Saturday, July 22, 2017

Sweet Home Pennsylvania

It had been 3 years since we had visited the USA, and it was time to re-acquaint ourselves with the homeland. A few days after school let out for the Summer we took off to visit my family in the Poconos.


We stayed with my sister Pam and I enjoyed sharing my "hometown" with the kiddos.  We went to Becky's Drive-in and saw Cars 3. In this picture, Toby, Pam, Jake, Charlotte, Amelie, and Ben.
The kids loved sitting with cousin Ben (my great nephew) in the back of Uncle Mark's truck and eating pizza and movie treats.

Pam and Mark live on a farm with beautiful views. The kids liked visiting the farm animals, going to the diner, shopping, and going to Church with family. We were also able to attend a 10th anniversary party for a friend of mine from high school.


Pam's friend Lisa, at Northridge Equestrian, allowed us to come enjoy the horses.  The kids all helped to brush down Hank and Jay. Hank liked it so much that he fell asleep and was drooling, which the kids thought was hilarious.

Toby bonded with Jay right away.


He was the first to want to ride him.  It was raining outside, but we were able to use their beautiful indoor riding facility.

Charlotte liked Hank's beautiful black coat. It's too hard to see in these photos, but the front of his mane was braided, which she liked as well.

Amelie was in love at first sight. She had no fear and was the only kid to ride both horses.

Jake was a little bit nervous, and wasn't sure he wanted to do it.  But in the end, he overcame his fear and was really proud of himself.

And last but not least, Rob took a turn.  He had never been on a horse before, but Jay was the perfect gentle giant horse for Rob to ride around the ring.  I just think he needs a cowboy hat and boots now. After our rides, we watched Hank and Jay practice for an upcoming show and then helped to water all of the horses. It was a great learning experience for all of us.

We also spent an afternoon hanging out at my sister Melissa's house. Charlotte and Toby tried to set up their own American Ninja challenges

The kids loved swimming with cousin Max and eating popsicles. We also learned that Cheetos left in the sun in a metal bowl will catch on fire. However, I didn't take a picture of that!

They also spent some time in Max and Eddie's Jr. Man Cave playing air hockey and video games.

The best part of our time in PA was just spending time with family and building those relationships and making memories together.


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