Summer Recap - 2013

Summer has flown by. And here I sit, in a beautiful home in Brant Beach, NJ (part of Long Beach Island), reflecting on all I've done in the last few months. I am happy to report that I have accomplished many of my summer goals. While I have MUCH blogging to do in the coming weeks and months, I figured I'd 'check in' and give you an update on my summer bucket list.

1. Readington Balloon Festival
Mom and I woke up one Sunday morning at around 5am to make it to the festival by the time the balloons were due to take off. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get up the morning prior, because the clouds were much more appealing, but we are still glad we went.

2) Peach Festival (NJ)
An annual family tradition includes going to the Annual Peach Festival, held at the Chester Presbyterian Church. It's one of those "you-have-to-be-there" kind of experiences, because while there are peach treats, it's so much more about the "white elephant" they have, where peoples' donated wares are sold. I only took pictures with my iPhone b/c it was rainy, but we went anyway. I was glad to have friends come along, as has become a tradition the past few years.

The ad on the church's website

Dessert tent, complete with peach ice cream, cobbler, sweetened and unsweetened peaches,
and homemade whipped cream

Yummy peach kuchen 

Peaches, ice cream, and whipped cream

A great poetry book I got for $.50

3) Peach Festival (Peddler's Village)
It is with sadness that I report that the Peach Festival in Peddler's Village was very disappointing. I guess I'll just stick to my small-town fun. My dear friend Rikki came to visit for my birthday, which happened to be the weekend of this peach festival. We drove through the countryside to get to Lahaska, PA, and were excited to walk around and enjoy the festivities. While there was a pie eating contest, peach melba, and fresh peaches being sold, we were disappointed to find out there wasn't much more. No ice cream, no pies, no other peach desserts, yet it's advertised to be a Peach Festival. We had a good time nevertheless, and enjoyed a beautiful day in August.

4) Go to the Philadelphia Zoo
While I have not yet gotten to the zoo, I plan to go before fall comes to a close.

5) Go to PA local parks I've not yet been to
I went and did a maternity session at Peace Valley Park. We took photos near the Nature Center, and then drove to another location, close to the lake that runs through the park. I have a photo session in September at Ridley State Park, so I am excited to go there as well. There are still many more parks I'd like to go to, but it's been fun being outside a lot more this past summer.

6) Have a picnic dinner with friends
When my friend Rikki was in town for the weekend of my birthday, we had a modified picnic in a (small) park in town. While we cheated a bit (getting subs from Wawa), we had a great time laughing with one another and enjoying a nice evening. It was a wonderful way to spend my birthday. We left as soon as the mosquitos realized we were their dinner for the evening.

7) Take my nephews on their birthday dates
I regretfully admit I didn't get a chance to do this, BUT we DID have a 'date night' last weekend. We went to Wendy's for dinner, Dairy Queen for dessert, and then went back to their house to watch the movie '42', complete with popcorn. Yes, we had a very healthy evening. :-)

8) Eat as much potato and macaroni salad as possible, and drink sweet tea
All I have to say is this has been been a success. My mom has made numerous batches of her famous potato salad, and what's most ironic about her salad is that it's such a basic potato salad - potatoes, mayo, some slices of hard boiled eggs, and some salt, pepper, and onion powder. I've also had my fair share of iced tea, lemonade, and summer drinks.

9) Get to the NJ beaches at least once
I am VERY happy to say I am AT the beach RIGHT NOW!! I am sitting at the kitchen table of this beautiful home we rented for the week. While I wish I could stay all week, I'll be heading back to PA on Tuesday, as I have to go back to work. But it'll be nice to enjoy at least a few days with my family.
I took some pictures today (day one):

10) Attend a free music night in the park and then get ice cream
I had high hopes of going to Bristol, PA - a town who puts on outdoor concerts, but I didn't make it there. I did, however, eat a lot of ice cream.....haha!!

It was fun keeping a 'bucket list' this summer, and I'm glad I could do so much. It's sad that summer is over, but I am excited to usher in the fall. I can't WAIT to pick apples, enjoy the changing of the leaves, travel to see friends, pick pumpkins, drink caramel apple cider at Starbucks, and start wearing my down vests.

Pool Fun and Summer Sun

Happy official start to summer!  What better way to show summer's skin than to have pics of cute kids in the pool. I'm also listing 10 things I hope to do/attend this summer.......

10 in Summer 2013 (in no order)

1. Readington Balloon Festival (Readington, NJ) - July 26-28
2. Peach Festival (Chester, NJ) - an annual family tradition since I was a kid  - Sat., Aug 3
3. Peach Festival (Peddler's Village, PA) - August 10-11
4. Go to the Philadelphia Zoo
5. Go to PA local parks I've not yet been to, or haven't explored in depth, including Peace Valley Park,  
    Tinicum Park, Valley Forge Park
6. Have a picnic dinner with friends
7. Take my nephews on 'dates' (for their birthday presents)
8. Eat as much potato salad, pasta salad, macaroni salad as I can, and drink homemade sweet tea as
    often as possible
9. Get to the NJ beaches at least once
10. Attend a free music night in a local park and then get ice cream

There was a plane overhead

Celebrating Stephen's birthday

Opening his cards from the kids

Reminiscing:: Narvon, PA

Some of my most fond memories of childhood are our trips to Lancaster, PA area. My grandparents lived in Narvon, PA - completely surrounded by farmland. The 'A' in the middle of the image below is the street they lived on.

(screenshot from Google Maps of the street my grandparents lived on)

The back of their house butted up against a field. I can remember so many times when my cousins, siblings, and I would play outside, collecting crabapples in the oddly shaped wheelbarrow my grandpa had. I vividly remember picking up past-their-prime corn, and plucking the hardened cornels off to leave for the deer that might come by.

We also often played in my grandparents basement. It was always warm down there, as the woodstove was kept there. My grandpa collected clocks, so one entire room was dedicated to all his clocks. Many cookoo clocks were kept there, and he constantly was tending to them - winding them and making sure they were all running properly. But the basement had this white cabinet, and the kids' toys were all kept inside. There were pick-up sticks, a truck with a wagon, farm animals, and the like. Each toy is imprinted into my mind.

We also enjoyed many meals around the table. My grandparents table could (at its smallest) fit 6 people. With leaves inserted, it could fit upwards of 15. My grandparents were both great cooks; I often remember walking in and smelling something cooking. If it weren't a meat being prepared, it was chicken corn soup, a homemade pie, or a medley of spices for some dish they were whipping up. They always had snacks too - ice cream wedges in the freezer, those sugar wafers (white, chocolate, and strawberry) with the cream inside, or glazed cookies in a cookie jar!

And we often had sleepovers too. I can remember going in each room, thinking it was such a big house. The 'office' had a rolltop desk, where I got my love for desks of that kind. One Christmas I got my very own rolltop desk, and still to this day, it's in my parents basement. The bed in the room I often slept in had a shelf above the headboard. It had pegs on it, and I know this is where they say my pacifiers were kept. I used a pacifier all the time. It also was the 'home' for my little red baseball cap that I wore all the time.

The living room was a bit formal. I don't remember sitting in it too often, as we always went downstairs for playing. But there was always so much warmth in the house. We knew when we went that we'd be fed well, entertained well, and loved on well. There are times I wish I could go back to that house - smell those familiar smells, play with the toys, hear all those clocks ticking, and enjoy childhood all over again. But I am thankful for so many wonderful memories that were made in their home. And I'm thankful for wonderful grandparents who raised my dad and his brothers with a love that is rare these days. Their marriage of nearly 70 years speaks volumes of the kind of people they were. 

Family truly is one of God's greatest blessings.

Hannah:: Langhorne, PA

I met Hannah in 2001. She was 10 years old. Today is her 22nd birthday. And she just graduated college on Friday. Time flies.

It's been an absolute joy watching her 'grow up'; I almost feel old saying that, but it's true. In a sense, she's like a younger sister to me, but she's also my friend and part of my family. There was a bit of an impromptu graduation party for Han last week...and I took some pics of Han and her family.

Congrats Han. I love you and can't wait to see what you'll accomplish in the next ten/twenty/thirty years....I'm so thankful to have you in my life. Happy Birthday! Happy graduation!! Love you....