Adventures in

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Summer Tour Stop 4 - Malone, NY

Gram and the kiddos out to lunch!

We made it to Malone and got to stay in what we still call "The Little Blue House" although I'm pretty sure it's been a pretty shade of dark gray for years now. I should have taken pics of the inside - it's adorable. We love staying there! We had a great time seeing everyone, taking Gram out to lunch, shopping some (who knew the greater Malone area would be a place I love to shop?), touring the area, talking wedding talk with Carl and Sarah (!), getting to see the calves (and help with chores...and watch one being born - Kylie said it looked like a "slimey chicken"!), catching up on everything that is going on, having the kids swim in the pool, enjoying 73F weather, sleeping with the windows open, having a bonfire, petting Sweet Pea and Huck and enjoying some beautiful country! Dave and Kris are always so hospitable and the kids (who are now old enough to not be called "kids" anymore) are so nice to our kids! We love being up there!

Kiddos petting Sweet Pea and Huck :) While we were there Sweet Pea got loose 2x's (Anissa got her the 1st time and Sam got her the 2nd)! Kylie and Megan enjoyed combing out Huck - he liked it too!

Getting ready to head out to the Calf Barn!

Dan and the kiddos

Petting cows

Rubbing one on the forehead

Love this pic - Megan's piggytails and Jack with his hood up and hat on!

I love these kids! And we love the Farm!

Dan and Jack in the new doors the boys put up on the barn below for Carl and Sarah's upcoming wedding! They did a GREAT job!

They will get married to the left of this picture in a field - they've had the barn all painted nicely and were getting ready to power wash it inside the day we left!

Contemplating life

The field where they will have the wedding - then the reception will be in the hay mow in the barn!

So pretty!

Gran and Pop's house (Kris's Mom's) - the house where the barn is

Sam took the kids on a boat ride in the pond. It was so sweet of him and no one fell in!

I love this pic since you can just barely see the kids and Sam.

Rowing them around

Me and Anissa

Dan flew his RC Plane there and had a blast!

Me and my Tweeter on the Farm!

Getting ready for a bonfire

Jack cracking up about something...

Gram and Dan

The Beloveds

Sarah and Carl after checking on a newborn calf...and then going back to help another one be born!

Daddy and Bugga

The Campfire

Dan, Kylie, Carl, Sarah, Huck, Megan, Dave, Anissa, Aaron, Bridgette, Sam

Jack and I

Megan reading about Farm Safety to Kris :)

Our family with Gram!

And one last pic of the crew around the campfire! We made regular smores as well as smores with Reeces Peanut Butter Cups and also a special one Anissa saw - a sugar cone filled with mini marshmellows, mini chocolate chips and then you cover it with foil and cook it over the fire - then you have a fully contained, non messy smore!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Summer Tour Stop 3 - Medford, NJ and Long Lake, NY

We stopped at my Uncle Johnny and Karen's house! It was the first time the kids and I had ever been there - and it was great to see. Then we all headed over to a park to meet my cousin Dave, his wife Lindsay and their 2 boys Dylan and Evan. Johnny and Karen purchased subs from Wawa for each of us, as well as chips, fruit, soda and Karen made brownies! Then, to top it all off, they brought the kids Tootsie Roll lollipops! They sent the leftovers with us on our journey, as well as crisp cold apples, the leftovers from dinner, a bag of cookies and I'm sure something else that I'm not remembering! It was soooooo sweet and kind of them - and perfect for traveling long days in the car! It was great to see them - and unfortunately I didn't get a picture of Lindsay and Evan - or really one with Karen (she took the picture above)! Kylie had a blast with Dylan - they played on the playground and searched on a treasure hunt for gold!

From there we headed out and drove as far as we could, spent the night in a hotel and continued on to Long Lake, NY to eat at the Long Lake Diner, visit the cemetery and shop in Hoss's!

Jack trying Uncle Johnny's chair that zooms up and down the stairs

Megan giving it a go - Kylie didn't want to try it :)

Heading on a walk through the park!

Dave and Dylan

Uncle Johnny and I

Kiddos later that night in a hotel bed - all snuggled up and exhausted!

We happened to stay near the Orange County Choppers new store! It rocked!

Dan and the kiddos in the Long Lake Diner! We have our ordering down to a science - Dan gets the sausage gravy and biscuits, I get the Ruben, Megan and Jack get the Egg Muffin with Canadian Bacon and Kylie gets a kiddie breakfast! We LOVE it!

Us in front of the sign

Kiddos with the headstone

And Dan and the kiddos

Summer Tour Stop 2 - Bridgeton, NJ

Our Kiddos ready for the Wedding in their nice outfits :)

We drove to Bridgeton, NJ for Dan's cousin's wedding. Kristi married Josh - and we LOVED that we were able to be there! They are adorable - graduates of Grove City and love Jesus. Josh helped Jack climb a tree 2 summers ago and it's been a blast following their wedding plans on facebook! They had a wonderful wedding in a Church Camp and then the reception was at a State Park in New Jersey! Kristi wrote me and told me that her goal for this wedding was to make it so fun for our kids that "it would spoil them for all future weddings they attended." Well, she did just that. A bounce house, baseball field, corn hole, cotton candy, popcorn, super yummy food, the best cake in the whole world (her parents own a bakery in Bridgeton - Century Bakery - go there if you're ever in Bridgeton) and a God honoring ceremony and reception! It was a blast and such a good time to see family!

Before the wedding, there was a half-hour Hymn Sing! This was the Quartet who lead us - Uncle Rich, Mom Mom, Pappy and Kristi's friend! They did a great job!