The Shore in August

On a beautiful Monday in August we went to Cape May.  The weather was perfect and we spent all day playing in the water and hanging out in the sand.  Ben spends all day splashing and battling the waves.  Gabe on the other hand insists on going home about 30 minutes after we arrive.  We finally had to bribe him into going into the water by telling him that he could not play on the DS on the way home from the shore.  He responded, "OKAY!! I will go in the water but I won't like it!"  Of course he loved it and spent the rest of the afternoon following Ben's example.  Sometimes a little encouragement is all they need.

The boys can't help themselves

Three boys know how to make life interesting.  Here are a few samples of what goes on here on a regular basis.

Gabe is so good at mustering up some tears.  Here is a precursor to big crocodile tears

The boys like to decorate Sam while he sits there helplessly.  I am sure he will have his vengeance someday.

The boys fight over who gets to hold Sam.

Grandma and Grandpa Fairchild visit

In the middle of July Grandma and Grandpa Fairchild visited after they returned home from their mission in Cambodia. We had such a great time with them. We went to Ocean City, the Please Touch Museum, and Hershey Park - where it rained like crazy causing us to run with the herd towards the exit. It was so fun to have them visit us. The boys love their grandparents so much! Grandma logged in some baby time too.

Cute Pictures of Sam at 2 months

I haven't put in many pictures of Sam yet, so here he is at 2 months before he started to lose and then regrow some of his hair.  He is too cute!!

Dad and boys camping trip

Waaay back in June Mike took the boys on a camping trip in the Pocono's.  They did a little fishing, hiking, and swimming.  Back at the camp Mike built a fire and then tried to get the boy's to roast marshmallows and eat s'mores.  In an ideal world they would roast the marshmallows, put them with the chocolate in a graham cracker and enjoy the gooey yumminess.  This is not an ideal world.  Instead the boys turn the marshmallows into burning infernos and then they gorge themselves on chocolate.  For the boys, any stick that is lying on the ground becomes a torch and Mike tried to keep the boys from branding eachother, or burning down the campsite.  Always an adventure.

Fishing with Grandpa Featherstone

Gabe, waiting patiently for a fish.  He didn't have to wait to long.  He caught a fish with his first cast - a nice big catfish.  With a little help from Grandpa (a lot of help) the catfish was reeled in and Gabe ran off.  Catfish are scary fish.

Ben waiting for the perfect fish.  It took him quite a while to hook one, but he did it.

Ben, already schooled and an experienced fisherman, practices his technique.

Grandpa instructing Gabe on fishing technique.

Silly photos of B & G

Gabe showing off the groovy wig and what looks like a hairy armpit.  Our boys are mature for their age.

Ben, always the coolest dude.

Our three sons.  Sam is the orange popsicle in the middle.  He got a good case of jaudice that is fading slowly.

This is Gabe imitating Mike and his TV watching face.  Gabe said to Mike, "Dad, why do you make this face when you watch TV?"  Mike had no idea what he was talking about.  As soon as I saw it I recognized it right away!  That is the face Mike makes when he is trying to tune everything else out and focus on some WWII show.  Funny thing is, Mike can't even consciously make the face himself.

Gabe showing us his big mouth - lots of noise comes from that place.

Ben and his bug bite or spider bite in the shaped of a "P" - just showing that he is a true Phillies Fan.