Family Trip to Deep Creek Lake

We took a much needed family trip right after New Attitude to Western Maryland. It was beautiful and we managed to avoid a terribly hot and humid week by being in the mountains. It was a relaxing trip, exciting, sweet and just great. We had been there only an hour, when Carthy came running in, "mama, mama, there's a bear on our deck!!" Thankfully we were all inside and sure enough, there was a brown bear on our deck. I thought it was big, Eric thought it was small. I guess any bear that is only 5 feet away from me is going to seem big. Unfortunately, by the time I erased a few pictures on my camera to free up my memory card, the bear had meandered to the woods. If you look closely at the photo with trees you will see a brown smudge in the middle. That is the bear's hind quarters. So that was the start of our trip.

Another exciting event that happened was that Daisy lost her first tooth! She was so cute and so excited! And the daddy tooth fairy gave her $5!


Jon, Jenni and Carson Smith came up for two nights which was really fun. Eric and Jon had been wanting to take a bike trip for a long time, so they got in some good, manly biking. Thankfully, there were NO trips to the ER. Angels were watching over my husband! I took this picture of Eric for the biography I am going to write about him one day when he is old.

Moose Emerie and Dainty Kaylie

Our dear friends, Bobby and Alissa Zaa, just had a new baby girl. She is beautiful. One day we took a few pictures of Kaylie and Emerie. I must say my precious little girl didn't look so little next to Alissa's new baby. My guess is that they will even out a bit and be best friends. Sorry girls, you don't have much of a choice, you just have to be friends. Lis, you are an amazing mom!

Saying goodbye to our dear friends - The Setzu's

We had an incredible family live next door to us for 9 months, and they just moved away. Just the other day, Daisy was about to ask if she could go play with Danielle. Might be a little hard being that they now live in Texas. They were so much fun and we are so sad to see them go. McCarthy was always trying to scare Nora, and she played right along with him. She also played with my kids in the snow when I had a newborn and couldn't, as well as made a few trips to the grocery store for me at very crucial times. Thank you Nora! Nicole became such a sweet friend to me and to the kids - serving our family heroically through babysitting and being my right hand girl. I don't know many people who could singlehandedly have fun with my kids and get them all fed and to bed happy. You are amazing! I miss you tons! Danielle, you made us all laugh so much. You are precious and hilarious, dainty and crazy all at the same time. Thanks for being such a great example to my girls of being kind and looking out for others. Efisio, we miss you too. You made us laugh even though you perhaps didn't mean to. I enjoyed seeing you "preaching sermons" outside as you took care of the kids. (I think you were really on the phone, but all I could see was you talking to someone I couldn't see and using lots of hand gestures). What an amazing family who loves Jesus and knows how to honor Him by enjoying time with others and by having lots of fun! We miss you all terribly and can't wait to see you again soon!
P.S. Danielle, I am so glad you didn't "die" from eating cookie dough!!!!

Gravelly Point with the Lees