Saturday, July 27, 2013

4th of July fun

Way back on the 4th of July, we were still living in a house with many boxes.  Our friends from Germany, the Bentons, who have just recently moved to GA were so nice and invited us over to BBQ and celebrate with them.  Mandy made the most delicious salad and dressing that I have had in a long time, and everything else was yummy too.  I ate far too much!

Anyway, I neglected to take any photos- it is even possible I hadn't located my camera yet- but Mandy took some great ones.  Including ones of my growing belly and goofy facial expressions- special thanks for that Mandy!  (Also, if Rob's shorts look a little mismatched with his shirt, it is because he had not yet found the bin with most of his clothes in it.)

Here is the link if you'd like to see for yourself--  4th of July

We are so glad you are here Bentons!  :)

Friday, July 26, 2013

The Museum of Play

The last day of our trip to New York, Rob and I decided to take our kids to the National Museum of Play in Rochester. I guess I drag my family to a lot of museums, but this was one that Rob had found online and the kids could really appreciate.

 
Charlotte got to talk with Rosalita on Sesame Street.

 
Toby played the pipes ala Blue Man Group.

 
Nearly everything in this place is hands on! 
The kids created their own imaginary creatures.

 
As well as crowns and tiaras.  You can also see a shelf of books in the background.  The museum is FILLED with children's books and reading nooks, and local library card holders can check out books directly from the museum.

 
Toby got to see what it was like to climb the walls like Spiderman in the comic book exhibit.

 
And Jakey found a car table that was just the right size for little guys.  Actually the biggest problem we had at the museum was getting Jake to leave one activity to explore another.  He never would have left the fish tanks by the entrance if it were up to him!

 
I was looking forward to the Berenstein Bear's Country, and it was neat to explore the quilt shop, house, school, restaurant, and farm set up in this section.  (I think I want a blue and white polka dot dress now like Mama Bear and Kate Middleton.)
 
I didn't snap pictures of it- but Rob particularly enjoyed playing some of the "vintage" video games available in the arcade and electronic games displays.  Frogger, PacMan, Skeeball, original Nintendo... it really was a trip down memory lane as we saw toys from our pasts and got to play with some of them too. 
 
The kids also liked shopping in the biggest play grocery store I have ever seen and made me laugh with their selections.  (Charlotte picked fruits, veggies, a hunk of cheese and a loaf of french bread- very Euro of her.  Toby picked cake mix, ice cream, and party supplies- for a special celebration.  And Jakey picked 4 packs of strawberries and all the bananas on the display!) 
 
We played until we were all SOOOO exhausted that we ate a late lunch (at nearly 3 pm) and went back to the hotel for a 2 hour nap. Best. Museum. Ever.

PA and Palmyra, NY

After a brief week of settling into our new home, we decided it was time to hit the road. First stop (after just 12.5 hours of driving!) was to visit my family in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Okay, I may be a bit biased, but we had a great time doing all the things that we like to do when we visit PA...
 
We ate ice cream. 
In this picture- from the Kunkletown General Store.
 
 
We rode things with motors.
(I know this picture is terribly blurry, but it was getting pretty dark out by then.  I so wish I had taken a picture of Jake on the four wheeler with Uncle "Nart" aka Mark.  It made a huge impression on the Little Bear and he has been asking about Mark every day since we got home.)
 
 
We went swimming at Aunt Melissa's and also at Connie's pools.
 
 
It was really hot out, so we went swimming a lot!
 
It was great to have time to spend with everyone- even if it was brief in some cases. We also had a campfire, ordered pizza from Frank's, and visited the animals an the Haydt's farm. :)  
 
After 4-5 days in PA we drove 4 more hours north to Palmyra, NY to visit some of our church's historical sites.  My dad instigated this trip about a year ago.  He and his wife Linda, and son Dan (recent high school grad! good luck at Westchester!) along with my sister Pam, husband Mark, and kiddos Leah and Connor all traveled with us.

 
We visited the Joseph Smith Farm and Sacred Grove.
 
 
We walked to the top of the Hill Cumorah.  This was something that my dad really wanted to do and he made it to the top just fine... ahead of this pregnant lady in fact.

 
And then in the evening we came to watch the Hill Cumorah Pageant.
This is an outdoor performance that is put on for two weeks every summer by a volunteer cast of about 650 people.  There is outdoor seating for a few thousand people.  There is a huge stage put up on the side of the hill, and some cool special effects involved, and of course it is free to attend.  And yes, it rained.  Rob and I last went to this pageant 8 years ago when we were dating and it rained that time too.  This time was different though, as it rained SO HARD and was accompanied by lightning bursts, that the performance for the night had to be cancelled. (This rarely happens.)
 
 

 
But would we be deterred?!?!  No, we would not! 
We returned the next evening (for the final performance of the year) and were finally able to see the show.  The story highlights characters and events from the Book of Mormon and Toby LOVED it and has taken to dressing like a Nephite since we've been home.  (He ties a belt around his waist and another around his forehead.) 
 
 
Here's Toby with the stage behind him.
 
The costumes have gotten better over the years, and my dad says 30 years ago they sat on very basic benches and not the comfy individual seats that are now set up- but the overall message has remained the same- Jesus Christ visited the people of the ancient Americas and they recorded his teachings in the records that became the Book of Mormon.  I'm glad my dad prompted us to take this trip and share these places with our kids.  It was a memorable trip!  And I think they learned a lot and enjoyed it more for having extended family to share the experience with.