July 4th

Adam heard Sugarland, ran to get dressed up, and returned to play along

Adam helps decorate the dessert

Norcross Fireworks

Chamblee Fireworks

Derek and Adam decorate Helen's hair

My brother, Jason, and his wife, Laine, are usually a part of our 4th of July festivities, but they had already left town. We missed you!

Peachtree Road Race

Adam and Derek all set up for the race

The lead runners...of course I never saw them

Finally

Crazy costumes are what the kids really come to see

I continue to try to catch up on my blogging. Here are pictures from the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th. This race is the only one I do anymore. It's such a great way to kick off the holiday...lots of positive healthy energy.

Piano Recital

My mom, Derek, and Helen's parents

Adam


Derek

Helen and Derek duet

Adam receives his award

Playing around in the music shop afterwards

The kids with their teacher, Ms Irena

Post recital treat

This past weekend was gorgeous with a hint of fall in the air. The boys had a piano recital on Sunday. All their hard work paid off and they did a great job. Helen was persuaded to do a duet with Derek. She was nervous about it, but she did fine and they both had fun with it. The kids liked that Mommy had to practice just like they have to.

The kids don't like for me to check their piano practice or schoolwork because they say I'm too hard to please. My argument is that their assigned work is not something over their heads like a Bach overture or calculus, rather it is level appropriate and they should be able to nail it. After a recent piano check Adam turned to me and said that I expected them to be perfect when I don't even know how to play myself. I had to admit that he had me there, but I got him back with "...infinity plus 1, infinity plus 1".

Now that the recital is over it will be nice to hear some new songs around the house for a change.

Derek recently became interested in the idea of purchasing his own computer and has been feeling us out for how much we would be willing to contribute to the cause. I keep telling him that we don't have any money left because we're spending it all on piano lessons. He wasn't happy about that.

Fernbank

During the summer, Helen and the kids usually go on a weekly fun outing with Helen's parents. The kids really love these outings and look forward to them. These pictures are from a trip to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in early July.

Summer Camping Trip

Cousins

Brooke just chillin

It wouldn't be a campout without smores

Helen and the lunch crowd


Hanging out around the campsite


Our campsite overlooked the river

Everyone thought the river was big fun - except Lindsay

Hanging around at the playground

Adam proudly shows his monster catch

At the end of last month we went camping with Helen's family. We try to do at least one camping trip each summer with her family. Our family usually camps in a tent, but it's not truly roughing it as Helen's parents have a motor home that serves as home base. However, this time the motor home had some technical difficulties and was scratched from the trip at the last minute. Helen's brother Paul and his wife Agatha brought their pop-up camper and Helen's parents stayed with them. But no refrigerator and no air conditioning. Helen's brother, Mike, and his wife, Chris, also joined us, along with their two kids, Lindsay and Brooke. They weren't up for camping so they slept at a nearby hotel.

We kind of put the trip together last minute so were limited in our choices. We ended up at the Etowah River Campground. I was a little skeptical, but it ended up being fine. Our campsite overlooked the river and, although there were trees all around, it was not beneath the tree canopy and therefore got pretty hot in the afternoon. Luckily, the river was close by for cooling off.

Of course the kids just loved it. Riding bikes everywhere, the playground, the river, eating all day and night, visiting with family, making new friends, and fire!