We are going to Croatia!

 

Up until last Thursday, we weren't sure we were going on this trip. Thankfully, Don's neurologist said he didn't see any reason he shouldn't be able to travel thousands of miles by plane and then cycle hundreds of miles, too. Woo Hoo! We leave tomorrow.

The Croatia trip is actually one of VBT's more challenging trips due to elevation changes (1,000 - 2,000 ft. elevation gains). But I don't think it will be much worse than Tuscany or Greece. We ordered e-bikes.

We get a day off in the middle of the trip to spend some time island hopping (from Brač to Hvar) on a private boat. If the water is too choppy, we will have to travel by large car ferries. Bring out the popcorn buckets! I'd better pack some Dramamine.

I will be blogging day by day as usual, so stay posted!

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All the Little Things Part 2

 

Josh & Katherine celebrated 12 years of marriage this year by getting away for a night in this mini cabin in the woods.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it was pretty cute on the inside. Can't get more cozy than this!

Pam got the boys a golf cart raft for our pool, but they prefer using it as a comfy couch to watch TV.

We put up temporary gates on our deck this summer so Cooper could run free a little bit outside. He doesn't know it, but Invisible Fence is being installed as I type this. He will soon have access to the entire backyard! He'll be in heaven.

I'm not sure what's going on in this photo, but my guess is that Gavin is imitating Heidi scolding him.

Our boxwood hedges developed a blight and had to all be removed. So sad. We had them in four places.

I purchased a box of six kids' fanny packs - one for each of the grandkids - so they can carry treats around and tell Cooper to "sit" and reward him for not jumping on them. Of course, Roman was not going to be left out of this deal.

Daniel & Heidi got away for their 10th anniversary at Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania. I watched Dean & Gavin, and Heidi's mom watched Noah.

I took Dean and Gavin to the Hudson Library. We got there a half hour before the doors opened and had to hang out. 

Their patience was rewarded. We came back home with 19 books to read.

Marina and Ezra spent time in their little pool on the deck.

Reese loves playing with Duplos at our house. One day we made the longest train ever.

The Lebanese Festival at Our Lady of the Cedars of Mount Lebanon Maronite Church (that's a mouthful) is always the first full weekend in August. 

This was my dinner: Kibbee with homemade yogurt and pita, spinach fatayer, vegetarian green beans, and rice. I only get this stuff once a year.

We know Noah has some Lebanese genes. He chowed down on the Chicken & Rice platter.

Then I spent $100 on pastries to take home. It was a fundraiser after all.

I was so impressed that Dean put this Lego boat and raft together without any help from me. It had 188 pieces!

Marina started 1st Grade a few weeks ago! As they all drove her to school drop-off, Katherine and Josh did not know that, in Ezra's mind, he was also going to school. He cried and cried and cried when he found out that he wasn't getting out of the car with Marina.

Fun in the summer sun at Headlands Beach.

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All the Little Things Part 1

I was looking through my camera roll for the summer and realized many little things happened that weren't big enough for a full blog post. So I'm going to combine them into two blog posts.

Don and I took Dean and Gavin to the Rubber Ducks game in downtown Akron. Our gym had a breast cancer fundraiser last fall, and I was the high bidder on four tickets.

Marina finished Kindergarten this year and is starting to read. I'm so excited!

We are letting Cooper sleep outside his crate in our room now. What's funny is he chose the same spot where Riley used to sleep - under the bench at the foot of our bed.

Cheers!

Peter and Kendall took Reese to the Chinese Lantern Festival at the Cleveland Zoo. Looks beautiful!

Cooper met some other Shelties when we went to the vet one day.

I ran into our kids' babysitter from years ago at Barnes & Noble. Tiffany used to live next door to us and was the best babysitter ever. She now has four boys of her own.

Ezra replaced his pacifier with fourteen toys and stuffed animals.

Carolyn's grandson, Duncan, came for a visit from California. He turned one while he was in town. Such a cutie!

Noah is learning to use power tools. First the weed wacker.

Gavin has become so confident in the pool this summer. Go Gavin!

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40th Anniversary Celebration

 

May 31 was Don's and my 40th anniversary! The two of us had a nice dinner at Lola's Bistro on the 23rd. But the kids surprised us by planning a 40th Anniversary family celebration on July 18 when everyone could be here. The photo above is from dinner that night at Blue Point Grille in downtown Cleveland. It was the first time the eight of us had gone to dinner together without the kids since 2019. We had a great time!

The day began with Katherine, Daniel, and Peter taking me and Don out to breakfast at Yours Truly in Chagrin Falls. This was such a treat! I cannot remember the last time it was just the five of us out for a meal.

While we were out for breakfast, Josh, Heidi, and Kendall decorated the kitchen and prepared some food for later in the day.

They also kept an eye on the kids.

Next up was the pool party - and we had the most fabulous day for it.

Six little grandkids sitting by the pool...

We had a nice cookout for lunch.

And cupcakes for dessert. Then everyone went home to nap and/or spruce up for dinner.

The little ones had babysitters for the night (including Cooper).

What a nice way to celebrate 40 years of marriage!

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