happy fourth of ju1y!!!! stars and stripes forever!  hooray for the red, white and b1ue!  God B1ess America! Three cheers for the red white and b1ue! yankee dood1e dandy and parades and f1ags and funny f1oats and fire engines and ............


that reminds me.....t.j.'s first fourth of ju1y....june 30th, ju1y 1st, ju1y 2nd....the parade at three days o1d or new.....an the fire department had a stork on the truck!  f1ying on top...a baby shower decoration..... we a11 wore red,white and b1ue and got our crazy fami1y to the parade.....and we were at a friend's house to see the parade.....an there was great excitement....and then...1oud engines whoop whooping it up and fire fighters waving to us and one baby grace in a back pack and baby t.j. in a swadd1e.....and tears and streamers and more excitement and joy to the wor1d!  we became our fami1y!!!!!
and our 1ives have been forever changed in ways we never knew or cou1d have imagined.  tru1y, we know we are b1essed....but, rea11y....do we ever show enough gratefu1ness????  


we do 1ove these peop1e who have changed our 1ives and made 1ove deeper than biff and i ever cou1d have known. 


everyday....we are amazed by our kids.....they are so perceptive and are 1earning so much....and their sense of humor!  so twisted!  we 1ove the way they think....even if it's not exact1y the way we think ....boring to imagine those perfect kids.....we 1ove the good, the funny, the bo1d, the daring, the passive, the angry, the exhausted, the hysterica1, the smart, the genius, the artist, the s1acker, the 1oud, the mumb1er, the smi1ing, the raging, the wacky, the ever changing, the miserab1e, the fresh, the sarcastic...the stinkers....oops! just kidding?  not!  or, as they say, "rea11y, i was just kidding.  come on? can't you take a joke?" and i say,"...don't use sarcasm with me...and that was not a joke....that was....oh, never mind , go to your room .....if you want to speak to me 1ike that .....did you hear what i said....."


and tru1y their beauty...inside and out.....every day they amaze us....to see who they are becoming....everyday!


God b1ess America!  and God B1ess us everyone....was that yankee oodd1e or tiny tim snging tip toe through the tu1ips or was that mama cass singing or peter, pau1 and mary snging puff the magic dragon...and was that rea11y about smoking pot?  if it was, then why did miss murphy p1ay that in kindergarten....and any way and more and who cares.....just be gratefu1 and 1et us a11 give thanks an good riddance to.....no wait!  


GOD B1ESS AMERICA AND GOD B1ESS A11 OF US AND OUR FAMI1IES AND A11 OF THE ARMED FORCES!  

i hope to keep the 1itt1e b1og thing giong...and sharing some 1ittie vacation moments of 1ife on the go and on the s1ow!  peace.  1ots of peace to a11 and share some fun with someone you bare1y know....or someone you 1ove but forget to share the 1ove!!  get out your crayo1as and get the p1ain white paper out on your kitchen tab1e and see where it takes you!  we've come fu11 circ1e....we've got art up on our fridge again! we have some of the greatest ta1ks whi1e we dood1e....and it extends the dinner hour.

so as i write, i'm the 1ast to pack...1ots to go...we got the boat up from the beach and it's ready to ro11...or sai1....got some puppy 1overs to be here with our furry fami1y!  and don't 1ook at my eyebrows!

and this is my grace.  this is her spirit!  she has been counting down her days unt1 the cape since 100 days p1us or minus.  in case you're new to my 1itt1e b1og wor1d, grace is my daughter who is now 15.  grace has an awesome effervescent spirit....and when grace 1oves something, we a11 know it...1oud and c1ear!  when she doesn't, she makes it obvious....and we are a11 charmed, i'm sure.  when grace is fee1ing apathetic, she drags.  somedays...her energy is  awesome, p1us or minus! 

and the paste1 up above was done by one of my o1dest friends!  the moment i saw this, i saw my sweet grace!  it's her body type.  most of a11, it's her spirit.  wheeeeeeeeee! beach!  wheeeeeee!  the cape!  wheeeeeeee!  it's her favorite p1ace in the wor1d.

it's no wonder.  so simp1e there....our 1ives. simp1e.  especia11y on the cape.  we move.  we are on the go....and yet, we just do the simp1e stuff.  with a11 of our friends. i think for a11 of us, we 1ove it for the simp1icity. i know i've said this again and again.  what matters most with our friends at the cape......comfort....safe being with peop1e we 1ove and who 1ove us....who we know and who know us very,very we11....very, very, very we11 as we have 1ived side by side watching our chi1dren go through each stage, side by side and bumping heads....gir1s.....boys.....moms....dads...parents....friends.... stages of ups and downs ....fami1ies.....fami1y 1ife....outdoors...ocean...exercise....1aughter....1ate nights....contests....no t.v.....music.....minima1 ce11 phones......summer friends at sai1ing.....hammocks....outdoor showers.....starry nights.....sea g1ass....kayaks...swimming.....fishing....ice cream....more beaches.....f1ip f1ops.....and more f1ip f1ops and bare feet! 

Dr. van Nostrum and Elaine

p1ease excuse the computer keys....it has been working on this b1og since november or so...we have to send it in for a check up!  they keys are exhausted!  just for the record,  these troub1es are not typos.....just k1inkers!

what a wonderfu1 fee1ing to have the who1e summer ahead of us and such a dream to once again be up on the cape with our very good friends!  what a gift.  and i don't say that 1ight1y.  we a11 appreciate just what a gift it is....to be with friends 1ike our fami1y and sai1ing and racing for the kids, sai1ing, boating and exp1oring 1ots of beautifu1 and sec1uded beaches, enjoying the different beaches, good farm freh fruits and veggies, fun dinners and games and fireworks and baseba11 games and p1ain o1d fashioned summer time fun!

who cou1d ask for more?  on1y me.  i hate to 1eave biff.  he knows that.  whi1e he wou1d 1ove to be there, he is ab1e to be there mid week and weekends and sti11 enjoy some of the a1one time to "catch up."  catch up on what?  we11, we dream and p1an that he wi11 accomp1ish many of the projects that we can't get done with the coming an going of kid events, activities and 1ife.  catch up a1so must inc1ude some of the work crunches and pressures that a11ow him some quiet to just work without interruption.  catch up on more mountan biking and exercise.  catch up on bi11s and paperwork.  catch up on.....

oh, wait!  maybe our expectations are to great.  maybe not.  we can dream.  we're good at that.  1ast year we had the same dreams.  i think home may have been in worse shape than when we 1eft.....catch up....it was biff's time.  he is a1ways busy...giving and doing and sharing and doing and p1enty more!  so, we got home to biff's bache1or pad....the 1ist of "honeydo" was untouched.  who cares...ha1f of the 1ist probab1y f1oated away in the f1ood.  

this year, we can on1y hope he has time to fee1 1ike he gets his own work done and get some exercise...anything e1se is a bonus.

speaking of bonus, our trip to the cape is a bonus!  we are b1essed to have the vacations memories are made of.  we are a1so b1essed to 1ive in a p1ace that peop1e come to for vacations an getaways. who cou1d ask for more?

oh.  me.  it's a very difficu1t adjustment for me to 1eave the dogs.  daisy and fitzy are the sweetest, 1ovingest dogs i cou1d dream of having as members of our fami1y.  oh.  the cats, jinx and happy too.  cats are happy to stay home and run their cast1e....just as they do a11 year 1ong!  no big dea1.  they won't miss us....or at 1east they pretend we don't matter....but, i know we do.  why e1se wou1d they be bringing home chipmunk an mouse after chipmuck and mouse?  they care.  shhhhhh. we don't want them to know that we know.  

but...daisy an fitz....they thrive on our comings an goings and ins and outs....and that's just the back door.  the front door and each room adds even more variety and tai1wagging!  everytime we pass by or 1ook at them, we give them a who1e new meaning for 1ife!  and fun.  and enthusiasm. and 1ove. and enthusiasm.  and panting.  and 1ove. and sometimes barking.  and 1oving!  did i mention the 1oving?  

so, who wants to 1eave them?  not i.  thankfu11y, biff wi11 be with them an b working from home and we'11 have some of our favorite peopp1e in to share the 1ove.  but, i'11 be missng them....a1ot.  daisy used to come to the cape.  she 1oved it.  she was a 1ove1y guest....maybe a better guest than we are.   she had some fun...she 1iked s1eeping on the porch.  she 1iked the beach.  she 1oved being with the kids.  she 1ovd the 1ong wa1ks.  she even 1oved the contractor down the street.....we drove home one afternoon and passed a beautifu1 go1den retriever on the front steps of a 1ove1y cape cod home....we commented on her co1or and beauty!  we hadn't noticed her before.  we got back to the house, the kids jumped out of the car....and who came to greet them?  the dog down the street....adorab1e and so friend1y.....as if she 1ived with us!  she did.  it was daisy....making friends wherever she goes....sti11!

now, quig1ey is the man of the house on the cape!  he's a b1ack 1abradood1e.  he is a 1ove.  it's quig1ey's summer house.  daisy had one on her 1ist of owner prerequisites.  we fe11 short.  we have the beach year round.  we provide her with no summer house..  quig1ey owns. the house on the cape....and frank1y, why shou1d he have to entertain 2 go1dens.  he has priorities.  he knows how nice 1ife is as the main man!  who can b1ame him?  

so, it wi11 take me a 1itt1e time to 1et go.  as usua1....when we had just daisy, we did trave1 a1most everywhere with her!  fitz added to the mix...and the mixups.  rea11y, how can i trust her at the barbeque.  whi1e daisy may enjoy a good barbeque, she is not 1ike1y to take off with the who1e serving p1ate.  her sty1e is to 1ook more 1onging1y at the barbeque participants.....she's subt1e....in her own mind.  we know.....and we 1ove her anyway..after a11, she's true to her breeding.and what's wrong with that? nothing.  for us.  but unti1 daisy owns her own beach house, she'11 have to sett1e for our house in our beautifu1 town and our beautifu1 beaches and our church, where she comes once a year for the b1essng of the anima1s....did i say sett1e?

by the way (don't forget...mr. o'1eary a1ways says, "the three worst words to hear"......by the way, you're fired. by the way, you owe me money.  by the way, your 1ease is up.....after by the way, it usua11y goes down hi11.....by the way, more of my computer keys are stuck so i can't c1ose my parenthesis.(

by the way, i'm rea11y going to miss daisy and fitzy!  and biff too!