Key Biscayne ...

While we were in Miami, we took a little side trip and spent some time wandering around a park on Key Biscayne. It's truly a beautiful place. We saw amazing foliage and natural sea sponge, and a coconut washed up on the beach from Tropical Storm Fay!

It was nice to spend some down time with Meghan before she started school and we headed back to Maryland.

Meghan is back in Miami ...

Brian and I spent the last weekend getting Meghan back and settled at the University of Miami. We rented a car and unpacked her storage unit and then headed off to the University to check into her room and begin the long process of unpacking and determining what she still "has to have!"

Her dorm is further around the lake this year. Although the view freshman year was amazing, this is still pretty nice. Brian and Meghan had lots of fun deciding where to put all her things in her new room. So much fun, that we rewarded Brian with a trip to Walmart, Target, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I don't think he'll make that mistake again!

First Day of School 2008

Every year since Meghan started preschool, I take a first day of school picture. So this is Ryan and Patrick on Ryan's first day as a senior and Patrick's first day as a sophomore! A senior's first day must be better than a sophomore's!

20 Years of Marriage

Brian and I have been married for 20 years! In some ways our time together has flown by and in other ways it has been a "long and winding road!" We have worked hard to build our life together managing the balancing act of marriage, parenthood, and careers. With a profound faith in God and trust in his plan for us, we weathered the rough times and have been awed by the many blessings we have received over the years. We are older and wiser and hopefully kinder and gentler, all of which we will need as we embark on the next 20 years. Just like in the beginning, the future is a mystery, but now we know the magic is in the journey. The love we have in our hearts will last forever ...

 

Travis' Visit Home!

We were lucky enough to have Travis home for two weeks at the end of July. He is stationed in Oklahoma so Duncan and Sherri get to see him, but we haven't since Christmas. He is enjoying the Army and his work on the Patriot Missiles. His unit will deploy to the Middle East next Spring - so we will take advantage of any time we get with him!

Ryan’s college search …

Ryan and I have been on the road looking at schools. She really enjoyed our trip to Charleston and found the school and the city really charming. The College of Charleston is as rich in history and southern traditions as the city. The cobblestone sidewalks, old victorian homes and wisteria dropping through the trees was a beautiful back drop to a real contrast - a school that is historical on the outside with all the necessities of a 21st century education on the inside! And, with Bobby Crimmons as the basketball coach, Brian says it stays on the list!

 

Our trip to North Carolina was interesting. While the area is beautiful and the schools great, Ryan didn’t get the same feel as she did at some other schools. A tour guide really can make or break a student’s perception of a school. Our trip to Wake Forest wasn’t as impressive as I was hoping – for that reason. When even the swings didn’t win her over, I discovered I’ll have to wait for Patrick!

 

Our visit to High Point University was the exact opposite! We had a wonderful experience from start to finish. The personalized parking space and the impeccable grounds were only trumped by the tour via golf cart! No need to walk around in 90 degree heat when you can tour a school in a golf cart! While the campus is beautiful and clearly there is an enormous investment in the facilities, we were left wondering what kind of investment was being made in the academic programs. In the end, we decided it was worth keeping on the list and we will return for a fall open house.

 

 

On the way out of town, we decided to take a drive through Elon University. Elon is another incredibly beautiful campus in North Carolina. After some internet research, we discovered that Elon has made a substantial investment in its academic programs in addition to the facilities and we will be back for a fall open house here as well.

As of now, the top contenders remain Virginia Tech (much to the delight of many family members), Clemson, College of Charleston, Elon and High Point University. Stay tuned …

Gunning Family Fun Nights

Brian and I truly enjoy spending time with our kids and their friends. We are grateful that they want to spend time with us, too! So, when we can, we try to make things extra fun. Our best invention to date is Outdoor Movie Night. We borrow a projector, hook it up to a laptop and some computer speakers, project it onto a sheet hung on the garage and, voila! Outdoor Movie! What makes it more fun is a fire in the pit and the fixings for smores! This particular night, Patrick's friends got first dibs on the front row!




Another family favorite - Apples to Apples! This is a great game for a group of people. Patrick's friends got first crack on this particular night, too!

Summer Fun

We didn't have too many lazy, hazy days this summer, so we grabbed some fun when we could! Our neighbors, especially Christopher and Catherine, provide many laughs for our family. Chris and Catherine and I spent an entire afternoon together. After a trip to Chik Fil A for dream cones, we decided it would be fun to wash the cars. I quickly remembered that washing cars is code for water fight!

The Little Man

We have had tbe pleasure of keeping Ezio for Tara and Justin several times this summer. It is a blessing to watch him grow and develop. Each time we see him he has changed so much. Check out that hair!

These are some photos of our fun with the little man ...





They say being a grandparent is the reward for surviving parenthood. Being a great-grandparent must be the ultimate! The grandchildren call my parents Nana and Papa. The kids decided the great-grandchildren should call them Nanana and Papapa! Will see how Ezio handles that one!