Sunday, July 29, 2007

The Lymans as Simpsons

OK, its all the rage. My coolest friends are doing it. So, here we are...as Simpsons.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Happy Birthday To You


We have had a great day celebrating the fourth year of the Mason. Pictures of the man on his new Spiderman two-wheeler coming soon...

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

1:25:01

That is how long it took Matt to complete his first ever Sprint Triathlon on Sunday morning (NJ State Triathlon). The race included a 500 meter swim, a 13.5 mile bike ride and a 5K run. He raced very well, had a great time and we are all so proud of him!



While Matt was completing the bike portion of the race, the boys and I had
some fun at the playground!



This is as he was starting his run:



And when it was all over, we were all very happy and very tired!





Way to go Matt!

The wonder of Nature

I have given lots of updates as to what the kids and I have been up to the past few weeks. This is what Matt was doing...




...swimming in waterfalls at Dupont State Park in North Carolina. These were taken on the "excursion day" during Matt's conference earlier this month. I have said it before, but this time I mean it...I am going to the IHW with him next year. Finland...going, Lake Tahoe...going, Vermont...going, even Jim Thorpe, PA...I am going!

The Power of Digital

Sometimes, try as I might I cannot get a good picture of the boys. Fortunately now, it is not such a big deal because you can just delete any pictures that don't turn out so well. Normally, when you take 35-40 shots of one particular subject you are bound to get one that looks good.




Not this time! :)

Friday, July 20, 2007

The Almost Birthday Boy

With Mason's fourth birthday approaching we decided to have a little celebration with the grandparents. Now, prepare for the jealousy of all four year old boys out there. I think we may have had the FIRST EVER Lilo & Stitch/Go Diego Go Party. And it was fabulous. The ice cream cake was delicious, the water in the pool was warm and the Diego goody bags were a hit! Thanks grandma & pops for a great almost birthday party!



I am not sure what Mason's wish was but mine came true for sure. I wished for happy boys on the five hour flight home the next morning. Wish granted and mom awfully grateful!

Clearing some things out

So, it turns out that we have been merely taking up space with CRAZY things like beds for the past four years. As it happens, Mason would have been just as happy if we had hauled in a few strategically placed boulders. Maybe next year!


Green Valley Girls

I was lucky enough to be in town when one of my dear friends from high school was married. She had a rockin' reception and it was awesome to be together with the girls again!



Clearly this picture was taken right before we burst into the ole high school fight song. Because, really what wedding is complete without a rousing rendition of "Green Valley Gators showing pride unto victory. Gators, true to the green and blue we'll rise to the test!"

And it's true..we are all true to the green and blue. Really.

Back at Grandma's House

Once we returned to the ridiculous heat of Las Vegas what else could we do but spend the rest of our vacation in the pool. And it was glorious....happy boys, happy mom.


Happy Campers

We have finally returned from our retreat out west and we are glad to be back in Jersey. (I never thought I would say that!). We had a great time visiting with family and spending some quality time at the Earl Cabin. I didn't realize that rocks+sticks+water=two happy boys being entertained for hours.




We also went on a great hike through Cedar Breaks National Monument. We just happened to be there for the wildflower festival. I am not sure how much a guided hike to identify wildflowers counts as a festival but hey, we sure had a fun time!



And the rest of the week was spent on the swings. And I do mean the REST of the week!


Thursday, July 19, 2007

And...we're back! Again.

After two wonderful weeks in Las Vegas and So. Utah, the kids and I are back in the glorious humidity of New Jersey. We are very happy to be home with Matt and starting to get things back to normal around here! As is par for the course, I have left my camera cord in Las Vegas. SOOOOOOO, I will have to get the ole pictures on a CD before I can update the blog. And there are oh so many updates to be made. Stay tuned....

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Fish Tales

It seems that Mason is a natural fisherman. The first day, he came home and when asked if he caught a fish he held out his arms and said, "I caught a fish THIS BIG!" He was very patient with the fishing. He stood for two hours holding the fishing pole and watching for the bobber to go under. As soon as it did, he would reel in his catch. At first he caught a little perch. As he was reeling it in, a big mouth bass swam up and ATE THE PERCH! Mason reeled it in and was happy as could be with his catch. The next day, the big boys went out on a boat and caught some huge stripers (the fish, not the dancing girls!) The fish were as tall as Mason and made for a delicious dinner that night!
At the end of the week, Mike took Matt and Mason out on a small row boat to fish one more time. Mason caught a couple of keepers and secured his place as best 3 year old fisherman in the family!

Daddy, Mason and the BIG fish:


Captain Fred and Mason:


Mason with his big catch:


What do you expect? Fishing is hard work!

A Day at the Museum




We were lucky enough to go the the Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich, MA. We had our very own tour guide (thanks Leah!) to show us all of the highlights of the museum. We started at the carousel, then moved on to the pirate museum which was GREAT FUN for the kids and adults alike. We ended the afternoon at the antique car display. The grounds at the museum were fabulous. There was a croquet club having a tournament on the lawn. It looked like a scene from a movie-dozens of retired men and women dressed in their whites. This was no backyard croquet–these people were serious! Beautiful flowers and gardens were everywhere. What a fun day this was!


Here we are at the pirate museum:





And in the antique Ford Model T:

Fun in the Sun




Of course, some of the best days we had were spent at the beach. (Or, for those of you who live in the east, the shore) The kids were delighted to jump over the waves, play in the sand, and fill their watering cans to pour water on their mothers feet over and over and over again.

And....we're back!

After a great trip to the Cape of Cod we are back in Jersey for a day or two before we are off again to Las Vegas. We are such jet-setters these days. I will post some highlights of our trip separately so that you can read what looks interesting and skip the boring stuff!