Dutch Wonderland

One Saturday in August, we traveled to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to take Eli to Dutch Wonderland -- an amusement park for 3- to 10-year-olds. We met G-ma and G-pa there. It was the perfect place to take her ... everyone had strollers and children (no apologies necessary ... only sympathetic looks). Below is a random sampling of photos of the day. Eli had a great time.

Fourth of July

Belated, but still relevant. We were in Erie for the Fourth of July festivities. Sorry, no narrative ... photos are below. That's the most important part, right? Enjoy.

The Sun Comes Out

After days and days of rain, we were finally graced with the presence of the sun this weekend. It came late Saturday afternoon. We took advantage.
On Saturday night, Stephen and Henry hosted a Massage Envy Staff Appreciation dinner at a local Italian restaurant ... where, oddly, no pasta was served. But, other than that, it turned out to be a lovely evening and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The live music was a nice touch and I hear the grilled meat was pleasant. I can tell you that the grilled vegetables were awesome, especially the Portabellas. Stephen gave out several awards to a few of his exemplary Massage Envy folks, including Michelle, who received the Purple Cow award for service excellence. Henry got the 2008 Visionary Award. And, in turn, Henry gave Stephen the 2008 Focus Award. The “bromance” continues.

Today (Sunday), we decided to spend as much time in the sunshine as possible. We started at a local lake in Reston for swimming and ball fetching. Then, we headed to Great Falls Park (Maryland side) for a walk/hike. Stephen found a swimming hole for Lemon and she was able to get yet another swim in. Eli had the opportunity to see the massive waterfalls at Great Falls. She expressed her awe with one word: wow.
We bought an annual pass ... we plan to go back.
Drove back home to drop off Lemon and headed to the Kim's condo in Arlington for some pool time and then ended the day with an awesome dinner. Eli fell asleep on the way home. Exhausted, I'm sure. Aren't we all?

RIP Kegan Vereb

Kegan Vereb ... beloved dog and family member. May you chase (and not retrieve) tennis balls 'til your heart’s content in doggie heaven. Miss and love you.

May things

This weekend we hosted the 6th annual Vereb-b-q and we visited the Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day ... you know, the REAL reason we have a three-day weekend that just happens to coincide with the traditional start of summer. The visit to the Cemetery was awe-inspiring and certainly humbling. We hope to make it an annual tradition. And, another Vereb-b-q down ... an eternity to go. Sunday turned out to be a great day for a picnic, although it started a little shaky. At the moment the bbq was to begin, the rain started to fall. Luckily, my father-in-law is quite handy with setting up large tarps and that seemed ward off any bad weather vibes. The sun actually came out around 6, and sun or no sun; it didn't stop the little ones from slip 'n sliding. Food, of course, was fabulous. Hats off to Chef Stephen. Thanks to all for coming and spending a part of your weekend with us. Mothers' Day weekend was also earlier this month and we journeyed into Old Town Alexandria for an art show at the Torpedo Factory. Below are photos from some of the events, and not necessarily in the order of the narrative

Easter Pictures

All the pictures I wanted to post in the previous listing wouldn't fit, so I separated the Easter photos from the batch and have uploaded below. Enjoy!

Miscellaneous

It's been about 3 months. Yes, a lot of activity has occurred, which entails a busy, busy schedule. When you last saw Eli, she had just experienced her first dentist appointment. Since then she is mostly potty trained. She received a haircut to even out the mullet. Easter (along with loads of chocolate, G-ma, G-pa, and Aunt Amber) has come and gone (I will post those pictures separately). We got a Wii (Stephen is classified a tennis pro ... showoff). Uncle Timmy and Aunt Simoni have come and gone. Eli discovered margaritas (virgin). Aunt Jenine has come and gone. We took a mini-vacay to Phoenix. Eli's had the unfortunate opportunity to experience airplane delays. Stephen and Aunt Michelle won Massage Envy Franchise of the Year Award (in the country) and Million Dollar Club Award. Stephen dropped the Million Dollar Club Award (no pictures of that yet). Eli rode in a stretch limo after an airplane delay diverted us back to the Arizona Grand Resort. And, Eli got a tricycle. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it has been a wild ride. Luckily, we have cell phones with cameras and a pretty awesome Canon camera and we were able to capture most of the Kodak moments ... Enjoy!