When Opa and Oma come

they love the boys though they're dressed as ragmuffins 

Breaking the Sabbath

Somehow my boys' clothes just come off around water---yikes!  This was on the same day we visited four different churches (including the Scientologists) for fun.  

Don't you want to know

Alright, I get that I have some major updating to do.

• Soccer 
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• Unbeknownst to us we went on vacation to the exact place Stephen would get a post-doc

• Visits around Philadelphia and bused down to DC to make sure we saw the sites to satisfy Christian and Simeon's history/soldier obsessions.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Les Miz in NYC with $9 in our bank earlier that day
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• Stephen graduated with a PhD in Demography and Sociology from UPenn (not Penn State).  He managed to graduate in four years with four solo publications with two other revise and resubmits that could be published soon.  He has publications in religion, fertility, sexuality, and mental health.  His complete CV: All this while not neglecting his car-free family that grew from three to five in those four years.  Ohhwee!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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• Done bragging
• Had a visit from Oma, Opa, Uncle Carl and Aunt Susan for the graduation (and help moving!)
• Said good-bye to some of the noblest of souls we've come to know.  I know, I know, Philly might not be the first city that comes to mind when thinking of generous and lovable people, but it's full of them.   Here are a few photos of some people that have changed us.  Hurts to not have photos of everyone we love so much. 
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• Bought a mini-van and became a little more like real adults
• Dislike of real adult life!
• Waco, Texas!!!
• Mistaken as my sister my first full day in Waco at the YMCA.  
• I'm in the same ward (church congregation) as my sister Mary and Jared and their adorable family! 45 minutes from Robin and Nathan's and 3 hours from Becca and Camden's!
• Stephen started a post-doc at Baylor (The BYU for Baptists) at the Institute of Religious Studies working with Rodney Stark.

Cranney Classic: Savitri and My Princess Treasury

I'm raising the boys to be romantics.  What can I say?  I want grandchildren.   Thus it's very convenient that the most requested book of both Christian and Simeon happens to be: 

I'm not sure what will happen when they go to school and realize that most boys wouldn't be caught dead reading a bright pink book about princesses, but thanks to their grappling skills from their dad, I don't think too many kids will dare tease too bad.  Honestly some of the stories are better than others and I worry about too many stories that focus simply on finding the right one and not being the right one, but it's nice to have a collection of so many fun tales. 

That said, if you're looking for a true romance, a classic that celebrates woman, man, family relationships and the blessing of children, Savitri retold by Aaron Shepard and illustrated by Vera Rosenberry is a must.  The boys were enraptured with this as was I.

Savitri