Brooktondale Baby Birthday Bash

Wow, it's been awhile. Gonna try to get back into this. I feel like it's a better way to communicate long form, but more so, I enjoy the journaling. Anyway, I have some pictures to post.

Last weekend, July 12-15, Mom and Dad and Simon joined us for the usual... food, festivities, and some hiking.

Simon and Abe got along marvelously and played and played and played and then... played some more.  Check out those tongues.  Hot dogs!

The main festivity was the third annual Brooktondale Babies Birthday Bash.  It was held at the B-dale community center.  I grilled, the kids played, and everyone seemed to have a good time.  Lots of people thanked me for grilling, but it's mostly a selfish act.  I am fond of saying that it's better for both parties when there is a fire between me and the rest of the world.

Emmett and Willa mostly playing nice at the tetherball.

Sarah and Emmett, and Margaret and Willa swinging together.

Dad is most comfortable seated above the fray.  We should have given him a whistle.

We had a good crowd and great weather.  The kids really played a lot.  When we finished, we cleaned up and headed home.

Of course we had to hit the farmers market.  On Sunday we planned to go get some breakfast at the market and then go to Havana Glen Park to swim at the Eagle Cliff Waterfall.

"Hmmm.  What are you guys having?  Can I have some of that, too?"

Sarah found this waterfall for us when she went to a friend's daughter's graduation party at the park earlier this year.  The park is a traditional style with baseball fields up front, a big playground and lots of pavilions.  There were a bunch of people in the park, but when we got there, there was almost no one in the swimming hole.  It was so fun, and great to go to a new place.

Sorting it all out.

Vinnie rolled in Sunday afternoon and we grilled some shrimp and corn and Sarah made some sautéed squash.  We had a great dinner together at the picnic table and hung out and chatted into the evening.  On Monday morning, Sarah and Emmett went to work, Vinnie and I packed, and Mom and Dad headed to Syracuse.  

Jackie sent some brownies with the resupply shipment for our trip.  We decided to share them out.  They were good.

Emmett got several tiger themed gifts for his birthday.  This one is a real stand out.

Next up, canoeing inside the blue line.