What we've been doing...

Enjoying Hampton fireworks

Spending the day at Waldameer. All the campers from Edinboro went up there for a day.

Swimming in Presque Isle, again, with Edinboro campers. Here is Isaiah with his bff for the week.

There were about 45 12-13 year old kids at camp... which meant we had about 45 babysitters. =)

Watching the big kids play carpet ball

Ringing the bell

Vacation pics #2

Working hard on a sand castle at Watauga Lake

The finished product. Check out those mountains in the background!

Wiffleball!

The boys loved wrestling around in their loft

Sticky smore fingers! Yum!

Vacation...

Enjoying themselves in the Appalachian Caverns

There were several scary bridges in the caverns! This was one of them.

The big one LOVED his disposable camera.

Feeding the ducks... or himself.

On one of the trails through the rhododendron gardens, we ran into some old friends. Unexpected, but nice! Notice the sweatshirt and jeans. The temperature was a lovely 70 degrees up on the mountain. =)

Isaiah took this picture with my camera. The trees look like a heart!

Enjoying a picnic lunch in Roan Mtn State Park.

When we first arrived at our picnic spot, a very over-tired Isaiah was afraid of this tree. By the time we left, he decided he liked it.

It was very hot in town, or anywhere below 5,500 feet, but we found lots of opportunities to swim. This wonderful pool was at the state park, 15 minutes from where we were staying. Sam went down the little tube slide about 173 times, each time saying, "Me do that again," while choking on chlorinated water. =) We also went to a kiddie water park and went swimming in a river.

More to come...

Isaiah's 5th birthday

For Isaiah's 5th birthday, we were on vacation in Tennessee. He wanted to go to the Hands On Museum, which we had visited the year before. So we spent most of the day there, for his birthday.

I'm always amazed at Dan's cash register skills. Those days at Shop N Save really paid off!

Sam also tried on a pink unicorn costume (his choice!), but I don't think those pictures are meant for the internet. LOL!

Dressed as chipmunks... hiding in a tree, burying a nut.

At our cottage at Fairhaven, opening presents.

He chose a Thomas party for the third year in a row.

Carnival fun

Racing Daddy. The kid kept winning!

Super happy!

Waaaaaaaaaaaay past nap time.

Update in pictures

Proof that even Spiderman sleeps. =) He got his face painted at Northway's car cruise the other week.

Had to get the other one sleeping too. He was leery of the face paint and didn't go for it, but loved the bouncy castle.

Sporting their new pjs made by Grandma. The big one has curious george and the little one has Thomas.

Making rain sticks at the library's story and craft time.

Trying them out.

Ashley and Nate's wedding

While Dan and I finished the great basement clean out, he climbed in the baby swing, wearing the little one's bike helmet and elbow pads, and fell asleep. Granted, it was around 8:00 pm.

Memorable Memorial Day

This morning, as I headed to the gym, I got to the top of our road, about to turn onto the main road, and the minivan died. It just shut off as I hit the gas. Thankfully, I just sat there at the stop sign. After trying to restart it two or three times, I called Dan who came up to check on the van. It was definitely dead, but he was able to get it into neutral and "drive" it backward down the hill to a level place that would be easier to load onto a tow truck. The AAA driver came shortly and took it to the mechanic. With the cars we drive, we definitely need the Gold Plus membership! Haha!

By the time the minivan was loaded up and towed away, it was time to go to the Memorial Day service at the park. We thought it started at 10:30. Turns out it started at 10:00, so we were a little late. The upper elementary choir and high school band did a great job. It was also interesting to hear speeches by a few high schoolers about those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. But by 11:30 it was still going on, and the boys were getting too restless, so we had to leave.

After a quick lunch, Dan and I started the great basement clean-out. We spent several hours this afternoon sorting though that stuff that has accumulated over the years. There was some stuff in the basement when me moved in that we meant to clear out that we finally got to today, six years later. =)

I had planned on grilling some hamburgers for dinner, but we just ended up getting our burgers from Sheetz because we were too exhausted to cook dinner.

I found a few bins in the basement that were filled with toys and games including Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land. Isaiah must have asked 745,294 times if we could play Chutes and Ladders throughout the afternoon while we were cleaning out the basement. So after dinner we played a rousing game of each before bath and bedtime.

One little gem I found during the great cleanout was an oriental rug my mom had passed down to me several years ago. I almost just threw it out, figuring it would be molded or something. But I decided to open it, and thankfully, my mom had packed it so well that it was in perfect shape! I realized that it was the absolute perfect colors to match our living room. I had been meaning to replace the white, heavily spotted/stained carpet in there for a while. So we rolled it up and out it went, replaced by a lovely addition that couldn't match better if I had planned it. =)

Kicking feet

K wanted I away from her! Haha!

Craziness!!

The cousins

A little late, but too cute not to share. S insisted on wearing his swimsuit that day even though it was too cold. I can't believe it took me so long to notice that K was chewing on her shoe!

Spring Photos

Life is so much easier and more enjoyable when the weather is warm and we can play outside. What we've been up to:

Getting better at riding his bike

Loving the new adventure that is his big wheel!

Realizing his feet won't reach the pedals. Oh well! He just rode it around like a scooter.

Beatles!

Keeping up with his brother.