Way back in the summer (end of July) we packed up the car and headed North. We try to go to Camp (a cabin on the lake my Grampa Smith built when my mom was a child) every summer and this was no exception. Especially since we were meeting Nee and Papa there as they drove back from their
18 month mission in Seattle Washington. I took tons of pictures since we were there for a little over a month this is basically the 1st week...
Jake, Sadie (then 7 months old and not having ridden in the car much), and I headed out on our 2 day, 18 hour drive to Vermont. We stopped in Pennsylvania to sleep and Jake told the very friendly manager of the hotel that he couldn't wait to jump on the bed (it is a tradition-every time we go to a hotel Jake must jump on the bed since he can't jump on his own), to which she plugged her ears and pretended she couldn't hear him while laughing...I told him in in the elevator that you aren't supposed to tell them you are going to do it. I guess they didn't care too much because they gave him a full size Hershey bar (we were one town over from Hershey) and he was in heaven! Sadie was a good traveler since she was in her crate. This is too much information but here goes anyway: She would not go to the bathroom! Finally that night at the hotel after taking her out 15 times or so, she went. She held it all day because the poor dog had no idea what was going on. She then went on to pee on the floor in the hotel!!!! She NEVER pees on the floor. But I have to admit I cleaned it up and was happy the poor dog was finally going! Any way...The trip went quickly and we had fun listening to the Chronicles of Narnia on CD. :)
We spent our first week at my Uncle Gary and Aunt Julie's house. For what ever reason I have no pictures of it!!! I think it is because we were having so much fun! Just about every night after Jake went to sleep Mallory (my cousin), Aunt Julie, and I went on a walk in the dark with the dogs and laughed our heads off. I LOVE spending time with them. Motherhood has made my relationship with my Aunt Julie turn into a wonderful friendship. I loved her when I was a child but as an adult I have found a great friend. We have a ton of fun together. Tina and the cousins spent the first few days at Aunt Shelia's where we met up and the kiddos helped stack wood.
We also spent a lot of time at Uncle Ron and Aunt Sue's (Tina and her kiddos spent the rest of the week there) and had so much fun. They have an awesome tire swing...
...and Uncle Ron helped them build a clubhouse. Jake told me once "when Uncle Ron is around I feel like I have another Papa" and I am so glad. :) He is an amazing Uncle and an amazing extra Papa.
We took a walk up to another part of their property where they have a pond and little cabin and passed this on the way. I wish I got a picture of some of the more humongous vehicles that were working but I was too busy navigating the mud puddles that Sadie was swimming in. :)
We were very surprised when Sadie got right in the water and started swimming happily. The day before we went to visit my cousin Drew and his girlfriend Margo at the lake house they were renting (no pictures for some reason...) and she was very hesitant to swim.
She did end up eating (well trying to but we stopped her) the mama frog to these little baby frogs...I am so glad she didn't get sick...
It was some what chilly but it didn't stop us from kid's from taking a dip. Yes I did just include myself in with the kiddos. If there is water I will swim in it, no matter the temperature.
The next day we went back to Drew and Margo's and I had to snap some pictures of Dakota (Mallory's dog) and Sadie.
Oh yeah and her are the kiddo's too. :)
The next day we headed to the Ben & Jerry's factory...
What is that man doing to Jake's t-shirt you ask? Signing it! We were lucky enough to meet Jerry. :)
Ben & Jerry's has a flavor graveyard and wouldn't you know it Tina and Aunt Julies favorite flavors didn't make it...
The next day we went to Grampa Smith's and waited for Nee and Papa to get there. We were lucky enough to all have made a trip to visit them in Seattle, but it still had been a long time since we had! I love this picture of Saku running back as quickly as he could to tell us they were coming. The kids waited for a long time at the top of the hill to see them coming.
Dad and Sadie hit it off.
Grampa Smith opened up his shop and let the boys build fun things...
That night we went to Aunt Sue's and she made a feast of yummy homemade pizza to celebrate our parents return. No pictures of that for some reason...We all sort of took turns taking pictures and my camera wasn't used that night...I have to get my sister and mom's pictures because the hundreds I have just aren't enough...This is just week one in a very short version. Get ready for a few hundred more pictures. :)
