Penn State Chics Dig Nerds

Last night, after work, we met Jesse to ride another portion of the Lower Rails to Trail (to read about part 1, click here ). This time, we started where we ended last time-- at Mt. Etna Furnace. Each time, we have timed ourselves for 30 minutes and then turn around and ride home. This time, we made it to a mile from Williamsburg. So, we still have at least one, if not two more sections to ride until we will be able to reach the end (and still have Brady be happy about it :) Crossing one of the railroad bridges: On the way out, Natalee rode on the back of my bike while Brady rode in the trailer. On the way back, Jesse had both kids riding in the trailer because Natalee wanted to ride in the trailer, too. (poor Jesse) You can see Jesse pulling the kids in the trailer in this picture: I think that this next house is a remnant of a house that the Lock Master stayed in. The railroad bed follows the Juniata River and the former Pennsylvania Canal. This area is a site of one of t...

This past weekend, we had a picnic for my cousin Deron and his fiance Stacey. They were both in Central PA for the weekend. Some of the family had not ever met Stacey-- and they are getting married this summer in Florida. I knew Stacey from Penn State. Deron, Stacey, and I all worked as supervisors for Penn State Intramurals. Since Kate wasn't able to attend, I took a few pictures of the two love birds :) That was quite a different experience than taking pictures of my two moving little kids who don't smile at the same time!!! Natalee and Lily just love Aunt Lois's front porch every time we go there. Aunt Bev, Uncle Rick, Uncle John (and Deron, too) Good food. Good conversation. Good times!

This past Thursday, we took advantage of another lovely afternoon and went disc golfing at Canoe Creek State Park. They just put in a new course there. Of course, the bummer was that they no longer have a playground there. But, it will be a nice place to picnic and swim this summer. Natalee decided to try her hand at disc golf. She used a mini disc. After all of her wind-ups, it didn't exactly go the right direction! I had Natalee sit in the Eastern Redbud tree for me. They are blooming right now, and I just love the colors of them. We did not want Brady to fall asleep, and this was Natalee's attempt to keep him awake by peeking at him from her back seat.

I LOVE this time of year. The flowers are blooming and the days are getting longer. Plus, it has been so sunny here lately that we've been spending A LOT of time outside. Both of my kids seem to be outdoor oriented. (I wonder where they got that?) I am so glad that we are blessed to have a wonderful yard and driveway to play on. We are also blessed to have been able to find good deals on play toys at yard sales and estate sales. Natalee has been extremely tired lately from playing so hard. Sometimes she hasn't even been able to eat her lunch! Her imagination has really blossomed and it is very apparent in her play. This is a tree in front of our house: This is the same tree, with the gazebo behind it. Unfortunately, when we go on the porch, Brady likes to pick off and eat these burgundy leaves: Last night, with the help of my parents, we were able to get our garden tilled and plant potatoes. I planted beets, sweet peas, radishes, and lettuce in my regular flower be...

This past Friday, we took Natalee on her first camping trip. We never took her before because last summer Brady was too little (and still "attached" to me so he couldn't stay with someone else) and the year before all of our camping items were still packed up in storage while we were looking for a house. We decided to go up to Seven Points at Raystown for her first experience. For one thing, it was opened (most places don't open until mid-April). Secondly, it was close to home if things went badly :) Brady spent the night at Grammy and Pappy's house, which I don't think he was very upset about. After eating a bunch of food for dinner, he demanded Pappy's hot dog and mac-n-cheese, too. Plus, he got to touch the TV, climb the steps, and pound on the window screen. When we got to the campground, Natalee and I played at the playground while Jesse set up the tent and started the fire. She really had a lot of fun playing there. When we came back, we mad...