The Land of Make Believe

With Summer quickly winding down I've been trying to take off from work a little bit.  With my day off two weeks ago Pat and I decided to take the kids to the Land of Make Believe.  Nicholas had already been there with his class and Pat and I had both been there as kids.  We really had no idea what to expect as a result of all of these "mixed" experiences!

We had a GREAT time!  The kids had so much fun on the rides and then we spent the majority of the day in the water park which was enjoyable parents and kids!  I can't wait to take them back and maybe even get a season pass next year.  It was the perfect place for kids their age and it's got enough going on that it keeps them busy but you don't have to wait on TONS of lines.  PLUS, you can bring in coolers and not spend a dime on food!

It was the perfect outing!

We didn't bring our "good" camera for fear of it getting wet or stolen so all of the pictures are from our disposable camera- we really rocked it old school!!

The Celebration

Now that the Triathlon is over I figured it was time to celebrate!

A group of friends and I went out last night to celebrate the fact that I had completed my first, and NOT my last, tri.  Pat hung out at home with the kids so that I could have a fun night out and it was definitely LOTS of fun!

Here are just a few shots!!

That's my "boss" the head coach on the left and a friend of a friend on the right

Probably the best picture of the night!

Zoo fun

Our last event, or almost last event, of a very busy and fun weekend was a trip to the zoo!

The kids and I headed to Pennsylvania to meet Aunt Heather, Niki and Aunt Heather's niece Cam for a day at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.  And it was WELL worth the drive!

If you have the chance to visit this zoo, I highly suggest you do.  The animals are SO CLOSE and accessible.  There are a few exhibits, the kangaroos and birds namely, that you can actually go into and interact with the animals.  We managed to get there just in time for penguin feeding and then we also were able to see the otters being fed.  On our way out, through a nature preserve, we were able to see Elk and Bison.  It was just an incredible day and the kids had an awesome time- as did I!  We ended it with a visit to grandpa at the restaurant for some yummy food and a long overdue visit!!

August Weekends....

As so much of the rest of the summer has been, our weekend was busy and fun!
Friday night we were able to get together with my best friend from high school.  Kate, her husband Stephen, and their daughter Caroline, live in North Carolina and we don't get to see one another all that often.  They were all up for a visit and we spent Friday afternoon at their hotel enjoying the indoor pool and playground and then heading out for dinner.
The kids had a great time playing together and it was so wonderful to see Kate and catch up in person rather than over email!!  Our next get together is going to be in North Carolina!!

Our Saturday evening was just as fun!  We made plans months ago to get together with good friends of ours and enjoy a night out without kids.  Unfortunately, our sitter canceled on us at the last minute!  We were lucky enough to be able to bring the kids along and everyone had a great time!  We spent the evening at our friend Pat and Bonnie's house for a bbq and enjoyed the perfect weather and great company!

Catching Up

I promise Vacation pictures are coming soon!  I took over 2000 pictures and then I lost the majority of them and then I had to "find" them and recover them.  And now I have to edit them!  So, they are coming....soon!  If you're on Facebook you can see a lot of them there!

We got back from vacation last Sunday but not before a stop in Philadelphia for two days!  I competed in and finished my first triathlon on August 1st and I can now say I am completely addicted and have already put two on my calendar for next year!
My friend Natalie and I kept each other motivated through the entire training process and race.  It was an incredible experience and I am QUITE proud of both us!!

I'm pretty sure that's us in the water- which wasn't nearly as GROSS as we thought it would be!

Out of the water heading to our bikes

Part of my cheering section

Another part of my cheering section

My participation T-Shirt

I didn't get a shot with my medal because the weather turned terrible during the last few minutes of our run but I do have one and I can't wait to add more to my collection!!