City of Brotherly Love

This past week we crossed two big things off our to do list.  The first was to get Jake through his statistics course; which he did with an A. YEAH! To celebrate the end of hours and hours of statistics homework we did the second, which was to visit Philadelphia. To make it even more of a celebration, Gram Andrea and Aunt Jenny flew out and met us there for a long weekend of sightseeing.  We had such a wonderful time.  The city was super interesting, the weather was good, and the company was great.  We did all the touristy things we possibly could fit into the amount of time we were there and finished each day exhausted.  Philadelphia is an amazing city that is full of history, and of coarse delicious cheese steaks, which we all scarfed down before we thought to get a picture.  

We took a ride on a double decker bus that toured the city.  It was a fun way to see lots of sights.  It was especially fun not to be the one driving because Philadelphia drivers are crazy.

 

Ellie sure loves her Aunt Jenny and wouldn't sit with anyone else.



We were worried about how she would do without her usual afternoon nap.  Both kids were really good the whole trip.  Ellie would go and go and then suddenly fall asleep with exhaustion wherever we were.  She is such a sweet little thing.....when she is sleeping :)

The bus dropped us at the Please Touch Museum, a huge children's museum.  It was fun to watch the kids explore and learn.

Gram and Ellie share a common interest.....KITTIES!

Hudson got to practice his recent obsession with playing doctor.

We all indulged Jake by visiting the Water Works Museum.  It was actually really interesting.

Jenny had to get a shot of our "Nerds in Training", as Jake taught the kids about water sheds.

Relaxing on the famous steps from the movie Rocky in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Strangely Gram Andrea and I were the only ones with enough energy to go to the top.



The Liberty Bell across the street from independence hall.
"Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Leviticus 25:10).
It was amazing to be surrounded by so much History. 
Ellie was just as impressed with the history as she looks in this picture.



                                                              The Constitution Center 



Getting smashed penny souvenirs everywhere we went became quite the hit with Hudson.  He loved turning the crank.  After the Constitution center we visited the Treasury then rode a bus across the bridge to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey.  Then we visited the Mint and watched lots of shinny coins being made.  We were all as tired as Ellie and wished we had a stroller to fall asleep in.

The Adventure aquarium was really amazing with huge underwater tanks and a shark tunnel we could walk through.

We all loved touching the rays.  They would swim up and let the kids pet them.

Their was also a shark tank for petting sharks.  They were surprisingly rough like sand paper. 

On our last morning in Philadelphia we visited the Zoo. They has a really cool cat exhibit, and when you are traveling with Andrea and Jenny the cat exhibit is the main attraction.  Fortunately the kids likes it too!

On our way to State College we stopped in Intercourse, Pa for a visit to Amish country.

Gram Andrea and Jenny spent one night with us in State College.  The kids sure loved getting to show them their rooms and having them go to church with us.  We were all sad to see them go.  It was such a fun trip.

                                    As they drove away the kids watched sadly out the window.
                                              It was so nice to get to spend time with family.

Lots of Love

We have had a week full of love. Jake and I celebrated our sixth anniversary. It was so fun this week to focus on how grateful we are for one another and try to think of ways to express it. I had no idea when I married him just how happy our life would be together. I also had no idea that I would love him even more with time. Meeting Jake sent me down a path of happiness that I had no understanding for, and I truly know that only a heavenly father who knew me personally and loved me could have given me such a gift. If Jake had been all I got out of the deal I would have eternally grateful; but the addition of our wonderful children and the happiness and joy they bring is a blessing beyond my own capacity of expression. I have spent a lot of time this week quietly watching these people I love and feeling blown away by how my feelings for them grow everyday. I feel as though my heart could explode. I can’t even imagine how much I will love them all in

another six years.

We also celebrated our funny little Ellie's 2nd birthday! Unfortunately her two year molars decided that they would make their appearance for the big day as well. She has been pretty miserable this week due to them. We did our best to make it as fun a day as possible even though she wasn’t her normal happy self. We decorated the house with streamers and balloons, and set out her presents like Christmas morning. She loves animals and bugs so we decorated cup cakes with candy to look like butterflies and bugs. She was a pretty excited little thing when she came out of her room and saw it all, but I think Jake and I enjoyed it more then she did. The anniversary of the arrival of our sweet little girl was definitely worth celebrating. We are so lucky to have her, and she makes everyday special!

Her birthday must have worn her out, she sure crashed fast.

We enjoyed more time exploring Pennsylvania.  I am really enjoying this summer. We have been able to spend so much time in beautiful places.  The best part is that everywhere we go there is a lake to swim in!
Yesterday we headed out to map some trails at a State Park Jake is preparing to study.  The weather was a little overcast and we could see some lightening off in the distance, but it looked like it was blowing over quickly.  We were so wrong. As we pulled up into the park the storm hit. Large quarter sized hail pelted our car to the point I thought it would crack our windshield.  I was honestly a little scared, I had never seen such big hail. The temperature went from 92 to 65 in just a few minutes. Even as the hail started to subside, there was so many lightening bolts cracking all around us that we decided it was better not to get out of the car. It was quite an experience.  I just wish I could have gotten a picture of the hail.

My little explorers.

The cutest grad student I know!!!

Long Nights

Today I am having a hard time remembering what we have been up to for the last week. Either the heat or the pregnancy must be getting to my head. It has been so hot and humid and has not rained in the last month since we have been back. Since grass typically doesn’t need to be watered in this area it is laid everywhere without any type of sprinklers or irrigation systems. In result the town is covered in dead yellow grass. Honestly the only green grass left is the football practice field. It’s really crazy.

We had our first uninvited guest this week. Late one night Jake and I were sitting in the living room when a little gray mouse ran across the floor. I was more then a little creeped out. Jake ran across the street to the store to get some traps and set up quite an arsenal against our fury guest. Within the hour we were laying in bed when we heard the mouse in the trap. Thankfully Jake took care of it, because as much as I wanted in out of our apartment I was sure sad we had to kill it. My Dad would be so disappointed to know his flesh and blood felt sad about killing something as simple as a mouse.

The big event of the week was definitely moving Ellie and Hudson into the same room. We were going to wait until her birthday but the kids were so excited about it we decided to move her early. The first few nights were pretty long. The kids were so excited that getting them to fall asleep was quite a challenge. Although we all got pretty tired Jake and I loved watching them enjoy each other so much, even though they were being a little naughty. The last two nights have gone much better, so they are either so tired that hey don’t have the energy to keep each other awake or they are getting used to being together.

Ellie's bed head after her first night in her big girl bed.  What was she doing in there?!?

Happy Little Roommates!

Jake has been teasing me about nesting.
 I have been quite preoccupied with getting everything ready for Autumn's arrival.
Nine weeks really isn't that far away.
Thank goodness!
 

Hudson climbed in this box and asked us to mail him to his family in Utah.
Too bad its not that easy....and cheap!

Our days of spending the afternoon at the park are over for now.  Its just gotten too hot.  We spend most of our time swimming at the pool, going to Whipple Dam or enjoying the wonder of air conditioning. 

Ellie's mattress box has come in handy.



I don't know what I would do if the kids didn't love swimming, since we go every single day. Hudson is getting pretty good as swimming without a life jacket, although he always wants to wear his super man suit so he doesn't get to practice as much as I would like.  My silly kids are growing up too fast.  In a little over a week Ellie will be two! In about a month Hudson will be getting on a school bus and going to school.  We better just enjoy every minute!

Weekend in New York

Hill Cumorah Pageant

The highlight of our week was our adventure up into New York. We didn’t want to miss the opportunity of seeing Hill Cumorah Pageant while we lived so close, we decided to make the four hour drive to Palmyra and catch the show on opening night. The drive was a little rough. The kids were whiny and the AC in our car was not working, which didn’t help my patience. We arrived two hours before the show and I could not believe how packed the place was. Even with the chaos, and the hoards of people I was amazed at how happy and peaceful I felt as soon as we arrived. It truly is a special place and the spirit there is so strong. The show didn’t start until 9:15, and I was a little worried about how the kids would handle such a late night. They ended up being really good for the entire show. They were both really interested in what was going on. Hudson was especially full of questions, and although I don’t know how much of it he will remember as he grows, I’m certain it made an impression he won’t forget.

While up in the Finger Lakes region of New York we decided to stay and explore one of its most famous state parks. We camped at Watkins Glen State Park, which is near the south shore of Lake Seneca. What a beautiful place! Actually we were amazed at how pretty the whole area was with its enormous lake and many vineyards that cover the countryside. Watkins Glen has a large gorge that reminded us of the narrows in southern Utah, except it is lime stone, and full of waterfalls and lush vegetation. It was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever been on, and we will have to add it to the list of our favorite places.

It was a lot of fun and our first camping experience since we moved here. We have a few things to learn. For instance early in the day we set up our tent and got our bedding all laid out and ready. Unfortunately, by the time we got in to go to sleep, all of our bedding was damp due to the humidity. Sleeping in a damp bed wasn’t very comfortable, thankfully the kids didn’t seem to mind and they both slept just fine.

We feel so lucky to have the opportunity to experienced so many amazing things while we are out here!

Adjusting to PA

We have been back in PA for nearly two weeks now. We jumped right back into life, and got busy, although we had a really hard time adjusting our sleep habits to the new time zone. Its funny, the thing that has struck me most, and I know I always say this, is just how green and lush it is here. I really feel like we are in the jungle. It’s amazingly beautiful with huge ferns, vines, and lilies lining the roads and the perimeters of the forests.  It has been a fun contrast from where we came from. I have decided that incredibly thick forests are not always a good thing, since we have spent quite a bit of time lost in them over the last few weeks. Jake is doing research on some of the state parks this summer and we have discovered that just because a place is a state park it is not necessarily easy to find, or clearly marked. Although it took longer then expected we have been able to reach each of them, and have had a lot of fun both in the search and the visit. We have been out on adventures nearly every day, and I think being busy has helped the kids adjust to being away from the many loved ones we left in Utah. Hudson asks me nearly every day if we can go to Utah tomorrow, and he doesn’t understand why I won’t make him a count down chain for our next visit. Ellie loves to look at pictures from our trip and gets so excited to see pictures of everyone. I hope that all the aunts, uncles, and grandparents know just how loved and missed they really are.

We have hit our third trimester in this pregnancy. Baby Autumn is doing great and I am doing good as well. I am certainly not enjoying the heat, but it’s been a good incentive to take the kids swimming a lot. She is getting big enough to really make my belly shake when she moves and Hudson thinks it’s so much fun to watch. We are all excited for her to get here, especially me!

Our first few days were a little rough! I had a very tired family!

My new favorite thing about PA are the fireflies.  They come out every night at disk. I can't help but let Hudson stay up late at night to see them.  He has gotten to be a very good firefly catcher....well....they move pretty slow. Sadly they are very hard to photograph. It really is magical. The trees and grass sort of twinkle like they are full of flashing Christmas lights.



Can you guess which of my boys likes this toy the most?
Its not the short one ;)



We are always in pursuit of trains.





Our favorite park in the nearby town of Bellefonte. The kids love feeding the ducks and fish.



4th of July is hands down my favorite holiday! I love, fireworks, warm weather, carnival food, and all the great warm fuzzy patriotic feelings that go along with it.  I was sad to not be able to be in Blanding for all the festivities, but we had a pretty fun time anyway.  I got sun burned, watched fireworks, and ate a snow cone.  We even stopped at a booth and talked to some soldiers, and I felt so grateful to them for serving so that my husband could be home with me that I cried. All in all, it was a really great and quite typical 4th of July.



The kids had fun riding their bikes in a children's bike parade.





Hudson thought it was amazing to get to ride in the street with a firetruck.  He raced ahead of the rest of us so that he could be near it.





At the carnival Jake really wanted Hudson to ride on the dragon roller coaster.
 Of coarse Hudson spotted a ride that he was more interested in.




We all really enjoyed the carnival.





Jake did finally get Hudson on the dragon, and he loved it!





We curled up on a blanket to watch the firework show.  I was worried that Ellie was going to have a hard time at the fireworks, since every other interaction she has had with them has been disastrous.  She was scared at first but quickly got over it and spent the show curled up on Jake's lap.  The fireworks were sensational.  We had heard it was the third biggest show in America, but I had no idea how impressive it would be.  I think I saw  more fireworks during the 45 minute show then I had seen my entire life combined.



I love Summer!