Happy Birthday, William!!!

William celebrated his 2nd Birthday today with a BBQ at Stately Payne Manor. Mom and dad initially planned a traditional 4th of July theme...but one thing lead to another. Mom's desire for a "shrimp boil" inspired dad to add things like andouille sausage and Hurricanes and then next thing you know, we have a New Orleans theme. (Without going into too many personal details, New Orleans has a very special connection to the events leading up to William's birth.)





The day started with fun and games in William's bedroom. Afterwards it was off to camp at Club Fit, followed by lunch and a daily nap. By the time William's party started at 3pm, the guest of honor was still sleeping.



By the time William made his initial appearance at his own party, it was in full swing.



By the time the day was over, it was apparent that William was having a blast. We can only hope that all of his birthday's are as much fun!

Friends...

Friends Rory, Jamie and Gavin came over for a visit. 'nuf said.

A cute story

They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing... and the traditional caps, they looked almost .. as grown up as they felt. Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.

This class would NOT pray during the commencements----not by choice, but bec ause of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.

The speeches were nice, but they were routine.....until the final speech received a standing ovation.

A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened. All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!!

The student on stage.. simply looked at the audience and said, 'GOD BLESS YOU, each and every one of you!' And he walked off stage...

The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.

Birth of a Star Wars fan...or is it baptism?

Perhaps Tristan has watched Star Wars too many time. I honestly think it is only 3-4 times, far fewer viewings than Peter Pan or The Little Mermaid. But it appears to have made an impression.

Last night, during a bubble bath, Tristan was playing with his wash frog (for the uninitiated, this is a wash-thingie that looks like a frog). After a few minutes of dunking the frog beneath the bubbles, he had a concerned look on his face. He started calling out "Luke, Luke". I thought he was referencing his friend Luke...and honestly, I was concerned the he was dunking his buddy in the bath. It wasn't until he recited the classic line "I have a bad feeling about this" and "there's something alive in here" that I realized he was actually re-enacting the garbage compactor scene from Star Wars.

Six Flags Great Escape

Day two of our Lake George adventure had us visiting Six Flags Great Escape.



This time, it was William's turn to have a blast. While Tristan, Cary and Mary Kate seemed to enjoy themselves, William was simply joyous.



He road a boat, flew a plane, jumped on a motorcycle, road a train, screamed on a rollercoaster and drove a Corvette. Each time with a smile a mile wide. We are going to have to be careful. It looks like we have a daredevil on our hands.





At the end, they had so much fun, they had to call someone to tell about it!

Thomas the Tank Engine

Thomas the Tank Engine came to Lake George this year...and so did we! Together with Tristan's friend Cary (and both families), we all treked to upstate New York for a ride on the famously Useful Engine.



Tristan was concerned that the whistle would blow at any moment and remained cautious throughout the trip:



Otherwise, Tristan was literally glued to the window...


After the ride, Tristan, William, Cary and the crew enjoyed some other amusements, including a bouncy castle...and Thomas related shopping. With lunch conlcuded, we stopped back at the train station to see there phenomincal model train recreation of the local area. Again, Tristan was glued to the window...



Cary's mom provided the weekend accomodations, thanks to a generous relative with a log cabin in the area. It was cozy with 5 adults and 4 kids...and one bathroom...but the kids had a blast trying our the new "bridge expansion set" from their Day with Thomas adventure.

Painting with Pop-pop

Tristan thought is would be a good idea if he helped his grandfather paint the garage door. Initially, Pop-pop thought this was a good idea as well...







The door looks as good as new, so apparently, the teamwork paid off. Thanks Tristan and Pop-pop!