Final Destination!

To those of you who are wondering if we are still in Saratoga Springs, (based on the previous post), we actually did make it to our final destination...Wayne, PA! Due to several technical difficulties and a week-long trip to the beach with Mark's family (those photos to come in the near future), I am now hoping to complete our first trip of the summer.

We stayed with a very good college friend of mine, Wendy, and her family in Wayne. During our visit, we had a small reunion with other friends from Bucknell, Colleen and Dave and Cheryl and Owen. The group surprised me with a cake to celebrate my birthday...thanks guys! Kate continues to talk about the fun she had with Scott and Julie and the "moonbounce" that Russ blew up in their backyard!

While in the Philly area, we visited Mark's grandfather at his new location and his aunt, uncle, and four cousins (all boys). Kate experienced her first ride on a zipline and climbed the ladder to explore the boys' treehouse. Lauren was content to swing from the branches of a large tree in a rope swing.

Our our return to VA, we visited Mark's grandparents in Delaware and introduced them to Lauren, their latest great grandchild.

We'd like to thank everyone who was kind enough to welcome us into their homes during our trip. We hope to see all of you again next year if not sooner! Thanks for the beautiful memories!

Place your bets...

Destination #4...Saratoga Springs, NY!

Although too early in the year for the horse races, we had a wonderful time visiting with family and spending some time exploring the city. We spent the first morning with my grandparents, both 90 years old this year! Kate kept my grandmother busy with puzzles and coloring, while Lauren played with her recorder holder (knitted by my grandmother) and smiled at everyone...a favorite pasttime of hers. I brought back several pieces of my grandmother's artwork and am honored to have them displayed in our house.

After our visit, we ventured into Congress Park and took our annual ride on the carousel. Kate's smile stretched from ear to ear the entire ride. Mark and Lauren watched from the sidelines.
We spent that afternoon in my aunt and uncle's pool. Kate received her first official swim lesson from my cousin, Sarah, and refused to get out of the pool until her lips were declared purple! By the end, she was jumping into the pool with assitance from Sarah and kicking all over the place.
We ended the day with a delicious BBQ and a celebration for my grandmother's birthday.

The following morning, Kate kept Jennifer and Sarah busy while we packed up the car for our next destination.

Thanks for a great time and beautiful memories!

Little Town...Lots To Do!

Destination #3 on our northern adventure...Rodman, NY!

Although Rodman is a rather small town, we discovered plenty to keep us busy during our stay. Kate enjoyed painting and picking flowers for her numerous table arrangements with Uncle Jerry. We played on the playground behind the old school house and pretended to set up house in the dollhouse Sara (my cousin) and I use to play with for hours as little girls. We took both girls to Sandy Creek, a place the four cousins used to visit quite frequently during our visits in Rodman. Mark and Kate explored every nook and cranny of the town's church (also the one my parents were married in) and visited "Rusty Bridge" on their afternoon outings.

Kate challenged Great Grandpa to help her solve her puzzles, while Lauren simply sat on his lap full of smiles.

The visit brought back vivid memories of the time I spent in Rodman as a child...those were some terrific times!

Happy 4th to All!

We had a fun-filled 4th of July yesterday, beginning with a small town celebration in downtown Apex with friends and family. Kate and I participated in the Cake Walk and the duck pond, winning a bright orange squirt gun (which came in handy for cooling off from the hot sun). We waited in line TWICE for the moon bounce and the baseball bounce, only to decide not to participate when it was our turn! After a bicycle/scooter/wagon parade, all festively decorated by the participants, the fireman turned on their hose for the annual splashdown! As you can see in one of the pictures, Mark, Kate, Lauren, Maureen, Kristen and Ashlyn enjoyed the cool water.

After downtown, we enjoyed a cool swim in Maureen and Patrick's community pool, allowing Kate to try out her new swim vest. Our daredevil is now jumping into the pool, with an adult catching her in mid-air. This is the same girl who wouldn't go past the steps last summer. How things change in a year. Lauren, on the other hand, decided to relax, enjoy the breeze, and take a nap in her stroller. What a life at 7 1/2 months!

Our day was completed with a neighborhood BBQ next door and fireworks (both in the street and over the trees from a local venue). What a day!

Chocolate Anyone?!

Destination #2...Hershey, PA!

Although we were unable to visit Hershey Park and partake in some chocolate tasting, we had a great visit with Mark's aunt, uncle, and cousins. We enjoyed a delicious meal followed by several dessert selections...always my favorite! Not only did Kate convince several members of the family to help with puzzles, but also, her cousin, Beth, willingly agreed to jump on the trampoline...one of Kate's favorite pasttimes. To top off the visit, Kate was given the opportunity to feed Lilly, the guinea pig, several carrots. Lilly was in heaven for a night!

Pool Party!!!

During our stay in VA on our northern adventure, we had the pleasure of spending Father's Day evening with Rob, Carey, and Greta at their residence. They were kind enough to have our family and Mark's mom and Doug over for a cookout and fun at the pool. I believe it may have been their last "hoorah" before their lives changed forever...2 kids!

Thanks for a great time!

College?

As I was updating our blog this afternoon, Kate came in to join me. We began looking at Greta's (and now Lincoln's) blog and its recent post. Kate proceeded to ask several questions regarding the pictures.

"Who's that mom?" pointing to the picture of Gardner (Rob's friend) holding Lincoln. I explained who the young man was in the photo and his relation to Rob.

She then pointed to the photo of Carey with Greta and a young boy. "Who's that boy, Mom?"

I answered, "That's Jay."

We then studied the picture of Gardner again, and then returned to the previous photo. "What's his name again?" Kate questioned pointing to Jay.

I replied, "That's Jay."

Kate then stated, "I know Jay."

I asked, "How do you know Jay?"

She matter-of-factly replied, "We went to college."

Family Travels

Now that we are home, unpacked, and somewhat refreshed from our 11-day family adventure up north, we thought you might enjoy viewing some photos from our trip. We enjoyed visiting with many of our family and friends at each stop (6 total) and apologize to those we were unable to see. My HOPE is to post pictures from a different destination each day in the upcoming week.

We began our journey in Alexandria, VA. While there, we attended the baby shower for Mark's sister, Maureen, as well as celebrated Father's Day with several "fathers" in the family. We also spent an evening with Rob, Carey, and Greta (one week before the birth of Lincoln), which will be featured in tomorrow's post.

Enjoy!