Yes!  It's time to bring in the crops at long last, after hours of planting, weeding, and watering.  We had some friends over on this harvest day--they were able and willing helpers as we dug for potatoes, husked corn, and especially when we ate ice cream after our labors!  Everything is more fun when you do it with friends.

Dad plows up the row of potatoes.  This special plow, shaped like a pointed hoe, brings up almost all the potatoes at one pass!  It's an awesome sight, especially when you start thinking about all the uses for potatoes...

While our friends were a little hesitant to get down in the dirt at first, they soon got down on their knees and dug for spuds.  Tanya ended up filthy, of course, but she and dirt have a special relationship...

Potatoes!  These spuds could end up as mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, or as a festive potato salad, or a comforting soup.  No end of ideas here!

Then it was time to husk corn!  Many hands made pretty light work, and tongues and fingers flew as the husks came off and the bare ears were taken into the kitchen, where Mom waited to parboil, cut, and freeze the kernels.  Sweet corn, anyone?

Ah!  They look so angelic, with their popsicles in hand!  Clean and in their right minds! :)  Note William's British shirt--still lovin' it, Rooneys all!

Look at these two, out playing on the logs!  Gotta love 'em!

We kicked off the occasion with a scrumptious potluck.  In my opinion, it was one of the best food-fests our church has ever put together!  I wanted to try absolutely everything, which was a) an impossibility, and b) bad for my diet!  I've got a weird expression on my face in this picture--I think I'm really concentrating on my plate! :)

We rented a different pavilion this year--one with a playground, which made all the moms very happy.  The teeter-totter was a big hit!  On the left are Tanya and William; on the right are Grace and Leah Newman.

Anna Royalty and Meg Kojima in the play-truck at the park.  Licenses, girls?

Little Anne Newman seems to be saying, "Wait a minute!  What did you call this thing?  And what's so merry about it?"

After eating, the activities began.  The event that trumped all others, however, was the first annual BHBC Relay!  Pastor Royalty is here directing the picnickers to split into families; if someone was on their own, they would be adopted by one of the family units.

The Perkins team!  Along with Becky and Sarah, who pretty much count as Perkins anyway.  I did not actually take part in the race (for health reasons), so Pastor appointed me judge.  Fine by me!

The Kojima team, with the addition of Josh Pierce and Brian Starre.  Kotaro is chuggin' water--he knows what's coming!

The LiBassi clan, enlarged by Patty Stillwell and Jasmine.  Christina's looking pretty confident!

The Zerbys.  We all knew they would be tough competition....

The Peacock family, minus Hannah, who was unable to attend because she's on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific ocean. :)  The tension was building....

The Royalty crew, eager to win and be proclaimed the fastest family in BHBC.  Oh, this is going to be a close thing, folks!

The Newman family, rarin' and ready to fly around the track!

Then the race began!  Teams were pitted against each other in a half-lap around the pond--whichever whole team crossed first (including children or older people) won!  Here, the LiBassi's beat the competition.

In the baton-carrying part of the race, Jonathan sprints to victory with his baton (aka baseball bat!)

The climax came, naturally, at the end, when Dennis Zerby managed to pull ahead of April Newman, despite the latter's huge lead, to win the championship!  The Zerbys are the fastest family!

Two lovely ladies taking a break--Dorothy Gross and Diana Starre.

What's going on here, Ben?! 

Naoko and little Mayumi.

Our Pastor and his lovely wife.

Jun and Naoko Kojima--still in love after 8 kids and one on the way!

Thanks to my Mom for all the great pictures!  Hope we'll see you at the next church picnic!