes, music and frolic!! We were on Oahu for 10 days. Hawaii is gorgeous.... sooooo beautiful!!
The island you see below is called "Chinaman's Hat"

The scenery of Oahu is breath taking. You can go from Tropical beach to Rain Forest in about 2 hours driving time and from City to deserted beach in about 30 minutes driving time. It's phenominal!
The next photo is of a small Island called "Turtle Island"

Yes.. the sunsets over Oahu really DO look like this!!
The island is lush and green due to the daily rain showers. Usually they are either very early in the AM or very late at Night.

There's a lot more......... I need to upload more so I can post them!

Look! My husband is in the local paper!!!!

Some of you know that we do WW2 Living History and reenactment events all over the East Coast. Here is my husband doing a demonstration for the local public middle school. The kids enjoyed the 'hands on' demonstration and were captivated by the ambulance and it's contents!
Below is an article that appeared in our local newspaper, The Courier News


Photo by: ED PAGLIARINI/COURIER NEWS

WWII era comes alive for youths
Bridgewater pupils get field lesson from re-enactor

By CHAD HEMENWAY
Staff Writer

BRIDGEWATER -- A history appreciation group from Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School got a firsthand account Wednesday of what it was like to be a medic during World War II.

"It's always been an interest of mine," said re-enactor Dr. Harel Rosen, who works with newborns needing intensive care. "Now I go around and share the interest and hobby with others."

Rosen said his hobby and collection of World War II memorabilia began with a G.I. Joe in 1965.

It appeared Rosen's passion for history transfixed the eighth-graders in the Veterans History Project Group, who experienced the unique lesson in a parking lot at the school. About a dozen students listened intently and asked questions of Rosen in front of his impromptu field hospital -- a restored ambulance from 1942.

In giving his lesson, Rosen explained how medics lived with infantrymen and gave first aid to the wounded, helping them out of the line of fire. With a collection of surgical tools, a stretcher and other equipment, Rosen was able to supply visuals of how medics were able to stabilize a wounded soldier to get him to an aid station.

Science teacher Michael Russell, a veteran of the National Guard and Army Reserve, started the project group about six years ago at the school. Nationally, the group is administered by the Library of Congress.

"The kids have learned so much through this," Rosen said.

Rosen said the group has met with veterans of World War II, Korea, the Persian Gulf war and the war in Iraq. Most recently, the students were visited by a soldier who served in Iraq, and with whom they have kept in touch.

"Mostly, I think they benefit from hearing a voice and seeing a face one-on-one," Rosen said. "When we have the vets come in, sometimes they get emotional, and the kids see that -- they can connect with the experiences of people who experienced war."

"It's so important, especially to learn about World War II, because we are losing many of the men who fought for us during that time," Rosen added.

Chad Hemenway can be reached at (908) 707-3148 or chemenwa@gannett.com

My Little Buddy

This is my little Jack Russell Terror. You met her a few months ago when I wrote about her little overnight adventure. She's such an awesome dog! She loves being in the car with us on our travels. We take her all over the place. Summertime is a bit harder because it's SO DARNED HOT and we can't leave her in the car when we run errands. I hate to have to leave her home! Just look at that face! Can't you tell she's HAPPY? She's SMILING!

Since it's summer, her car-trip days are limited to evenings and park visits only..... It's the part of Summer I hate most.... I feel bad leaving her home, looking at her sad face and knowing that she doesn't understand WHY she can't go with us!!!

More Disney Layouts!

I am on a roll with my Disney Album.......

MGM Studios has a play area for the kids. EVERYTHING is huge to make them feel like minatures! It's sooo cute. These ants were a huge hit with the girls. (No pun intended!! )

We had never met 'Clarice' the Chipmonk before! The girls stood in line for a good long time to get to an autograph and photo with her. Clarice is all about the fashion... uh huh!!!

This one scanned in a little dark for some reason... I used 2 castle photos here and then cropped some 'not so great' photos into small ones for this one. Magic Kingdom is aptly named!!

If you know my kids, you know that EATING is just not in their itinerary for the day. To get them to sit and eat ANYTHING is like pulling teeth from a live, very awake crocodile! I snapped a few photos of this very rare occasion to prove that they do, indeed, eat on occasion!!!

Visiting Animal Kingdom was a highlight of our Disney Vacation. The entire park is so well done. Each 'country' has such an authentic feel to it. I think it's my favourite park of all! Mackie LOVES birds and this guy caught her eye, so brilliantly green and polite too!

This round layout I did for a challenge. It was fun but I think I don't like the paper I chose! This was also at Animal Kingdom. Every day they have a parade and the girls were WILD about it! Minnie Mouse's safari truck was Ellie's FAVORITE part!!

Breakfast at Chef Mickey's was a TRUE adventure! I don't think there was much eating going on but I know there were LOTS of characters to see, giggle about and HUG! Pluto is one of Ellie's FAVORITES so this was definitely a highlight for her!

That's all for now........................

VIRGINIA!

We decided to go to VA for a few days to hit the amusement parks! What a fun time we had! We first stopped in Maryland to visit the Aberdeen Proving Ground. Tanks, Tanks and MORE TANKS!!

Aberdeen Proving Ground Tanks, Tanks Tanks~!

When we got to the hotel, the 1st thing the girls did was get into their bathing suits. They were SO excited UNTIL we got down stairs and found that the POOL WAS CLOSED! *GASP* I had to quickly think of a distraction to dry those tears of disappointment! TO THE BEDS!! Normally I wouldn't allow this but since I was RIGHT there, I let them jump back and forth between the beds so I could snap some great airborne photos!!

Ellie Takes Flight~!

Mackie's Flyin' High~!

We drove to VA the next day, arriving WAY late. I was completely bummed out because we were supposed to meet my friend, Lissa and her son, Dalton for a park play date and dinner at around 4. Well, the traffic had OTHER plans for us and we didn't roll into town until after 9:30PM. Sadly, our meeting didn't work out this time . The traffic was INSANE. We were sitting on the road for HOURS.............. absolutely horrendous. NEVER EVER, EVER drive thru that area if you don't have to! EVER!!!
The next day we got up at and were ready to leave the hotel at 8AM. We drove to Busch Gardens and got an early start. It was nothing at ALL like the Florida Busch Gardens... but it was a nice day anyway!

Busch Gardens Fountain

Having fun in the fountain at the entrance of the park! FUN STUFF! The girls were ALL about getting wet!! If it was a water attraction, they were RIGHT THERE!

Ahh... the day was soooo busy and full of adventure and things to do and see, but the girls never give up an opportunity to stop and smell the flowers!!

Never miss the chance to stop and smell the flowers~!!

Most of the day was spent playing in this little 'water park' in the fountains.

There was a cute little section of the park that was all for pre-school aged kids. Though they mostly wanted to play in the water fountains all day, they did go on a couple of the rides. This one was particularly cute!

Little Dragon Flume~!

This was the favourite spot for the day! It was a cute little area with little fountains to splash about in. The girls played here most of the day!

FOUNTAIN FUN~!

Lil Fishy~!

The next day we got up early and checked out of the hotel in Williamsburg and headed north towards Richmond. We spent the day at King's Dominion amusement park. We really enjoyed this place! The girls were SO excited that there were characters to meet and take pictures with!

DORA THE EXPLORER~!

Diego and Dora~!

There was a cute little set up where you could get your photo taken 'in' the Mystery Machine!

Mystery machine!~

There was such a cute area to go 'meet' BLUE from 'Blue's Clues'! It was indoors and a little dark but it was airconditioned :) SMART!!

Meeting Blue~!

Though ALL of the areas of this park were adorable and fun, the HIGHLIGHT of the trip for the girls was, most definitely, meeting SPONGEBOB and PATRICK!!

Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star~!

Spongebob and Patrick~!

Rain, Rain Go Away!!

It's been raining HARD here lately. Our part of NJ is constantly in the News. (Bound Brook, NJ and Manville, NJ) go take a peek if you have a minute.

About 2 weeks ago, Bound Brook had flooding over 6 feet on Main Street. 100s of people and businesses were, literally, washed into ruin. This has happened before ( Hurricane Floyd) but I guess you can just never be prepared for such a catastrophe. We had a few dry days, but nothing long enough to let the canal levels go down again so this rain storm, last night into today, has once again, flooded Bound Brook and parts of Millstone and Manville. Our town is the next town up from there and we're a little higher up from the Canal. We're not flooded here but our town is sort of an island, so to speak, since the roads surrounding us are flooded and we're sorta stuck here. (National Guard mans the flood zones and doesn't let anyone drive thru it. Yes. People are actually STUPID enough to drive thru the deep water. NOT smart, lemme tell ya! )

I didn't realize that it had flooded again until I got to the girl's school this morning and the parking lot had about 4 inches of water flooding it. There were only 3 cars there, so by deduction, I figured it out... No School today. I sure wish I had known that before I got SOAKED while herding the girls into the car and into their car seats this morning. I was completely drenched and cold and just not in the best mood.
I was supposed to pick up my friend's dog to watch her this weekend at around 11AM but I decided to skip over there and get the dog before the roads got flooded and the traffic got horrendous. I got home around 9:45 and we haven't left the house, nor will we!
I have made myself comfy at my scrapbooking table, the girls are playing nicely with the dogs, Legos, Blocks, Playdoh and My Little Ponies!
It's been a great day to be creative!

And the winner is....................

CONGRATULATIONS PAULINE!!


I will be running another contest soon so keep your eyes peeled!!

Lotsa Layouts!!

I have been scrapping, quite a lot lately. Over the past 2 months I have scrapped MORE than I had in the past 2 years. Here are a few recent layouts.

*SCRAPBOOKING SKETCH CHALLENGE*

Ok! This one's for a PRIZE from ME! (Something new and fun from PRIMA!)
Let's get scrappin'! I want you to scrap a page, using my sketch here, and then post it on your blog. Please post me a comment so that I can visit your blog and leave a comment.
I will put each participant's name in a bucket and have my daughter draw a name next Tuesday. You have week to complete the challenge!
Here's the sketch..... Click on the sketch for a larger version.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!