The Girls of Summer

Each of our daughters has brought friends to our home on MVY this summer. Since we don't see the girls as much as we used to when they all lived at home, the friends they choose to bring home to meet family provides a secret peek into who they are and tells us a little of what their lives are like while they are away. We have thoroughly enjoyed meeting the wonderful people they call friends and getting the peek into who our children are when they aren't with us. 

Melissa and Katrina. Katrina is from a large family in the Chicago area and a recent Duke grad heading to New Orleans for a year of community service.

Ingrid, Emily Bowen and Em. All young professionals rooming together  in Brookline.

Colleen with Sarah who will be at UNC Wilmington this fall. A music lover and guitar player who inspired the Bean to pick up guitar again.

Colleen with Sarah who will be at FSU this fall. I think she said she is the 10th person in her family to attend there.

Hayley who started at Florida this summer, Colleen, and Mel who will be at Alabama this fall. Both repeat visitors!

Makes me think back to when I was bringing friends home to meet the family and what my parents might have thought. Maybe their generation didn't think quite so much about this stuff though. I'll never know.

Independence Day

It was party central at 1 Kotemy Circle this Independence Day. The entire family was present, plus Em's boyfriend Kevin (a doll) and Mel's friend Katrina, like one of the family and a recent Duke grad. We enjoyed some of the best weather of the summer over the July 4th holiday, what a well deserved treat! Festivities included a family dinner at the Boathouse in downtown Edgartown.

Em and Kevin

Mel and Katrina

Then an old fashioned perfect beach day with lots of friends and their families lasting well into the early evening. 

The Fam

Kids enjoyed a new game introduced by the college crowd, twirlie bat (minus the alcohol of course). A relay game between two teams --the short kids versus the tall kids. Each team had a member twirl 8 times around a bat and then run bases like in baseball. The first team finished won. I think it was the short, young kids because they don't get dizzy. 

Twirlie Bat

On the big day we sat poolside and soaked up the sun, enjoyed the fireworks over the harbor, and danced the night away to some cool tunes. Sunday was a relaxing day with a cookout in the backyard

 with the traditional July 4th cake 

The must do photo with Katrina (who did a great job filling in for Mel who was at work, they do look like sisters)

as we said farewell to Melissa, Katrina, Em and Kevin. It was the last hurrah weekend for Melissa who is now back at Duke and beginning her summer research job. I hope everyone had as much fun celebrating and creating memories as we did. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, summer!