When Birthdays Happen ....

sometimes you just gotta put on your best outfit and live a little!

Erica's Cooking Camp

Erica participated in a cooking camp last week with a chef in the area.  She is a homeschool mom that offers classes for adults and kids and Erica had the opportunity to go to her home with three other girls.  They traveled with world each day!  They learned about the foods and the culture in France, India, Sweden, Greece and Italy.  Scott got to join her on Friday for lunch in "Italy" and he said we absolutely have to duplicate the meal!  No pressure .. I'm no chef!  But Erica and I did make the French meal and it was WONDERFUL!  I have never poured a whole bottle of Merlot wine into a glass, let alone a stock pot full of carrots, pearl onions, mushrooms and browned chicken!!  Needless to say, I LOVED IT!  I'm all about the fancy dishes.  Jack?  Not so much ..... he did like the chicken though and wasn't into the garlic mash potatoes!  I think he looked at us thinking, "Where are my old fashion mash potatoes?"  Spencer missed it .. he was at camp!!!  

What is even neater -- Erica was invited back today for all day taping with the girls and Mrs. Johnson.  She had a video crew come in and she is making video to send into Food Network and various companies!  She wants to start a website as well!  Erica had an absolute blast in the kitchen again, especially being part of a video!!!   Again, this was another blessing .. another experience for her.  I want to be 12 again!!!

Camp Caraway ... here comes Spencer!!!

Spencer left this morning for Camp Caraway.  I drove him 1 1/2 hours away and left him!  That was totally weird.  He looked a little apprehensive and looked like he might throw up.  And then I thought more about it and wanted throw up myself.  But I sucked it up and left.  He will spend this week in canoes, on ropes courses, practicing archery, playing on water slides in the lake, swimming in the pool, and eating camp "chow" with his bunkmates!!  We will pick him up Friday afternoon if he makes it.  I am wondering if by Wednesday he will want to come home.  I wonder what they will do about that ...... I am not even going to think about it.  It will make me cry just thinking about him missing me!  This is probably wishful thinking.  He probably won't have a single thought about us at all.  He will be so busy having fun!!  Needless to say, it has been awfully quiet around here!!!   I love that Erica climbed up in the trunk of the car, sat in Spencer's lap, and actually let me take their picture!!  A sweet moment captured ..... yesterday, they argued all day long!!  

I-95 Nightmare

Seriously, how does anyone consistently travel between Baltimore and Richmond, VA on a regular basis without some form of road rage?  This is beyond my comprehension after today.  We hit DC right before lunch.  It wasn't too bad but once we hit the south side, it was TERRIBLE!  Of course, as you travel, there are two lanes in the middle that will at times during the day, help alleviate traffic flow by allowing northbound/southbound flow.  So as we are approaching maybe TWO of those entrances traveling south, I too little too late mention this to Scott.  So as we travel along at 20 mph bumper to bumper, we are watching the other lanes traveling south buzz by at 60-70 mph.  I realized what is missing on I-95.  What it should really have on the concrete walls are signs.  Signs like, HAHAHAHA YOU MISSED THE ENTRANCE IDIOT!  LOOK AT YOU SLOW POKE!  HAHAHAHA NANANA BOO BOO!!  STUPID!!!   So I took this opportunity to make these comments out loud to which really, REALLY impressed Scott.  But he just couldn't keep a straight face.  And all this traffic funneled back together which was again, a complete bottle neck and most of it caused by one fender bender and people who do not seem to understand the basic rule of, "GET IT OUT OF THE ROAD!  IF IT'LL RUN, MOVE IT TO THE SIDE!!"  

In the end, we lost two hours to traffic.  We thought we would be home by 5:30.  We arrived at 7:30.  It was a very, VERY long day ........... 

Farms and Chocolate Milk

Here is one of the many farms we passed while on vacation.  I just want to live on a farm and raise my own food and can funny relishes.  I just think that would be so rewarding.  And then Scott could grow out a beard and never shave it to signify how long we have been married and we could be Amish and ....... well, never mind.  We already proved we are "TOO" English to be Amish.  But we talked in the car about farms and animals and cows.  And Spencer asked, "Mom, where does chocolate milk come from?"  Scott answers, "It comes from brown cows."  So Spencer is asking questions like, "So it has to be a brown cow to get chocolate milk?"  And Erica is totally going along with Scott and they both have him convinced of this.  UNTIL I said that wasn't true and that Hershey Park sells the syrup for chocolate milk.  It was pretty funny though ... he was totally buying it.  Just mean, aren't they???

Dragging a Wheel ....

We packed up our campsite this morning exhausted, elated with our vacation and sad that we had to leave.  Scott almost changed our vacation a couple weeks ago and he decided to hang with it.   In the end, we are so glad we didn't change it.  We really did have a good time.  Every night, the boys got to sleep and snuggle with their dad and I got to fall asleep almost every night holding Erica's hand.   Scott said he woke up last night to Spencer sleeping sideways in the bed and doing everything possible to shove his feet up under his belly!!  Spencer prefers to sleep with his feet under some part of your body ... he has always been this way!!!  

Anyway, we got everything packed and loaded up the car with the kids.  Scott put it in drive and we started moving to the sound of this horrible grinding in the car.  We stopped and wondered what in the world .... to which we actually started moving again thinking maybe it would go away.  Nope, didn't go away.  Now keep in mind, we only went a matter of 20 feet or so.  But the camper next door waved us down and I rolled my window down.  He yelled over, "Your wheel is down."  We again wondered for a second what this meant thinking the wheels on the camper were locked which made no sense at all.  But he pointed and yelled it again just to be sure we heard him and then it dawned on Scott what it was.  So as he jumped out to remove it, the camper said, "First time camping?"  I yelled, "Nope.  Third."  And he yelled, "Ya need a checklist."  I yelled, "Yep."  It was one of those Jeff Foxworthy moments and I wasn't sure whether we would get the "and here's your (stupid) sign" or if he would get it for asking .... seriously, who forgets to raise the wheel....I highly doubt veteran campers ever forget this!!   So we pulled away waving at our new friend and laughing our butts off at ourselves ... and later saying to one another at random moments, "First time camping?"  

Catching Jack's Personality

Scott and I decided on this trip that Jack is probably in the easy stage for us right now.   To sum it up, he was just pretty much HAPPY-GO-LUCKY the whole time.  And he is so witty and random with his comments.  First, this is Jack at Hershey Park.  He was playing by himself and skipping through the water while it poured over his head.  And yes, Jack still is our "skipper."  We will see him go off to play something and he just skips along absentmindedly and it is very cute because I know one day, he will not do this.  And if he is not skipping, he is bringing up the rear and we are constantly saying, "Come on, Jack."  "Hurry up, Jack."  "Jack, pick up the pace, buddy!"  CONSTANTLY.  He is never in a hurry.  

And then there were the random comments.  In the car this week, we are driving along quietly and he suddenly starts talking like Donald Duck, which he can do very well.  And he says to us, "I'm human.  But I was born by a duck.  Which means, I am part duck, part human.  Quack .. quack ... quack."   Or he said this.  "When I grow up, I'm going to live in Pennsylvania so I can bring my kids to Hershey Park and ride the rides with them."  He is always thinking about when he will be a dad and have kids.  I am praying that his wife wants ALOT of kids.  And today, he said, "When I grow up, I think I will live in Alaska."  Scott asked him what will he do in Alaska for a living and he said, "I will sell snowballs."  We thought this was hysterical so Scott said, "Are you going to make amazing snowballs?"  He said, "No, on second thought, I won't sell snowballs.  I will sell snow cones."  We suggested a coffee shop since it is so cold there but nope, he was sticking to snow cones.    

He is such a little blessing to our family and you just never know what he is going to say!!!  

My Favorites at Hershey 2009

Surfer Dudes!

By the end of the day, this was their favorite part of the park.  They loved doing this and all agreed this was their all time favorite of the day!!!  And we loved watching them...we feel blessed to have healthy, adjusted, fun kids who love life and love the Lord.  

Erica's Rendition of WIPE OUT!

Hershey also has an awesome water park area.  The kids found the wave board area and had their hand at it!  They did really great for kids who have never done it before!!!  Erica wiped out twice and once she said she lost the bottom of her suit but luckily she got it back up before anyone saw it!!  Yeah ...right!!!!  EVERYBODY is watching you wipe out!!!   It was so much fun watching them!!  Tenacious ...... once again!!  Even an older lady was out there doing it and she totally stayed on and stuck her tongue out at everyone for laughing because we all thought when she got up there, "This is going to be great!!!"  Boy, were we wrong!!!!  She rocked!!!!  Go Granny!!!   I can't believe I didn't take her picture!  And then there were the people that actually did lose their suits!!!!  Buttocks were flying as Jack would say!!!  

Auditions Anyone?

Scott said they were having Mr. Incredible auditions today so he shoved himself in a bumper car and then asked me if I brought my coconut oil to get him out!!!  LOL!!  I told him he would always be Mr. Incredible to me ... always ... and no, I left the oil at home so he was going to have to squeeze out somehow!!!!  Spencer just loves bumper cars ... there is something about being allowed to ram people with a car that thrills him to no end!!  I love his passion for life!!!   He does scare me though at the age of 16 ....

What are the Chances??

I could only get Jack to pose with the bear.  He willingly obliges.  AND Scott takes the boys to the arcade while Erica rides the scariest roller coaster at the park by herself and I wait at the exit.  Spencer hits the jackpot and only gets 4 tickets instead of the 158 due to him and Jack plays a game and wins a dog.  I know there are lessons to be learned in all this for Spencer!!  Poor guy just can't catch a break even when he went to the counter twice and no one seemed to be able to solve his dilemma.  Seriously, real robbery here!!   However, I was able to prove my point today at least one time.  Erica came off the ride with a splitting headache!  I refrained from saying, "I told you so!"  Instead I just said nicely, "See honey?  That is why I can't ride with you."  I feel almost better!! 

The Reason

And this right here is the reason why we don't ride .... one body can only handle so many g-forces and I personally like my organs where they are ...........can I get an amen from anyone .... not to mention we did avoid the countless wooden roller coasters.  Last time I rode one of those at Cypress Gardens, two days later I couldn't walk from a bulging disc for three days!!!!  LOL!!!   

Another Hat Contest

Those who keep up with our blog, we always seem to find hats.  And we are having another hat contest.  So pick your favorite contestant and which one you think fits their personalities the most.  Scott is also going to use this picture to apply for Chik-Fil-A and tell everyone to eat more chicken!!  Funny Jack would pick the hamburger ... considering he has never eaten one in his entire life!!!!  

The Rides of It All

Kids ride the craziest things.  The higher they go and the faster they spin, the more likely it is my kids want to ride it.  Scott and I choose not to do these things so much.  As our parents used to say to us, "we are getting to old!"  Seriously, who wants to walk around all day sick to our stomachs with a headache.  I simply now understand why they chose not to ride.  And I'm sure I was exactly like our kids are and look at you with a big, fat look of disappointment because we are no longer "fun parents."  And I'm okay with that!!  I bet my mom is laughing right now -- love you Mom and Dad and I'm sorry for all the guilt I may have heaped on you!!   Anyway, Jack and Erica rode THE CLAW which was insane.  And not to mention we sat and watched three larger people get off the ride because of the weight limits and the bars wouldn't close on them.  See?  That is what I'm talking about.  You could possibly talk yourself into actually riding the dumb thing and getting a major headache, but instead, you end up walking off humiliated because you simply won't fit!!!!   I rest my case .... Spencer sat with us and obsessed over all the carnival games and how cheap it costs to win a game and win stuffed animals.  And for those who know him well, you know this was an all day affair!!!!! 

Hershey Park

Well, we did it.  We left the campground and took the kids to Hershey Park!  It was indeed the sweetest place on earth!  I don't know what I was expecting.  The town is quaint and all the houses are manicured perfectly and have white picket fences.  The street names are Chocolate Avenue, Cocoa Avenue,  and even the light posts are hershey kisses!!  We left early in the morning and stopped at this little hole in the wall breakfast place.  First off, we were starving.  Second, the kids were in rare, and I mean, rare form.  We already had to deal with the attitudes and now we were dealing with starving attitudes.  But for some reason, at breakfast, they decided to get silly and could not reel it in.   Which in turn made Scott start laughing.  All this is happening while I am being glared down, I mean stared down, by this older German woman with her hair in a bun who looked like she had not laughed OR cracked a smile in at least 10 years.  And she is staring at me with this condescending/shame on you glare for not having my family under control.  Part of me wanted to ask her what was she looking at but before I got the chance, she chose to pick up her newspaper and simply hold it up in front of her face so she could not see us any further.  We are OBVIOUSLY Englishers with unruly kids in this Amish/German culture!!!   At least that is what Beverly Lewis would write in one of her Amish books.   After breakfast, we arrived at Hershey and let me start with this.  The smell of chocolate DOES NOT exist.  The making of chocolate has been OUTSOURCED to different areas, maybe even China, so I did not have the pleasure of smelling chocolate all day.  Big disappointment.  But other than that, everything was dandy like candy!!!   And there is a difference between THEME park and AMUSEMENT park.  Hershey is an amusement park and it was really worth the time and money.  It was so cool ... we loved it!!!  

Cowboys and Indians ...

Or then you could hide under a picnic table wide open and pretend no one sees you shooting them with your water gun or your new marshmallow shooter you made ... I love this imagination!!!