Camp Fun

Brusha brusha brusha...
Snoozin' in Mama's bed.
Hanging at the Dining Hall.

Zzzzzz.
Bedtime snack. Gnight!

Teaser

We are happy to announce that just in time for a week at camp, we have a new camera! That makes three in two years. Good thing cameras keep getting cheaper.

Here are some photos we took this morning, since you've all been so patient during our photo sabbatical. Eli and three of his favorite things: three Harry Elephantes, his Bob the Builder Hat (yellow hard hat), and the bulldozer he got yesterday from Ralph who works at church.
And, his absolute two favorite things: his nearly naked self, and Harry.

More to come from camp!

Eli at Play and TB's New Digs

Here is Eli the artist, creating a masterpiece at the Art Room at the Children's Museum.
On the look out for fish in the campus lily pond.
Playing on the little playground outside our apartment in his construction themed duds.
I finally finished Tummy Baby's crib bedding today!
I can't believe in 6 short weeks I'm going to put a tiny baby right there.
I hope he likes his little nook!

Sad Camera

All I have for you is one lousy camera phone picture of Eli's owl friends that I made for his walls.

Our camera is screwt up. We go through cameras faster than, I dunno, people who use a lot of cameras. Looks like another new one is in our future, unless magic elves come in to fix our old one. Someone send us some elves!

Eli and the New Apartment

But first...watching deer on the deck with Christa at the mountain house.
Now, the new apartment. This is "Mustard's Last Stand," a fabulous hot dog restaurant on campus where we eat lunch lots. They have veggie dogs and chili, God bless 'em. Eli likes it.
Eli is happy to report that his nose is just as pickable in the new place.
Apartment snuggles.
Snuggling with Harry with his fabulous hand-me-down Elmo slippers.
He was saying, "Harry Cheese!"
DSP shirt and elmo slippers...fabulous.
Snoozing in the new pad...Buddha style. He sleeps so good here. He gets no morning sun in his window, so he sleeps until 8 am, at least. That may be the best benefit to the new apartment.

Homeplaces

If we haven't posted in a while, then you know it's going to be a huge update. And indeed it is. It would be even bigger, but our camera went on the fritz at the end of the beach trip (sand + salt mist = camera issues, evidently). I looked it up on the internet and solved it by banging on a certain spot on the camera with a butter knife, so we're back in business now.

Here are a few from the end of the beach trip, post camera resurrection.
What happens if a prince kisses a frog?
Getting friendly with an alligator at the NC Aquarium (which is amazing, by the way).
Playing with Harry (Wuwwy, as Eli says) and a balloon someone gave him the last night we were there. Note the spectacular beachy shirt.
Running laps around a palm tree planter.
On Sunday afternoon, we traveled down to the Vassy family homeplace in South Carolina for a family reunion. That's Jessa's mom's side of the family, if you're keeping track at home. They had a big picnic, complete with hymn singing, at the old family house which was built sometime in the early 1800s.
Someone brought this fantastic retro chair.
Today we traveled to Highlands, NC to visit with the Dendy side of the family (Eric's mom's side). Here are four generations, all somehow managing to look at the camera during different shots.
Eli on a chair at his great-grandma Moo's house.
Again.
Eli and Poppie (his great-grandfather) played a game of pinecone. Eli gave Poppie the pinecone. Then he took it back. Repeat.
Dad's shades, which in this shot had about 38 seconds more to live. Time to buy some more. Such is life with a toddler.
Jessa and Eli took a stroll in the back yard.
Whee!!!
Eli's great-great-aunt JoAnne showed him the Irises, which he smelled here.
We went down to the Dendy homeplace next door to do a little bit of gardening. This is near the spot where Eli's great-great-great grandparents had a home, and the house where I (Eric) used to visit Eli's great-great grandmother.
Skipping around in the grass.
He loved running around and getting all that energy out.
This is post-dinner, so there was quite a bit of residual ketchup. We DO sometimes groom our child. We promise.
Contemplating the grass.
Jessa Jr. With a gnat in his eye.
He now says "cheese" if he sees you taking his picture. This is the result.
Picking an apple from a very old tree. He also loves the applesauce his Moo makes from these apples.
There was an unfortunate incident where Eli felt more confident in his hill-climbing abilities than he should have. We caught this splendid face from him. Oh, the humanity.
Smelling a wild azalea flower.
I love this series.
You can see the grin coming....
There it is!
Cheese!
These are Eli's great-great-aunts JoAnne and Mozelle, walking him up the gravel road from the old Dendy place.
Eli was pretty worn out, so he rode the Dad Express back to the house. Note the daisy.

We're all exhausted, as you can tell. Jessa and Eli are flying home tomorrow (Wednesday), and Eric is driving back starting on Thursday. We move Sunday! Wish us luck!