Family and Dash & Splash

We arrived home Sunday morning from our travels to Mississippi and North Carolina.  Kirsten came home with us and hung out for a few days before her family arrived.  Deb and her family arrived early Thursday morning about 3am.

Before family came we made a stop to Sharp Shopper.  We got there about 10 minutes before they closed.  We bought quite a lot in 10 minutes!  We were zooming around the store.


Thursday morning I took the kids to the park while Deb and Matt slept in.  They had had a few days in a row of late nights and super early mornings.  Haley made a snowman out of mud.  So I guess a mudman.




I love seeing the cousins hang out and talk.  I think it's so cute.


Elden and Hyrum had a great time together.




While we were at the park Lee had a farewell lunch for one of his team members.  Nancy, in the blue and white, retired.  Big SAD face for us!  She was such a fantastic team member and I wish she would have kept working for 15 more years!  We loved having her with Lee's practice.  We are excited for her, but sad for us.


After the lunch, Lee came and got a round of ultimate dodge ball going with the cousins.


Later that afternoon Deborah, Shanna and Kirsten help sort the shirts for the Dash & Splash.


I love how the shirts turned out! Though the design is simple, it's one I came up with and was really pleased with. I don't think of myself as being creative.




We also went down to the library for a little bit.


That night we went to Shenandoah National Park so Cal could go on his 5 mile hike for scouts.  We saw a BEAR!  I've never ever seen a bear up in Shenandoah, but I've heard several people tell me they have.  It was fun finally seeing one!


Cal orienting his compass, getting ready for the hike.  We hiked on the Appalachian Trail.  Lee, Cal and Elden were quite a ways a head of us and we never saw them once they took off.








A big snail!  We hiked about 4.25 miles, with Cal, Lee and Elden doing the whole 5.  We ate Oreos in the parking lot and headed home afterwards.


Friday we attended one of the "Free Friday" events the library sponsors throughout the summer here.  This free activity involved going to Mt. Crawford Creamery to get a free pint of milk!  We walked around the dairy farm too. 






Next we went to Route 11 Potato Chip factory.  It's only a half-hour from Harrisonburg and I've never been.  It was fun seeing some of the processes for making potato chips, along with trying some out.  The Hot Momma Zumma's were SUPER hot!






After eating lunch at McDonald's--all the kids had coupons from the library reading program (I signed up Deb, Lois, and Lena's kids) we went to the pool.  Cal and Elden and I went to Big Lots so Cal could ring the bell for Salvation Army.  He needed two service hours for Tenderfoot scout.  It was bad planning on my part because it would have been fun to go swimming with cousins.  But I didn't know when else to do something as this summer is booked!


We showed Deb and Matt Lee's Harrisonburg office that he rents out at Walmart.  Lee recently hired a new doctor and Lee had his door redone.  Things are going great with the doctor.  I hope she's enjoying it!


That night night Lee and I took Deb and Matt on a date to Ciros.  We got smoothies and a dessert.  Fun evening talking.  Lee told us the most hilarious story!  Definitely his most awkward professional story to date.  You'll have to ask him about it sometime.  Deb and I were laughing SOOO hard!  Our high councilman spoke on Sunday and said how one of the few phrases he knew in Tagalog (in the Philippines when he was first on his mission) was "I love you".  Some crazy guy came up to him and his companion one day and started hitting the high councilman--when he was a young missionary. .  He grabbed his wrists and didn't know what else to do.  Then he told him "I love you" and the crazy guy calmed down.  Lee and I looked at each other as this reminded me of Lee's awkward story.  




Saturday more family came with the arrival of the Ereksons!  They met up with us at the starting point for the Dash & Splash.  It was a one mile run, then one mile river float up the Shenandoah River benefit fundraiser for epilepsy and the Boys & Girls club.  Yes, the river runs north!  Pretty cool! I thought it would be fun to have an Elkton Eyecare team.  We got t-shirts for everyone. 








The water was a bit cold when I first got in!


Mike and Alyssa got in soon after us, but totally but us on the floating part.


Hyrum was one of our team members, and we asked him to join in on the fun.  One of Lee's other team members came, along with the new doctor. It was fun that they came.


And here is my nephew Hyrum, with big Hyrum!


All of us afterwards!






After race fun....


That night we went to Karen's in Shenandoah.  The kids had free coupons from the library.  They have YUMMY soft serve.  Oh so good.




And for the last picture, Reed and Cal played a made-up game a couple of times.  Thought it was so cute.  We haven't been doing hardly any computer time or movies this summer and I'm loving it.  It's been so great having the cousin play with each other.  I hope they look back on this summer with fond memories!