Highlights:
These pictures appear to be in reverse order, so if you prefer to see them chronologically, start at the bottom. :)
We took a trip to Florida to visit Bryan's parents. The beach was a sadder trip than last year because Hurricane Ian hit Fort Myers directly, so the infrastructure was all decimated. Also, we managed to arrive just after red tide, so there were dead fish washed up everywhere. The children were not impressed. The rest of our trip was fun, though.
Shortly after our Florida trip, several of my siblings came to visit with their families. We all got to meet Michael, who I'm sure was not at all overwhelmed by the abundance of new faces. We also celebrated Julian's birthday, wherein my children learned that while Aunt Justine decorates cakes, Aunt Jacque sculpts them. My kids definitely got the short end of the cake making stick. A request for a dragon cake at his next birthday was promptly filed by Matthias.
At some point there was a discussion amongst my family about which uncle was the tallest, and someone asked if Josef was allowed to fluff his hair up before measuring. Then it was pointed out that if hair counted, James could gel his and gain more height than Josef could. Jillian entered, claiming that if all the title of "tallest uncle" required was having taller hair then she stood a good chance. But she forgot about how long my hair was. Bryan taped my hair to the ceiling to measure, and I'm pleased to announce that at 100.5 inches (8'4.5") I am officially the tallest uncle. Yes, there's a picture. I look like a steeple.
Pictures:
Two boys reading together:
Kaitlyn turns 8:
Smiths dancing in the kitchen:
A board game:
Playing on a super long escalator:
