July, part deux

I had quite a big photo session with several families in our area as a goodbye gift. It was great also to get pictures of Kate playing with her friends. I truly think the best pictures are the ones that are more natural so for kids that means playing. Maybe in my next post I'll show some of the others, but for now I just did ones of Kate and her friends.

Hope and Kate

I am generally not fond of the half black-and-white, half color but it seems to work well with this shot.

Man, she's a beauty.

Ethan, Kate, and Melanie

Kate and Bridget

For the Fourth of July we went to Lake Onondaga Park to watch the fireworks. There were several families there that we knew and Kate had a blast playing with them and with the glow-in-the-dark wands. Asher had a good time as well, though he didn't make it quite through all the fireworks. I have to say it was one of the more interesting 4ths I've had because some of our friends are chemistry people and they spent a good deal of time discussing the colors and chemical reactions. It may sound dry but they are also some of the funniest people I've met. I had a great time.

The fireworks over the lake

Kate and her friends preparing for the show

Asher and Kate with their glow wands. Or glow-sword, in Asher's case.

A little before the 4th of July we went to Lake Ontario with some of our best friends - Hannah and her kids, Hope and Kyle. There was a great beach that we were able to play at in the morning, a little fair to play at in the evening, and a cool parade in the afternoon. It was also the first time I saw fireflies. It was, summed up in one word, magical. Even to an adult, it was just magical.

Kate and I on the Ferris Wheel

Jon and Asher at the parade

Asher watching, with some concern, his sister on the dragon roller coaster

Asher and Jon

Kate and Hope

At the parade

Little friends. I love this picture. The details are just perfect.

Kate with her hand-held electric fan.

At Lake Ontario beach

Little man

Kate and daddy going swimming

Kate desperately wanted to be buried in the sand like a mermaid. At this point she did have a nice set of boobs, though no tail yet.

Stud Muffin.

Hope and Kate

Asher and Kyle

Hannah, her nephew, Kate, Asher, Hope and Jon

At Lake Onondaga Park they have a place that rents all kinds of cool bikes. This one was like a carriage almost. The kids rode up front while Jon and I pedaled from the back. It even had a canopy. It was a great little outing.