Summer's "Last Hurrah"!

Another incredible perk our family received for M coordinating the Homeschool ski group was 15 FREE passes to Camelbeach...the ski resort's summertime waterpark. We decided to meet up with our dear friends the C family as our 2 larger families would be able to use these up without having to purchase any tickets :)!! So, they took the 4 hour trip from Maryland and we trekked about 2.5 hours to meet at the mountain. The forecast was 'iffy' but it was the only date we could possibly do it before Camelbeach closed for the season. We actually arrived a couple of hours prior to the C's so Daddy and kiddos were able to figure out the 'lay of the land' before our friends arrived.Somehow I had forgotten that Pocono Mountain air is always several degrees cooler than at home ...it was also misting and the mountain was barely visible though all the fog. I was freezing...and fully dressed with a jacket on. L and G had purple lips for most of the day but in spite of this, it was a memory filled visit. Daddy gets the award for running around with all the kids while the rest of us adults watched in the comfort of dry clothes and added jackets...well, someone had to document with photos, right??? I must admit is was very disorienting to be there after skiing on this mountain for a few years. We were all trying to figure out where we were in relation to the trails we usually skied and now next season we'll be remembering the Lazy River as we ski over top of it!
Our visits with the C's are never long enough but each time we are together I am so thankful the Lord has sustained our friendship over the past 22+years...and now that our children love to be together, that's an added bonus! Enjoy the pictures...

Just after arriving...this is the family area to meet at if someone in your party gets lost ...just 'meet at the camel' :)

Mercy, Odesco, and L didn't hesitate to get wet...the others took a little longer to take the plunge! I think this lifeguard thought our kiddos were crazy! This was early in the day and they were the only ones in the water....

This ride was great as all our kiddos and Daddy could race to the finish line simultaneously...there was a lifeguard at the bottom announcing the winnerin a bullhorn...you can see how thick the fog is in this picture!

Thumbs up from Odesco ...he had a blast!

This is the wave pool which produces surf like waves every few minutes...it was surreal since you could barely see the back wall of the pool...the lifeguards earned their pay! They were stationed every few feet on the walls and did a great job keeping an eye on everyone!! Fortunately there were not many people crazy enough to be out in this weather...it actually turned out to be a blessing because the lifeguard told us the week before they had 7,000 visitors in one day during the heatwave and the lines were up to an hour long...not a problem this day!!

This doesn't look much different than the view we get on a gray wintry day...minus the umbrellas and with the addition of snow, of course!

The whole chilly crew! (The C's have 2 grown boys at home as well!)

Look out below--BRRRR!!! For my ski buddy friends, this attraction is situated at the bottom of the beginner slope where the kids take their lessons...

Sweet Pals~It has been almost a year since we have seen the C's (we vacationed in Myrtle Beach last September with them) and I love how we can all just pick up where we left off!

Aren't they cute???

At the end of the day after the girls changed out of their wet clothes (the changing areas are really nice, by the way!!) we took a free ride up the chairlift to admire the view...it finally cleared up! It sure was odd taking this ride in the summer with slides and rides below us instead of skiers and snowboarders...and of course we have never had a chairlift ride back down the mountain before!

A view from above...

Some of the clan for a final shot before leaving the park...Ahhh, dry clothes!!

While the adults decided where to go for dinner, the kids made use of every spare moment to play...yes we do keep a basketball in our van--just in case :)!!

We stopped at Subway for a quick dinner before parting ways for our trips home~

How grateful we are for the many ways the Lord blessed our day...we are rich indeed!

When the big cats are away.....the little mice sure know how to play!!

Daddy and the 'big boys' are away at youth camp until Saturday. This is C's first year so there was a bit of melancholy going on around here in his absence. This is one of the most significant annual events in our parent/youth ministry so I am praying for the Lord to really minister to all 3 of my guys! We could pine away until they return home...but why do that when we can have fun with other friends who are 'left behind'?? Yesterday we had L's buddy M.Di over ...we went to a friend's to swim with lots of other kiddos and moms, then hit the crowded chikfila for free kidsmeals (and a bit of sensory overload!!)...we came home and had a mini birthday party for M.Di who will be turning 8 on Friday (his 3 older siblings and mom are away at youth camp). Today we hung out with the McB tribe... what a blast we had! Between their 4 (plus one baby) and my 4, there was lots of activity!! We had an impromptu field trip at a friend's family farm, ate a 'relaxing' lunch at McD's --free because of coupons Mrs. McB shared with us. One of the older employees was astonished that all of these kids could be ours...then he said,"It's not biologically possible"... I'm not sure if he was referring to all the pregnancies represented or the fact that 2 of our children have beautiful African skin? Just imagine what he would have said if ALL our kids were there...5 were missing! Next he asked if we needed a Mac Truck to 'haul all those kids around'...I assured him that a 15 passenger van does the trick :) After lunch we headed to the local Dunkin Donuts (after one of the little ones coyly downed a creamer for a snack before dessert!!). Once again Mrs. McB pulled a stash of coupons so each of the kids could choose one free donut...after the melee to choose and wolf down donuts, we headed to their house for a swim. A few minutes into the pool time,it began to rain lightly...we covered ourselves with the kids' towels (I had Odesco's Mr. Incredible towel hood on my head and G's princess towel covering my body--a sight to see!)...then the sky opened up and Mrs. McB ran to get umbrellas...she came scurrying down the stairs from her deck with the biggest beach umbrella I've ever seen! It was hysterical as we stood there in the rain while the kids swam, attempting to get this big momma umbrella open...Mrs. McB succeeded and the thing was big enough to keep all 8 kids dry--seriously!! After all this excitement we headed inside and attempted many conversations in between adjusting hearts and playing referee...overall the kids did great together. We stayed for dinner...PB and J sandwiches, watermelon, and leftover mac and cheese. Such a fun day!! Once we arrived home the kiddos got changed for bed and we watched a Feature Family film while I cut coupons (I can't just sit...need to multitask...sad, I know!) Finally, all the kiddos are in bed...

Happy 8th Birthday, M Di...the kids made this ice cream cake for the guest of honor (and let's face it...they were excited to have a reason to celebrate with cake!)

What fun it was to hold these sweet peeping chicks!

Odesco was the boldest....he really enjoyed this!

This chick was a bit older and a little challenging to get a grip on. Miss S was up for it though!

L was content to watch although he did get his hands on a few chicks momentarily~

Mercy is not quite sure about this farm stuff!

Meet Bella...a 2 week old Alpaca

Bella's mom for some reason would not allow her to nurse so Bella's owners have to hand feed her goat milk every 4 hours ...look at those eyes!

Everyone wanted to feed this little one!

These are the other alpacas who were not too interested in us!

What a crew :)!!

A parting gift...as we left, the owner of the farm gave us 2 dozen fresh eggs...look at all the different colors...each representing a different breed of chicken! He also gave us a huge bag of clothes his daughter had outgrown...the Lord does lavish good gifts!!

Having all this fun is downright exhausting :)! I'm off to bed myself and thanking God for fun friends and memories made . Thanks for checking in~

Milestones worthy of celebration!!

Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
Proverbs 17:6

Happy 57th anniversary Mom and Dad B!!

Mercy enjoying some time with Uncle Bill and Aunt Sharon :)

Fun with some of the B cousins!

On August 2nd, we trekked over the bridge to enjoy Uncle Jim and Aunt Sandy's hospitality for a celebration of Mom and Dad B's 57th wedding anniversary and Dad's 79th birthday... (yes,they were married on his birthday!) I am so grateful for the rich godly heritage I married into!!! Both Mom and Dad have had health challenges over this past year making this day of celebration all the more sweet!
Rejoicing in His goodness once again,

Think Snow!!!

I never did get around to posting pictures of our homeschool ski group this year. What better time than in the midst of a heat wave?? Enjoy...hope you are viewing these in the comfort of an air conditioned or well ventilated room and if not, maybe the thought and view of snow will cool you off! We had a great ski season...the 4 littles really improved so much in their control (especially Mercy!). One day we had the 'thrill' of being stuck up in the lift for about 15 minutes due to a mechanical glitch...I was with the girls and M was a few chairs behind us with the boys. We both had our cell phones...Daddy called to tell us about the sweet snack he had stashed in his coat pocket and was sharing with the boys and I made them jealous to hear about the hand warmers I was breaking out for the girls! It was probably the coldest day we skied but the ski patrol gave us coupons for a free hot drink once we finally got off the lift....it definitely took the edge off ! We are so grateful to be able to make these memories as a family. Because M is organizing the group now, we get to ski for a nominal cost...it's well worth the effort :)

Are we having fun yet?? These 3 were going to their first group ski lesson of the season....don't they look enthused?! Actually, their skiing and safety (!) improved so much due to these lessons. The kids finally realized that we were serious...'no lesson, no skiing'...and I think by the end, they actually enjoyed it!

Who is that masked(and goggled) young man??? Give up??

It's C...honestly sometimes my older kiddos ski right past me and I don't even recognize them due to all the layers of protective gear!!

oops...so much for self portraits?!

Odesco on the lift up the mountain. One day we tried a more challenging trail and he took a spill. Once we got his skis back on and he made it to the bottom of the mountain he declared,"I'm never doing that again! That freaked me out" Yep, he is definitely becoming more and more "Americanized'!!

G and C with Daddy~

What can I say?? This picture just makes me smile!!
Believe it or not, this little guy managed to ski a ' double black diamond' by the end of the season -with Daddy, of course !! He wants me to take a picture of him but there is no way I am even venturing near that one!!

L with his 2 buddies R and M...

Mercy and Daddy preparing for 'another run'

Miss Britt and Mercy...doesn't Mercy look so much younger with her short locs??

Ski helmet hair...what's a girl to do???

G actually was followed down the mountain by a ski patrol guy...he handed her a piece of paper and congratulated her for practicing her 's' turns and skiing under control. Then Daddy took her to the office and they gave her this official certificate. Way to go, G!!

G was able to ski with our sweet friends, the Y family for an afternoon:)

No surprise here...L found another friend who shares his love for sketching...one of the things I love about our homeschool group is how the older and younger kiddos mix so well :)

Getting warm and filling bellies in the lodge~

Too cute!!

Odesco was awaiting his turn to ski...here he is watching a video in the lodge with his adorable little friend, L

Sometimes getting the ski boots off is a workout in itself! I actually was not able to set Mercy's foot free and a friend who needed to visit the equipment shop brought Mercy with her...the guy had to do something special with the buckle to get it to release!

Play dough fun helped to keep these boys busy :)

Ingenious aren't they?? Playing jump rope with a scarf...now that's resourceful!

All this fun sure tuckers a fellow out! L's buddy, M was literally asleep in this awkward position. These guys get quite a workout!

See what I mean?! ZZZZZZ.....