Family Family Family!

No one can truly represent in words the maddness, volume, and wonderfulness of the month of August in Sam and Mary Florence's home on 580 North Loop Drive. Friendships were forged (Oliver and Olivia), rivalries created (Katya and Alicey, though a very loving friendly rivalry, but their was competition wasn't there!), and adoration oblated (especially to Hanky, Leah, and Baby Sam). We spent the first week of August having an activity packed lovefest with all the immediate family and their monkeys (children). One thing is for sure, NO ONE went hungry. There was yummy food, lots of beach time, swimming, and even an unbirthday party for the cousins, who don't usually get to spend their birthdays together. It was gratuitous, but heaven for little ones. We even went to Disneyland with all the siblings and their kids. I will do a seperate blog entry for our 2 Disneyland excursions, but it was tiring and wonderful. We had a fabulous reunion with the Bradshaws and once again ate very well. The next 2 days Mandy and Trevor and Lindsay and family left. Hank and Leah struck camp in the way backyard, they had been sleeping in a tent back there during the whole week, and returned to their bed in Thousand Oaks. That left Heather and Cesar and their girls who stayed for a whole extra week. We had park dates, library fun, and tons of swimming and beaching. The day they left Dado, Grandma, Ashley (my cousin Andrew's fiancee), and Aunt Debbie arrived for a weeks visit. It was great to see them and spend quality time. The same day Martin's brother Matthew along with Trudy, Callum, and Teigan arrived for their weeks stay in Carpenteria. So we spent that week playing with Martin's family in the day and evenings with everyone else at home until Dad's 61st birthday when we returned to Disneyland! Another exhausting, but fun filled day. After everyone left Thursday we finally got to chill a little bit, with just my parents and Summer at home, but with Hank and Leah and Sam joining us most days. It was joyous and long and relaxing and manic all at the same time! Despite nightime trauma with Katya and Oliver, they were great and had a magical time. Though on the taxi ride home from the bus station in Birmingham to our house Katya turned to me and said, "Mommy, I love England!"
Sam, Oliver, and Calvin in their matching dungarees!

Katya, Alicey, Oliver, and Olivia cooking up something good in the backyard.

Cuties!! Olivia and Oliver

Katya, Sam and Oliver in the pink bath. (Katya really liked that it was pink!)

Alicey and Katya loving Bampa... he is pretty loveable!

Olivia and Oliver playing with their presents from the cousin Unbirthday party.

Mickey Mouse chicken nuggets and chips at the party!

Bampa and his Oliver playing on the rocks at the beach!

All the girl cousins of Marty and Carol! How can we be so grown up?!

I love this picture of Pa and many of his great-grandies especially their varying degrees of happiness and sadness!
Oliver really loved his Pa!

Four Bradshaw generations. Pa, Mom, Me, and Katya and Ollie
The Florence Family (its funny to me how we look too small without all the spouses and kids)

Ah this is more like it, the whole Florence Family - I'm sure someone has a better one than me!