Road Trip

Guest Blogger - Nate (because frankly Stacy is finding it hard enough to keep up with our schedule, much less finding the time to write about it.)

July has been a busy month.  We decided to top it off with a bang and go on a nine-day road trip through Pennsylvania.  Here's a rundown of our itinerary: The first night was spent at Mike and Colleen's in Washington, PA.  The next three nights were in downtown Philadelphia while Nate attended a conference and Stacy explored a new city, pregnant, with three kids in tow (what a super-mom).  We spent the next night in Camden, NJ, to meet some friends from our NY days.  Then it was on to Reuben and Tessa's farm for two nights.  We stayed the last night with Mike and Colleen again on our way home.

Along the way we went to three museums, swam in two hotel pools, did a walking tour of historic Philadelphia, went to a Catholic mass, ate out at countless restaurants, hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail, saw a copperhead snake in the wild, petted a shark and a sting-ray (not in the wild), counted license plates from 29 different states, played with nine cousins and three friends, watched lots of videos in the car, drove under four mountains (twice), went on a hayride, and attended a minor league baseball game.  Whew, it made me tired just typing all that!  Suffice to say, we were all longing for the comforts of home by the end of the trip. 


 

Too much fun on the trampoline

Jack showed the boys a few tricks

All the kids liked the sprinkler on a hot day

At the Franklin Institute

Please Touch Museum - great pose

bi-bim-bop straight from the bowl

Adventure Aquarium with our friends

What a cutie

The great hammerhead shark was the main attraction at the aquarium.

One step above a grimace.  We were all pretty tired by this point

On the Appalachian Trail

Hayride with Uncle Reuben

We have countless stories to remember our trip.  Stacy and the kids nearly melting in the Philadelphia heat as they walked to the Franklin Institute.  Eating bi-bim-bop in a cute little Korean restaurant in Philadelphia.  Walking through the Reading Terminal Market.  Seeing the hippos/sharks/penguins/stingrays/etc at Adventure Aquarium in Camden.  Watching all of our kids get along so naturally with cousins and friends they rarely see.

But life moves ever forward, allowing no rest for the weary.  Moving day is August 6 and Caleb starts school already August 22.  There's plenty of work ahead of us before summer is officially over.

Cottage 2012

Love hanging with my sister

Almost the whole Jongsma family

Careful, the pregnant lady might bust the tube

S'mores over the grill b/c of the campfire ban

They still taste good

Taking the ferry to Slacks

Chuckles the Beaver at the Tommy Bartlett Show, not sure what he has to do with the show

One of the waterski acts

Caleb learning to kayak, he only ran into one pier

Caleb and Isaac loved tubing

The famous fingers dance move

Jumping off the back of Aunt Beth's pontoon boat

Going for a cruise around the lake

Aren't they cute?

Surprise baby shower

The kids and I spent the week of July 7-13 at the cottage.  Nate was supposed to go for the first part, but ended up having to work.  That was disappointing.  My parents and sister spent the week with us along with my grandparents and cousin, Becky.  Almost the whole Jongsma family gathered for a 50 year celebration of the cottage.  It's hard to believe that is how long it has been in the family!  It was great to catch up with family members we don't see often and share memories of time spent at the cottage.  We all had fun with the big group, but it was nice when everyone left and the cottage was not so full!

During our week at the cottage we went to the Tommy Bartlett show.  It's in the Wisconsin Dells and is a water, sky and stage show.  I am always impressed by the waterskiing tricks.  The boys liked the super fast trick boats.  And we watched a stuntman almost fall 65 feet, it was awful.  He was on a rotating wheel 65 feet off the ground and tried jumping rope.  He tripped on the rope.  He recovered although you could tell he was shaken up.  He then put on a blindfold and tripped again.  I thought I was going to throw up watching it.  I kept thinking, my kids are going to watch someone fall to their death and be traumatized  for life.  Thankfully that didn't happen! 

We also went to Slacks which is really not that exciting, but it's a tradition.  We ride on the ferry and the kids can pick out some candy.  I also buy the awesome apple butter.  The boys picked up tubing this year.  I love seeing them get excited about water sports.  I almost convinced Caleb to try waterskiing, maybe next year! The kids kept asking, "why can't we live next to the cottage?"  I too wish it wasn't a 6 hour drive away.

After we got home, my sister threw me a surprise baby shower!  I am really impressed no one let the secret out.  It was a nice group of family and friends.  It was thoughtful of Steph to set up a low-key, celebratory shower.  Since this is our 4th child, we don't need a lot of gifts.  But, it was fun to get diapers and little things to celebrate this baby.  He is a miracle and I appreciated the opportunity to celebrate that, so thanks Steph!

The Big Reveal

It's a Boy!

Chugging Gatorade

Fun Night at the Whitecaps game

No one told Isaac to pose milking the cow, came up with that on his own

Had fun at the zoo with Grandma

The boys fed the giraffes this time

On the bluff overlooking S. Haven beach

Waiting for fireworks with Caedmon and Xavier

Ice cream at Captain Sundae's with the Slots

I had my ultrasound and we are having a boy!  We are happy and the boys were especially happy!  Julia said she wanted a girl, but she's not disappointed.  We took the kids to the ultrasound.  They were pretty bored, but enjoyed hearing the heartbeat and finding out the gender.  The baby looks healthy and is measuring big, go figure!  I made gender reveal cupcakes as a way to tell my family.  They were good sports and played along.  The kids couldn't believe they have to wait 20 weeks until the baby is born.  

Time to catch up!  At the end of June we went to an evening Whitecaps baseball game in Grand Rapids.  We got some free tickets from Bethany, score!  It was also 10 cent hotdog night, dinner anyone?  Caleb really enjoyed the game, the younger two weren't interested.  They kept asking for whatever the food vendors were selling around us.  We lasted until the top of the 7th and it was late by the time we got home.  I think Caleb is old enough to appreciate a major league game sometime. 

We also received free tickets to Binder Park Zoo from Bethany, so Mom and I took the kids.  It was hot and humid, but there is alot of shade at the zoo.  The monkeys were Caleb's favorite.  Ask him sometime the difference between apes and monkeys, he knows more than me!  After the zoo we went back to my parent's house and had supper with Cardale's family. 

For the 4th of July we went to the South Haven fireworks.  That was a first for us.  In the past the kids were too young or we were out of town.  We parked at our friend's house in town and walked to the bluff.  They had staked out a spot earlier in the day.  I have never seen so many people in South Haven.  The show started at 10:30 and lasted a long time.  Our kids all stayed awake.  Isaac fell asleep in the wagon on the walk back to the car.  It took forever to drive from our friend's house back home.  We got home at 12:15 am, traffic was awful.  Not something you expect in small town South Haven.  This was our first and last South Haven fireworks. 

We had our first dinner guests at our new house.  We haven't moved in yet, but the Slots wanted to see the house.  We had a picnic supper at the house and then walked to Captain Sundae's for dessert.  Kind of awesome we can walk to the ice cream store.  

Tomorrow I hope to blog about our trip to Wisconsin last week!