More Summer Fun!

We had a crazy, busy fun summer but still managed to do some of the things we do EVERY summer.
Here's some photos of the shore (where we begin our summer) and next post will be the Poconos (where we end it!)

Standard shot of the girls jumping in the ocean with their clothes on. It started as they disobeying me, but has become a joke. Some years I get better shots than other ... 

Lizzie leaping for joy at the thought of spending a few days at the ocean!

 Rob and his brother Sholto (Uncle Dude, to the girls):

We always celebrate a few birthdays at the shore. Grandma Connie's still recovering from her cancer treatment, so we missed celebrating Rob's big 5-0 so he and Dud partied the night away (which for Rob means 5 p.m.) and here's their cake:

 We always go to the same beach and THIS year they had built an ice cream stand right by our spot, so of course we had to try it out:

 Fish barbecue! Living at the shore for several years ruined me for regular fish from the markets around here, so we always make sure to BBQ some fresh fish.

Our spot at the beach. One day I WILL rent one of those houses (or not) just so I don't have to lug everything to the sand for 14 blocks away!

 Trolly Stop Ice Cream place is a regular stop ... although the name seems to change a lot so I'm not really sure if it's still the Trolley Stop.

 Here's a picture of some of the nature at Reed's Beach:

Sunset at Reed's Beach. The area really cleaned up a lot after the storms last year, but it's still worn and tacky and so I still love it!

 Sunset at Reed's Beach without Hannah and Lizzie:

We rescued this horseshoe crab and a couple of its friends. They come up on shore to lay their eggs and then get knocked on their backs by the waves and then can't get back to the water and become dinner for the seagulls. :( I don't know who saved them back in the day because they are as old as the dinosaurs. But in 2014, it was Hannah and Liz.

Sunset Beach ... home to Cape May Diamonds, a decaying concrete ship and lots of rats. I try to ignore the rats swimming around the ship.

Lizzie found lots of different rocks, including a couple of diamonds:

I cannot tell you how many trips to Lowe's and/or Home Depot and/or Walmart and how many DAYS it took to fix this door, but let's just say it was a theme for the entire trip...

Much to Lizzie's chagrin, there's always time for sports:

 And (more happily for Liz!) bike riding:

Near Vegas

Yes, I'm back to blogging! In fact, there's another post just below this one that is all pageant related. This one is about some of the scenery around Vegas. We arrived really late Saturday night (for us -- in Vegas it was only around 10 p.m.) I didn't have my camera out to take a photo of the strip in the dark, but it was really cool (except that it was NOT cool, being in the 90s when we arrived...)

Anyway, we got up on Sunday and I had my one day of touring. Here is the photographic evidence of the fact that I actually DID leave the hotel to see some of the sights!!

I have to start with this one. This is Lizzie and Rob and some crazy guy getting his picture taken at Lake Meade. If that guy had swayed even a little back he'd have fallen and it was a sheer drop to the rocks below. Luckily I did not have to perform any sort of rescue because it was kind of hot and I didn't want to have to go running down to the water:

This is a train tunnel cut into the side of the mountain overlooking Lake Meade.

 Hoover Dam bridge. I assure you this picture doesn't do it justice. You kind of drive around a curve and there it is way above you. You can walk across it if you're brave. I am not that kind of brave:

 Hoover Dam. It's a lot cooler (although not temperature wise) than I thought it would be:

 Tourists at Hoover Dam:

We spent a few minutes in Arizona while driving around the dam:

 I think this was in Red Rock Canyon. And I think it's some sort of southwestern tree/bush. I know it's Lizzie:

The next few photos are the scenic views at Red Rock Canyon. If you click on the picture you'll get a larger view. It's a really pretty place, although not the kind of pretty I'd want to look at every day -- I like a lot more green:

 It was always windy in Nevada. In this picture the girls are wearing these water things that really did keep you cool until the water evaporated out of them. Which unfortunately was about 15 minutes.

 Back to the pretty pictures:

Hannah relaxing in the hotel room between competitions:

 More relaxation. Rob went to look at some cars so the girls decided to make up some magic. David Copperfield has nothing to worry about:

 It was pretty funny though:

 This is the view from our hotel window including some rare Vegas clouds:

Here we are leaving Arizona and getting back into Nevada. Hannah was SO DONE with the touring by this time! Okay, the rest of the summer will be coming in subsequent blogs. Don't forget to check below:

Back to Blogging - VEGAS!

Well hello there! I have been reminded by my loyal readers (two of you!!) that I've been a total slacker in my blogging, so I'm going to try and do better. Unfortunately, facebook has been my place to put pictures and stories lately, but this is supposed to be the "permanent" record. So, first let's start with where we left off -- and that would be VEGAS!
Expect lots of photos, but the short story is that we went, had a good time and Hannah came home with no crowns, but lots of great memories. This is the pageant part of Vegas ... next post will be the other stuff:

This is Micah (a PA-state emcee) playing Little Sally Walker with the PA delegation just prior to the Prince Gilbert Party. Cindy girls are OBSESSED with the game, but as you can see, Hannah is horrified at Micah's dance:

 This is Leigh, the PA Cinderella Woman playing with Payton, a Cindy tot at the Prince Gilbert party. One of the best things about the program is that the big girls are always happy to play with and entertain the little girls:

This is the PA Royalty at the Prince Gilbert Party. Top row is Leigh, Daniela (teen), Hannah and front row is Madison (mini-miss) and Adriana (tot.) Oh, and in case you were wondering Prince Gilbert is a frog who, after being kissed by a Cindy girl turns into ... a bigger frog. 

 The king of the castle and his two girls. I think this was before the farewell banquet.

 More Prince Gilbert fun. Hannah took about a million selfies with the other girls. This is Payton (but a different Payton from the one who is chasing Leigh, above.

This is Hannah with Francesca, the 2014 International Miss at Orientation. As you can see in most of these pictures, each delegation wears matching outfits for the different parties. It's a lot cuter than it sounds:

This is Hannah with Charli, the international teen:

 We partied with the delegations from North Carolina and Florida just prior to the disco party. Hannah made a TON of friends so I had to give her her own facebook page to keep up with them:

 Hannah and Daniela at the farewell banquet with Sabrina, another PA emcee (and former Cinderella Woman from Arizona):

Hannah and Alivia at the farewell banquet. Alivia was 2nd runner up for PA state overall title, but won in the beauty category. She also won an international photogenic award:

These are the three PA Misses (Anastasia is the third - she won talent at states this year and got a special award at internationals for her contortionist act, too) In this picture they are getting reading for casual wear modeling:

THis is Hannah at the Cindy Fair luncheon (did I mention there are a LOT of parties?) where she won these cool shades:

 Hannah and a bunch of Miss contestants prior to their beauty wear modeling. I have no idea who they are, but I bet Hannah does!

Hannah and the state tot, Adriana. Adriana didn't win anything at Internationals either, but her baby sister Annalisa is the International Infant!

This is Hannah just prior to talent. She's posing with Taya, a Mini Miss contestant from Utah who we met at the Welcome banquet:

 Hannah and the PA girls ready for talent, posing with one of the Keeno girls:

 Hannah with the outgoing International Tot, Macie, at the Welcome Banquet:

 Hannah with Leigh and Leigh's sister Cassidy. Cassie is the PA 1st runner up mini miss and talent winner and also the PA State Miss America Coed. We love the Quinn girls and are really happy that they don't live that far from us!

In case you didn't believe me about Sally Walker, here are a group of strangers playing it before casual wear ... :) THat's it for now. I'll most more about the non-pageant aspect of the vacation later: