Make New Friends... But Keep the Old

Last month, the kids "graduated" from their preschool classes, and Remley said goodbye to some good friends that are kindergarten bound. A special end of the year party brought tears to the eyes and reminded me (and others) how quickly our little ones grow up! Hard to believe that will be her next year :( The children each sang songs they had practiced, and Remley's selections included "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." While we look forward to new friends and memories to come, each day is surely a "present" to be treasured.

Speaking of old friends, we finally paid our good ole friend Charlie a visit, as we have not seen him since last season! Charlie the Riverdog is the local baseball team mascot and both the kids are quite taken by him, especially Rhett. Of course one stuffed creature has similar friends, so we also ran into Dora and Boots and the Piggly Wiggly Pig. This was the first time we made it to the 7th inning stretch, although sadly the Riverdogs were not victorious this game. Summertime down on the Ashley at the Joe, the Dog Days of Summer are Here!!

Lucky Number 7

Happy birthday to my sweet and favorite niece! Cally turns 7 on June 16 and celebrated this past weekend with a jump castle, face painter, karaoke, and lots of friends. Cally was painted with a princess crown, Rhett chose a spiderman web, and Remley prefers love not war, so chose a peace sign.

Family Reunion

It seems the fun never stops! We just returned from spending the weekend at the Johnson Farm house. Family gathered for an afternoon of fun and food - the kids played with cousins on the water slide and pool, learned how to play football, and ate lots of watermelon. We also took a trip to the Fire Station, built on property donated by our family. Lots of time was spent reminiscing about 'them good ole' days!

We just returned from a fab trip to NY! And with $9 plane tickets, the trip was a no-brainer as we got to spend quality time with Bubby and visit some family as well as sight-see and explore. Thanks to Aunt Kiki for allowing us to stay at her home, although we missed visiting her:(.

Our flight out of town was delayed 3 hours, so we got off to a rough start, but the children did much better than I expected, as there was anticipation in the air (and an escalator to play on). Upon arriving in Niagara Falls, we drove straight downtown for dinner with Moe, Joelle, and Charlie at every one's favorite Italian place. We filled up on giant cheese lasagna and sausage and headed home to settle in.

Friday's weather left much to be desired so we took a road trip to Rochester to the National Museum of Play. And boy was it worth it! The place was huge and there were tons of fun things for the kids, including a Super Hero exhibit that Rhett loved. Friday was pizza and wings after a day of fun.

Saturday, the sun came out and warmed up the town. We went sight-seeing and were real tourists, riding the Maid of the Mist and doing Cave of the Winds while checking our the waterfalls and eating Beef on Weck. That day was also our 5th wedding anniversary, so Bubby watched the kids while we went to historic Lewiston and walked the charming streets and had dinner on the Waterfront, with a great view of the River.

Sunday was fun day and we started with lunch at Old Man River's and then went to nearby amusement park, Fantasy Island. It was an experience to say the least. I don't think much has changed since my last visit, when I was about 10. Anyhoo, the children had a lot of fun, except for the Log Flume. Remley was upset while heading uphill saying, "Mommy, this is not what I asked for. Why are you doing this to me?" Although Rhett was a trooper. The boys had to take off and wring off their shirts, if that says anything! That night was homemade pasta and sausage, as is tradition.

Monday we went to Whirlpool Gorge and then headed to Aunt Tracey's to see her new house and visit. Then, we headed out to Ransomville for a cookout with my Great Uncle Toby. Always an experience! We all tried cardoons for the first time, which are similar to dandelion stems.

Tuesday we toured around and checked out Elmwood, Delaware Park, and had lunch at the famous Anchor Bar, home of the original chicken wing. Stopped by to see Moe and then headed off to the airport. It was a good flight, and a ok drive back to Charleston.

Although we had a GREAT time, it is always nice to be home and sleep in your own bed!
Here are some pictures from our trip.