Capon Springs 2016

This past week we have been in Capon Springs, WV with the Nicodemus family for our annual family reunion.  It was a wonderful time, as always, and we're extra thankful we were able to be there...we weren't sure how Baby's plans would affect our ability to go!  But Baby decided to stay put (so far!)

Some highlights of this year's get-together were:

1.  Feeding the "piggies" and the cows

2.  Sporting events, including the one-mile road race and mixed doubles tennis tournament (Jonathan and Christine took home first place!)

3.  Meals and playtime "on the hill"

4.  Hiking (and a surprise rattlesnake sighting...thought we'd left those behind in New Mexico!!)

5.  Watching Caroline raise the flag one morning

6.  Getting to know our family's newest member, Allison and Mike's daughter, Julia (Benji loved holding her--good big brother practice!)

7.  Lots of sweet family  moments with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents...

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

Kentucky Reunion 2016

As you can see, the blog has a new title and a new look to fit our new home!  While we no longer live in the "Land of Enchantment", we find our new home quite enchanting in its own way...so that part of the blog title remains.

The past three weeks have been filled with tears, adjustments, and many, many, MANY miles of travel.  We drove three days across the country to North Carolina, where we stayed with Jonathan's parents for a few nights before driving the remaining 6 miles north to Maryland (and here I must pause for a few adorable photos of Benji and his cousin Knox...)

After four days of furious unpacking and trying to settle into our new house, we were back on the road again, heading to the Chicago area for the wedding of Michael and Laura Ippel and the 2016 gathering of the Kentucky Reunion.

The KY Reunion group keeps growing every year!

Mom, Dad, niece Caroline and nephew Andrew were our travel buddies out to Illinois.  We spent one night along the way in the Amish country of Indiana, at a cool hotel called the Blue Gate Garden Inn.  Benji's favorite part was the pool...Mine was the amazing breakfast!

The wedding was beautiful in every way--we love Michael and Laura and who they are as a couple!  My favorite part of the ceremony was the foot-washing that they did for each other.  The reception took place at Abbey Farms in a big barn-style building (Benji was a huge fan of the tractor parked outside!)

From the wedding location, our Kentucky group drove a few hours to Camp Mennohaven in southwestern Illinois.  It was a beautiful spot, with wooded trails and even a little lake.

 Some of the most memorable moments of the reunion week included:

- A hayrack ride that was more exciting than originally planned (the tractor took a wrong turn and the men had to unhitch the wagon and turn it around in the middle of the woods!)

- A trip to town to watch Finding Dory in our own private movie theater

Photo credit to Jessica Bender!

- Fun afternoons down at the pool

Photo credit to Jessica again!

- Playing lots and lots of games

- Watching the skies during a tornado warning!

- Benji's discovery of Play-doh, thanks to Aunt Emily

- Creating the annual adventure race around camp

Overall, it was a wonderful week, even though we were pretty travel-weary by the time we got back home.  And call us crazy, but we're hoping to drive down to Figure 8 Island for the Fourth of July next weekend!  Maybe one day all of these boxes will be unpacked...Until then, we're learning to live with a little more chaos than usual  :)

Benji has become a big fan of Cracker Barrel in all of his cross-country travels!