The Poconos

We all caravanned to the Poconos and Heath rode with us. Our car was rockin' out to the Tiana soundtrack and we were car dancing and singing along. Ryan and I realized we are "that family."  The Griswalds have nothin' on us. Our destination was this resort on Lake Wallenpaupack. Both sides of the family and the wedding party stayed here, so we pretty much took over the place. It's an old fashioned inn with lake access, a pool, a playground, paddleboats and more. Ryan taught Tessa how to fish from the docks. She had a good time casting but I'm not sure how she would have felt if she actually caught something.

Ryan's cousin Ben brought his two boats. Tessa went for a very abbreviated ride. She's not fond of lifejackets but she doesn't swim well enough yet to go without one. Ryan and Heath headed out on a longer trip with Ben to fish and explore. They saw a bald eagle nest with babies in it.

Freeland

Tessa did fabulous on the long car ride to Pennsylvania. She was so happy listening to music, coloring and reading that we didn't even use the dvd player that day. We all met in Frank & Paula's hometown on Wednesday night. The next day we visited with family including Granny Bobbie who is turning 90 this year! She was so sweet coloring with Tessa.

Then we went to the park and let the kids run off some energy. Ryan & Heather used to play here with their cousins and Ryan remembers this slide being so huge. It still looks pretty tall to me! It's fun to have cousins to play with. Heath and Tessa became best buds. He was very patient with her and she loved the attention.
Most homes and buildings up there are not air conditioned which isn't usually a problem thanks to the high elevation. Of course, we arrived in the middle of a heat wave. 95 degrees and no a/c made for a hot visit.

Flower Girl

We're headed to the Poconos where my little darling will be the flower girl in Ryan's cousin's wedding. Wish us luck!

Vacation Bible School

It's VBS week at church. The kids are headed to the Big Apple to learn about Jesus through music, missions, crafts and games.

Memorial Day

In addition to remembering our soldiers past and present, this Memorial Day we remember that Tessa gets presents for every holiday:-) Yep, Hungry Hungry Hippos is both as fun and as noisy as I remember. Thank you G&G!

Parents Day @ Gymnastics

Gymnastics has been tons of fun this spring. Tessa loves putting on her leotard and bouncing with her new friends. She has learned various skills including forward roll, handstand, safety stop, walking the balance beam, spider, and more. Usually I watch her from the second floor observation deck. But, on parents day, Ryan and I got to watch from front row seats on the gym floor. Her teacher Miss Shawna was very patient and sweet with the girls. I love how she seemed to give Tessa a little extra attention. Of course, Tessa would turn on the charm, hold out her little hands and say "I need help please." Who could resist? During testing (yes they test 3 year olds) Miss Shawna was surprised and impressed by how much Tessa could actually do by herself. Tessa did awesome and got high praise not only for her gymnastics skills but for listening well too. I am so proud of her!

After each class, Tessa runs out to me with rosy little cheeks and proudly shows me her stamp. And the whole way home she chatters about this or that from gymnastics class. She has fun and that's what counts. We can't wait for summer session to start. Here's Tessa running through one of her "circuits."

The down side of any organized activity like this is that one pushy overbearing mom who feels the need to criticize everything. WOW - did that lady drive me nuts. I just watched in amazement as she freaked out b/c her daughter wasn't doing well in testing. But when she blamed my child for being a distraction the gloves almost came off. I pointed out that she was mistaken, my child was sitting quietly no where near her kid. She backpedaled about Tessa but continued to go on and on about everything else. I just looked at her and said "they're three years old." Sheesh lady, it's not the Olympics! And yeah, there was a part of me that was thrilled when Miss Shawna made a big deal that very day about how great Tessa is right in front of this mom.

Waterfalls

To extend our anniversary fun, Ryan took a vacation day and we went hiking in DuPont State Forest. Getting dressed that morning I told Tessa we were going hiking to see waterfalls. She thought about this and then said "I need a bow." I have raised her right! This is the same girl who politely refused to fingerpaint in Sunday School on Mother's Day. She told her teachers she didn't want to get her dress dirty. Music to my ears. Back to the waterfalls... We chose DuPont because the trails are fairly easy and you can see several waterfalls in one day. Pictured above are Triple Falls and High Falls. The mountain laurel was blooming and we had the trails mostly to ourselves. Since we hiked waterfalls on our honeymoon it was extra fun to do it on our anniversary too. Of course, unlike Hawaii it was not warm enough to swim in this mountain lake.

Only You...

Twelve years ago I married the love of my life. We spent Saturday walking down memory lane. First Tessa helped me make my Bellini wedding cake. Peaches, champagne, peach liquour and buttercream frosting. I have to say, of all the weddings we have been to, none have ever had a more delicious cake. Making it each year might become a tradition. Then, just for fun, I tried on my wedding dress. And it still fits! Tessa thought it was the most exciting thing and raced to get her wedding dress too. So we took bridal portraits.We dropped Tessa off at my mom's house and cooked ourselves a nice steak dinner. Afterwards, we let Tessa stay up late and we watched our wedding video. She thought it was the best movie ever. Of course I cried. We all danced along while we watched the reception. There is something very special about dancing in the living room to your wedding songs. A very happy anniversary.

Princess Party

One of our little friends had a princess party for her fourth birthday. It was all about fancy dresses, flashy jewelry and make-up. They had the sweetest tea party, played games and made crafty crowns. But the best part of the party was that Cinderella was invited too! She read a story, sang a song and had a twirling contest with the girls.
While Tessa pretended to be shy for the first half of the party, she was totally attached to Cinderella for the second half. When it was time for Cinderella to leave Tessa said "She needs to go back to Disney World. Prince Charming is waiting for her at the castle." I love it!!! Great party, the only problem is that now Tessa wants Belle at her fourth birthday party. Maybe when she turns five, I'm already planning a Minnie Mouse party for this summer.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to us! After church, we went downtown for a lovely lunch at the Poinsett. Tessa is now old enough to go to the children's corner, another milestone I wasn't ready for. She made crowns for all of us while we feasted on prime rib. Wonderful day!My angel, the best job in the world is being her Momma.