Let It Shine

Commemorating the Centenary of 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit to America

2012-01-15T21:37:00.002-05:00

I've been asked by the Philadelphia Bahá'í Community to blog for the 100 year anniversary of the visit of 'Abdu'l-Baha to America. For more information, and to follow along, see the blog over here: A Celebration Of Unity.

Hope to see you there!

Conditioning Hike at Valley Forge National Park

2012-01-14T21:32:00.001-05:00

I had a wonderful ten mile hike at Valley Forge National Park on Saturday. Hiked up and over Mount Misery, up and over Mount Joy, all around the park, and up and over Mount Misery again! It was a cold day, but with all the elevation change and a brisk pace, I stayed nice and warm. This wasn't a "take pretty pictures of beautiful nature" hike, it was a "get in condition for Spring hiking" hike, nevertheless, here are a few shots to remember the day:

Pretty creek

Keeping watch over the fields

Best Way to Start the New Year

2012-01-01T21:24:00.001-05:00

There is no better way to start the New Year than by hiking with friends!

It was unseasonably warm, temperatures in the fifties, a perfect day for hiking along the Delaware Canal from Frenchtown to Upper Black Eddy.

I didn't take a lot of pictures this time, but I did manage to capture this shot from the Frenchtown Bridge.

Happy New Year!

Visit to Ground Zero Memorial and Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Worst of History, the Best of History

2011-12-31T19:30:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I visited New York City. Our first stop was the Ground Zero Memorial. I had not been to the site since the Towers were both standing. Although we all have been reflecting upon and absorbing the horrific event which happened over ten years ago, each in our own way according to our personal experiences, I did not know how I would react to the site.

What was most noticeable to me was the diversity of the names on the Memorial. There were victims of many nationalities, languages, creeds, and cultures. The sheer number of people lost is staggering.

Later in the day we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I love that the admission fee is only a recommended price. That policy indicates to me that this heritage belongs to everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Anyone can see these beautiful works of art.

The sheer size of the museum makes it impossible to see everything. We focused on the recently opened Art of the Arab Lands, then the European Impressionists, then Asia including China, Tibet, Korea, Cambodia, and India.

The visit was an interesting contrast to the morning's experience. Now we were seeing the height of culture, some of the greatest achievements and most beautiful creations of humankind. Each culture has a unique expression of what is most beautiful, meaningful, powerful, and enduring.

Our diverse cultures, which once developed along seemingly different paths (although with much interaction), all share one world. If war does not cease, and violent conflict does not end, we will all suffer the consequences together. Hate is a fire which devours everything in its path.

As our race, the human race, has created all these beautiful works of art, can we now create a world culture, diverse in its expressions, but united in one family? It is my hope that we can.

We ate lunch at Candle 79, which is "the" vegan restaurant in Manhattan. I ate a black bean pumpkin seed burger with polenta fries.

Monet
Van Gogh
Ancient Near East
China

Merry Christmas! Let us build a world of justice and peace

2011-12-25T20:45:00.003-05:00

It has been an ongoing Christmas tradition of mine to reflect upon the latest Vatican message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace. This year Pope Benedict chose for his topic: Educating Young People in Justice and Peace.

The Holy Father acknowledges that these are dark times, there is a crisis in labour and the economy and "It seems as if a shadow has fallen over our time, preventing us from clearly seeing the light of day." He proposes that "the young, with their enthusiasm and idealism, can offer new hope to the world." He says that teaching young people is "a primary duty for society as a whole, for the sake of building a future of justice and peace."

Pope Benedict writes about education in truth and freedom: "The right use of freedom, then, is central to the promotion of justice and peace, which require respect for oneself and others, including those whose way of being and living differs greatly from one’s own. This attitude engenders the elements without which peace and justice remain merely words without content: mutual trust, the capacity to hold constructive dialogue, the possibility of forgiveness, which one constantly wishes to receive but finds hard to bestow, mutual charity, compassion towards the weakest, as well as readiness to make sacrifices."

He states that the value of a person is threatened by a tendency to view others by criteria of "utility, profit and material possessions". Furthermore, peace isn't just the absence of war by "maintaining a balance of powers between adversaries", but rather "Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the assiduous practice of fraternity." The human family is one family, reconciled in love.

We must be active in our pursuit of peace, because peace "is not merely a gift to be received: it is also a task to be undertaken. In order to be true peacemakers, we must educate ourselves in compassion, solidarity, working together, fraternity, in being active within the community and concerned to raise awareness about national and international issues and the importance of seeking adequate mechanisms for the redistribution of wealth, the promotion of growth, cooperation for development and conflict resolution. 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God", as Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:9). '"

The Holy Father ends with this inspiring paragraph: "All you men and women throughout the world, who take to heart the cause of peace: peace is not a blessing already attained, but rather a goal to which each and all of us must aspire. Let us look with greater hope to the future; let us encourage one another on our journey; let us work together to give our world a more humane and fraternal face; and let us feel a common responsibility towards present and future generations, especially in the task of training them to be people of peace and builders of peace. With these thoughts I offer my reflections and I appeal to everyone: let us pool our spiritual, moral and material resources for the great goal of 'educating young people in justice and peace'. "

Merry Christmas everyone! May we all work together to create a world of justice and peace for all!

Merrill Creek Reservoir and Snowy Owl

2011-12-04T21:11:00.007-05:00

Today was a beautiful day for a hike around Merrill Creek Reservoir in New Jersey. Temperatures were in the fifties, with a slight breeze which was sometimes chilly, but overall very pleasant, especially for December.

Submerged trees in the reservoir

The water was calm and still.

The highlight of the day was seeing this Snowy Owl. He is the little white speck in front of the largest rock. I know that my point and shoot camera barely shows there is an owl there, but, believe me, he was impressive. I had several nice views of him from different perspectives. He did not change his location the whole time, but he was moving his head and looking around. I have never seen a Snowy Owl before, so this was a rare treat. There were several other birdwatchers there to see our feathered visitor from the Arctic. He has been hanging around since November 4th.

Another view of the calm reservoir

A rainbow!

Self portrait. That's my shadow in the bottom left.

A beautiful day. The colors were bright and clear. You can see the moon in the top right.

Raccoon Ridge Delaware Water Gap, Hawks and American Chestnuts

2011-11-05T23:01:00.006-04:00

Today was a bright, clear and brisk day for a hike to Raccoon Ridge at the Delaware Water Gap. The day was cool, so we needed lots of layers, but there was not much wind so it was a very comfortable hike.
View from the ridge

Brian Hardiman, the official counter for the Raccoon Ridge Hawk Watch, spoke to us about raptor identification. He told us how to identify the major groups: accipiters, buteos, falcons, eagles, harriers, osprey, and vultures. They are identified by silhouette, and also flight patterns and behavior. With some more expertise, the exact type of bird is identifiable. He also told us about the migration cycles and which birds come through at particular times of year. November is the time for Red-Tailed Hawks and Golden Eagles.

Brian spoke to us about the history of Raccoon Ridge. There has been a hawk count at the ridge for nearly as long as Hawk Mountain, which dates back to the 1930s.

I asked Brian some questions about hawk conservation. There really are mixed results. Many bird populations are actually increasing, due to increased awareness of pesticide dangers, improved water quality, and even re-introduction programs for Bald Eagles. This year there were record counts of Broad-Winged Hawks. Other populations are decreasing and their migration patterns are impacted by climate change. Hawk counts such as the one at Raccoon Ridge are important to identify these patterns and potential environmental threats, and also for education (perhaps inspiring future environmentalists!), and of course, recreation and the enjoyment of viewing nature.

Counts from Raccoon Ridge and many other hawk count sites are found at Hawkcount.

Another view from the ridge

The browns and golden colors of November are visible.

The river below

Look! In the sky! A hawk!

Mike Manes also explained to us the dire situation of the American Chestnut. The American Chestnut was once a prominent and common tree in the hardwood forests. The population was nearly decimated in the early 1900s with the introduction of a non-native blight. The blight either kills the tree outright, or severely stunts its growth. Almost all Chestnut trees in the Eastern forests are infected by the blight. Here Mike is standing by a Chestnut tree. In the past these trees were over one hundred feet tall and up to ten feet in diameter. You can see how the blight stunts the growth. Signs of blight were visible on this tree. More information is available at the American Chestnut Foundation, a group trying to reintroduce the American Chestnut into the Eastern forest.

Today was a fabulous day for hiking and also learning about our environment, how it is changing, and how we can work to protect it!

Lehigh Gorge State Park, Glen Onoko Falls

2011-10-22T20:55:00.005-04:00

Today was a beautiful, brisk day in the height of Autumn for one of the prettiest hikes in Eastern Pennsylvania, Glen Onoko Falls in Lehigh Gorge State Park.

The trail ascends along a flowing stream with many beautiful little waterfalls.

I always love to hear flowing water on a hike.

The first of three gorgeous waterfalls. Because of a lot of recent rain, the falls were really full.

Droplets of mist fill the air around these falls.

Can you see the rainbow?

So many beautiful sights to see along this trail.

The highest waterfall

In the summer this is a fun waterfall to walk behind.

We saw a bear! At least I think it was a bear. Okay, maybe it was a dog.

Pretty view of the river below

Overlooking the Lehigh River and the town of Jim Thorpe.

This section of the river is known as the Oxbow.

The foliage was beautiful.

Sunfish Pond and Raccoon Ridge, Delaware Water Gap

2011-09-18T22:26:00.008-04:00

Today was another gorgeous day for hiking with temperatures in the sixties and bright, full sun. We hiked 6.7 miles to Sunfish Pond and Raccoon Ridge at the Delaware Water Gap.

We started on the Douglas Trail and scrambled up the Sunfish drainage area.

The woods are beautiful here, very open and filled with sunlight.

We are rewarded for our steep ascent with our first beautiful view of Sunfish Pond.

I have taken so many photos from this vantage point, but every time I cannot resist another picture from this overlook.

Another view of Sunfish Pond

Relaxing by the pond

Next we walked on the Appalachian Trail to Raccoon Ridge, with beautiful vistas on both sides. This side overlooks some reservoirs. The ridge is a popular area for birding. Some people were counting raptors in early Fall migration. They said they saw a lot of broad winged hawks, and even a bald eagle in the distance.

On the other side of the ridge we see the Delaware River. Even the Catskills are visible in the far distance.

Overlooking the Delaware River. Why is there a plastic owl on a post by my head? Hawks are known to mob owls, and this owl may bring them in for the birders to get a closer look. I have heard this story many times, they have a similar fake owl on Hawk Mountain, but I have never actually seen a hawk mob an owl!

Next we went down the Garvey Springs Trail.

These fern covered woods were pretty in the afternoon light.

At the end of our hike we were rewarded with the view of a waterfall.

Appalachian Trail To Wind Gap, Pennsylvania

2011-09-16T23:46:00.002-04:00

Today we hiked 6 miles from the Katellen Trail to Wind Gap along the Appalachian Trail. It was a clear and slightly cool day, absolutely perfect weather for hiking. I had the pleasure of introducing my friend from Connecticut to Pennsylvania's lovely, ankle strengthening, rocky trails!

We hiked .9 miles up the Katellen Trail. Now we were ready to hike along the ridge to Wind Gap. We had beautiful outlooks on both sides of the ridge.

First of many beautiful outlooks

I saw a lot of mushrooms on the trail, evidence of the wet weather we've had lately.

More interesting fungus...

Another overlook

Clear skies and late Summer weather

Back at the trail head in Wind Gap!

Remembering September 11, Then and Now

2011-09-11T17:55:00.000-04:00

September 11 is one of those iconic events that every American remembers differently depending on the circumstances of their life.

I was still reeling from the death of my own husband two years earlier from cancer, and now I was witnessing another community of people being thrown into grief, this time not from a relentless illness, but from an unspeakable act of violence. To know that these people were entering the depths of despair from an act of conscious will was unthinkable to me, then and still now.

But at the time the shock was too great to ask why or how or what is the meaning. Those questions didn't matter. We were all living together the human experience of lives cut short way too soon and the raw pain of death and loss and grief.

Now we are ten years removed from that awful day. No grief ever leaves completely, it becomes part of the experience with which we create our lives, and our outlook, and our hopes and dreams. Every American has incorporated this into their own personal history in a unique way.

For me, I choose to live in a society that honors those we have lost, and comforts those who suffer, and welcomes those who were once strangers but now are cherished friends. We are now touched by the reality of war, some of us with losses deeply personal, others from being in community with those who grieve. How even more urgent is the need to work for peace, to cherish diversity, to establish bonds of understanding and friendship with people in our neighborhood and across the world.

May this day of grief become a day of consolation and may we work with heart and soul to remove the scourge of war from our globe.

Bethlehem Vegfest 2011

2011-09-10T20:30:00.001-04:00

Today I went to Bethlehem's first ever Vegfest on the South Side Bethlehem Greenway.There were plenty of ecofriendly and natural vendors, presentations, music, and, of course, food!

The ever popular Vegan Treats Bakery

Plenty of vendors selling animal free products

The line for food at Balasia. Someone asked me what they should get. I said "It doesn't matter. Whatever they're selling, buy it. It will be good". I had the Buddha bowl and some peanut butter bites for dessert.

Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer of Our Hen House, a vegan blog and podcast. They spoke about food as activism. They gave three reasons to go vegan: our health, the environment, and, of course, animals!

Vegfest was family friendly, plenty of activities for kids!

Here I am with Lydia (far left) and Chris (far right) of From A to Vegan and Jamie from Save the Kales.

Lydia, me, Jamie, and Chris

Plenty of live music

Pulpit Rock and Pinnacle, Berks County, Pennsylvania

2011-09-03T21:59:00.001-04:00

Today was a hazy day for a hike to Pulpit Rock and Pinnacle in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Most of our hiking was along the Appalachian Trail. It was a warm and humid day, but we occasionally felt some cool breezes. Despite the devastation left in many areas by last week's hurricane Irene, the trails were mostly undamaged with only a scattering of some branches on the path.

The view from Pulpit Rock

Hazy view of some Pennsylvania farmland from the Pinnacle

More Pinnacle views

The early stage of Autumn hawk migration should be well under way by now. I didn't see any migrating hawks today, and I checked the Hawk Mountain website and their bird count was also very low. The conditions must not be right yet for flying South! I managed to catch a view of this vulture in flight from Pinnacle.

Cape Cod Vacation - August 2011

2011-08-06T22:15:00.026-04:00

The first week of August I took a relaxing beach vacation in Cape Cod. I had plenty of time to walk the beach, bike ride, observe whales and seals, and enjoy the height of summer.

Sunday, July 31

Today was my driving day to Cape Cod. I arrived late afternoon, time for relaxing over a bite to eat and then a long walk along Nauset Beach in Orleans.

Monday August 1

I spent all day on Nauset Beach. The best vacations have plenty of beach time.

Tuesday August 2

I spent today whale watching in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary near Provincetown. Our official observation count for today was 19 to 24 humpback whales and 10 to 12 minke whales. We saw several of the humpback whales breaching, or throwing their entire bodies out of the water. I didn't capture any pictures because it happens so quickly, and is such an amazing surprise!

Open mouth feeding. This whale is filtering water through its baleen and eating the fish it catches.

Birds surround the whale to catch any leftovers. If you look closely, you can see that a bird is actually sitting on this whale!

More open mouth feeding

You can see the bubble ring near this whale. Humpback whales create a net of bubble rings to gather fish and confuse them. Then the whale comes up through the water with its mouth open catching all the fish. Often the bubble ring is the first sign you will see of the whale.

More feeding. This whale's flipper is visible also.

A tail of a whale.

Whale tails are distinctive and can be used to identify the whale.

Open mouth feeding, whale tail

This whale is "flippering". A whale will turn on its back or side and slap the water repeatedly with its flipper. We watched this whale for about ten to twenty minutes slapping the water with its flipper. We don't know exactly why a whale will do this; it might be for communication, it might be to stun prey, or it might be to knock barnacles off a flipper. The sound carries underwater for miles.

Video of a whale flippering:

Minke whale

Wednesday, August 3

Today I rode the Cape Cod Rail Trail past Nickerson State Park.

Namskaket Creek is a protected estuary with unique wildlife which can live in this salty environment.

Several beautiful ponds are visible from the rail trail.

Kayakers enjoying Hinckleys Pond

Long Pond

I stopped for a sandwich at Bayside Market which also had summer produce for sale.

Thursday August 4

Today I went on a sightseeing seal cruise with Blue Claw Boat Tours from Orleans to Chatham. Our captain told us all about the history of the area, how the topography has been shaped by storms, and the ecology of the animals that live there.

Hanging out, being seals... Seals are now protected in Cape Cod, which is resulting in a large increase in their numbers. The increased population is drawing the top predator, the great white shark. In fact, one of the Chatham beaches was closed during my visit due to the presence of one of these magnificent and powerful animals.

View of Chatham

Seals are very curious animals: we were watching them, they were watching us! The ones with their noses pointed in the air are actually sleeping. Apparently we were not a captivating sight. Most likely they only want to categorize us as predators or merely a curiosity.

Strong Island in Pleasant Bay

These cliffs are caused by erosion and the pounding of waves.

I spent late afternoon on Nauset Beach. Late afternoon is my favorite time on the beach because the crowds are mostly gone and the heat is less severe.

I could watch waves for hours.

Protected dunes

Last view of Cape Cod!

Summertime!

2011-07-27T21:44:00.002-04:00

Iron Pigs at Coca Cola Park in Allentown

Sunfish Pond Delaware Water Gap

2011-07-16T21:05:00.003-04:00

Today we hiked the Dunnfield Trail to Sunfish Pond and then took the Appalachian Trail back. It was a beautiful, hot and sunny day, temperatures in the high eighties. This is one of my favorite hikes in the area.

First glimpse of Sunfish Pond, a glacial lake in the Delaware Water Gap.

Red-faced from hiking up Dunnfield Trail. It was a hot day requiring plenty of water! Luckily, I remembered to freeze my water bottles the night before so I had a refreshing cold drink for most of the day.

My favorite view of Sunfish Pond from our lunch stop.

Relaxed and happy after lunch

Oh look, a rock garden! Let's add some more!

Ta da!!!

Pretty!

We hiked around Sunfish Pond with many serene views such as this, and then back along the Appalachian Trail.

Biking and Kayaking on Independence Day Weekend

2011-07-04T22:09:00.004-04:00

I had a great Fourth of July weekend filled with friends, family, picnics, fireworks, and relaxing.

I spent today biking along the Perkiomenville Creek and then kayaking downstream. We saw a great blue heron, turtles, crayfish, ducks and little ducklings (time to break out the Eastern Birds guidebook again!), and a kingfisher looking for a meal.

A view from the bridge along the bike trail

From the kayak

The Perkiomenville Creek

Hiking Lehigh Gap

2011-06-25T20:36:00.004-04:00

Today we hiked seven miles at Lehigh Gap starting at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center. We had a little bit of elevation gain in the beginning, but then mostly flat trails.

Grassy fields looking toward the mountains

We had a few sprinkles that day, but mostly sunny skies with a few clouds.

Hiking group, photo taken by Morgan

Hiking group, photo taken by Elizabeth

Valley Forge National Park

2011-06-18T20:27:00.003-04:00

Today we hiked ten miles in Valley Forge National Park. We took a big loop around the park, up and over Mount Joy and then Mount Misery, along a stream, past the encampments, through the Arch, and back to the Visitor Center. Valley Forge has enough hills for a good cardio workout, and it's a beautiful park with lots of trees, wooded areas, open fields, streams, and of course, history. It was a warm day, and when hiking up the hills and then later in the direct sun we really felt the heat! It was a great day to be outside enjoying late Spring. Later, we ate at an Indian buffet, quickly making up all those calories we burned during our hiking workout!

No visit to Valley Forge is complete without a trip to Trader Joe's, where I purchased Meyer Lemon Cookie Thins, Harvest Grain Blend of Israeli Style Couscous, and Happy Trekking Mix, which is happy because it contains chocolate!

Monocacy Nature Trail Bethlehem

2011-06-12T19:42:00.004-04:00

Today we hiked the Monocacy Nature Trail from Illicks Mill along the creek to Burnside Plantation, through Historic Bethlehem to the Lehigh River, and then through some pretty neighborhoods in Bethlehem back to the Mill. Although today was cooler than earlier in the week, it was still a warm, muggy day. We made a refreshing stop for some ice cream in Bethlehem midway through the hike.

Walking along the Monocacy. There was lots of poison ivy on these trails. I took a long shower using Fels-Naptha when I got home, I will know tomorrow if that was enough of a preventative...

Some of the trail was along railroad tracks.

Along the Monocacy

Barn at Burnside Plantation

Home and gardens at Burnside Plantation

Letterboxing and Hiking at Beltzville State Park

2011-05-28T19:54:00.003-04:00

Today was a warm and sunny day for hiking and letterboxing (like a scavenger hunt with puzzles and clues) in Beltzville State Park. We found two letterboxes and enjoyed a beautiful hike along a stream and waterfall.

Pohopoco Creek

Spring is wildflower season.

Pretty waterfall where we had lunch.

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

2011-04-07T18:08:00.007-04:00

I had a beautiful day in Longwood Gardens. The morning was chilly, but sunny, and the earliest Spring flowers are blooming. We are still some weeks away from tulips and roses and many of the most popular blooms, but forsythias, magnolias, and some wildflowers are blossoming.

Magnolia trees are beginning to bloom.

Although manicured gardens of multicolored flowers are beautiful, I always still love a walk in the woods. Pierre duPont originally purchased this property to save the woods from the sawmill, perhaps these beautiful Hickory trees.

A real tree house! The tree house doesn't rely on the actual trees for support, therefore protecting them from any accidental damage.

A carpet of purple blue flowers

Inside the conservatory...

Pretty pink bells

Something for everyone. This fountain was in the children's garden.

Striking colors

Longwood Gardens has a beautiful display of orchids.

Creamy white orchid

Beautiful blooms

Blue poppies

Strikingly colored hibiscus

This is a banana flower!

More orchids. I went to this room twice!

Delicate lavender blossoms

Towering foxglove

Colorful bloom

Main display hall. The fragrance was amazing!

Green Acre Bahá'í School: Contributing to a Conversation on Human Rights

2011-03-28T21:22:00.004-04:00

I spent this weekend at Green Acre Bahá'í School in Eliot, Maine for a program entitled "Protagonists of Change: An Exploration in Public Discourse" led by Anthony Vance. We discussed ways in which we can contribute to a conversation about social change. We specifically focused on human rights, but also talked about peace, poverty alleviation, education, and capacity building.

We spoke about some of the assumptions that underlie our conversations. These assumptions include the oneness of humanity, each individual has value, the importance of learning, we must use science and reason, we seek to build capacity, we are outward looking and inclusive, and leadership is facilitating a journey on a path of service.

The weekend was also filled with friendship, fellowship, reflection, contemplation, and enjoying the beauty of nature.

Anthony Vance facilitating a session

Participants studying documents

Peace is what it's all about. Sarah Farmer carrying the peace flag.

Bahá'í Fast Day Twelve - Awareness of Abundance

2011-03-13T21:27:00.003-04:00

Generally during the Fast food shopping is just another chore to be completed, best scheduled before the hungry time of day. But today was different. When I went to the food store this afternoon, I was so aware of the abundance of food we have available. Mangoes! Papaya! Strawberries! Who knew collard greens could be so beautiful?

I think I felt this way because of the contrast of the terrible images coming out of the devastation in Japan. Millions without food or even water. It is heartbreaking to watch the news these days.

This year during the Fast I have been aware that I am temporarily hungry and thirsty because of choice, and that in the evening I have a wonderful meal and plenty of fresh water available to me. Tragically, many do not have that choice. That awareness always comes to me some time during the Fast every year, and I am grateful for the abundance in my life. This year I am also sorrowfully reminded of those suffering, especially in Japan and the Middle East right now.

In the evening I broke the Fast with Haitian Rice and Red Beans and Caribbean Sweet Potatoes with coconut milk, lime, cilantro and peanuts. All recipes were from Joy Tienzo's "Vegan for Lent" which can be downloaded for free here.

Bahá'í Fast Day Eight - Breaking the Fast with Friends

2011-03-09T21:15:00.006-05:00

One of the best parts of the Fast is ending the Fast at night with friends. Tonight the Bahá'í community of the Lehigh Valley took over Spice of India. We had a fabulous time!

Koroush and Shirin

Kamal, Noor, and Jamilla

Sally and Mary Anne

Noah (absorbed in game!) and McKenna

Strike a pose!

Carlton and Mervyn