Vacation Pix!

(better late than never, right?)

Mom's 89th birthday (also Cinco de Mayo) at Ray's.  There were complaints about "only one" candle - but we didn't want to set the restaurant on fire!

My gift (first bag I've ever made) seemed to be a hit.  

(Because you can never have too many giraffes?)

That Saturday was Sierra's First Communion.  She looked beautiful.

Sunday was Mother's Day.  Emily made Mom a giraffe frame, with a wonderful pic of the four kids!

And here's what Emily made for Sandy - 

flowers made from their 6 sets of fingerprints.

I had a couple of little things for Mom: a book "just for her"

and a silver giraffe.

Sierra opened her First Communion gifts (we'd had to blast off after Saturday's service) and this giraffe was a perfect gift from Bana.

Stand tall and reach for heaven

In everything you do

And know that there's a special spot

In God's heart just for you!

But the kids were really more interested in going downstairs to swim.

There were plenty of lifeguards on duty -

The following weekend Marilyn was in from Texas.

We watched Good Dog Pippa go through her paces

And of course there was plenty of play time.

I gave Andy his birthday present a couple of weeks early.  (My 'baby brother' turns 60 this coming Tuesday.)  He liked the way I wrapped it, with ears.

Gee, I wonder what it could be?

It's another elephant for his collection!

My cousin Gloria and Bert were visiting from Florida.

They'd spent the previous week visiting their son Matt (who lives in northern Virginia), here with girlfriend Sierra.

Mom and Gloria

This is (so far) the only pic of me from my 2 weeks in Maryland.  

(Thank you, Gloria!)

There was a lot of interest in a weather app for the iPhones.

And we did actually make it into the living room, 

away from the table and all that food...

Is it only moms who take pictures?

Nope. Andy's camera was out during my visit, 

so he may have captured one or two pix of me.

Then the next day were were eating again.  (Did anyone notice that the pix from the previous day were mostly taken around the table; we were there for hours!) Here is everyone (Emily, Ed, Andy, Allen, Bob, Rachelle, Jonathon, Mom, Marilyn, Harry, Charlie, Gordon, Sandy, & Sierra) at the Riderwood brunch on Sunday.

Back up at Mom's apartment: 

Cousin Rachelle (it was her birthday that day) with hubby Bob

Uncle Allen (Dad's brother) and Jonathon.  Allen is 94 and still going strong, though Helen's death a week earlier of course hit him very hard.

Later that afternoon, back at Mink Hollow, I could not resist handing over the gift I got for my sister at the fun store Mom and I checked out in DC earlier in my visit.

Andy & Marilyn

I think she liked it!

All good things must come to an end.  Here are Andy and Marilyn Monday morning right before she and I left for the airport  to return home.

It was a great visit (though the weather definitely could have been better) and I look forward to the next one!