May was a busy month

In early May Max was in Michigan doing some heavy lifting of Elise for Brandy, and I was back in Cincinnati using our fabulous new kitchen, cooking amazing dinners of scrambled eggs, microwaved hot dogs, or turkey sandwiches.  I am pretty good at executing cooking plans.  I just am not so good at planning meals so I tend to eat whatever is in the refrigerator.  But as Mother’s Day approached I headed to Michigan to pick up Max so we could drive to Arlington, VA.  This year Mother’s day fell on the same day as Reeder’s first communion.  Since Reeder was Max’s maiden name and Max is her God Mother, it made sense that we be there.   Once the service was completed, we headed for the National Mall for pictures and a picnic lunch 

The reason for the party

 The Kappels

A proud Grandma with Reeder

Lunch on the Mall

 followed by the Natural History Museum, Reeder’s favorite Smithsonian museum, but also Weiler's favorite place too I think. 

It was a hot day and ice cream on the Mall was enjoyed by many.

 Not a drop wasted

Weiler got the comfy seat.

Hayes went for the cone.

And I guess Reeder was just too fast for me to get a picture of her favorite frozen desert.

On Monday we got a tour of the Pentagon (sorry, no pictures allowed) and then on Tuesday we went to the National Zoo and were lucky to find Bao Bao, the Zoo’s newest baby Giant Panda during her first week of viewing.  Bao Bao posed for us and then called her mom (Mei Xiang) out for a family photo shoot.

Bao Bao munching on some bambo.

 Bao Bao and Mom

The next weekend was graduation weekend at U. Pennsylvania in Philly so instead of driving back to Michigan and then back to Philly 3 days later, we stopped in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and spent a few nights in a B&B.  Rehoboth Beach was nice for a mid-Atlantic beach, but the weather was wet and windy and the camera never made it out of the bag.

Philly was where my camera got a workout.  First of all we got to meet Sarah’s mother, Nazek.  As you can see, Nazek and Max got along quite well.

And then came graduation.  The Nursing School commencement was held in the Kimmel Center in the city center of Philly.  Penn Nursing is rated as the best nursing school in the country (as well as the world) and to  have two family members getting their Ph.D’s made it all the more special.

Getting Ready for commencement

Graduates and parents

Sarah being hooded by her advisor

Matthew being hooded by his advisor

Post graduation relaxing

And to finish off the month of May, Amber delivered Marshall Rudy Dushman to the world.  He is a big boy and is making his presence felt in the Dushman household.

A short nap in his cradle

Loved napping on Grandma's lap

An awake moment in his swing

Enjoying a joke from his Grandpa

And of course, the proud parents whom Marshall is breaking into parenthood.

And finally, a couple of pictures that I just really like:

A Rose Breasted Grosbeck sitting on my Paw Paw tree

Amelia peeking from around a tree.