A Really, Really Fun Week

Our week in New York has already flown by! We had such a great time, I wasn't ready for it to end. John's sister Beth and her family were wonderful hosts, giving up their beds for us, playing with our kids, taking us interesting places in Rochester, and even treating us to a scrumptious Italian meal on our final evening there. The week held plenty of physical activity: we did some pool swimming, dipped our feet in Lake Ontario while the guys played football on the beach, and I went running three mornings along the Genessee river which flows into the big lake. And it was a rare moment when there wasn't a game of ping-pong or badminton going on. John's sister Leah and her children were able to join us midway through the week, bringing our family member count to 13! Our friend Robert, an Asian studying in Louisville, is traveling with us on our trip and he had a great time as well. Many beautiful memories were made!

One of Robert's great qualities is that he, like most Asians, loves to take pictures with his very nice digital camera. So not only do we have lots of beautiful memories of the week, we have the photos to remind us! So courtesy of Robert tonight, I have several for your viewing enjoyment.

This first one is not in NY--but was so cute I couldn't resist. It was taken outside the home where we stayed the previous weekend in Indiana. And here we are on the beach of lovely lake Ontario! It was a perfect evening! Chloe enjoyed the sand too, and didn't seem to mind the texture or taste, since she kept putting her wet, sandy fingers in her mouth!Clara Anne loves the water and had a great time at the pool with her new floaties that were purchased because I was convinced the old ones were lost. Of course, you can guess what happened: literally, within 10 minutes of returning from the store with the new ones, the old ones were found, in a bag that was right next to the pool the whole time. How dumb can I be? Clara Anne really enjoyed the slide and swings in the backyard, even in her pajamas one evening!Here's the whole crew before eating some incredible antipasto. Fun family times!

It's blueberry and cherry season in upstate New York. We stopped at a roadside stand on our way to Niagara Falls today. The bing cherries we bought were at the peak of perfection, as were these blueberries, as you can see from the photo.

Niagara Falls was a fun adventure for the whole family! We took a ride on the Maid of the Mist, which lets you ride in a boat right up close to the falls. It is a wet and wild ride! The "Horseshoe" Falls are right behind our family. (And see both girls with their heads cuddled on Daddy's shoulders! They were a bit alarmed at all of the spray!)

Simply gorgeous. What an amazing Creator we have! The "American" falls are in the foreground, with the "Horseshoe" Falls back on the right of the photo.

So tonight we're in Toledo, OH, heading for Platteville WI tomorrow to visit some college friends. We plan to stop in Chicago for lunch! The girls have done pretty well with all of the recent travel and transition, but I think Chloe is getting a bit tired of it all. Hopefully she can rest well tonight.

Good night!