Summer-it's a wrap!

Labor Day weekend is the official end of summer, I suppose. Oh, and what a summer it's been! It began with a wedding that led to a courtship that has led to a certain member of our family moving into a different Time Zone. (Not nationally recognized, but philosophically termed "Lovers' Time") This makes coordinating the simplest events rather difficult because this certain member doesn't need food or drink when he has the conversation of his "belovedid," to quote Ernest T. Bass. I am half-jesting. It has been such a blessing to see Daniel and Abigail's courtship flourishing. :)

The summer continued with a visit to the harbor to see a fleet of tall-ships and an unexpected departure to Georgia which took up five weeks! I turned 20 while down in Georgia and came back just in time to see baby saying his first words and celebrating his first birthday, and Sarah and Leah to turn 18 and 15, respectively. Life waltzed along in a at a comparatively slow pace to that I'd learned to cope with during the campaign.
Levi took his first official steps, and the girls were introduced to Smash-booking. We attended a surprise party for a dear friend, and we lived through many a day of rain for--contrary to the rest of the nation--it's been an exceptionally wet summer.

We planted berry  bushes and played volleyball. I worked on my books and lived the Cossack Uprising vicariously through With Fire and Sword. We made matches and discussed hopes and dreams. There's been laughter and joy and heartache all mingled together into the goblet of this summertime. Old ways we were fond of have gradually been effaced by a new regime of blessings that will prove to be sweeter than we'd ever have dreamed. At present they may rub now and again like a new pair of boots, but we'd never trade them back.
We've sent letters and received letters, we've sung songs and watched movies. We've danced to Ella Fitzgerald and memorized songs from Wicked and Les Miserables. We've even gained a taste for country music!

We've fallen in love with Sherlock and reminded ourselves that our tastes have grown much more refined since the days of Spy Kids and Inspector Gadget. We've made birthday cakes and eaten them, we've walked in the historic towns nearby and had a picnic or two to boot.

It's been a long, full, summer, and one I can truly say I'll never forget. So many memories, so many lessons learned...so much life. I can only look forward with breathless, eager anticipation to see what the fall will bring.
Autumn! Fire of my heart and love of my being...I come alive when the trees kindle and the breeze carries that gypsy-chill on its breath. When the blood rushes with spices and the very leaves are blushing with pure exhilaration...

I can see some of the adventures that might be lurking around the corner, and I know there will be some that take me by surprise. Graduations, dances, birthdays, camp, visiting missionaries and plots for Romania. Campaigns and bonfires and more!

 I don't know which things will come to pass and which will be replaced by something better. But I can say with full assurance that it will not be a dull autumn by any stretch of the imagination!

♫Nothin could be finer than to be in Carolina in the mor--or-ornin'!♪

On Saturday Rachel and I accompanied Daniel down the well-traveled roads leading to the Taylor's house. :) I always have a good time on road trips with these guys. 

We had fun hanging out, singing, and going over to the pool for a nice swim. 

Then on Sunday, after church and some chilling time, we went over to one of the Taylor's neighbor's houses for a picnic for Sam and Anna!

Having a great time with friends:

Rach and Goldberry

Mr. Taylor

More of the wonderful NC people!

What made the picnic truly Southern was the pecan pie and sweet tea. ;)

This was taken by me bird-watching from a distance. ;)

Then Molly, Anna, Jenn and I took the little boys on the trampoline. :)

Anna and David--aw!!

Jenn with Rufus. 

Zach is my little buddy. :)

Molly with her little big nephew!

It was a very wonderful weekend and I used Daniel's phone there near the end to snap some pictures, and I thought you guys might like to see what we've been up to. :)

Avast thar! Be ye friend or foe?

Yesterday Daniel, Rachel, Abigail T., and I trooped over to a harbor close by to check out this event called Harbor Fest/OperationSail. There were around 51 ships, both naval and tall ships, that were docked in a strip of 3 1/2 miles long! We had a great time and Rachel got to do some hands on researching for a certain writing project in the works. :) Here are some of the pictures I was able to take before my battery died:

I think this was the same one that fired twice and scared the wits out of us!

Some of the crew aboard the Cuauhtemoc.

A Mexican sailor at the wheel.

Daniel was a bit disturbed by the deepness of the water we were inches away from

This hammocks were rawther comfortable!

Sailor's knots were abounding....

See? Told ya.

A straight-up shot

Ropes galore!

Rachel was very excited and impressed that this one carried a "moon raker". (the toppest sail a ship can have)

Very pumped up researcher person. ;)

I loved all the tons of masts, flags, and pennants!

This was a neat shot. :)

In Which I'm Taken for Princess Leia. :)

If it was not Daniel and I, I would have deemed the couple going out for Blizzards from Dairy Queen on a freezing night a bit odd.

But it was Daniel and I. It appeared that Sarah, Dad, and the various and sundry everybody elses had eaten all the left-over ice cream from the other night. 

National Security deemed it a State of Emergency. I suggested that Daniel and I run up to the Dairy Queen nearby and get ourselves something. He was agreeable to the idea and we decided to go. 

And then I realized...

...I looked an awful lot like Mickey Mouse. I had my hair in double sock-buns on the top of my head and I looked quite Mousey. "Well, let's stay in the car." I suggested.

Daniel looked much aggrieved. "Oh come on, it doesn't look that bad," he said. I gave him a sidelong, very skeptical glance, but I really didn't want to sit in the car either. I would have to do it. I would rely on the cover of darkness and the lateness of the hour to keep me from any embarrassing encounters with anyone that mattered.

He and I piled into the car, zipped down the road, and walked into the restaurant. He ordered first. I ordered next:

"I'd like a double-fudge cookie-dough blizzard, please."

The cashier was very sweet, but she is not accustomed to seeing me in such a rodent-like state. I saw her politely trying not to stare at my hair. I saw her eyes sparkling and the way that amused smile kept stealing across her face. I knew she thought I was nonsensical, but people, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right? I didn't care so much.

And then I saw them. Them. People we knew. People we knew enough that it would be rude to ignore them. People that would see me impersonating Mickey Mouse and get into their car and laugh all the way home. It was a bit mor'ifying, to quote Mr. Guppy. But I began to see the humor in the situation. I was enjoying myself a little, actually.

We did the unavoidable rendezvous. We greeted them and found they didn't quite remember us. Embarrassment #1. But I smiled. Well of course they didn't remember us. I didn't look like Mickey Mouse last time they saw me. Huge ears definitely change a person's look. ;)

I prepared my excuse--prepared to admit that my mouse-ears were simply vanity--perched up there only because I wanted wavy hair the following day And yes, I planned on sleeping that way. And then the situation suddenly turned around. I was mistress of myself all at once because the wife said something that gave me an open door to be proud of my Mickey Mouse ears.

"Your hair looks so cute!" she cried. "I told my daughter you were Princess Leia!"

Suddenly the world was turned right, I stood a little straighter, and I laughed. Princess Leia?

Yes....I can take that. :)

"Fashionably Late, as usual."

It is a tradition for our family to be late. 

Not by choice, per se, nor by design, but by Natural Talent. It's a gift, really, ;) By late, I don't always mean too late, nor do I mean terribly late. Haven't you all ever heard of a dear little habit called fashionably late?

The sort of late that causes you to come through the door into a party after everyone else has arrived so that you are immediately the center of attention. The kind of late that gives you a breathless, wind-blown, "Oh haven't I been having fun!" sort of color in your cheeks. The sort of late that is no one can blame you for and no one can criticize. ;) 
I am in jest. But sometimes I do like being just the teensiest bit late for beginning things. Christmas shopping for instance. It is a Holiday Law for Daniel to do his shopping no earlier than three days before Christmas, and it is an equally important Holiday Law that I go with him to be his conscience.

Daniel: "Do you really think I should get this?"
 Me: "Get it."
Daniel: "But will she like it?"
Me: "Of course."
Daniel: "But is it too expensive?"
Me: "Are you kidding? It's the best price I've seen all season!" etc.

 We have rather a lot of fun, my gentleman and I, and it would not be at all the same to go out, say, December 6th. There would be no jolly rush, no peppermint-chocolate-and-sparkles feel to the air, no half-jesting fear that the shopping won't get done. No. One must be late for this sort of excursion.
There is also invariably a little dilemma known by some as a Simple Matter of Mathematics. It goes thus:
"Susie, how is fifteen dollars to be divided between gifts for four people without any sacrifice of quality or taste?"
Ahem. I may not be at all bright when it comes to General Math, but I am quite proficient in this art. The solution is solved in this fashion:

You are determined. You winkle your way through your wallet counting and counting and counting your money (including pennies) to be sure it was Fifteen and not Fifty instead, which would solve everything immediately. Having assured yourself that it was Fifteen after all, you begin to scour your memory as to how much of certain gift-cards you have already spent. If there is a spare 3 dollars and change on a gift-card,that store is immediately your destination, as even that paltry amount would nearly double (for one person at least) the current balance. You get in the store and debate over various items, find a long-forgotten coupon which happens to still be good, buy the item for much less than you had hoped, previously, and suddenly one person is checked off the list.

 Repeat as many times as desired until your shopping is done.

Yes. I am rather a mathematician. 

~Rachel

Roadtrip!!! =D

Last weekend we (Sarah and Rachel) went on a road-trip with Dad to collect Daniel from Patrick Henry College where he was waiting to be picked up after working at iGovern West camp. :)

Who can say "ROAD TRIP!!!" ;)

Sarah's pretzel masterpiece--perfect for a split second before Dad hit the brakes and scattered it hither, thither, and yon. :)

Aha. Here we are and here we go. 206 miles of riding in a swanky Jetta that didn't belong to us....long story, that. ;)

Sarah and I at the start of the trip.

Me displaying the charms of the new Not-Ours car. :)

The first rule of road-trips is this: Never, Ever, Ever go more than twenty miles before stopping for a frappuccino. Important. Vitally important. You will simply shrivel up and die and run out of gas if you do not stop.

It also helps one to have an apple-pie to keep you company, as Sarah displays. See her happy face? And though I despise McDonald's usually, I have to admit their fraps are great, and their pies are baked...not fried...I digress.

A river--we are now wondering what river and why the river picture...Let me guess...it isn't the James...it isn't the Elizabeth River....it isn't the Nansemond...maybe it's....I don't know. But I was *so* excited because we crossed Bull Run!!!! You know, the Battle of Bull Run? I don't remember what happened there, but I do remember that something of great importance to American history happened, so crossing it was prestigious...sort of.

Trying desperately to make a bubble out of chewing gum. It popped right as I took the picture. Thus my surprised expression.

We mildly tortured ourselves by listening to country music because it was the only clear station...anyone for "Old Red" or "Made in America"? No? How about the "My Bad, Come Back" song? Oh..I see. I have to admit, after 1/2 hour of listening, I fully agree with the joke:

What do you get when you play a country song backwards? You get your wife back, your truck back, your gun back, your dog back.... :) (And that probably won't make sense to anyone who hasn't survived country music.)

The ultimate road-trip snack: Pretzel sticks with a Coke Slurpee. Or any kind of Slurpee, for that matter. You must try it. Sounds weird, tastes beautiful. :)

Scenery...I believe this was our first glimpse of the Blue Ridge Mountains through the rain.

Oh happy day! A Roy Rogers car!!!! Ain't it great, Agnes? I fell in love with this car and Sarah strained her back to capture a picture of it for me. ;)

A rather fuzzy, terrible picture of us all in the car...Sarah set the camera on the dashboard and it flashed and here we are!

More lovely scenery. Anyone for a three-mile walk to Netherfield?

Of course, after arriving in Purcellville, we had to stop for lunch. 900 degree pizza. Amazing. :) and yes, Sarah got a bad picture of me. It happens often enough. :P

I believe I am about to do something evil to the pizza. Dad is Gollum trying to bite off my ring...or maybe it was just another Strange Picture. ;)

Pepsi-cola company + Blue cup + pretty ice = refreshing. :)

And we have arrived at Patrick Henry College--home of brilliancy and nobility--a small group of buildings with huge impact. I feel rather motherly toward it. ;)

Our Gentleman is finally where he ought to be! ;) In this picture he was revealing all the funny and interesting stories of a week in the Rockies! :)

Aww! I love this one! :)

Don't know if you can see it well, but this was one unique house! The shutters were red with white polka-dots all over them! :D

And we couldn't pass this wonderful clock by without snapping a photo!

Beautifully green scenery....but something's wrong here...

"Oh. Um. We're supposed to be taking Route 15..."
"We are!"
"--We're supposed to be going south...."
"Oh..........:P"
Yep! It was fun. We got lost, and almost made it to Frederick, Maryland. :D

Here are our "Lost" faces. ;)

Yes, that is red nail-polish...."New Love" to be exact. No, it didn't stay on long. Just to match Rachel's outfit for the day. :P

Our friend, Grace, had also been in CO, so she was along for the adventure as well. :)

We were all really psyched to find ourselves on this route! ;)
(anyone wanna watch Cars? ;)

Time to stop for dinner! :)

Finally! One with all of us together! :)
Cutie. :)

Being hungry and looking at this picture at the same time is not fair. :P Five Guys makes the most delicious hamburgers ever. *AH!* :)

So that was the glamorous, wonderful, tiring, exciting road-trip! There was sunshine, heavy, heavy rain, the discovery of a secret weapon under a seat of the swanky car, laughs, meetings-of-new-people, stories told, and pictures taken. Gotta love family! :)

~Rachel and Sarah