H Birthday Sleepover

I know I have no chance of ever catching up from last year but it is fun to go back and see these photos from nearly six months ago!  Hayes celebrated his birthday nearly a month late when he had JD Maske, Jack Cunningham and Jack Trotter spend the night with us.  (Graham Woocher couldn't make it.) We had dinner at Taco Mac and the boys came home to play video games and watch a movie.  Hayes picked out his cookie dough flavored football ice cream cake. 

 In the morning, the boys jumped on the trampoline and tried to contain their silliness!

Eleanor and Cross Country

Eleanor had a successful season in cross country this past fall.  She finished in the Westminster girls' top 7  for each of the races.  She was quite pleased with her times and looks forward to doing it again next fall. 

Ben's Birthday Trip to the College Football Hall of Fame

For Ben's 7th birthday, he invited four of his friends (George Trotter, Quinn Holloran, Jack Pileggi and Colin Finnerty) to join him in visiting the College Football Hall of Fame.  We all tagged along because we were eager to see the CFHoF too!

Like Hayes, he chose a football-shaped ice cream cake though I cannot remember what flavor he selected.

Here is his crew!

First Day of School!

The boys started school 10 days before Eleanor.  With the move, Hayes now does not have bus service so we walk to and from school when the weather cooperates.  Ben catches the bus with our backyard neighbor Emmy Connolly each morning.  In the afternoon, I pick both boys up at the main camps after Ben has ridden the shuttle over from the Primary Center. 

Poor E as I only had time to grab my cellphone to take her picture.  Hard to believe that she's a 7th grader!!

Hayes Turns 10!

As Hayes was quick to remind us this summer, he does not like to spend his birthday in the car driving back from Ponte Vedra.  Unfortunately for him, that is how much of his 10th birthday was spent!  We did hit the road early with the goal of getting him home in time to enjoy some time outside and time to open presents.  

 

 

He requested donuts for breakfast, Chick-fil-A for lunch and then dinner at Jalisco's for his birthday meals.  We surprised him by inviting his buddy Graham to join us for dinner where Hayes wore the birthday sombrero.   

 

As the case for Ben two weeks prior, I had Hayes complete the birthday questionnaire, and here are his responses: 

Happy 10th Birthday, H!

Ponte Vedra for the 4th

This July in Ponte Vedra, I seemed to have taken a break from picture-taking.  It appears that I largely only took pictures on the 4th of July and mainly in the morning!  As is tradition, we participated in the annual sandcastle contest, with a yellow submarine for an entry.

 

When the judges came around to hear our explanation of our design, Wages played the Beatles' song "Yellow Submarine" and I believe that is what put us in the winning column.  They then awarded the sandcastle the "Most Creative" Award.  Here is the family with the award-winning design. 

Later in the day, when we were getting ready to cookout, I did capture this photo of the kids in front of the house. 

The next night, after watching the US Women's Soccer Team win the World Cup, the summer birthday boys celebrated their birthdays to complete our visit to Ponte Vedra for the 4th!

Ben Turns 7!

Ben's birthday fell in the middle of the week this summer so he spent the day at Westminster camp.  Once he got home, he requested dinner at his favorite restaurant, La Fonda, for a birthday meal of a chicken quesadilla with black beans and rice.  We opened family presents before we left to go eat. 

 

I also had him complete the annual birthday questionnaire.  Here are his seven-year-old responses: 

 

 Happy 7th Birthday, Ben!

Camp Greystone

Eleanor, after attending Camp Greystone's two-week session last year, decided to switch back and go to camp for three weeks this summer.  So, Grandmommy and Granddaddy actually dropped her off at camp on June 1 because Thomas and I were still in Scotland and could not get back in time due to the timing of the wedding we were attending.  She had a ball during her three weeks,

 

and I loved seeing her smiling face as I poured through the few thousand daily pictures the camp posted on their website.  I must admit that I was eager to see her though when it came time for pick-up as we had not seen her since the Friday of Memorial weekend - the longest we had ever gone without seeing each other!  Here are some of the nearly 200 pictures I found of her over the three weeks -