Yes, the travel continues. I had the very distinct pleasure of spending two lovely weekends at Cathy and Jamie's with the boys. The first weekend, I got a chance to see Joshy's soccer game. Their losing streak was still quite prominent, and unfortunately I got to witness it. But it was a flurry of activity out on the field as the boys tried their best to score. On Sunday, Cathy and Jamie drove me to Boston, the site of my Right First Time global meeting. After much persuasion, we managed to get Joshy to drive along with us. He was determined to dislike Boston, but once there, both he and Sam decided it would be more fun to stay the week in Aunt Karen's hotel room than it would be to go to school. Well, Mom won that one and the boys reluctantly went home with the promise of returning the following Friday. Which, they did!! What fun!! First, we took the kids to their first dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. Sammy just thought it was really cool to be a rock star and both came home with souvenir drum sticks from the gift shop. He also thought it was cool that there was a car hanging out of the building over the front door. We took in the Boston Children's Museum on Saturday morning, followed by the New England Aquarium. If you've never been to the aquarium, it is an AMAZING site to visit with the largest fish tank I've ever seen...it's like 3 stories tall. There is a plethra of life inside with sharks, sea turtles (Myrtle) who's over 70 years old, and tons of other fish that would have been tasty if served on a plate! They also have the most unbelievable display of penguins and sea life from off the coast of Maine. We all loved it.

Afterwards, we took the subway...a real treat for Josh and Sam who decided it's the only way to travel, over to the MIT campus to view some handblown pumpkins by some of the art students. They were without a doubt incredible, but with some pretty hefty pricetags as well. Before the boys arrived, I managed to take in the history on the Freedom Trail tour which was most interesting and quite different than some of the things they tell you about in history class. It is quite obvious that at least some portion of history has been changed over the years...like the story of Paul Revere! I got to see where Samuel Adams was buried, and I learned that there really WAS A MOTHER GOOSE with 20 children. Overall, I've decided I LOVE BOSTON!! I will go back again without question as I know there is still so much to see. Next time, I'd also like to trek up to Salem, Massachusetts and watch the witch trial re-enactments. I'd also like to visit the Harvard campus and see the Boston Tea Party ship. This was quality time with Cathy and Jamie and the boys. For most of you, you know what happened Saturday afternoon to bring our visit to a close. I won't get into it now, but I don't wish to repeat it on our next visit to Boston, although I will tell you that The Boston Police Department and Emergency Services folks are a class act and a few are thought of very highly in my opinion. We were glad to have them around. As soon as I can find my camera battery charger, I'll send some pics of our new house. IF I ever find it. Much love and kisses to you all.

How Time Flies......

Well...no matter how hard we try...the years keep increasing, and no amount of cream, gel, or hair color keeps the reality of aging a secret. So we might as well get used to it. In good spirits, I allowed my 37th birthday to occur.

The rest of the weekend couldn't be touched by that amount of excitement. We went to the Hunt-Phelan Home on Beale Street on Tuesday night instead. MAN, it was worth the wait!!!! The home was built between 1824 and 1828 and was designed by the famous architect, Robert Mills, who also designed the US Treasury building, the Washington Monument and parts of the White House. During it's history, the house has cared for such visitors as President Andrew Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant. The home served as Grant's headquarters and as a hospitality lodge for troops during the planning of the seige at Vicksburg. The house actually has a slave escape tunnel that has been restored and was also used during the war to relay messages. Today it is a bed and breakfast with gorgeous rooms, and the chef is AMAZING. David and I sat outside on the beautifully landscaped patio area with the cicadas singing. We even met the house dog, Nick Caskey. The old boy wanders the grounds and visits anyone who will show him some attention. We sure did as you can see from the photos. Overall, turning 27...(oops, 37) wasn't painful, but rather enjoyable. It's good to be grown up.

All my love and best wishes to you all.
Love, Karen

Can I just tell you what fun it is to visit old friends....especially when they are these ones??? I just spent 4 glorious days with my old "roomie", Kim, her husband Tom and their girls Emily and Olivia. The last time I'd seen these guys, Olivia was just a month old and Emily around 2. My have they grown, and Aunt Karen has grown especially fond of them!! Good genes don't fall far from the tree, and these guys are no different. Talk about making you laugh! Emily is a cheer fiend and most flexible than a straw! Olivia plans on giving Kim and Tom a run for their money when she becomes a teen. Both are blond hair, blue eyed cuties!!

Kim and I got to spend some awesome QT together at dinner and with friends over our own lobster feed in the backyard. We also got to really break in their new hot tub which we sat in while the meteor shower took place. One night, we were so pruned on our fingertips, we thought we'd lost feeling int them permanently! The weather was a lucious 75 degrees and cool enough at night to sleep with the windows open. HEAVEN!

As for Tom, well, he was "delayed" getting back from a training class in St. Louis due to a "telephone malfunction". Good one, Tom. Glad you got to see me!!

I was so sad to leave my friends, but I've decided that we won't wait so long to get together again! We're already planning the next gathering. Cheers to old friends...I love you guys and miss you tons!!

Karen :)

Hi everyone. Most of you will have seen these pictures on Shutterfly, but I wanted to share them with others as well. Our most recent adventure was to Liz and Chris's for a week long PAR-TEE. On July 1, Mom and Dad celebrated their 39th anniversary. On July 2, Austin turned 1. On July 3, Dad turned 60. Our Nation's birthday was on the 4th and Chris turned 28 on July 5th. Can you say holy crap!!!

Charlee and I trudged off to Annapolis, MD for the festivities which started with a complimentary upgrade to First Class on Northwest Airlines. Charlee thought that ROCKED! Next, we arrived at the surprise party for Dad at Harris Crab House. That night, Dad received the Omega watch he's always wanted!! Yay, Dad! Then, we went to Six Flags in Baltimore for the day on July 2. Fun was had by all, except maybe Joshy, who got creamed by this adult freakazoid and refused to ride any water slides after that. Nice guy...NOT!

Parties followed after that, with about 45 people showing up to wish Awesome Austin a happy 1st birthday. His Mom, Liz, sure went all out for all the party go-ers with great party bags, and water guns and balloons. What a super day everyone had...hot, but terrific. We also got to spend some time with Susan and Ray! Good choice, Sue. He's met us all now, and hasn't run away screaming. We like him! :)

The guys went to see the fireworks in Annapolis on July 4th...I was too beat to attend, but they tell me they were the best they've ever seen. On the 5th, we had a smaller party for Chris. We gorged on sushi and strawberry shortcake. Another yum. Needless to say, we're all on a diet now!

Who knows when the next update will be. Stay tuned!!

Love you all, Karen

So what do you do when the weather's hot, and you have mice in your house?? You move to Mom and Dad's for the weekend. That's what we did Memorial Day weekend. And fun was had by all...especially the 4 legged family members. We sprung Winston and Ellie Mae from the kennel and everyone went for a swim. Petie and Jessica's lab "heritage" sure came out during this stay as neither wanted to get out of the pool and actually fought over space on the float. King of the Float I guess you'd call it.

As for the mice, they seem to have all departed....from this world. On Monday, David and I finally installed the hardwood floors in the dining room. I hate that job more than anything, but the results are beautiful. Overall, we had a really good time visiting at Mom's. Today, its back to work. YUCK! Talk with you all soon. Next pictures will be from SPACE CAMP, as my two boys attempt to fly the Space Shuttle. Look out!! Love, Karen

Hey everyone. It was Mother's Day yesterday and Dad and I took Mom to the Memphis Botanic Gardens for brunch. It turned out to be a gorgeous afternoon with the Memphis Jazz Orchestra playing Frank Sinatra music in the background. There was a soft breeze across the lake by the Japanese Garden, and Memphis Carriage was offering horsedrawn carriage rides around the gardens. It was just an unbelievably nice day for Mom. I think we walked through almost every garden...the rose garden, the fruit tree garden and the sensory garden. We hope that all of you had terrific Mother's Days too. Love, Karen