Independence Day
This summer, there have been LOTS of opportunities to celebrate with fireworks. The Town of Broadway celebrated a Family Fun and Community day on June 28th. What a GREAT event! The morning started with a yard sale. Then there was a day full of activities and games for children to enjoy. You could buy 3 chances to drop your principal into the dunk tank, shop with local vendors, watch your little ones play in bounce houses and inflatable slides, and enjoy a free concert with Many Nights Ahead. At 9:30, the lights turned off and the whole sky lit up with GORGEOUS fireworks.
On July 4th, we traveled to Woodstock to watch MORE fireworks. We ended up parking in a lot across from the hotel, and watched the whole show from the mosquito-free comfort of our very own vehicle. It was a GREAT show!
Clara and I went to Bryce last year with our wonderful friend, Karen, and we had a fantastic time listening to and dancing with a live band before the fireworks show lit up the night sky. We were going to go to Bryce this evening to enjoy ANOTHER show, but we were in need of a quiet evening at home, so we had to pass on the last pyrotechnic event for the weekend. We chose to give up a trip to Orkney Springs for an evening at home full of fireflies, camp fire, and S'Moreos.
No matter how you celebrate July 4th, I hope it was fantastic, and full of memory making moments!
On July 4th, we traveled to Woodstock to watch MORE fireworks. We ended up parking in a lot across from the hotel, and watched the whole show from the mosquito-free comfort of our very own vehicle. It was a GREAT show!
Clara and I went to Bryce last year with our wonderful friend, Karen, and we had a fantastic time listening to and dancing with a live band before the fireworks show lit up the night sky. We were going to go to Bryce this evening to enjoy ANOTHER show, but we were in need of a quiet evening at home, so we had to pass on the last pyrotechnic event for the weekend. We chose to give up a trip to Orkney Springs for an evening at home full of fireflies, camp fire, and S'Moreos.
No matter how you celebrate July 4th, I hope it was fantastic, and full of memory making moments!
Merry Christmas from our family to you! May your holiday season be filled with genuine laughter, glorious naps, delightful company, peace, warmth and joy.
The Annual (Not So Perfect) Family Tree Hunt...
Just about everyone I know has some kind of tradition associated with this time of year. There is comfort in honoring traditions that have been passed down, and there is excitement that comes from creating new ones.
My favorite part of Christmas is our annual "Tree Hunt". There is usually so much laughter, I can skip my ab workout for the day. (Or, the week. Or .. who are we kidding .. I never do ab workouts. So .. I laugh so much on the "tree hunt" day that I feel like I've done 5, 10, maybe even 25 sit ups. It's exhausting.)
We all bundle up and go out into the field to search for the "perfect tree". Well, it's not usually perfect. It is, however, always a cedar tree that threatens to poke, prick, and stab anyone that comes near it. ( It's a lot like trying to harvest an angry porcupine that smells like a pine scented car freshener.) The tree usually has at least one praying mantis 'egg case' thing tucked inside. The sap sticks to everything. The needles stick to everything. It's always bigger once it's in the house than it looked outside. It sheds barbs that we find for months after the holiday has passed.
Before we head out to find the 'perfect tree', we pack a saw to chop it down, ropes to tie it to the truck, a camera to capture the moment, and the tripod. Sometimes we remember to make sure the camera battery is charged. Sometimes we remember gloves. This year, we added kilts, strings of battery powered LED lights, a black velvet top hat and a corn cob pipe to the list of necessary gear.
Part of the 'tree hunt' experience is the 'capturing of the family photo' that takes FOREVER. It's not easy to get a picture of 5 people, where everyone is looking at the camera, smiling, not squinting, not dropping the pants (no, I'm not kidding .. have you met my sons?), not making a duck face, not falling down (have you met CLARA?). There is background, foreground, and composition to consider.
The results are always fantastic. But this year was particularly epic. In an attempt to get "the family picture", we got many, MANY pictures that accurately portray us. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we enjoyed taking them!
My favorite part of Christmas is our annual "Tree Hunt". There is usually so much laughter, I can skip my ab workout for the day. (Or, the week. Or .. who are we kidding .. I never do ab workouts. So .. I laugh so much on the "tree hunt" day that I feel like I've done 5, 10, maybe even 25 sit ups. It's exhausting.)
We all bundle up and go out into the field to search for the "perfect tree". Well, it's not usually perfect. It is, however, always a cedar tree that threatens to poke, prick, and stab anyone that comes near it. ( It's a lot like trying to harvest an angry porcupine that smells like a pine scented car freshener.) The tree usually has at least one praying mantis 'egg case' thing tucked inside. The sap sticks to everything. The needles stick to everything. It's always bigger once it's in the house than it looked outside. It sheds barbs that we find for months after the holiday has passed.
Before we head out to find the 'perfect tree', we pack a saw to chop it down, ropes to tie it to the truck, a camera to capture the moment, and the tripod. Sometimes we remember to make sure the camera battery is charged. Sometimes we remember gloves. This year, we added kilts, strings of battery powered LED lights, a black velvet top hat and a corn cob pipe to the list of necessary gear.
Part of the 'tree hunt' experience is the 'capturing of the family photo' that takes FOREVER. It's not easy to get a picture of 5 people, where everyone is looking at the camera, smiling, not squinting, not dropping the pants (no, I'm not kidding .. have you met my sons?), not making a duck face, not falling down (have you met CLARA?). There is background, foreground, and composition to consider.
The results are always fantastic. But this year was particularly epic. In an attempt to get "the family picture", we got many, MANY pictures that accurately portray us. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we enjoyed taking them!