The Horse Party

The horse stallGetting ready for rides


"You ride, you clean up after your horse."


"Owden" rides too


Molly rides
Could you give the girl some room?

Even the "grown ups" get a ride
" We love horses!"

Thanks for all your help Julie!

Thanks Papa! You're the best!

The Birthday Girl!

Where does the time go? 7 years old!

CC: BONUS DAY!!!

Bonus Day Highlights: Aidan rides on. Mulz, Betty, Shannon & Jim do a 12 mile ocean-side bike loop. After 20 minutes at horsefly beach we depart for warm bay water, kitesurfers, and "pretty rocks" (some of which Poppy threw) at Great Island beach. Alas...still no fish. Nonny & Poppy watch the girls so that the rest of us can enjoy Mac's Shack..mmmmmmm...Tuna Mango Martini! We end the week with a last round of margueritas and Scrabble. A perfect bonus day, a perfect week full of perfect weather! It will be hard to top this year at the Cape...but we will certainly try in 2009!

Bonus Day!!!

Aidan enjoys a good beach read

Jim & Molly's kite

CC: Day 7

Day 7 Highlights: Atypical Friday smiles. Cuffys and 15 new shirts for Poppy! Aidan learns to ride without training wheels! Duck Pond nude sun-bathing. Real onion rings, and Mulz's pizza! Cribbage. Bonus day is a go!

More Duck Pond!

Noodles & Margaritas

Nudist's house

CC: Day 6

Day 6 Highlights: Surf boards are rented and attempted. Riptides and huge waves get the best of us. Jim's parents head home. We have onion ring failure and PORK. We meet "Betsy" and entertain the prospect of a "Bonus Day." Aidan melts down but we still make the Duck Harbor sunset before the sun does. A bubblebath (with a surprise visitor) washes away a long busy day for the girls. Another picture perfect day!

Someone's got to be first

Gosh, the waves look bigger from here

Is he going to come back?

Defeated by the waves

Duck Harbor Sunset

CC: Day 5

Day 5 Highlights: We hit the bike trail and Aidan completes almost 12 miles on training wheels! Molly rides with Jim and smiles the whole time. Ice cream for lunch. Duck Pond....ahhhhhhh! Mayo beach, clammin' & kayaks. We hit PJ's for some traditional Cape Cod fare. Our 5th day in a row of perfect weather.

Your almost there Aidan (only a mile or two left)

She's tired but tough (plus we've promised ice cream for lunch if she finishes with a smile)

Cooling off at Duck Pond after our bike ride.

Mayo Beach
Not quite the crystal clear water of Duck Pond...but there were clams!


Dinner out at PJ's


"Oh Mulz"

CC: Day 4

Day 4 Highlights: Still no fish for the boys. We hit the ocean to find huge waves. We have sand in "low places." Jim's parents arrive. We enjoy our first batch of clams....mmmmm! The mega bottle of wine is opened and enjoyed. More music, more laughs.

Uncle Mulz & Aidan goof off

CC: Day 3

Day 3 Highlights: We discover Duck Pond! Shannon, Jim, and Poppy swim their hearts out. "Meet the Parents" ends successfully. We learn of the chicken massacre back home. We hit the Great Island and wrap up the day with some sausage & peppers (note the food theme) and some Pictionary...Shannon & Poppy annihilate Nonny & Betty while the boys provide background music. Shannon & Betty provide backup vocals until the wee hours of the morning.

Duck Pond

Poppy, you made it!

Great Island

Day 3 Dinner

CC: Day 2...

Day 2 Highlights: Beach passes are issued. No fish are caught. "Meet the Parents" is going well; the dads even coordinate outfits for the occasion (see Mulzville for more Day 2 pictures). After a day of exfoliation treatments at the beach (a.k.a wind & sand), we enjoy L.I. corn, tomatoes, and some surf & turf! The Newlywed game is played with three marriages (and one set of hopefuls) still intact. Whew!

Molly has enough of the wind and whipping sand

Aidan is up to her neck (almost) in sand

Yo!

The 4th Annual Cape Cod adventure begins!

Day 1 Highlights: We settle in..."the house is rustic and isolated," says Nonny. We're pleased with what we see. We enjoy yummy hamburgers cooked to perfection, salads and red peppers of course! We play Scrabble Junior thanks to Aidan's early birthday present and the girls have trouble tuning out the music while sleeping in their closet. Tomorrow is "Meet the Parents" day. The boys dream of catching "a big one."

Sun porch with deck outside

Our busy kitchen

A free weekend up at camp....ahhhhh!

Max the Bunny even joined us

Mansfield with Mulz & Betty

(Scroll down, start at the bottom of this post to work your way up the mountain.)

We made it...up! Now for the long, knee-breaking 5 mile trip back down.

"I like climbing rocks!"

Check out my socks!

Molly graduates from Pre-K!

June Catch-up!

The Pillow-Head Girls

Aidan's Gymnastics Demo

Father's Day Brunch with Poppy

Camping in the Adirondacks with Friends

Chicks arrive! Let the "farm fresh" egg experiment begin.

To be continued...

Molly's Spring Concert

Molly's Father's Day "Camp-o-ree"

Miscellaneous May

Reading in the Hammock

Opening up Camp Memorial Day Weekend

We love sleeping in hammocks!

Taking a break

The water was a frigid 52 degrees,

but that didn't stop the kids (or Ava)!

Visiting Poppy at the Cabin

Molly's Mother's Day Tea at school


Ask and you shall receive...a zip line

The girls have their faces painted at a friend's party

And the beat goes on...Molly's 1st Dance Recital

The proud big sister

The proud grandmother

Our beloved Ripley

May 14, 1996 - April 29, 2008

Forever in our hearts...forever our friend

In honor of Ripley...

Lessons we can learn from a dog…

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

--Author Unknown