NFU (Nature Friends United)

Ellie is with her friends Shaylan & Michael, at the end-of-school celebration their class put on for the parents. Together with Faryal (who's not in the picture) they created their own club, called Nature Friends United. The want everyone to take care of our earth and to recycle. Ellie has been really good about reminding us to use the recycling bins we put in our kitchen, and loves to help take them to the recycling center each weekend.

Spoiled

These are the two hotels I've stayed at on my trips to New York. If I was visiting on my own, I probably couldn't afford to buy a pack of gum in the lobbies of these places. The beds at the St. Regis are the only hotel beds I've ever liked better than my own bed at home - it was like sleeping in a cloud. I'm so glad my job gives me the chance to visit NY and stay at these places.

Ground Zero

I took another trip to New York for a business conference. On the second day, my friend Laura and I braved the subway to visit the memorial at Ground Zero. It was very sobering, and interesting to see all the construction and rebuilding that's being done there.

Canoe Trip

Ben got a bunch of fancy new equipment for his Boy Scout canoe trip. Unfortunately, in our excitement of packing all the new stuff, we neglected to pack him a bathing suit or swim shoes, but he didn't care - shorts and tennis shoes worked fine. He cooked his own dinner of chicken noodle soup and set up his personal tent. He also claimed that the glasses he's wearing in this photo were broken when he borrowed them from his dad. I think the photo shows otherwise, but it was worth a try, right Ben?

Grasshopper

Ben did an excellent job on his belt test to move from Green Belt to Green Stripe. Don't mess with him or he'll mess you up.

Plastic Man

We have no idea who Sammy inherited this from - no one else in our house can do it.

Speed Race

Riding in very fast circles around the cul de sac.

Hittin' the Links

A new minature golf course opened by our house, so we tried it out. Sammy boasted of his impressive golf skills, but his most prominent skill was that of yelling "that doesn't count" and demanding another stroke for free. I wonder if that would fly in the PGA?

Reading Restaurant

In first grade the kids at our elementary school always have a "reading restaurant". Parents come in and are seated by the maitre d' (the teacher) and given a menu of books by their waiter (their child). Sammy read us three non-fiction books, because those are his favorite.

Bunny

Ellie found Bunny when we were visiting Granny & Pappa Haddow years ago. Bunny has been her constant companion since then. Bunny was actually AWOL for over 6 months last year - Ellie and she were playing hide and seek in the front yard. Bunny was hidden so well that we couldn't find her, and I eventually assumed we'd lost her at a store somewhere. Then one day we hired some guys to clean up our front yard landscaping. They took a chainsaw to our big fir tree and laid the branches on the ground - lo and behold, there was Bunny. Thank goodness she didn't get chopped up. The tree was so thick that she was perfectly dry, and good as new after a spin through the washing machine.

Summer's Almost Here

Actually, our ice cream man comes year-round, but I liked Sammy's face in this picture.

Last Day at Sea

On our last day at sea we slept in, stuffed ourselves with food and sadly started to pack up our suitcases. It was a great vacation.

Cozumel, Mexico

We visited Chankanaab Park and swam with the dolphins. I'm going to add more dolphin photos over the next few days, as I scan them, so check back to this post.

Belize City, Belize

It was drizzling when we got of the ship, so we spent $30 on tissue thin rain ponchos. They came in handy later, as we scaled the slippery Mayan temple at the Lamanai ruins. The view from the top was incredible.

Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala

We visited a school and handed out supplies, then took a tour of Livingston - the only place in Guatemala settled by black Carribeans. Our guide Gus was fantastic.