Hooray for Kennywood!

This weekend we decided that we've waited long enough this summer - it's time to take the kids to Kennywood! Keith and I had put it off all summer, because we just didn't want to brave the sweltering heat. This weekend was perfect timing. Although the lines were long (we went on a Saturday), it was certainly worth it. The weather was great - high of only 78!

Bella and I rode the Jack Rabbit (a traditional wooden roller coaster, for those of you who aren't Pittsburgers) first, and to my surprise, she really didn't like it! I thought that we'd be standing in that line at least 4 times this year because she loved it last year. She said that she thought she was going to fly out on the "double-dip!"

Luca was a blast this year, and loved pretty much everything he rode. Both of their favorites were the Whip and the Kangaroo (which just happened to be my favorites when I was a little kid!)

We spent most of the day in Kiddieland, which was okay for us - we really didn't go there to ride the Phantom's Revenge! I was mainly interested in Potato Patch fries and a funnel cake, which we did manage to fit in before we called it a day.

Our Expedition

Luca snoozing during the car ride.



Taking a picture in front of Bella's new preschool - the Stafford campus of Fredericksburg Christian School.
Keith with three of his office staff - Jill, Becky, and Jennifer.
Bella in front of our new home in Stafford, VA. We just love it!



I've not been doing well with the blog lately, and I'm sorry, Mama P! Here are a few pics to get you caught up on our latest expedition.


This past weekend the kids, my mom and dad and I took to the roadways for the 4.5 hour jaunt to Fredericksburg, VA to visit daddy and our new home. This was the first "long" car-ride for the kids, and after they figured out that asking "how many more minutes?" wasn't going to make the trip end any sooner, they settled in and did pretty well.


We all stayed in the Homewood Suites where Keith has been calling home for the 3 days we were there and my lifesavers (a.k.a. my parents) took care of the kids while Keith and I tried to do some furniture shopping for the essentials. (We sold pretty much all of our furniture when we left SD, so we had a lot to do!)


As far as an update on the house, my last trip to VA was to meet with a builder who was going to be building our home. We went over plans and got everything settled. However, we also saw a home that we just couldn't get out of our hearts! We decided that we wouldn't have to build after all and bought a wonderful home in Stafford. We took the kids to see it and they couldn't get enough of the enormous back yard, walking in the woods, picking out their rooms, etc. We also met the very gracious people who live there now and Bella and Luca made fast friends with Natalie and Luke, who will soon be moving to California! (How ironic!)

We are back in town and I spend every spare second shopping on the internet for furniture, rugs, design ideas, etc. This is the second house I get to decorate in 3 years!
We are all very excited to move in at the end of September.

I hope this gets everyone up to date. A lot has happened and changed, but this is the scoop! I'll try to be a better blogger!

Salute!

Luca was proud to have his first "taste" with Pappy Joe this week. For those of you who don't know, a "taste" is Pappy's drink - Old Grandad with Pepsi. If you want to get on Pap's good side, you always have it, and you always offer him some when he comes around. When we were little, we used to like to have "tastes" with him. It made us feel big, but most of all, we liked having that special time just sitting down, sipping on our little jelly jar glass of Pepsi (only Pepsi) with Pappy Joe.

It made me smile watching Luca, so taken with Pappy the same way we were, happy to be sitting (not running around) and sipping with him.

It was also funny seeing him have is very own glass of Pepsi for the first time. It was a bit it hard for him to get it down, but he loved every second of it.

Wild for Idlewild!

The second week we were here, we joined our Church's annual picnic at Idlewild Park in Ligoneer, PA.
It was an extremely hot and humid day, but that didn't stop the kids from having an amazing time.
Bella LOVED story book forest - they even got to sit in a one-room schoolhouse for a lesson!
Luca had his first pony ride and really enjoyed the trolley ride in Mr. Rogers' Neighboorhood. Even now he keeps repeating, "Come along, come along, to the castle hugginsong!" (If you've been there like most of us from western PA have, you know what I mean!)

The Soak Zone was a bit hit, too, on such a hot day - we all suited up and cooled off. Bella got a second wind after that and was able to ride the Rolo Coaster and the Whip one more time before we left to go home!

Happy Father's Day!

I know that I'm a bit tardy on the Father's Day post. I just can't seem to keep up these days!

Keith has been driving up on Thursday nights from VA to spend the long weekends here in PA with us, so we were all together on Father's day. We had a nice lunch at my Uncle Tony and Aunt Judy's after church, and then we hung out in the pool with the Brownsville crew in the afternoon. It was a nice Father's Day, and we hated to say goodbye to daddy as he had to make the 4.5 hour drive back to Fredericksburg to go to work on Monday!

This week I will drive down to begin house hunting! So much to do!!

A New Beginning...

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted something... well, actually I can. Considering everything our family has accomplished this past month, blogging was last on my "to do" list!
After 3 good years in Encinitas, CA we've packed up and moved back to the east coast!
Keith and I have been looking for a good opportunity to move our family back for a couple of years now. After much answered prayer, we've finally been able to do so!
We have purchased an oral surgery practice in beautiful Fredericksburg, VA (the closing was today, so now I can finally make it public!) Last weekend with the help of my parents who flew out to SD the week prior, we packed up our home, got the kids on a plane and left for good.
We were very excited to go back east, considering we never felt like we fit in on the "left coast." However, we were very sad to leave our friends, neighbors, Bella's super preschool, and especially our church.
For the summer, the kids and I will be staying with my parents while Keith gets the practice running. He already has a packed schedule and we are so blessed to have been given such a wonderful place to call our new home! Now a new house search begins as we begin to settle in here with most of our belongings in storage for the summer. The kids are loving it, though, being so close to their cousins and staying with Nonna and Pappy. They don't like being a 4 hour drive away from their daddy, though. That will change, soon, we pray!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of those angels out there known as "Moms."
To my own mother ~
Happy Mother's Day... thank you for giving me life. Thank you for continuing to daily give me and now my children pieces of your life. You have sacrificed so much, and we notice!
You are an amazing mom and I love you!