On Friday we booked it out of work and made it over the Bay Bridge in record time, even with beach traffic and rush hour. We could not be more pleased to arrive while the sun was still high in the sky. We had a perfect, relaxing evening on the Shore. It was great to spend time in the warm sun and have a leisurely dinner with Mark's family.

Sleep never felt so good. The breeze, the silence of night, and the early morning bird chirps were all welcomed signs of an escape from the city. If nothing else, the desire for peacefull sleep will move us to the Eastern Shore someday (and trust me, there are plenty of other reasons pulling on us).

Saturday quickly became a work day. We got the oil changed, found out we need new brakes, Mark got a VERY short new haircut much to his dismay, and we quickly filled a backet with groceries in preparation for Sunday's BBQ at the Simplers. And this was all before breakfast! Back at the house we ate and moved to the boat. Oh the long neglected boat. It was in need of new lines and a good scrub. Mark and Ben spent hours working on it. The afternoon was filled with watching excellent lacrosse and the evening ended with a heated game of homerun derby. Ben and I beat Mark and Jim, and we will be certain to never let those trash-talking, no-hitting, butter fingered opponents let it down! Though I am certain revenge will come soon.

We spent the remainder of the evening watching the sun set. Here are some shots:

Sunday morning we attending church at Safe Harbor and then drove up to Millington to join the gang for a BBQ and wiffle ball. It was a wonderful afternoon full of excitement, Fallon is pregnant! good food, great friends, and once again, relaxation.

Monday morning capped the long weekend with a trip down the Wye on the sail boat. The wind was perfect and we cruised. Sailing is a great deal of work, but always worth it. Every muscle in my body aches after a good sail, and yet I cannot imagine a better way to spend time.

Theme of the weekend: Relaxing! It was perfect!

It was wonderful to have the primary purpose of our trip to PA be to visit with Faith and Kyle. Over the past few years our visits with them have always been short and rushed over holiday weekends or squeezed in between visits with family. Now that we live closer we can more easily make the trek, and dedicate time just for them. We had so much fun enjoying the beautiful weather on their back deck and catching up. Here are some pictures from the weekend:

This is a picture of Yia-Yia helping me make Baklava before the wedding. (notice her styled coif) She is always up to something when she is in my mom's kitchen, from cooking, to dancing, to insisting on doing all of the dishes without any help, so the rest of us can watch football. Yia-yia has taught Julia, Brooke and I all of the family recipes and years of her cooking secrets, which we never would have learned without her.

On Mother's Day, I found out she had a stroke and was in intensive care. Fortunately, she was at my parent's house when she had the stroke, so they were able to get her to the hospital right away. Mark and I drove up to PA to visit her. It was so hard to see her in ICU because Yia-Yia is always full of energy bouncing around doing her "exercises" even at 83! After a week in the hospital, she was moved to one of the area's best rehab centers. We were able to visit her again this past weekend on her first day in rehab. Things confuse her more than they used to, and she is working hard to regain strength and mobility on the right side of her body. But even while in the hospital, Yia-yia is still feisty and telling lots jokes to ensure that we all keep laughing! Please keep Yia-yia in your prayers as she works to regain her strength.

We were able to go to Safe Harbor and have Mother's Day Brunch with the Schreibers this here. Here is a family photo out front! We also were able to celebrate Ben's birthday which always falls on or around mother's day.

Kristen and Cynda planned the cutest baby shower for the Chapman 208 Model, which is about to arrive. Here are some pictures from the day:

Gordon Girls

Mother's Day is this weekend, but I won't be able to get to PA to see Mom. My mom is an incredible woman and has instilled in me, many of the character traits that make her so wonderful. She has given me her strength and confidence for which I will always be grateful. I cannot thank my mom enough for all that she has done for me. Here is one of our best moments, captured by Aunt Mary:

I enjoy yogurt, but ONLY Yoplait. Do not ask me why. I cannot explain. I have a deep rooted passion for Yoplait. I get so excited wehn I have a coupon for Yoplait! I grew up eating Yoplait, but it was not the only brand my parents purchased. Somehow, along the way, I selected Yoplait as the only edible yogurt. (This becomes problematic when recipes call for plain yogurt...but that is another issue all together.)

This morning, I had a headache. I was running late. I grabbed my yogurt for breakfast to go. The last one in the fridge. For the next hour, until I had time to eat, I dreamed of the berry flavor about to hit my lips. I have time! I go to the fridge at work, peel back the foil lid and see...

LIME GREEN!!!

Lime Green! Who on earth buys lime green yogurt? (Mark.) Key Lime Pie Yogurt to be specific. At this point I was so hungry I sucked down the LIME GREEN yogurt out of desperation. It was not good. My beautiful breakfast was ruined. Ruined by my husband's LIME GREEN yogurt.

Saving grace: Mark and I have been laughing about it all day. He is jealous because he loves his LIME GREEN Key Lime Pie (yuck) flavored yogurt and I ate it first!

Do you have any opinions or passions about yogurt?

Have I told you about my garden? Last year we planted the most unbelievable garden ever. I am trying to find a picture to show you.