The OC

April was a somewhat traumatic month for me. My baby turned one. As if! And my dear friend, Ellen, moved to the Netherlands. Eee-gads!!

So when I heard that she would be back in the States in the middle of August...and in NEW JERSEY (so close!)...I immediately planned to go see her. Double bonus that her friend, Kate, had the same idea. Triple bonus that my friend, Jamie, was going to be at her shore house then too. So all the families recently met in Ocean City, NJ for a quick weekend of catching up and playing in the surf.

Lily was in SEVENTH heaven playing with Kate's almost 8 year old, Natalie!

The rash, in all its glory, didn't fully surface until the trip home (fear not, she was kept under an umbrella on the beach 99.9% of the time we were there).

Jamie's twins -- Abby (left) and Beth (right)

The only bummer -- but it was a B.I.G. BUH-MER -- was that Anna had been running a fever leading up to the trip. A high fever. And when it broke, she broke out. In a head-to-toe rash, which turned out to be Roseola. A fever/rash combo that landed her in the ER early the morning (as in 3 am early) after we got home. The silver lining, though, is that once the rash appears the child is no longer contagious. Given the number of kids on this trip, I was certainly grateful for that!

"Baby Andrew" (who is 10 weeks older than Anna) devouring his frozen custard. I couldn't believe Ellen was brave enough to give him a cone! I'm far to mess-adverse...

HILARIOUS to see kids, who don't know how to drive, try to do the bumper cars!

Lily and Katie, Ellen's daughter, on the world's tiniest ferris wheel.

Lily and Meridith, who is only 14.5 months younger but almost as tall!

Kate's husband, Paul, with all the "big" kids on the boardwalk

Lily and Katie are only 13 months apart in age -- but about 14-15 pounds apart (Katie is a PEANUT!). Lily loved picking her up and carrying her around.

Andrew, Katie, Anna, Meredith, Natalie & Lily

We had an awesome time visiting with Ellen, Kate, Jamie and their families!! And my earlier suspicions were confirmed. Vacationing with other children makes for one happy Lily (the converse is certainly true too -- boy can she be a pill when deprived of tiny playmates!).

My poor, poor baby...