Camping at Creasap Bay

Val and James Blomdahl (the newlyweds) invited their wedding guests to go camping with them for the weekend after their wedding last Thursday. They reserved a group camping site at Creasap Bay. Though the thought of being the only adult 100% responsible for my crazy kid while camping was a bit scary, I didn't hesitate about going. We packed up my tiny Ford Focus (w/ no a/c), met up with the Veach's in their camper van then met up with the Blomdahl's in their mobile home and we all caravanned north to our camping spot.

The group camp site consisted of 15 seperate normal camp sites, kind of set up in a circle around a big common area with a picnic shelter and huge play/field area - and all surounded by woods and the bay. It was pretty neat and everyone much knew everyone else so it was safe to let your kids run around (to a certain extent) because everyone was looking out for everyone else. I didn't know anyone except the Val #1 and Val #2 parties, but little ones change things like that quickly. Like the wedding, there were a ton of kids - most of them under the age of 5. It makes all the difference in the world when you have a small kid and there are other small kids to play with. Thank goodness! We had a great time and had very few problems or breakdowns from either Esperanza or I. We left with all body parts still in tact and only two bruised/skinned knees (Esperanza, not I). I took a lot of pictures, enjoy.

Did you know that deer swim? And I mean swim all the way across a huge lake, and then back! Strange.

The crew: Jameson, Val, Annabelle, Carter & Esperanza

Loving her surroundings

Kids playing in the camp site field

It might have been hot, but this water was freezing! Here's Carter & Annabelle contemplating on how deep they want to go.

Esperanza just played in the sand. She wouldn't even put her toes in the water.

Breathtaking scenery

Yuck- hot dog! Does the fact that it's organic and rediculously expensive make it any better? Probably not.

Giving me the 'crazy eye' because I want that bag of chips back!

Crack!

Unresistably cute!
Esperanza and Carter kickin' back with crayons and a coloring book
So there's a story that goes with this one: Val had to come up with a 'time out' place for Carter. Since there are very little corners but lots of trees in the woods, Val decided that when Carter got into trouble, he had to hug a tree for 4 minutes (he's 4 years old). He was threatened many times and usually reversed his attitude pretty quickly, for fear of having to hug a tree. Well, low and behold, the time came and he did get to hug a tree. I wasn't there for it, so this isn't the actual event, but this was the tree. It's obviously a little bit funny...but coming from a 'tree hugger' perspective, it kind of sucks that the kid will forever have a negative memory about hugging trees.
Carter looks surpised b/c he won't look at the camera unless I trick him by saying 'look, here's a cookie' or something similar

Esperanza whining for something

Newlyweds Val and James (she makes the best guacamole!)

Nursing my 'baby'

Annabelle

Esperanza snuggling with Jameson before bed! I think she misses her own daddy, she had to borrow someone else's for a moment.
Our tent felt empty without Armando

I have to tell another story about this kid Carter ~sorry Val~ The last night that we were there, the entire group of campers got together in the picnic shelter for a pot luck dinner. We all ate then they had a cake cause it was someone's birthday. So we were eating cake and everyone was pretty much looking out facing the kids that were running around playing. Carter was among them. All of the sudden, Carter pulls down his pants. This is pretty common b/c he REALLY likes going pee outside. But he also knows it's a private thing and it shouldn't be done out in the open. So Val kind of covers her face with mild embarrasment and says something like, 'oh man, he's gonna go pee'. But then he squats. And then he poops! Keep in mind there are at least 30 or more adults watching - and eating cake. And there are another 10 or so kids in the field. Even from about 20 feet away, we got a very good visual of what he was doing. Poor Val, she was so embarrassed, jumped up, ran over to him, pulled his pants up 'mid-poop' and drug him away (I actually wonder if this was the time he had to hug the tree). Everyone thought it was funny and the guys thought it was actually pretty cool. Anyways, as you can imagine, he was still being talked about the next morning. Sorry to leave you with the poop story, but thats all folks.

Blomdahl Wedding

Valerie Logan and James Blomdahl tied the knot! And as a side note - Valerie & James Logan are different friends than the Valerie & Jameson Veach I often talk about. It gets confusing at times for all of us since we're all friends.Last Thursday evening, Esperanza and I went to their wedding at the Abernethy Center. The ceremony was held outside in a beautiful setting called Abigails Garden. It was probably one of the most enchanting weddings I've ever been to. The scenery was breathtaking, the kids were well behaved and the weather was perfect.

Other than the ceremony part & a quick goodbye a few hours later, we didn't see much of the bride and groom. The reception was held in a huge tent just steps away from the ceremony site...but Esperanza REALLY wanted to play outside. And, since it's all about Esperanza (thow outside of our little bubble it was really all about Val), that's what we did, for about 3 or more hours. She didn't want to eat, watch the cake cutting, listen to the toasts, meet or mingle with people, dance, etc. Nope, outdoor play was the only thing on her mind. Luckily I was in love with the grounds as well and didn't mind being outside with her (though I did attempt to get her inside to the party several times). All in all, I got a gazillion pictures of Esperanza and not one picture of the bride and groom (above photo courtesy of Val's facebook page). So here you have it, pictures of Esperanza at Val & James' wedding.

Ang & Jess' son Parker with Esperanza on the car ride to the wedding Parker and Esperanza running and playing in one of the fields There were several little ones close to Esperanza's age that she played with
And here come a few of my favs...
Annabelle and Carter running to burn off some energy Carter giving his mama, Valerie Veach, a big smoochEsperanza is a landscapers worse nightmare - she spent a good part of her time tearing up the immaculate grass!

Exhausted & ready to go home

Congratulations Val and James! Thank you for inviting us to share this special day with you.

June Birthdays

Happy birthday to all the June babies out there! For some reason I have just 3 birthdays that we celebrated this month...Carter turned 4, Celeste turned (oh shoot, 9 or 10?) and my mom turned 60. I feel like I am forgetting someone?? Anyways, here are the birthday babies I did remember...

Mom, Mary, Esperanza and me just before mom hit the bars

Happy 6oth mom!

Val & Jameson rented a big bouncy house for Carter's 4th birthday. There were a ton of kids there as it was combined with his cousin Conner's 5th birthday too. Esperanza was a little terrified of the bouncy house but there was so much other fun stuff to do she didn't feel the least bit left out of the party.

The kids in line for the pinata

Ooooh, pinata candy!!! it ended up in the garbage after she fell asleep - ssshhh

Happy birthday Conner and Carter! This was the best picture I could get of either one of them.

Esperanza & Val's niece Nevaeh having fun on the trampoline

Our niece Celeste had a birthday in June also and turned either 9 or 10 (I'm getting really bad at keeping up on this stuff). She shared her birthday party with her uncle Salvador.

Happy birthday Celeste! So sad this was the best I could do for a picture of her.

The birthday cake

Cathy, her kids Brandon and Clarissa & her man Nino

Our niece Marticela, her man Omar and thier baby boy that was born last month.

Fathers Day

A lot of men can make babies, but it takes a very special person to be a father to their children. I am thankful to have two amazing men in my life who are just that: my husband Armando and my own stepdad George. Thank you Armando for being such a wonderful father to Esperanza and thank you George for being the best father I could ask for. I am a lucky girl!

Esperanza and I met my sister Mary and my mom on Fathers Day at the VA rehab center where George is currently at, recovering from a toe amputation. He's getting stronger by the day but his 'toe' is not healing very well. Unfortunately, the infection has gotten worse and has spread into the bones in his foot & part of his leg. The very sad news is that he will be loosing that foot and part of his leg soon. The doctors have gone back and forth on this decision several times over the past month, in hopes that it would heal and get better. It sounds like they can't wait any longer though, for fear of it getting even worse. Please send warm and positive thoughts and prayers his way. It is a serious surgery, a long recovery and a life changing event. On Fathers Day we brought him some snacks and visited with him for awhile. Towards the end of our stay, Naomi called his room and wished him a happy fathers day too. That was the first time he heard her voice in many years.

Esperanza is soooo happy to see her aunt Mary again!

Mary, Mom, Esperanza, Me and George

Esperanza snuggling with Mary

George's dragon tattoo on his arm that Mary really wanted me to get a picture of (she will be replicating it into a 'dragon in the moon' tattoo on her back one day)

Armando is still in Greece, going to school and vacationing. He's having a wonderful time and I am so jealous. Esperanza and I are able to use Skype to talk to him and see him every few days. It is 10 hours ahead where he is so there are small windows of time that we are both awake and able to 'call' each other...and the internet connection where he is doesn't work very often. He really wishes we had gone there too, and there is a huge part of me that wishes we did go. But I still firmly believe that the LONG plane ride alone with Esperanza on my lap would have been REALLY bad! If we could just be there at the snap of a finger, that would be great. he's staying in an area of Greece that is pretty remote, 2 hours away from Athens. It's not touristy and no one speaks English. We missed him on Fathers Day (well, every day for that matter) and he really misses us too. Three weeks to go...