Zeal is ONE!

Zeal turned one on August 9th. 

ONE!

Within one year of birth, Zeal can climb up to the fruit bowl 

(even if he doesn't know what to do once he gets there).

Zeal's birthday bash was on his actual birthday.

Zeal's first cake! He tried to eat it with a fork.

This is what children without cake look like. 

Happy Birthday, baby Z!

Zeal's Namesake's Son

Many of you have heard about Pops, my great uncle. 

He is the son of Vivian Zeal Savinni, my mother's mother's mother. 

Pops is the closest relative we have to Vivian Zeal, 

who was clearly one elegant, artistic woman and is Zeal's namesake.

Pops is 97 years old and is still as sharp as he's always been. He even sends daily political emails. 

He had five sons and one daughter (in that order!) so he was not put off by the whirlwind we brought into his Plymouth home. 

After a lovely lunch with him, we visisted his daughter's horse stable. 

Tiny Dancers in Tahoe

Biking in the Rain

Many Many Millers!

 Dear friends, visit no. 2, New Hampshire:

Elvie Miller and her twins, Dervla and Muirin,

Jane and Rodney Miller (yes, the well-known fiddler),

Elvie's husband, Denis, who joined us on our last day.

And not pictured but truly memorable was a visit from Naomi and Emmett.

It was a mini Oberlin reunion!

Zeal and Avery got straight to work, checking out the lush garden. New England gets so much rain!

Rod has made all the charming border fences.

Rod with Zeal and a twin. We're all pretty sure they are identical because we all have to pause to tell them apart. That's part of the do-it-yourself identical twin test.

Jane with Muirin, I believe.

Feeding time! These two really get fed the best food. Elvie makes cooking gourmet baby food look easy.

Zeal starting to learn that eating food is pretty fun.

A most memorable tractor ride for Avery.

There is a beautiful little bed in the kitchen that is perfect for reading on. They call it the bedlet.

Turtle home!

A musical morning with everyone on the porch.

Until next year...

Hansons and Warings and Quirks, Oh My!

Visit no. 1, in New Hampshire:

Katie, Tim, Liam, and Reid!

(And we also got Tim's parents and grandmother as a bonus.)

We spent 4 days with them at Granny's idyllic cabin on Squam Pond in New Hampshire.

Avery loved swimming alongside canoes and kayaks (in his lifejacket). 

Avery loved playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turltes with his sophisticated older friends. 

Zeal loved Topher, Tim's dad. 

We loved staying in a little bedroom cabin called the Peace Cabin. 

We loved that there was a tiny island in the middle of the pond where you could pick blueberries. 

We loved catching up with Katie and Tim once the kids were all asleep.

Regular.

Shark style.

Regular.

Shark style.

And because this triptych is just too good: