Dennis, Marnie and the boys of summer come to town.

Dennis, Marnie and the boys are out from New Hampshire, making the drive up from California after their visit with the Lillys. Henney and Nicky were eager to plays some pickle (aka hot box) down at the park. The game goes like this: There are two bases. Two fielders, one at each base, throw a baseball (or its softer equivalent since we’re dealing with youngsters) back and forth. Runners attempt to go from one base to another without being tagged out. Three outs and a runner has to switch to be a fielder. Good fun and good exercise, especially for me and Dennis.

Today, we played Quest for the Magic Ring (a game based on The Lord of the Rings trilogy). After defeating Dark Lord Dennis, we went down to Riverfront park and played some more pickle (with Marnie and Erin joining in). Afterward we jetted home, cleaned up, ate a spot of dinner, and headed out to see the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes beat the Eugene Emeralds 8-4.

In the quieter moments of their time here, the boys are devouring books at an enviable pace. I wonder if they read more than I do, and I read a ton. It’s very impressive. They just seem to soak up knowledge, and I’m positive that they both must be reading years in advance of their grade levels. Amazing stuff.

They’ll be leaving tomorrow, but we’re already looking forward to seeing them at a family get-together in Portland on Sunday. We so love that Dennis, Marnie, Henney, and Nicky have been able to visit. Jonah meets his cousins!