I'M A PIANO PLAYER NOW!

Ella had her first piano lesson today. In her words, "I loved it!" Later, as she was recapping her day for me, she added, "I'm a piano player now". So she is :)

THE COTTAGE

We really don't seem to bring good weather to Waneta Lake! For the past three years, our visits there have included cool weather and rain! This year, although it was cool, we had a good amount of sun and plenty of time outside. Too cold to swim, but we had lots of fun!

Grandma, Avery & Ella headed out to the dock first thing in the morning. The water was cold, but fun to dip feet!

The paddleboat was used often during our stay.

Ella would actually prefer to wade than swim. This year she practiced rock skipping, found many interesting rocks and generally splashed around.

With the cool weather, all of the adults enjoyed time relaxing with a book. We played lots of games with the kids too.

It wouldn't be a visit to the cottage without a trip to the local playground! Ella and Avery love it there! They even have specific games that they play, only at this playground :)

The weather stayed clear long enough for Gary to take us out on a great boat ride. It was fun to ride through the new channel between Waneta and Lamoka Lakes and explore Lamoka by boat -- something we haven't done before.

Grandpa let Avery drive a good part of the way home!

Saturday evening was a beautiful night for a campfire. We all roasted marshmallows and had yummy s'mores.

Avery & Ella helped me take a lot of photos at the cottage this year. There are some beautiful scenery pictures, as well as more family fun. To see the full album, click here

JULY VACATION PART 2: New Hampshire!

Heading out from Boston, we continued traveling east to New Hampton, NH, the home of our good friends, Dan, Susanna, Calvin, Abigail & Easton.

We had a wonderful time staying at their home, catching up and experiencing their life in NH. The first night, Susanna read to all the kids. It reminded us of the many times she babysat for Avery & Ella when our families lived only a mile apart :)


One of the highlights of our trip was a fun day hiking and exploring in the White Mountains. Susanna's parents let us use their 15-passenger van, so we were able to drive all-together in one car. Dan was an excellent tour guide!

Our first hike was at the Basin. It was beautiful there!

We continued along, driving the Kancamagus Highway from beginning to end. When we saw a number of cars stopped along the side of the road, Dan pulled over too, allowing us to experience our first moose sighting!


We had lunch and took another beautiful hike at Sabbaday Falls.

Our final day in NH was July 4th. We spent the evening at Lake Winnipesaukee -- fireworks, yummy treats, and even a short "date" for Dan & Susanna and Eric & I (we took turns watching the kids so the other couple could go for a walk).

On our way home we saw more beautiful scenery in Vermont.

We had many more adventures in Boston and NH, and took lots of pictures to tell the story! To see the full photo album from our trip, check out our Kodak Gallery album.

JULY VACATION PART 1: Boston!

We started off our 6-day trip with a few days in Beantown. An all-suite hotel with a kitchen (for mom), hot tub (for dad) and pool (for the girls) was a great home base for these few VERY RAINY days! Immediately upon arriving at the hotel, the girls engaged in a session of jumping on the bed (a tradition at hotels that is not allowed at home!)


We decided to take public transportation from our hotel (in Burlington) to downtown Boston. This consisted of several transfers on a public bus and subway. Very easy, cheap and tons of fun!

It was much too wet (the soak-through-your-coat variety of rain storm) to enjoy exploring outside, so our day in town was spent at the Boston Museum of Science. It was great!

We all enjoyed the hands-on exhibits -- way too much to see in just one day!

We made a brief trip to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market for some chowder and souveniers.

We all agreed -- I LOVE Boston!

TREASURE OF JESUS

I recently discovered the song, Treasure of Jesus, by one of my favorite Christian singer/song-writers, Steven Curtis Chapman. The words are simple, but so profound. I have been listening to it over and over, considering what my life would look like if I really applied these principles every day, moment by moment. The lyrics say:

What can I do

How can I live

To show my world

The treasure of Jesus

What will it take

What could I give

So they can know

The treasure He is

And if I can sing

Let my songs

Be full of His glory

If I can speak

Let my words be full of his grace

And if I should live or die

Let me be found

Pursuing this prize

The One that alone satisfies

The treasure of Jesus

As with all of his songs, SCC based these lyrics on Scripture. This particular song was inspired by Matthew 6:21, Matthew 13:44 and Philippians 3:7-9 If you would like to listen to the music, you can hear the song here.

LITTLE CHEF

I had a great break this evening. Avery decided that she was going to make dinner, all by herself! With just a little help from Dad, she came up with a yummy meal for all of us.

Here she is chopping cheese to go in the pasta salad.

Marinating at the grill

Voila! A gourmet meal that included "Sail-the-Seven-Seas Pasta Salad"

and Honey-Garlic BBQ pork chops!

Avery showed a true servant spirit all day today. In addition to making our dinner, she made Ella's bed and did Ella's chores for her this morning. It is a privilege to be Avery's mom!