Busy weekends

Back to school, means packing in fun on the weekend.
I am exhausted but we had such a good time....

We seem to visit the vet weekly,

but that's ok because it means we get to visit

Charlie.... 

Friday night fun with the neighbors.

S'more Fest at Camp Ernst

What fun fun fun with our best buds and fellow Ethiopians

Our friend Sarah, introduced us to Horseback riding

T loved it but he also was fascinated with the poop piles.

Ethiopian boys of summer.

Chatting with cousin Q

they had so much to catch up on....

Summer's end.

Summer came to an end this week....

Sunday we celebrated the official LAST DAY of summer

at our church festival.... the rides were a hit!

And while I was slaving away at school today Theo was enjoying

a water slide with his fabulous sitter and a few of his buddies.

He loved the slide and played on it all day,

and then fell asleep on the slide.

I am glad one of us is still enjoying the warm weather.

Family Photo

We have had many ups and downs in the last six weeks with

our sweet pup Buck.... I am hopeful he is turning the corner

but just in case we are capturing the moments as often as we can.

Make no mistake he is a vital member of our little family.

We love ya buddy!

I got a golden ticket!!

Oh FUNLAND, you made Theo so happy....

The moment you witness your child experiencing

a moment of sheer joy, is like nothing else I could imagine.

                      

Rehoboth Beach

It has been a life of leisure for Theo and I this summer.

We have been true Beach Bums, and spent way too much time in the surf & sand.

It NEVER gets old...even when I have to carry a sandy toddler home for a nap.

 Thanks Allison, Martin, Colin, Riley, Charlotte and Talbot!!

We had such a GREAT time!

Eastern Shore FUN!

 In 1987, I moved into a dorm as a freshman at Xavier University…..

I had a unknown roommate from Virginia...I could never have predicted that 26 years later we would still be the best of friends.  I have visited so many times that I can easily navigate the city of Baltimore… and even run into people I know at Starbucks on my morning coffee run.  Her 4 children, ages 16 to 8 love Theo and after a week they still argue as to who gets to sit next to him in the car.  This year we decided to extend our summer visit to 2 weeks… our longest visit to date… We began in Baltimore traveled to Easton MD and onto a week at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.  We crashed their family reunion, and Theo has fallen in love with the extended family.  We are so lucky to have such gracious and fabulous friends….

Getting ready for the shore...

Let's go O's

1st boat ride... Easton, Maryland

Theo & Talbot

The extended 'family'.

Up close...feeding sheep at the Easton farm.

 My Baltimore Besties.

Next stop Rehoboth Beach, Delaware...

more to come

Reunion

Theo and Aaron

These 2 have a lot in common, they are both from Asella, Ethiopia.

They arrived to the orphanage in Asella @ the same time.

They moved and lived in same orphanage in Addis Ababa.

They completed the last leg of the journey to the USA together.

We are blessed to live close to the Eberle family.

This is our second visit and I LOVE to see these happy children.

Lydia and Theo are 20 days apart

and both are sassy little spit fires.

This party of six makes me smile.

Thanks Eberle family for hosting our reunion.