Edwards and Eunice were quite interested in all the birthday doings.

Opening all the gifts.

A very happy Grace Susannah

Grace's 9th birtday.

Obadiah enjoying an ear of corn. . .I think I needed new batteries in my camera.

Guess I forgot the serving spoon!

Biggy Boz and Bitty Boz!

Joel's Ordination service was held in Glens Falls, NY at the Ridge Road Wesleyan Church on July 22, 2009. Joel and Paul Barna were the two ordinands and it was a wonderful service. It was very moving to see all the pastoral couples of the conference form an honor guard for these two couples to walk through at the close of the ceremony. There must have been at least 300 people in attendance and the singing was just wonderful. A very happy evening, indeed.

Some of the North Chittenden Wesleyan girls at the reception following the service. Left to right: Elisabeth Peck, Elisabeth Tate, Lucy Tate, Sarah Peck, and Hannah Peck. Joel had a huge representation from his church at the service.

Job and Kevin Peck near the coffee pot!

More California Pictures

Dave Crimi, Nancy Crimi Beggs (Dave's sister) and Jody Solomon Crimi, Dave's wife.

Larry, Ruthie, Dave, Sarah and Lucy coming in the door, Jody. Waiting for our table to be called to go through the buffet line.

Camp Maranatha Staff are such a big part of what makes camp so special. They willingly waited on us day in and day out. We loved to see them having such a good time together at meals when they weren't behind the serving line or already loading "norman" (the dishwasher).

It looks like Rachel is smiling at me but she is really saying "put the camera away" between clenched teeth! Josh is on the move.

Sarah had just given Miles a bath and Jack thought he ought to have a bath in the little pan as well!

Our dear, dear friends, Larry and Ruth Solomon accompanied their daughter Jody Solomon Crimi and her husband Dave up to Family Camp 2009. What a joyous reunion for BJT and me!!!

Jan and Jim Crouse were at Family Camp as well. Jim's parents were dear friends of Barry's folks from their Washington State days.

Cheryl and Jim Gilroy were at camp as well. Jim pastors one of the southern California churches. He had also pastored the State Road Church in northern Maine and so had been my Grandma Bull's pastor for a season.

This wonderful girl kept us nourished all week! We love you, Lisa. I would tell you my favorite meal but they were all super great!

Not sure whose profile I have here at the left of the picture(see the white profile?). I am thinking it was BJT. I was taking a picture of the two staff guys, one of whom is our very own Nathanael Peck!!!

More California pictures. Lucy and Jack after a long afternoon swim. Jack really did not need his goggles as his face never got wet except for an errant splash.

Barry came to check on the swimmers.

Bowden is quickly becoming a fish. Learned to leave the swimmies behind and swim underwater.

Had a great time visiting with my college friend Sara (Summers Cruce) Walston. Sara and I had leisurely visits in the pool as we held onto non swimming grandchildren. Sara's granddaughter Maggie is the owner of all that curly bright red hair!

A grand way to spend those sunny afternoons.

An even better picture of the snake! I know some of you are thinking I am crazy but I don't want to hurt the snake and at the same time I don't want the snake to get the baby birds that are chirping in the nest by the back door.

Ratsnake!

This very snake was draped over our back door when we got home from the Ordination last night. I opened the door to go in and something thwacked me on the head as I went through the door. I jumped and looked up and there was a prize ratsnake specimen enroute to the phoebe nest over the back door light fixture. His last foot and a half was hanging down and that is what I had hit with my head! With the help of my walking stick I helped the snake back down to the deck and then looked it over trying to decide what kind it was. Underside is a creamy white. Pretty long. I am fairly certain it is a ratsnake. They are a threatened species in Vermont and I have reported my sighting. These pictures I took tonight when the snake returned for another try at the nest.

California Camp Maranatha

Such a joy to be on hand for the birth of Miles Bradley Paulson Tate. He definitely looks like one of Josh and Sarah's babies. Miles weighed 8 lbs 5 ozs and was 20 1/4 inches long. We are enjoying our days at Family Camp and it is an added joy seeing Rachel and Nathanael Peck. I would have posted some pictures to FB but Josh's computer is determined to make my life difficult in that regard.

Last dog class for Edwards and me today at 1700. We have loved every class and he has been excellent ever since the introduction of the pinch collar at class #2. He is a big furry boy, evidence of this fact is rolling in little clumps on the hardwood floors. He is undergoing a minor diet change this week as he will not be getting the last bite of Barry's poached egg each morning as Barry is at Camp Bethel for a week of Bible teaching. He will go to Wundrland tomorrow and Wednesday while I am at work in Manchester and then Thursday and Friday while I am in the ER he will hang out in North Chittenden. . .don't forget to come get him Joel! Poor Joel (or Christine) will come down to the ER parking lot and retrieve him from my car at 0645 and then bring him back again at 1900.

The baby orioles have flown. Little sign of any activity around the nest. I was hoping they would raise another family. Saw a beautiful Indigo Bunting this morning on my drive out to Fair Haven.

Those are blueberries on top of the honey on top of Grace's toast. She seemed to enjoy the combo. . .breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa's is always an adventure.

Grammy Camp!

I am sure you are wondering how we at our advanced age could manage four active youngsters here at the lakehouse! Let me just tell you, it wasn't hard at all.

Our Rhubarb Visit

We went by Joel and Christine's to pick rhubarb a few days ago and found children scurrying around. The clothesline had fallen dumping all Christine's freshly washed clothes onto the ground and some into the muddy brook runoff . The big girls had picked up the wet clothes and Gracie had decorated herself with lots of clothespins. Obie was busy with his tools working to fix the broken line. It was quite a cute picture.

Hike

This morning Edwards and I were invited up to Sue's to go on a hike. Before we set out we all admired Sue's new raised bed garden! She is done with on the ground weeding, DONE! It would appear that she does not plan to share with the rabbits. . .I am sure the deer can leap that fence and Mr. Moose will just walk through it if he wants to.

We were joined on the hike by Iris, whom I picked up as I drove by, and Joyce and her dog, William. Joyce lives over on Perch Pond. So we four ladies and three gentlemen dogs set out. There are wonderful ATV trails down through Sue's property.

Sue had strategically placed political signs along the route which made me laugh. Take a look at these three relatively clean dogs. . .when we got to the end of the trail they looked like pitiful mud wrestlers. . .

At one point on our hike we spied what looked like bear tracks in the clay. There were definite claw marks.

The going was not very easy in places. Road pretty rocky and did I mention it was muddy.

In jig time we turned in at our old red gate up back and came down the trail and there was our outhouse. Next stop was a swim in the lake before these dogs could become part of civilization again.

Such a handsome William, despite the mud.

Edwards is ready to take the plunge.

Dripping wet and mudless!

A happy swimmer.

Good dog!