We made our annual Labor Day trek to Maryland to visit our friends Rick and Wen-Fei Uva on their farm. (See posts from previous years here and here.) It was very fun. You can see all the photos here and here are a few highlights:
Friday: We arrive and the Uva children, Pearl (5) and Isaac (3) are fascinated by my huge belly. Isaac wants to know why I'm having another baby. I answer "I don't know." Inquisitive Issac also asked if we have tractors and golf carts (which Rick uses to get around the farm) at our house.
Then Preston makes everyone pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes and basil. The Uvas also cook up some fresh squash. The "farm to fork" concept takes on a whole new meaning when the farm is the backyard. After dinner Preston and Rick head out to check on the irrigation system. I'm glad when Preston comes back without injury.
Saturday: Farm life is demanding and the Uva family needs to head out very early in the morning to sell their goodies at local farmer's markets. Preston, Maddie and I start our day with breakfast at Jimmy's Grille where I have grits and Maddie scams extra watermelon from the waitress. Then we head to Ocean City, Maryland. Best part of the day was sitting on the boardwalk eating Thrasher's French fries. Preston took Maddie on the carousel, but she was having nothing to do with the horse. He ended up sitting on a bench instead. That she seemed to find amusing enough. Saturday night was a delicious dinner of Maryland crabs back at the Uvas.
Sunday: Beach day! We went to a nice beach in Delaware that is on the bay side, so the surf is gentle and there are lots of sandbars for the kids to play on. We quickly learn that Maddie will not touch sand. At all. She loves the water, and if we hold her in the water and let her splash it in such a way that she does not have to touch sand she is happy. Harder to do than it sounds. Maddie had a great time and really loved playing with Pearl and Isaac. She takes to shrieking "Kids! Kids! Kids!" over and over whenever they do something she finds amusing.
Monday: Headed home, loaded down with basil, watermelon, squash and more.