I'm Not Ready!

I was so excited when Paddy came home for the summer--we were going to have the ENTIRE summer vacation to hang out.  I had visions of planning a hike.  Camping.  Beach.  Game night.  Family dinners.  

And then suddenly, summer is coming to a close and only ONE of those things happened. 

And if only one of those things was going to happen, then I can't think of a better one than a family dinner.

Where else do you chicken fight with toddlers?

Round One:

Round Two:

Round Thr--uh-oh, the dads are here:

No more chicken fighting with babies.  Let's eat instead!

Teriyaki chicken,homegrown beef burgers, pasta salad with everything but the kitchen sink in it (oh wait, that was in there too!), Grandma's potato salad, broccoli salad (Auntie Mel style), diced watermelon, cantaloup with blueberries, cheesy potatoes, Grandma's chicken and pasta casserole, and tons and tons and tons of chips.  With delicious salsas and beans to stick them in.  Mitch is thinking he hasn't seen this much food the entire two years he was living in New York. 

That's right, party hardy.

And when you're finished eating (notice I didn't say 'when the food runs out' because that NEVER has happened and never will), time to play!  The question is: how do you keep the 'cool' toy away from your younger cousin?  Answer below.

Grab the toy, run away from your cousin and leap up on to the couch.

 Taunt your younger cousin, exploiting your hard-won victory.

 

 Threaten to drop the toy off the back of the couch if she doesn't 'back off!'.

 Ooops, skipped the step 'make sure Dad's not in earshot'.  Sigh.

You know what these kids need?  DESSERT!!!  Apple cake with butter sauce, cream cheese pie, chocolate cake with strawberry filling and cream cheese frosting + two kinds of ice cream: Neopolitan and Cookies & Cream.

And quick before it's time to go: cousin pictures to send to the Uncles!

 

Happy birthday to all the summer babes and to Paddy, the summer went too quickly and you're off again to Kuwait in a few days.  I just want you to know:

I'M NOT READY!

Big Guys & Grandma Too!

I love to host.  Love to have people around my table or firepit or on my deck or whatever the season calls for, laughing, eating, drinking and being merry.

I even love cleaning up after the party (yes, I know, I'm sick and need help)--something about the wonderful feelings you get from hosting well and then putting everything back in order just makes me feel all content and happy.

That being said I missed hosting Dads/Grads/& Grandma last year...though I'm not too broken up about it since the reason was our darling new daughter.  This year we were back in the game, complete with amazing food, great company, and the perfect weather. 

And more than one person mentioned how quiet it was without Paddy. 
And Tony. 
And Gabe. 
And Mitch. 

Granted there were several kids and toddlers running around screaming but it just wasn't the same.  So for you who missed it, here's Dads/Grads/& Grandma: 2013.  Maybe next year, eh?

Dads in line first!

Recently pressure-washed deck...

you can't see it but off to the left is a planter with new inhabitants!

The fire amphitheater (aka the real reason people come to the party).

Group shot!  Glad it didn't rain, would've been a squeeze indoors!

The desserts: angel food cake with raspberries freshly picked by Grandpa that morning, apple crisp, vanilla ice cream, pie, and key lime brownies.

 Cousins in the pool: Alexander, Cyril, Annabel, and Alana!

And Alana with her dad...such startling similarities!

No really, they do look a bit alike don't they?

HB Bro, HB!

And here's a super happy birthday to my dear brother Tony.  Keep kicking ass at flight school!

Shameless

This blog entry is purely for one reason and one reason only: showing off my darling 1-year-old daughter.  

Shameless, aren't I?

Ooops, it's nap time.

Called

According to dictionary.com serve is defined as a verb meaning to perform duties or services for (another person or an organization).  And the fact that some of the Fenns have felt the desire to serve something or someone (or both!) that's bigger than himself or herself makes me prouder than anything I can think of.  

And this Memorial Day I've been thinking a lot about it. So I can really say there's nothing that makes me prouder than...

Paddy teaching math in Kuwait:
 

 Tony graduating OCS in Rhode Island and going on to Pensacola to start Flight School:

Sis responding to Silverton's calls for help:

Marine Corps bro Gabe servin' it up in Okinawa, Japan:

And KP--devoting himself to family:

And I know that as time goes on, the calling to serve will differ in how it looks, where it is, and who is touched by it--this doesn't matter, just as long as it's there! 

Pets and Aunties

Our lovely little town has a lovely little parade in the lovely little month of May.  It has a lovely little name too: the Pet Parade.  

A year ago for this lovely little parade, I was in extreme waddle mode and yet managed to walk from our home, to the parade, around the Farmer's Market, to the park, and back home.  Yes, I went into labor four days later.

Despite several lovely little rain showers, we walked down to the parade, this time with our lovely little pride and joy in her stroller (MUCH easier to walk this year!) where we enjoyed iguanas, bunnies, chickens, dogs, sheep, horses, and all manner of other pets that were amiable enough to be dressed as Superman, a basketball referee, or Snow White.

Now our lovely little town doesn't just stop with a parade--nope, we have a lovely little farmer's market and a lovely little 'fair' at the elementary school afterwards.  

And this is where our lovely little daughter got to hang with her lovely little (okay, not so little) auntie on the lovely little (again, not so little) firetrucks.

Aren't aunties fun?

Hoppin' Along

It feels like we just celebrated Christmas and suddenly Easter is tomorrow--time sure does hop along!  

Get it?  Hoppin' along, like Easter Bunny hops?  Hahahaha!  One of the great things about family is that they have to put up with your humor, regardless of how 'pun'ny it is.  And there's another one--hahahaha!

This week has just been beautiful and it makes me a bit nostalgic of Easters past when we'd wake up and tear through our baskets and after church tromp around in the wet grass wearing our Easter best to find brightly colored eggs.  I can still almost smell the vinegar from dyeing eggs the night before and feel those chalky little tablets of color before plopping it into the mug and watching the color swirl and disperse.And who can forget the flimsy copper egg holders for dunking the eggs and we used to fight over who got to use it (because there was one in the package and definitely more than one of us!) but then the flimsy-ness just didn't hold up to good Fenn egg coloring and we all resorted to using spoons in the end. And then there's the mass of crayons we would go through drawing secret designs on our eggs that would only develop once they were dyed.  Ah, Easter.

Here is rare photo documentation of us washed up, well-dressed and smiling all in the name of Easter.  Or mostly smiling.

Doesn't really look natural does it?  Let me see what I can find--oh, here's one:

Notice the strategic placement of eggs in front of people's faces?  Classic Fenn maneuver.

On Grandma and Grandpa's deck:

And a couple from the night before:

Yup, Ken looks evil.  Yup, Greg is about to hit Ken for squeezing his neck.  Why is Gabe wearing a vest and no shirt?  He's obviously happy so does it matter?  For that matter, why is Tony wearing a tropical shirt? 

Happy Easter to everyone near and far!