the canal at manasquan, nj...

after a day at the shore and before dinner at the lobster shanty (a must when we go down the shore)

7-09

amy was here...

found this outside our sliders one morning...she didn't want to disturb anyone so she left a message :)

jacob "jack" robert baum

isn't she gorgeous? watch out guys, she's growing up. she is a sweet, sweet little girl to match the beautiful face. she's got this quiet charm, never wanting to be the center of attention but not missing a thing. and look at those eyes-one of a kind. who wouldn't give anything to have such an amazing beauty mark!!! aunt lori loves you abby-girl!

another driver!

well, i officially have another driver! aaaggghhh...i feel so old. this is a typical pic of jake who thought it was completely dumb that i wanted to take a pic of him w/his permit...:why don't you just photoshop me in'. uh, no. i asked him what he was reading...'a magazine'. 'it's about cars, right? aren't you excited?', thus the face. it's a little blurry because i didn't want to put his personal info. on the web. congrats, jake!

never enough...

can anyone seriously ever get enough of kids?...or the kids you love? just ask any grandma you know!

ok-when you have a bunch of little ones at home, or if you're with them for a REALLY long time, or if you just want a nap and they just want to...whatever it is that doesn't let you sleep...it's not easy and you don't always enjoy it.

yep-i do understand, but once the kids are older and you don't have the little ones anymore you miss it...not for long periods of time, but for the weekend is great!

actually, i've been known to call the parents to stay for another night so i could have the kids a little longer-who woulda thunk it?!!

we had the great privilege of having preston & emma for a few days and oh! what fun we had...all the love & kisses you can imagine.

i wish i would have enjoyed this more when my kids were little~but then again i was so busy i was fortunate to get THRU the days.

that's why God in his perfect wisdom gave us another chance to enjoy the next generation...and i'm so thankful also that their mom & dad are so gracious to entrust us with these little people!!!!

hey handsome!

can i bottle this happiness??!! jake-you are so cool, and i'm really sorry about what i'm about to do to you but hey, i'm just a kid...
thanks emma-do you know that these are from Hollister??!! ok-this is totally gross, and if you weren't so cute...

no, i'm not eating that no matter how long you stare me down!

i really, really love my cousin livie

preston meets tamisha (the 'baby' as he calls her)...she is one of the little lovies from kayt's work-one of the handicapped kids~can you say PERSONALITY??!

oh, emma you smoosh!

i was walking past the eating area in the kitchen and happened to look out the window and this is what i saw-jake walking emma in the back yard. i took this thru the window 'cuz i didn't want him to know i was taking this.

why do i like going to my cousin's house again??!!

yea, i know, it's an outside toy but, as her sister Ashley says (in front of her mom, no less) "there are no rules at aunt lori's"...that is SO not true~we have one MAJOR rule, right Lily? yep-it's NO WHINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what are the big kids doing over there-i wish i were as big as they are

no, i did NOT feed these kids burger king junk-it's from cousin kayt-yes, 17 yrs old!

SPLASH!!

today was the day. the kids got to jump in the freezing water today (think temperature out of the garden hose) they just started a week ago today and swimming already today. i want to put a shameless plug for ACQUA POOLS. they are AMAZING!! great people, impeccable work and right on time. we've waited a long time for this! when we get back from france all the necessary trees will be down, the pavers in and the landscaping DONE. WAHOO!! happy summer!

can't blog-can't find my external hard drive w/the pics on them...yes, i know, i have 3 but...uh, can't so much as find those either. "hey kids-give 'em back!!!!!!"

happy something-th bday daddy

what would you like to do for your bday sweetie? a fine restaurant perhaps? an overnight stay in the city(new york city, for those of you who haven't been out here to know how very close we live...shame on you!!!), or a jog around the block...SSSOOOO kidding ;). nope, he wants to go to van dyk's for ice cream. that's why i fell in love with him-he enjoys the simple things with his family!!!! livie adores her big sister...who she looks more like every day!
kayt was so funny when she took this pic-immediately afterwards she looked at the screen and cracked up. 'THIS IS SO YOU GUYS!' what? 'you, mommy, being all weird to daddy and him acting like 'oh, brother, WHAT is she doing???!!!

can you say DADDY'S GIRL??!!

annual school picnic...june 09

this is WAY more than just a picnic! it's the highlight of the year...every year there's some new priviledge as you move up to the next class. like...only the middle-schoolers can sit on the rocks during the softball game...and only the 8th graders get to bomb the teachers with water balloons, and only the kindergarteners get to use the parachute. see~don't you wish you were there again?

seriously, mady playing softball?!!!! BIG surprise

heidi, jess and liv

ben-of course i have to take his pic when he doesn't know it (liv told him the other day, "ben, some day your kids are going to want to see pics of you and you won't have any"!) i guess they hear me ONCE in a while!!! ;)

oh yea, and the ice cream from curlie's!
oops-almost forgot about my hoola-hooping nephew, jack!

a winner! ben's team got a ribbon...and, of course, CHOCOLATE!

does it get any better than this?

7th grade girls & moms tea-western style

in the background of this blog i'm listening to the song 'let them be little'. aaahhh-if only!

liv and her class did a western tea for the mom's-sssoooo cute! us mom's had a great time just sitting, talking and being waited on...and watching lots of giggling ;). as i've said in a previous blog-FREEZE!