Summer, Part 4: Figure Eight Island

Our final voyage of the summer took us back to Figure Eight Island near Wilmington, NC.  We wanted to spend Daniel's first birthday with Jonathan's parents and also see some good friends (Beth and Mark Miller as well as the Rodes family, visiting all the way from France!)

Daniel's birthday was so much fun; we had a Thomas the Train cupcake "cake" and Daniel was hilarious devouring his cupcake!

Besides lots of fun beach time, we also went on some walk/runs, rode bikes together and played BINGO one night.

The Rodes children are adorable and were very sweet playing with Benji and Daniel!  The boys also loved having Captain and Mere Mere around:

After all of our summer travels, I wasn't sure how smart it was to take another long trip.  But I'm so glad we were in this beautiful place with wonderful people, especially to celebrate Daniel's "golden" birthday!  Happy birthday, sweet buddy!

Summer, Part 1: North Carolina

 One of the best things about being a teacher (or having a husband who is a teacher) is getting to travel all through the summer!  We have a busy summer planned this year, partly to escape the heat in Maryland (no AC in the old farmhouse...) but mostly to visit lots of people who we love!  First stop was North Carolina to see some of Jonathan's family!

Daniel and Mere Mere

Benji and "The Captain"

We began in Greensboro at Mom and Dad Newman's house, where we had a wonderful morning at the Greensboro Children's Museum.  I'm not sure who was having the most fun there: Benji, Daniel, or me!  :)  There are lots of big vehicles (fire truck, air plane, train...) that the children can climb into and pretend to drive, plus a pretend supermarket, pizza parlor, farmhouse, doctor's office, post office, construction site, a big garden, and more!  Daniel loved the toddler area.  

We also took a little day trip to Burlington where there is an adorable mini amusement park.  Benji enjoyed riding the train, boats, and carousel:

From Greensboro, we drove to the beach at Figure 8 Island where we got to spend a few days with Uncle Andrew, Aunt Meghan, and cousin Knox.  Benji and Knox were so cute, playing together more than ever before!

Both boys loved the ocean so much.  Benji's new favorite game is jumping over the big waves.  Daniel could have sat in the water all day if I let him!

It was fun to start off the summer with lots of family time, and beach time!  Next stop: Capon Springs with the Nicodemus clan!

The Fourth of July

After our long car trips from New Mexico and to/from Illinois, I thought we were crazy to get back in the car for seven hours to drive to the North Carolina coast.  But spending the Fourth of July at Figure 8 Island with Jonathan's family was just too tempting...so back in the car we went (and I'm glad we did!)

Beach conditions were great, especially since a big tide pool formed each morning: perfect for Benji to splash around in without worrying about the big waves (which fascinated him but also terrified him!)  I loved the tide pool, too--a wonderful spot for my 36-week-pregnant self to cool off and feel weightless for a while!

We had a good time with Jonathan's parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins.  Benji warmed up to them VERY quickly and was our main source of entertainment, as usual!

And then there were the Fourth of July festivities: the annual island parade, snacks and games at noon and a big picnic dinner in the evening, followed by the fireworks. 

Another fun Fourth at Figure 8!  Now we're back home, and most of my focus has turned to the upcoming arrival of Baby Newman #2...The due date is Aug. 1st, but it really could be any day now!  :D

Senior Trip to Lake Powell

This past weekend, we had a big adventure joining about 20 Senior students on their class trip to Lake Powell, AZ.  Lake Powell was formed when the Glen Canyon Dam was built on the Colorado River; it is an otherworldly place of water in the desert--stark red and white rock canyon walls rising from beautiful blue water.

I am far from an experienced camper, and so this trip was a stretch for me.  We spent three nights camping: the first and last at the Wahweap campgroup, and the second night we took two motor boats out to an empty stretch of beach for some rustic camping.  As we unloaded the boats onto the sand I felt like a contestant on Survivor, or like one of the pilgrims to the New World!

Benji at the Campground

This scene looks so peaceful...but just an hour earlier, 50 yards down the beach, our tent blew over in the wind!

Dinner over the campfire

This was a truly gorgeous spot, but the weather did not totally cooperate.  Between 30 mph wind gusts and the hot sun (with no shade), there were some tense and uncomfortable moments.  Benji did amazingly well for all of that.  He enjoyed riding on the motor boat, digging in the sand, and getting lots of attention from all of the students.  Plus, he got to sleep in the same "cave" (aka tent) as Mommy and Daddy and woke up next to us each morning: what fun!

"Trucks and cars" was the game of choice each  morning

Showing Baa-Baa the amazing view outside of our tent

On the last day we also go to visit a spot I've always wanted to see: Horseshoe Bend, which I hear is the official starting point of the Grand Canyon. What an amazing sight!  It was just a little nerve-wracking to have students sitting so close to the edge with no railings, but thankfully we all made it back safely.

There were a few smaller casualties on the trip:
1. A big crack down the screen of my new smart phone, incurred (ironically) not while camping, boating, or hiking, but while shopping for supplies at Wal-Mart.  Go figure!
2. Several tent stakes, buried somewhere in the sand on Wahweap Bay, after our tent got blown over..
3. My lower back, temporarily wounded by sleeping on the ground while 7 months pregnant, now (thankfully) restored to full service!

But there were also some highlights:
1. Becoming a more experienced camper...after three times tearing down and setting up camp, I finally put up our tent all by myself!  I consider this a major accomplishment!
2. The view outside our tent each morning.
3. Spending time with some of the students who were in my first 8th grade class.  They were great kids then, and are amazing young adults now!  It was awesome to see how they have matured and yet have still kept their wonderful personalities.  Can you imagine they graduate from High School on Saturday!?

May 2012--8th Grade Class Trip

May 2016--Senior Class Trip