Abby's Birthday Poster

A little late, but Abby with her birthday poster from Pop-pop.  She loved it!!!

Yardwork

Looked out the back window to see Benji helping Kevin with the weeds. He looked so cute in his little gloves and sun visor (that he made at ACAC camp):

Mommy's birthday

Just after we blew out the candle

More First Day Pics

From the actual camera, these are a little better quality:

Love his expression here

Our big girl

Silliness abounds

At the school

Benji finding his desk in the classroom

After school.  It was so much fun to listen to them talk to each other(!) about their teachers. Benji liberated Blue Henry from his backpack first thing.

At the Dentist

Both kids looked great.  Dr. Jody said Benji has his 6 year molars and his first loose tooth.  He said Benji will have a new tooth there by October! Abby is down to 4 baby teeth, one of which is very loose. He also said it is looking less likely that she will need braces - her jaw has really straightened out as she grew this year. Phew!

Butterfly Flowers

It is definitely starting to look like fall - some of the trees have red leaves and the mornings have been crisp.  The butterflies are enjoying the last of our blooms.

On the Way Home

We split the long drive back from Canada over 3 days, stopping first in Clearfield, Pennsylvania and then Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, before heading home. We did not anticipate much to do in Clearfield as it was just a convenient stopping point, so we were in no hurry to get there.  En route, we passed a sign for the Zippo Museum and thought it was worth checking out. It definitely exceeded our expectations!

A Star Trek lighter

They had cases of destroyed Zippos turned in to them (they will repair or replace Zippos for life) - some of these were amazing!

Lots of original advertising.  Here is Abby with "Zippy" - their mascot

After our night in PA we headed to Harper's Ferry, which we had long hoped to see.  The town is great and with only an afternoon to sightsee we barely scratched the surface.  We stayed right in the lower town, which is a living history museum, in an historic inn. Almost every building is preserved or restored to what it looked like in the 1860s.

At Robert Harper's house, the oldest in the town

Benji decided to tie Blue Henry up to a hitching post for a rest

The kids favorite part was getting in to the river - this is right at the junction of the Shenandoah and Potomac

Although both kids intended to "wade" int he river, the bottom was slippery and both ending up slipping and getting soaked

Crossing the railroad trestle into Maryland

First Day of School - K and 4!

More pictures when I download the camera, but wanted to post a quick blackberry shot today:

Niagara Falls

Day 1: Seeing the Falls:

Waiting for the Maid of the Mist

On the boat

A quick lunch at Rainforest Cafe

Walking Down to Table Rock

This was the one thing Abby requested - she wanted to go to a currency exchange

Day 2:

Getting Ready for the Journey Behind the Falls

Flower clock

Fort Niagara, as seen across Lake Ontario

Skipping rocks

 

 After visiting quaint Niagara-on-the-Lake, we stopped at Ft, George, which was held by both the British and the Americans at different times during the War of 1812:

Benji's favorite part was the prison cells

Abby likes this tunnel leading under the gates to the guard tower

View from the guard tower

 Day 3:

On the White Water Walk

Watching the whirlpool rapids

Abby scoping out the whirlpool aero car

View from the car of the cables

View down from the car

View of the Niagara River from the aero car

At souvenir city

Abby as Godzilla?

We spent our last afternoon/evening on the midway:

Galaxy Golf

Abby glowed in the black light

Selfie of my mom and I in the Hollywood wax museum

My mom, with the president and first lady

Abby and daddy on the sky wheel

Abby and Gammy

Mommy and Benji on the other side of the car

View from the sky wheel

Another view from the sky wheel