Jack's Baptism

We were also able to attend Jack's baptism while we were in New Jersey. Here he is, all decked out. It was a great day!

Banana in My Shoe

Yesterday, Lottie begged me for the last banana. I assumed she was actually hungry, and gave it to her. After a few minutes, she came running up to me, wanting to wash her sticky hands. When I asked where her banana went, she said, in her sweetest baby girl voice, "I put it in Adam's shoe!" And she had.

Did you know half a banana fits perfectly in a size 11 sneaker? And the peel gets tucked in right next to it in the shoe bin.

Playground

We headed to the playground one nice afternoon. Jenna had fun on the swings. She also made a friend and borrowed a doll.

Adam was a fan of the sand digger.

Old Friends

I had time to get together with some old friends from high school while we were in New Jersey. It was fun to catch up and let the kids play together.
Adam and Lottie had a good time with Jackson.

Tara and me.

We also got together for ice cream with the other Tara. Her step-daughter, Samantha, was awesome with Adam and Lottie. They chased some frogs around!

Tara and me.

Barnacle Bill's

While we were in New Jersey, we had to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, Barnacle Bill's. There's always a wait, but the kids didn't mind. They were too busy feeding peanuts to the ducks at the marina.

Crazy Japanese New Jersey sign.

Sunset.

After dinner, we had time for a family picture.

One last attempt to torment the ducks!

Ditty

A catchy new song by Lottie:

Hey there monkey you can't catch me.

Smack that monkey all the way down that tree.

Fruit Picking

On August 13, we took advantage of a beautiful day to pick lots of fruit. First we had to take a picture of the kids. I'm the only person who's allowed to do Jenna's hair, so we needed documentation.

Our first stop was Eastmont Orchards to pick peaches and nectarines (they also have apples in the fall). We needed a big wheelbarrow to haul all that fruit.

Of course, all the kids had to try nectarines right away. They were delicious - the best I've ever had.

Then we headed down the street to pick some berries. They had blackberries and raspberries.

Adam was a pro at blackberry picking from our trip earlier in the summer. He enjoyed the bucket around his neck - two hands to get all those berries.

Japan in New Jersey

On August 12, we headed to Edgewater, New Jersey. There's a Japanese grocery store, Mitsuwa, there. Everyone went crazy shopping for their favorite Japanese treats. As a bonus, there is a Japanese food court with views out to New York City. The kids were very excited to eat spicy noodles. Lottie still hasn't mastered chopsticks, but she managed to get the noodles in her mouth.

Some of our food (midway through eating). Yum!

Beach

Time to catch up on our trip to New Jersey! On August 10, we took the kids to the beach. In New Jersey, you have to pay to get on the beach. We are lucky to be able to use the New Jersey National Guard beach at Sea Girt for free. We love our military benefits. It was overcast, but warm enough to splash around and make some sand castles.