Priceless

Dad's comment on the Drama Queen post down below:

"dEAR Carolyn, You are so right.I used to see those drama queens every day, but it's slow for me right now unless it's a vacation.I get to se the grand kahuna right every day." Lov, Dad

Mom/Grand Kahuna- We love you!

Thank God we can all have a sense of humor about ourselves. Life would be really sad if we didn't see how crazy and silly we really are. Somehow it comes out more with family. At the beginning of the Beach Week, Cath and I were speculating that there would probably be some tensions- a totally inevitable reality when adult siblings live together under the same roof for more than 3 minutes.
My final thought is:
What is it about being with family that makes one act like a 10 to 13 year old and not an adult?!!! I'm sure some of my aunts could relate when they're at Sandy Cove.
I like remembering what John Paul's namesake said about the matter: "Family is the school of love." Sometimes I want to jump out the window and find a different "school" but isn't that just all part of the testing?

A Brief Moment

Our dinners usually consist of 2 entrees. One for us and one for the kids. We've just very much given in to the "kid food" mentality because frankly we like our "adult" dinners. It's hard to have a crossover dish available every night that pleases everybody. The other night Luis grilled BBQ chicken and corn. (BTW, if you've never grilled corn- do it! With olive oil AND basted in butter- I'll never boil corn again.) We all enjoyed it immensely. As Gabe was scarfing down his corn and chicken, he looked over at Luis with a satisfied stained face and said, "Daddy, thanks for making this. It's REALLY GOOD." It was one of those genuinely precious moments I wish I could bottle up and enjoy later on.

Too Many Drama Queens in One Place

Oops. Did I really just admit that?

Boardwalk Picture

Not bad!
PS- To see really nice pictures of the beach go to:
www.fredandlorriepierceandfamily.blogspot.com
or
www.bergytown.blogspot.com

Jen rolls her eyes at our blogging addiction but just wait- she'll be hooked within a couple of months I know it!

The Truth Revealed

Yes, the below picture is of the grandchildren- John Paul, Gabe, Freddy, Jack, Monica and Lydia. The only ones missing are Gemma and Heil baby in utero.
So there you have it. The blackmail picture of the century. Poor Kids.

Oops- How did this happen?

How did this many small children fit into one bathtub? I mean, their mothers must have not been there- what a hazard! And if they were there, they surely would not have taken pictures of this scandal!

Hand/Foot/Mouth Disease

Dear Virus,
I do not like you. Now that you have been through all of us, I hope we never have to have you in our house again. Now that you've done your business with us, can we have our life back?!
Sincerely,
An annoyed Mommy in Alexandria VA
PS- For all friends & family- if you've had flu-like symptoms, your hands and feet feel like they're perpetually falling asleep and you are getting rashes and sores in your mouth, hands and feet that resemble chicken pox, then you have met the friend I mentioned above. Don't worry, it goes away eventually.
PPS- Shout out to Sharon Isabella today. We're so sad to miss your party but we hope to get down to NC asap. Love to all of you!