Fireworks Never Ended

What a week, what a week...  We apologize for being away from the blog for so long, but it was truly an extraordinary week, filled with fireworks (expected and unexpected).  Let's back up to last Friday evening...  Just after the family all went to sleep, Mike and Traci were woken up by the fiercest storm they had ever encountered in their lives.  Weathermen always comment that you can't mistake the sound of a tornado:  it seems like you are about to get hit by a locomotive.  That is exactly what the wind sounded like that night.  Luckily, we did not actually have a tornado, but the tree damage and power outages sure felt like it.  Thankfully, none of us were hurt and the kids slept through everything.  Since our power was going to be out for the foreseeable future, we all packed our things a few days early and headed up to PA for the week.

Once there, we settled in for a nice time with Traci's extended family.  As was already planned, Katie peeled off from our family unit to stay by herself for the first time with Grammy at Grandma Morrison's farm.  She had a blast, reliving some of the very things Traci did as a kid.  We are so proud that she never once needed us.  Hopefully, we can make that adventure an annual thing!  The rest of us stayed at Papa's, relaxing for the first part of the week and then gearing up for holiday festivities in the latter part.

By Tuesday, our plans kicked into full swing with an outdoor live music party with some dear, old friends.  The evening started out well enough, with Traci introducing her family to many buddies.  She was especially excited to catch up with her "big bro" who now coaches basketball at Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii.  He had some fun stories about meeting Coach K and other big-time coaches at last year's Maui Invitational.  We also had fun introducing our two babies (Brooks and Neve) who immediately clicked and laid on their baby blanket, holding hands.  Unfortunately, the evening took a turn for the worse, as more thunder storms kicked in, squashing the party.  Everybody had a hard time falling asleep that night, as the kids were scared of the thunder/random fireworks that never seemed to cease.

Finally, it was time for the big event:  Brockway's Old Fashioned Fourth of July!  We didn't know what to expect as the humidity and the prior night's lack of sleep loomed large.  Luckily, our kids are troopers and enjoyed as much of the playground/visiting/etc. that they could.  We all took some afternoon naps and rallied for the 3-hour parade held in the evening.  The older kids had a blast diving for thrown candy, waving their flags at the marching bands, and playing with their dear cousins, Nicholas and Julian.  Neve was an absolute angel, taking it all in from her car seat or Grammy's lap.  The night ended early for our family, with a few sparklers.  They just aren't ready for the big-time fireworks yet...

On our last day in PA, all of the cousins visited a nearby lake to shake off some of the overwhelming heat.  (Did we mention that Papa's house didn't have air conditioning?  ARGH!)  The kids LOVED the clear water and soft sand (no waves!).  They spent their time building sand castles, fishing for minnows, and eating a picnic feast, while Neve hung in the shade.

What a fantastic week, filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows...  (Did we mention the oppressive heat??)  Thanks again to Traci's parents for giving us much-needed respite from the Virginia power outages.  Hope everybody else had a wonderful Fourth as well.  Please feel free to check out our pictures from the week to the right!