A shower cruise for Christine and Jamie

Christine and Jamie were the guests of honor at a shower hosted by Christine's mother, Julie, on a Spirit of NJ cruise around New York Harbor. Ladies (and a few gents) from the New Jersey, New York and Maryland branches of the family, along with Jamie's mom, Bonnie, enjoyed partying and sightseeing on a warm sunny Saturday.

In the group photo are: in front, left to right, Kathy, Vivien with Charlie, Cathy, Stephanie; and standing, left to right, Kathy, Shanna, Mary, Julie, Bonnie, Jamie, Christine, Shannon, Andy and Dan.

Bonnie had previously hosted a shower on Cape Cod attended by New England branches of the family.

Here's a selection of photos of the party - click any image for a larger view.

Lucy receives sacrament of Baptism

Lucy Jean, the daughter of Shanna and Rick, was baptised on Sunday, Aug. 11, at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Park Ridge, N.J.

Rick's sister, Steph, is Lucy's godmother and Shanna's brother, Kevin, is her godfather.

Lucy with her parents and godparents after the ceremony

Cousins and second cousins

Following the ceremony, family and friends enjoyed fine food, drink and each other's company at a reception at Aldo & Gianni Restorante in Montvale. Among the guests were Lucy's second cousins: Bea, 4; her 3-week old brother Jack; and Charlie, whose first birthday is coming up Sept. 9.

Genevieve and John have baby boy!

John and Genevieve welcomed their son, John Reuben IV, into the world on Tuesday, July 16.

"Welcome to the world, Jack! We love you so much," Genevieve posted. Her mom, Kathy, reported "everyone's great" and that big sister "Beatrice is thrilled!"

Julie & Dan enjoy an anniversary-weekend trip

At Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Dan and Julie took a brief vacation to mark their 30th anniversary, with stops in Upstate New York and Montreal - and a lot of live music along the way.

Setting out on the Fourth of July, they visited with Andy and Shannon and took in fireworks in suburban Albany (see separate article). The next day, Dan and Julie headed up to Saratoga Springs, where they met Dan's cousin Mary for lunch at a favorite restaurant of hers overlooking Saratoga Lake. Along the way, they took a look at Cohoes Falls on the Mohawk River.


After lunch they checked out the Yaddo Rose and Rock Gardens.


After dinner in an Irish pub in downtown Saratoga Springs, they headed to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center to see Jackson Browne, one of their long-time favorites. They had seen him once before playing solo in New Jersey; this time he had a full band, joined on a few numbers by the opening act, female singing duo Lucius.

Closeup from video screen	With band and Lucius

The next day, it was north to Canada. Along the drive up the Adirondack Northway, they passed through some thunderstorms - but once through them, they had beautiful summer weather for their two-day visit to the Montreal area.

Their arrival coincided with the last day of the Montreal Jazz Festival. After checking into a hotel, Dan and Julie walked a few blocks to the city's Quartier des Spectacles, where music played on multiple outdoor stages and the streets were lined with food and drink vendors.

The "jazz" festival included many styles of music, with some of the biggest names playing ticketed shows in clubs in the evenings. Dan and Julie just enjoyed the free outdoor shows, on a warm but pleasant summer evening.

As they watched an act called Miche Love and the Dynamite Blues Band play at one of the stages, a dance party broke out right in front of where Dan and Julie were sitting. Apparently the locals knew that particular patio was the place to meet and dance, changing partners from song to song.

Later the couple found themselves on the edge of a huge crowd watching the festival's final outdoor act, local favorite Matt Holubowski and his band.

The same weekend marked the beginning of another music festival - the Tremblant International Blues Festival in the ski-resort town of Mont Tremblant, some 80 miles north of Montreal. So, why not a trip into the Quebec countryside and a little more outdoor live music?

Julie joins in singing a French folk song played on a hand-cranked music box

Mont Tremblant's faux-Alpine village of shops and restaurants was the setting for this festival. Dan and Julie wandered through, catching several acts and having lunch at one of the cafes while listening to music nearby.

After a few hours there, Dan and Julie took a drive through parkland to Lac Superieur, one of numerous lakes dotting that region of Quebec.

Back in Montreal, the couple found a restaurant that turned out to be the perfect place for an anniversary dinner. At Modavie, in the Old Montreal neighborhood, they had an exquisite meal while listening to - what else? - live music, by a jazz duo.

Modavie restaurant (TripAdvisor photo)

On their actual anniversary date, July 8, Dan and Julie made the long drive home. They enjoyed the scenery through the Adirondacks (in clear weather this time instead of rain). And they broke up the drive with a brief stop at Lake George, just to have a look at the scenery.

Dan & Julie Celebrate 4th with Andy & Shannon

Dan and Julie started a mini-vacation by visiting son Andy and his girlfriend, Shannon, in the Albany area on the Fourth of July. They found a spot at a park in Clifton Park to watch fireworks. (Selfie by Shannon, fireworks photo by Dan.)

The visit gave Julie and Dan their first look at the furnished version of Andy and Shannon's commodious apartment in Guiderland, N.Y.

The next day, Dan and Julie continued north - to Saratoga for a concert and then to Montreal for a two-day stay (see separate article). Meanwhile, Andy and Shannon drove down to the house in Fanwood and spent the weekend with their New Jersey friends.