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!

Memorial Day...2 Weeks Late!

Yes, Yes, Yes...I am extremely behind on my posts!

As many of you know, we traveled to Roanoke for Memorial Day weekend to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma (and Ryan, Kim, and the cousins). We had a great time swimming at the YMCA in the morning, visiting the winery in the afternoon (minus the girls), and watching the kids run in and out of the sprinkler. Hopefully the pictures will highlight the fun times!