Grandma's Camp!

So, we're home from our family vacation but believe me the family fun did not stop there...
Welcome to "Grandma's Camp" (as my kids called it)!

Between the swimming pool, hot tub, projects, field trips, and yummy food - everywhere you turned there was fun to be had!

So our first project was with glass. My fabulously creative mother-in-law, Linda, works with glass. So we got to make jewlery (some of the boys made bookmarks) out of fusible glass. It is so cool! You put together different (shapes, colors, sizes) pieces of glass to make what you want. It goes in this special kiln (I hope I got that word right) and melts together to make cool designs. Then you can make earrings or necklaces out of it! Sorry I don't have pictures, I got so caught up in this project I forgot to take any!

We got to visit the Mayfield Creamery! It was so fun with the kids. They were so funny at times I couldn't help but crack up!

The big cow!


Some of the girls right before going on our tour (this is one of my favorite pictures, ever)!


Mayfield ice cream for lunch! I highly recommend ice cream as a main dish, it creates many happy faces! I had the banana pudding ice cream. It was deliciously perfect with that real southern creamy banana pudding yumminess!


Rebekah may have been the messiest - good thing she still had her hair net on!


After the creamery we ventured to the World Market in Decatur, GA. It is like a farmer's market with fruits, vegetables, sauces, spices, rices, breads, cheeses, etc, etc, of every kind that you can ever imagine. (The older kids thought this place was awesome.)

When we got back to the house, it was time for more projects. (Not to mention a yummy chicken fajita crockpot type of dinner!)

Grandma got the kids started with pottery!
I loved watching Linda with the kids. It was really amazing to see her teach them, be very patient with them, and they actually made pots!

Kenzie was loving this!


Karlee started her pottery with all the kids around. However, focusing and concentrating on the task at hand is not Karlee's strong point. So, it wasn't long before the kids had to be shewed away! :)


Kyler thought it was cool to "mash" the clay (explains why he has clay all over his face and glasses). Kyler does not usually enjoy crafting, but this for him was really fun!


I didn't catch Kavan making a pot, but I understand that as most of the kids made two, he was satisfied with one.

Maybe I didn't get that picture of Kavan because I was being tortured with a sewing project. I wish I loved, even liked to sew. But I just really don't!


Jana's game though, even in the face of frustration!


Anyway, as I enjoy making jewlery and Betsy does not. She took pity on me with the sewing and finished Kenzie and Karlee's skirts, and they are darling! Thanks, Betsy!

I did catch Kavan making a birdhouse, though!

Grandpa took the boys to the hardware store to buy wood, and after Kyler and Collin cut the wood...


the kids made birdhouses.

Here are Timothy and Kyler's.


And here is Kavan ready to work,


working,


and finished.


Later, Layne and Kirk were able to come down. And Layne was so excited to hear that we were having Navajo Tacos for dinner. His Grandma White used to make these when all the grandkids were together. So, it brought back lots of fun memories for him!

Kyler and Layne frying the bread.


(I thought this picture of Layne talking on the phone while trying to deflate the air mattress was funny! It just looks like he is being a lazy teenager! Oh, the good ole' days!)


What a fun time we had! I am so thankful for the many talents and all the time that was shared to make this camp unforgettable for my kids!

Okay!

Okay, so 2+ months later I have finally come to the end of blogging about our fantastic summer vacation. We made a lot of great memories, unforgettable really! And had many great adventures! It was kind of hard to come home and be thrown into reality again. But, I must say we will not miss those traffic delaying "toll plazas" found everywhere on the Pennsylavania and New Jersey turnpikes (I finally took a picture of one).



Not a one will we miss! They take our change and souvenior (or ice cream) money (however you want to look at it) just to drive on not really great roads! Oh well - I guess better to have a road at all, huh? Anyway, it is always nice to be home! :)

Philadelphia, PA

So when we got to Philadelphia, we were running out of time. So, we decided the most efficient way to see the city was by taking a tour on the "Double Decker Big Bus."

Kavan was so excited. He thought it was great that he got to sit on the top, outside, with no seatbelt!



And although we saw lots and lots from the house of Betsy Ross to the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin, I thought I'd share just some of the things that made the kids go Ooooh and Aaaah!

The cemetery that Nicholas Cage runs through in the movie "National Treasure." (It seemed much bigger in the movie!)



The awesome old train bridge (seen in the "Rocky" movies).



William Penn found atop Philadelphia City Hall.



The "Friendship Gate" found in "Little China." It is put together like a puzzle - no screws,bolts, nails or glue. Pretty amazing! And if I remember right there are only 3 like it in the world, but I can't remember why. Sorry!



Philadelphia has a lot of great architecture, but they also have really great statues. That we loved!



And of course you can't go to the city of Philadelphia without acting like Rocky!
(I remember my dad taking us to see Rocky III in the theater with my Grandma Burgy! It was a favorite - and who doesn't love The "Eye of the Tiger" song!?!)





That Kavan is so competitive - did you see him push Kenzie and I at the beginning? That stinker cost me the race. Kyler won! (Hmmm, where do you think he gets that competitive edge frpm? - Yep, must be Layne, notice he didn't even race 'cause he was scared of losing! :) Just kidding! The kids raced so hard all the way to the top! And don't you love how other people started racing, too!)



Gotta love that Rocky for running up those steps of the Art Museum!

-But more than Rocky is the history of our "Founding Fathers."
Independence Hall...



And symbols that all Americans recognize! Got Liberty?!? Thank Goodness! :)

New Jersey?!?

So, for our next stop, we asked the kids if there was one thing they wanted to see during the summer what would it be?!?



Who knew we would be going to New Jersey!?! (My dad was in the Air Force and stationed in New Jersey until I was 5 years old. We even passed the exit where we used to live, but... that's not why we went to New Jersey!)

[I just love pictures like this! The boys hand in hand waiting for an adventure!:)]



It wasn't to see a ferry boat...



or Ellis Island?



Although the kids pretended to be interested. But that wasn't what they wanted to see.



So...how about the Statue of Liberty? Yep! They were excited!



There was definitely an "awe and a reverence" to seeing the Statue of Liberty. What an amazing thing! And the kids wanted to see it from every angle!



Since tickets to the crown were sold out until September (and we were there in July - I know I'm really behind in my blogging), we just kind of hung out, played on the grounds (wishing we had brought a picnic), and watched all the people. (What is it with "people watching" - I love it. I think it's fascinating - or fascinatingly funny.) We also talked a little about 9-11 and tried to identify the buildings in New York City.



And Kavan wondered what would happen if the "Liberty Statue" had to blow her nose?!?

It was a great day - inspiring and memory making!

Next Stop... How about a race up the "Rocky Steps?"

Amish Country

When you approach Lancaster County, you know you are in Amish Country.



So we decided to take a little train ride.







It was so beautiful. Lots of big white houses and barns. Clean and very green fields. Gorgeous horses and lots of cows, corn and tobacco.



We even saw a family cutting and putting up hay - by hand.



Then, as we were leaving, we saw the cutest little boy playing on a swing while watching his dad (we assume the man is his dad) working across the street.



My apologies for the pictures - they don't really do justice to the beauty we saw in Amish Country.

Next Stop - New Jersey?!?