Pure Imagination

For Halloween this year we went with a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory theme.  The movie always reminds me of when my childhood friend Shauna and I stayed up all night playing the game Payday.  We played the game by the light of the television set that was showing this movie over and over again.  We would have to stop playing the game for a few minutes during the tunnel scene.   I love that memory.
Trent made a great Willie Wonka and I was a natural fit for an Oompa Loompa.  Trent had a fun idea for our church's Trunk and Treat.  We used the theme of the Wonkavision. The Wonkavision is a machine that could take a large candy bar and transport it through the air and send it through a television as smaller size candy bar.  We had the kids push a button on a hand held toy that had colored lights spin around.  They then tapped the large Nerds box and then would reach underneath to grab a smaller one that they could take home.  All the kids loved it!

Maryland Renaissance Festival

Okay, okay. I give in.  Yes, I love when people dress up in period costume.  This blog is full of period costumes and I might as well just own up to it.  So when you are someone that likes to people watch and see renaissance garb, you must go to the Maryland Renaissance Festival.  We went with some good friends of ours and their adorable daughter and had a wonderful time. 
This is the festival of all festivals.  The village was built just for the renaissance festival that comes each year.  It is like being transported to another time.  There was great food like the whole turkey legs, steak-on-a-stick, and apple dumplings.  There were so many wonders to behold and games to play.  The main event was the live action jousting. 

Many performers that juggled, told jokes, and put on plays.

This is the closest we came to dressing up....this year. 

The Scenes

 

 

Our friend's daughter got an elephant ride!  She was so excited.

Games like Skittles (a little like bowling but the pins are tied down with a rope on the bottom), Jacob's Ladder, and renaissance plinko.

 

This might have been the throw that bounced off the top and hit the game attendant on the head.  Oops.

Acrobatics!

 

We got in a little trouble during the day and spent some time in the stocks.  Trent for Gluttony as he ate everything in sight and Mandy for being a fop.  Yeah, I did not know what it meant.  It seems to mean someone that is too concerned with appearances which was perfect for me as I was judging others for walking around with fox tails.  But seriously, fox tails.  That does not make sense.

 

Now for jousting with the royal party.

The Getaway

For Columbus Day, Trent found a perfect bed and breakfast for a long weekend getaway.  Trent looked at many, many bed and breakfast and then finally decided on going to the a small town of Cape Haywood on Virginia's Chesapeake Bay.  When we arrived at the Inn at Tabbs Creek, the inn keepers held a wine and cheese hour for all the guests to mingle.  We chose lemonade and some amazing crab dip that was made from the crabs found on the dock earlier that week.

The inn keepers recommended a Thai restaurant about 20 minutes away.  If you are ever anywhere near the town of Gloucester, VA you must try Bangkok Noi.  It was the best Thai food I have ever tasted.  The panang curry had a wonderful depth of flavor that beats all panang curries hands down.  Go. 

The inn was fantastic and breakfasts consisted of chili spiced potatoes, strawberry french toast, eggs benedict, and so much yummy fruit.  The inn has their own large garden that use in their breakfast each day.

The front porch was a perfect place to read a book.

The inn also had a canoe and bicylces that we could use during our stay.  We took advantage of both.  It was wonderful to canoe into the many outlets of the bay.  Trent was in an exploratory mood and he took us to find many interesting things out in the water.  We came across something that included two white poles sticking out of the water.  I am sure they were markers but Trent nicknamed it the sea monster.  It freaked me out a little.  Then later on in row we came across an actual boat wreck that must have been there for some time.

The Sea Monster

The Ship Wreck



Aww......... that view.  I'd go back in a heartbeat.  Thank you sweetheart!

Apple Picking in the Rain

30% chance of rain on a fine October morning.  We'll take our chances.....and we lost.  When we arrived at the farm the rain was pouring with no hope for letting up.  A few of our adventuresome friends and their adorable daughter were good sports and lept right out of the car into the cold and wet.  We had a few umbrellas and found that the baskets made a much better umbrella with little effort.  Above are Courtney and I showing off this ingenious design. 

We loved every second of apple picking and it was worth the wet toes and cold noses.  Plus, hot chocolate can cure almost all ills.

It's all about the Water Table

Yes, these were the huge waves that overtook Rehobeth Beach on Labor Day weekend.  The Bessey, Essig, and Bowen families made a trek up to Rehobeth for a little relaxation before the summer ended.  I had planned a day full of chatting and reading but this was not to be. 

We got there early in the morning and found a great spot near the water. However, by late morning the water started to moving closer to our place in the sand.  We realized that if we wanted to stay in that same spot we would have to protect our area with walls and motes.  We knew that we would have to maintain this until high tide, a few hours away.

Kaylyn, Me, and Ali experiencing the large waves 

As we built up trenches all around our spot we realized that we would need to make a little island for ourselves since the water was going around our sides and to he back of us.  We worked for hours to protect out little spot and had much support from fellow misplaced beach guests.  Our motto was Never Give Up, Never Surrender. 

Ali looks seriously concerned

After the water started to fill up all around our island oasis, we knew that we were soon in trouble. Ryan kept preaching, it is all about the water table. If the water table rises, then we would not be able to maintain dry sand. Alas, it was all about the water table. Ryan and Trent worked hard to try to make a canal but it was to no avail. The ocean had won and we gave up and went to lunch. 

The beach is always a fun adventure with this group. I am blessed to have friends that know how to laugh and have kept a childlike exuberance for life.