Thursday, October 16, 2008

Finally...an update!

FINALLY...a post with pictures! (You may be sorry because there are lots!) Ok, let's start with this past weekend. We, along with Jim & Julie, Scott & Sue and Grandma & Grandpa went down to Jellystone in Mexico, NY. It has become a favorite of ours because the kids just love it and there's so much to do there! It was a holiday weekend, so we got an extra day out of it. On Friday, we all met there and set up camp. We got pull-thru sites so it was easy to make a big horseshoe out of 3 of the campers. Next year, we'll park on the end and get Scott and Sue's camper sideways so the kids have a huge yard between them all to play in. Grandma and Grandpa were late registering, so they got themselves on a waiting list. Unfortunately, the park couldn't accommodate them near the rest of us, but it turned out well, I think. At least Grandpa could take a QUIET nap when he wanted to! Anyway, this park hosts theme weekends and this one was no exception...it was Halloween weekend! On Saturday morning, we started out with a huge group breakfast and then took the kiddies up to do a craft...they made construction paper face masks.



If you look closely, you'll see a "big kid" in the middle by the name of Colleen.
Drew was enthralled with the monkey bars.

Hannah's turn.
And of course Luci refused to be left out...
She bravely stepped up and then hung, but wouldn't budge her hands...
But Hannah stepped up and gave her a boost so she could swing from rung to rung.
She was VERY proud of herself!
Later that day, the kids all got to dress up in their Halloween costumes and go trick or treating from camper to camper! Drew wanted to be a pink poodle and Luci wanted to be a ghostie!
From L to R, Darien as Tigger, Hannah as Little Red Riding Hood, Sara as a bat, Jeb as a Transformer, Drew as a pink poodle and Luci as a ghostie.
Last year, the guys stayed at the campers to pass out candy and the girls took the kids around. Afterwards, we said, "Next year, WE stay at the campers and the guys take the kids!" And that's exactly how it happened!! Here's Jim and Art with the "excess" bags!

The kids had a ball and got quite the haul, too! At 7pm, we headed up to enjoy the haunted house that the park does every Halloween weekend! This year, it was fashioned after a haunted ship that went down, kind of like the Titanic! We waited an hour in line and got right up to the entrance door when they announced they were taking a 15 minute break! Ahh! Oh well, we had waited that long, what's another 15?? Hannah decided not to go in, and Scott and Sue took their kids back to their camper because of the long wait. Luci and Sar showed a little trepidation about going in, but managed to be troopers through it all! Actually, I heard more screaming from Julie than the kids! Hee hee! Afterwards, we enjoyed a group dinner (I made homemade mac n cheese in the crock-pot! Yummy!) a nice fire and then off to bed. On Sunday, Grandma and Grandpa hosted the group breakfast and then we took the kids to Behling's Orchard, something we did last year, too, but this time we got there early and spent a few hours! This is a place that sets up all kinds of kid-related things, like a haunted maze, a corn maze, goat feeding station, horse rides, wagon rides, inflatables area, etc. Below, Luci pokes her head through the piggie cut-out.
And Jeb...
AND Darien!
Hannah and Jeb in the cow cut-out!
And all of them in the Behling's cut-out!
I think the favorite thing of the day was the horse and pony rides. Drew is beaming! We might have to look into horse riding lessons for this one!

Luci chose the pony.
Darien liked it, too!
Scott tries to coax Darien into feeding the goats. She was having nothing to do with it!!
Drew didn't mind the goat slobber!
Nor Luci!
Extreme close-ups of my beauties!!

In the corn maze, Drew and Hannah took very good care of Darien! They were great helpers!
I think every kid must love these bouncy houses!
They had a huge inflatable slide there, too!





After the slide, the girls wanted on Daddy's shoulders for a photo-op. Sara was also relgated to her father's shoulders, but not for a picture! Someone stole her shoes!!!! So the guys took turns carrying her around for the rest of the afternoon.
Luci lovin' up Grandma!
Sara gets a double tickle from the girls!

Back at the park, the kids get busy playing doctor!
Luci was having a "moment".

Hannah wasn't though!


That night, Drew decided to spent the night in Grandma and Grandpa's new camper, so Luci was on her own. I'm so glad my kids will go to bed and stay there when they're told! It makes camping so much easier when you don't have to sit with them until they fall asleep! We threw a movie in for her and when Dean went in to use the facilities 10 minutes later, she was out like a light!
On Monday morning, Sue drags out her heaping pile of bread dough and we had another group breakfast of fried bread dough, bacon, sausage, and fried potatoes! What a send-off!
It was the perfect camping weekend! The weather cooperated giving us warmth during the day and cool in the evenings which was perfect for sitting around the campfire at night. There were lots of trees in full autumn splendor...it was truly BREATHTAKING!!! We had a blast both with the kids and after they all went to bed! We can't wait to go back next year, there's so much for the kids to do here! They have a mini-put golf course, pool, playgrounds, crafts and activites all day long, wagon rides twice daily, light-stick parade on Friday evenings, a movie room in the store where families can go to watch family movies, an arcade, a water wars booth, a water trough for screening bags of dirt for gems or fossils, and an awesome shallow creek which is perfect for tubing down! There's also plenty of other things to do within an easy driving distance!

Alas, the weekend had to come to an end, but for us, it wasn't nearly as sad as we had plenty back home to keep us busy! Again, it seems nearly impossible to find help, but I think we may have that problem licked as Dean's buddy Kenny has recently finished a job and is two weeks from his next one, so he's here helping us! He is a general contractor, so he really knows his stuff! Before he showed up today, my brother and I and Dean managed to get a few sheets on the side of the house. We were going along at a steady pace...or so I thought! When Kenny showed up, I left the guys to it. An hour later, I decided to go out and see how they were doing. The whole bottom half of the house is sheeted! Man, he's quick! So, I'm hopeful that we finally have the help we've been so desperate for! Here are some pics from yesterday. I'll post the ones from today later.
My brother has a sense of humor!
Take a good look at this sad facade...because you'll never see it agin!

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