Burgess Reunion

My Dad is one of five kids and so much of the extended family is still within driving distance of their hometown. A few of the cousins have left the nest so the family gatherings aren't as frequent or full as they used to be. That's why it means so much to me that when we come to Maryland and pull together a meeting... so many of them show up. It brings back old memories and we make new ones each time we meet.

Luckily, I have a partner-in-crime when it comes to saving the day in pictures... check out my cousin Michele and her paparazzi camera as she so affectionately calls it.


It's not possible to have a Maryland summer picnic without crabs doused in Old Bay...


Imagine the stories we'll be telling later of my Uncle Scott subjecting himself to the "face painting" that his great niece's were offering up.


Of course, I took more than three photos of the event... if you have some time on your hands, you can look through all of them by clicking here.

Quirkiness That Reminds Me I'm Home

Always enough coke in the fridge to fill a swimming pool...


A garden where a 6-inch fence made of PVC is enough to keep the dogs out...


At least 4 end tables in the living room are actually dog crates...


This message on the door...


There's never a shortage of cake boxes in the pantry...


My Mom's doctor appointment cards hang from the vents in her car... that's one way to remember...


The television is on even when no one is watching...


New and strange things are hanging from the rear view mirror in my Mom's car every time we come...

I figured out the video...

You can go back to the original post or you can just view it here...

Spoiled By Nana and Pappy

This morning, while still in our pajamas, Nana showed the kids all the treasures she picked up at yard sales this summer. The kids couldn't contain their excitement. We were inside pushing cars and playing with Barbies... we were outside controlling a remote-powered car... and on the way from one to the other, we found the bikes and helmets in the garage. They didn't know what to spend their time with.

Heading East...

We're on our way to the humidity of the east coast and the welcoming arms of our family. We have been looking forward to the trip for a while now and counting down the days on our calendar. As always, the kids can expect a true grandkids welcome with a house full of toys and I can expect to be pampered with nearly full-time babysitting. Home sweet home.

Sanjay has always been a little afraid of flying although he's been doing it since he was born, so I was curious how he would do on this trip. The first time we realized that flying bothered him, he kept repeating on take-off, "I'm busy, I'm busy" and we finally figured out that he was telling us he was "dizzy". The last time he was in the air was a year ago, but it looks like not much has changed. Once we are in the air, he's fine... but he doesn't much enjoy the take-offs or landings. On the final landing though, he managed to make it through the whole thing without holding my hand. During the descent he was so proud of himself, he turned to me and said, "I tried a sharp turn without you holding me". Things were different though at the beginning of the trip. Take a look at this video of our first landing in St. Louis.