This year, late June and early July has been jam-packed with family visits and adventures. Mom came for a week to spend some time with Abe and to do the Hilly Billy Roubaix with me.  At least she got to spend some time with Abe, because the race didn’t go well for either of us.  That’s why there’s always next year. She did get in quite a bit of weeding while she was here, but you can’t visit WV this time of year without getting stuck doing some weeding.  And there was a Pretty Penny trip in there, too, and lots of blueberries.

The pool has been a staple this summer, but not because of the slides or fountains.  Mostly it’s because of this door.

We spent Fourth of July weekend in DC with the Massachusetts Hankens.  We had ambitious plans to visit the national zoo, a few museums, and the Folk Life Festival, but our suite had a full kitchen, two bedrooms, a living room, and easy access to grills, pool, and the Reston petting zoo, so once we got there we didn’t see any reason to be very ambitious.  Spending time with Kevin, Melissa, and Benjamin was much better than battling traffic, trains, and shuttle buses.

Ok, so Kev and I had to visit one specific museum.

After the drive back to the WV, we pulled into town to find Nana J waiting for us, or rather, waiting for Abraham.  She too got roped into weeding the garden.

While it hasn’t been as hot as everywhere else this summer, it has still been hot, but Abe and I still try to spend as much time as we can outside. So far my favorite way to keep him cool is just to hand him the hose.

Sarah’s due in early October, and so far Abe has been playing nice with his little in utero brother or sister.  Here’s hoping it stays that way.

So long for now!