Dear friends and family, it's been quite a while since Rachel and I last contributed to our Blog. We've packed in a lot of living since May and we just wanted to share it with you.
We finished off the Shakespear play "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and got through the stomach virus that seem to afflict the cast and families like a plague (sort of in-keeping with the Shakespearian times).
The boys have now finished school for the year and we're just getting into the summer routine. Brian and Andrew finished their music lessons (Brian on piano and Andrew on guitar) and they are only practicing every once-in-a-while to keep their fingers and mind active. It's been a good school semester and each has done very well. Ben is learning his letters and numbers and is enjoying school (like his brothers). Cory has finished her Junior year at UNH and is working at the Wentworth By The Sea banquet hall again.
Rachel is activly choosing curriculum for next fall's school year. Brian will be in 9th, Andrew in 7th and Ben in 1st grades this fall (homeschooled) and will continue taking music (at the Music Mill) and theater (at Perform It!). I propose we give Rachel an honorary degree in Teaching for the amount of work and dedication she puts into getting the boys a wonderful education.
We have taken time to enjoy life while we accomplish the items above. Cory joined Rachel, our boys, and other Homeschool families for a Geocach outing near the Powder Mill Fish Hatchery (New Durham, NH). We've had many other Geocach outings at the ocean, in the mountains and into Maine (Freeport, ME). It's a neat way to get out with other families for a common, inexpensive outing in a nature setting (and gives them a bit of treasure hunting and geography at the same time). I can see us doing this for many years.
Brian and I got to go with family (Ken Shields & Rob Vachon) and friends (Lois Crowley and Dick McCormack) for a half-day deep sea fishing this month. Great boat ride with plenty of sun, sea, and smiles. Oh, Brian, Ken & I also caught soume mackeral (as bonus points to the ride), but all of us had fun and hope to do it again soon.
I've finally got my new home computer working well now, but it was a struggle. I bought a Dell Dimension E521 with the new "Vista" windows operating system. My advice to those interested is wait a few years before any "new" operating system is released to allow all the bugs (and new drivers to be developed for printers, etc) to be worked out. I'm getting used to it.
I'm enjoying playing each week in my works golf league. I've played at 4 different courses already this year and am having fun with the folks I play with. My scores aren't great (47 best game, 54 worst game so far), but the walk on a golf course each week is well worth my time. My trusty clubs (actually, they are the clubs Chris and I bought in 1978 timeframe) still seem to hit the ball well. Our sons hit golf balls from our house down our driveway now and I'm glad we have such a beautiful long distance to the road (over 400 feet).
Work is going well for me at Tyco Integrated Cable Systems (TICS). We are very busy and are ramping up this year with contracts through next year and bidding jobs for the follow-up years. I had trained a technician to support me on evenings, but he has since given his notice and we're looking for a replacement now. Eventually we'll find the right person and it'll take much of the load off me.
Rachel and I are establishing our new garden, lawn & field this year. Our main objective is to map-out where everything will go (eventually) so we don't have to relocate things too many times. Our fight against poison ivy is ongoing and will be a long-term thing. Ken's tractor is at our house at the moment and we're making good use of it for moving loam, sand, manure and possibly small rocks (although I've not been very successful on the rock thing so far - seem to be "big" ones around the back field).
We also had some sand delivered to our place and we've built a sandbox for the boys. We missed our big sandbox at the old place and the kids have really enjoyed the new one. I even put sitting benches around 3 sides so we/they can sit down when they want to.
Of course, there has to be a picture of a horse. Lady is enjoying the back field and the large cherry tree with it's shade.
Also, we have to show pictures of the local wildlife on our front lawn. A snapping turtle was looking for a "quiet place" to lay her eggs - poor choice if you ask me.
Anyway, I'll have to sign-off now. Ken invited the boys and myself to go sailing on his boat this afternoon. There will be pictures of that on the our next blog.
Summer has begun. Love to all,
Rachel, John, Cory, Brian, Andrew and Benjamin
Look who came to visit!! Cory had a couple of days off in a row from her job as a waitress at The Wentworth and she decided to come play with us. John could not get the time off from work with such short notice on that Thursday and Friday, so we were almost happy to find that her car had a flat tire when she was preparing to leave Friday night. She stayed another night. John got the tire plugged for her in the morning and enjoyed his "bonus" time with her too. We went to the beach on Thursday as well as a short visit with Ken & Louise and another short visit with Laurie, Rob & baby Hannah. Cory proved more daring than I as she did get swimming with her brothers. I only waded out to my belly. It's so much more difficult to get in these days! 
Andrew found the cache and grinning, carried it to us . We all traded trinkets with the cache and enjoyed this beautiful "beach" spot way out along the branch river. The cache would be very easy to arrive at by canoe or kayak (or correct trail).
Large rocks attract boys, naturally. Cory was "good" on the ground and I took advantage of the photo op. Tide enjoyed wading around in the river. We were very lucky that he did not see the deer cross the trail in front of us on our way in. Cory & I did. Another went crashing through the woods on our way back out, but Tide was on the leash for that one. He thouroughly enjoyed the walk. In case you are noticing in the photo...Benjamin has a granola bar in his mouth. He refused to take it out for the camera. 
