We took our annual 2-week trip to Pennsylvania in July. It was HEAVEN. I love it there so much!
The first week was really neat because my brother came with his kids, so for the first whole week it was just us 4 kids with my parents. It was cool to spend time together. I don't think the six of us have all been together for several days (sans spouses) since Garrett and I got married 10 years ago.
The girls and I got there on a Saturday. My brother Mike came the next day. He left Maine at 4:30am to bring us 25 live lobsters! My favorite!
Lobster has been my favorite food since I was around 4 years old. It's still in my top 3.
Mike, Dad, and Grandpa.
Olivia wasn't shy at all:
I'm not even going to pretend to be embarrassed that I ate three:
We played Mexican Train a couple nights after the kids were in bed. Always fun.
My parents set up a big table in the old barn for crafts with the kids.
Reading time:
Amish doughnuts.... so good!
Swimming in the creek:
Evening campfires:
Entertainment on the farm consists of watching my cousin chainsaw a huge tree that had fallen a few weeks before. We loaded that trailer with firewood SEVERAL times over the course of 2 weeks.
Dance party in the barn... the kids are doing the chicken dance.
Siebach family tradition - buttered rolls dipped in hot chocolate for breakfast. (Olivia fell on her face and got pretty banged up near the beginning of our trip)
Olivia in front of the old barn
Ellie asked my aunt for a ride in the Ranger, and waited here patiently for 45 minutes. (My aunt was busy decorating for the wedding reception)
Ellie was also a big help with the decor!
My cousin Elza got married in the Palmyra temple during the first week we were there. None of us girls were able to make it (too many kids, it just wasn't feasible), but we spent the week setting up for her reception in the new barn!
Playing with tulle:
On the day of the reception (July 26th), the kids set up a "sale table" and sold their crafts and some cookies to people who were setting up for that night. I spent the morning handing out quarters to everyone around so they would stop by the store, haha.
Elza and Emma
Ellie helping my cousin Noah make lemonade
Almost done setting up:
The beautiful bride with the nieces:
We made Elza a quilt for her wedding present:
Dancing at the reception. It was SO MUCH FUN! Such a great party. It was so fun to have Garrett there. He, John, and Jon arrived at the farm very late the night before.
Another fun thing about this year at the farm was that my cousins were there from Utah. When I was in elementary school, my family moved out to Orem while my dad got his Master's degree. We lived in their basement apartment, and it was 2 of the MOST fun years of my life. We were all best friends and spent all day together, every day. I haven't seen some of them for 10 years! My cousin Sarah (standing next to me) lives in Madison, WI right now, so it was fun to talk to her and ask her some questions about the area.
We didn't plan this. Also, for the record, Pepsi is gross. I like the tee though.
My mom made her famous homemade bread a couple times. Thanks, Mom!
Olivia loved the wind in her hair on the Ranger:
Every year, my grandparents rent out their fields to local farmers. This year, they grew wheat. It was so pretty!
Roasting marshmallows. I love Abbie's face in this one:
Garrett and I took a bike ride one morning:
The farm.
Making ice cream:
My nephew had a birthday, so my sister got him a pinata;
Playing "Kubb"(pronounced "cube"). It's really fun!
Ranger rides:
John made some really good steaks for dinner one night. He and Garrett also experimented with the deep fryer one night, making deep fried twinkies and other weird things.
Mom making doughnuts:
My mom pulled down all our old paper dolls from when I was little. Brought back so many memories! We had a LOT of paper dolls!
One morning, the kids were being crazy in the basement and were getting bored. My grandpa came downstairs and told them all to get into the Ranger for a ride. He took them away for an HOUR. It was glorious.
While the kids were with grandpa, Garrett, John, Emma, and I took a bike ride along the bike trail. See where the creek makes that horseshoe shape? My grandparents own all the land inside of that (100 acres). The green trail is where the railroad used to be, but it has recently (in the last 10 years) been torn out, and a very nice bike/walking trail has been put there. It goes right across the driveway so it's perfect - we just pick a direction and go!
Perfect biking weather:
One morning we went to the little local zoo:
Floating the creek... we just start at one end of the horseshoe, and go to the other end.
Loading firewood:
Chris and Abbie off to help Grandpa do work in the woods. Yes, Abbie is giving herself bunny ears. Haha.
Lunchtime:
One afternoon, we all swam in the creek. We walked out to the current and let the kids float down, then I would catch them and push them over to John, and he would push them back up to Garrett. Around and around they went... you would have thought they were at Disneyworld, the way they were acting. It was great.
On the last night we were there, we had a campfire down by the creek. Here, the kids are singing for us.
This is how He shares His love, for the family is of God."
I am so grateful for my family, and SO grateful for my grandparents' beautiful farm where we can meet up every year. It has been such a blessing for our family!
It is always hard to leave the farm, and this year felt especially tough. I was pretty depressed for about a week or two after we left! It's hard to leave my parents, and it's hard to leave my siblings and their kids. It makes me sad that we don't see each other more often. We are already looking forward to next summer. Between Garrett graduating, and us moving to Wisconsin, it will probably be a bit more to juggle but it will still happen -- it's the highlight of our year!
1 comment:
Well, this brought tears...miss all of you but what wonderful memories! Thanks for all the reminders of a great two weeks!
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