A New Gettysburg Family Address for Summer, 2013

Hello there, friend of The Gettysburg Family!

This is kind of embarrassing, you see- but we've moved.

It's not that Blogspot wasn't a nice neighborhood...it was! It was! It treated us well for many, many years. But you know how it goes. The Family gets a little bigger and your needs change and before you know it you need a new home.

So, we're ever so happy you stopped in to see us today. We hope you'll take a moment to follow us to our new home at GettysburgFamily.com. We have a Summer of Adventure and Fun planned for 2013, and we hope you'll follow the Gettysburg Family's Travels this year.

The problem with new web sites is everyone is still clicking on the old site and Google sends all of your friends to the existing site with a record of lots of traffic. So, help me put the Gettysburg Family back in the number one position for Google results. Click on the new Gettysburg Family link and move us and the Gettysburg Family Guest House through the Google ranks to our rightful place at number one. Thank you for your help and support for the 2013 Gettysburg Family Summer of Fun!

We hope to see you around the Gettysburg Family Guest House.

-Gettysburg Mom,

Susan Magee Riordan

It's All Coming Up Roses. OK, Tulips. Whatever.

Hello, internet. How have you been? I know, I know. I say I'll write. But I don't. Which is why this time, I am not making any promises. Instead, I wonder is it spring where you are yet? I don't mean to gloat, but spring in Gettysburg is pretty...well, I'll just leave it at pretty. Spring in Gettysburg is pretty.

Our tulips are blooming in the front flower garden. This photo was from a few days ago, and they may be even more spectacular now. No, really. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow.

Pretty pink and yellow flowers.

 

 

That rain drop was not photo shopped. I'm not that cool.

Neighbor Deb's mystery plant that Facebook friends identify as primrose.

 I hope you have flowers too.

A collection of photos that make me happy.

Pardon me any friends or family who actually still subscribe to my poor neglected blog. This isn't a new post about our family. This is just a place where I can publicly post some happy pictures for an internet acquaintance. Her husband- like so many others- is fighting cancer and I wanted to share a photo of my happy place- the view from the front porch of the camp in Maine- with her and her husband. 



So I started with the photo that is my wallpaper on the desktop- because it always makes me calmer. Maybe it's not that it's a happy place so much as a place that makes me feel calm and peaceful and happy. I admit that I have a thing for the element of water though. In any case, I hope I can share some small measure of the peace or happiness these pictures bring me with them. With little further narrative then.

The camp in Maine:

 Daytime from the porch.

Sunset from the same porch. We measure how high the lake is by where it falls on the big rock out front.

My husband's favorite picture is also at the lake, but it's him driving the kids around in Boat.

 Our dog, Wilson, doesn't understand why we don't live here where we could swim any time we wanted.

This one makes me laugh because of the memory of him trying to get up onto that raft. I've seen footage of manatees that looked more graceful and perhaps even more svelte. He couldn't heft himself up there in the end if you were wondering.

I didn't take these next pictures- my father did the same summer as the camp pictures above. But I thought of George's son Popcorn and wondered if he likes trains as much as Emerson does. And then I decided to add them just in case he did. These are of the train that goes up Mount Washington in New Hampshire. The lake pictures that follow are just pictures of the White Mountains in New Hampshire if I had to guess- but my dad took them, so I'm not sure.

 While looking for pictures, I found a series of shots Emerson took with his big brother's camera. I imagine he was going for a shot of the upside alarm clock- but I totally love it for the foot and it's chubby stubby toes.

He took this blurry one of me. This one doesn't make me happy so much as I figured George might like to see who was wishing her happy thoughts. 

 

 A picture Rich took of Emerson flying a kite last spring.

 I don't know what has him so excited in this picture, but I had never seen it until this morning and it most certainly made me laugh.

 And then to round out the oddball collection, Rich and I just got back from a weekend trip where we went to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. I could have sat on that patio and listened to the waterfall for hours and hours.

Uncle Michael Post: Shea Texts Now!

I sent Shea a series of texts asking what he was up to, and he has some smart-ass replies:

What have you been up to lately?

Have you written your congressman?
"How do you write a congressman?do you draw him or...."

Have you been eating cheese?
"Eating cheese - now you're just being rediculess."

Okay, so maybe he only had a couple of smart replies. The rest were probably: "No." [ha]

Later: "What's that I can't see your text its loud here.:-)"

Uncle Michael Post: An Old Text

I got this text from Susan one day and the picture came by email some weeks later (apparently a repeat performance):

Em fell asleep in the bathtub today with his little face smooshed against the side.

Cracked me up.

Drained it and left him til he woke.

The 5-Year-Old

[Uncle Michael asked how Greeley was doing with reading; whether she was reading little words.]

She calls them popcorn words - "and," "the," "green," "yellow." She's always asking how to spell and sounding it out. I think she enjoys learning like Atlee does.

[Uncle Michael was of the opinion that she likes learning in that it will eventually strengthen her quest to take over the world and subject humanity to her every whim.]

Eager Reader

The book Atlee brought home for homework tonight?

Bunnicula!! :)

Sandy Aftermath

In addition to the other damage, we also have a Gree-sized knee hole in the bedroom drywall from Rich throwing her off during a family wrestling match.

Storm Prep

We have 10+ gallons and a case of bottled. My plan later today is to fill the bathtub too.

Here's how that last turned out:

[Uncle Michael asks: Are you going to have the kids shower before, since they might not have a chance after?]

I made 3 and 4 do it last night. Rich and I did. 1 and 2 are dragging their feet. If we lose power for a week - they will be gross and stinky.

1:43pm
#2 showered. #1 stalling to this afternoon.

New Visitors

With the new flowering plants near the door (a gift from neighbor Mary that we don't know the name for), we've had a new set of visitors right at the door. Shea is not appreciative.

The plant might be Obedient Plant, otherwise known as Physostegia Virginiana.

Garden Photos

These pictures are from August 31st.

The Garden Transitions Into Fall

 Uncle Michael rolled the biggest pumpkin so it could get some sunlight on its bottom.

Pumpkin 2 still looks wonderfully flush. Uncle Michael is pretty sure he accidentally detached one of them when he twisted it to get even sun.

The tomato plants are still bearing fruit, even though they collapsed under their own weight.

Once the corn lost its fruit, they quickly died.

This tomato was a little rotten, so it got thrown back in the garden for fertilizer.

As did these two.

As you can see, the vines are starting to die.

 

Tomatoes still growing on the vine.

Some of them aren't even ripe yet (although that red one looks lovely).

Everybody's Favorite New Toy

Here I'm receiving mixed messages. (To be fair, last time I got on and jumped, it ripped.)

Tuesday A Week Ago

Some fun in the backyard with everyone's new favorite toy, the trampoline.

Gree spontaneously made up a dance routine.

A Rainy Day Is Joy For Children

There was some torrential rain on Saturday and afterwards Emmy and Atlee went out to play in the puddles. They keep saying "two" because I was trying to get Emerson to count the pumpkins and he kept starting from two instead of one and said there were two pumpkins instead of four, so it became a joke to him.

Daddy brought out a boat for Emmy to play with!

Zoe was outside, too, but not very interested in the action.

Wilson was also outside,too, but was content to watch.

Then we started playing "Red Light/Green Light." Here's Emmy as the leader.

Unfortunately, he liked it so much he refused to give up the position.

And then Gammy came out following her dogs and here Emmy chased them a little.

A Rare Sighting

Last weeks, scientists caught a rare glimpse of something they are calling "The Emmy Bird," which flashed by their driveway observing post before disappearing back into the wilds of Riordonia.

Culinary Lessons: Shea Fries Some Eggs, Part II

Culinary Lessons: Shea Fries Some Eggs, Part I

August 6, 2012

Emmy Talks to a Toad

Emmy Declares His Relationship Status