We left on July 17th for our annual trip to Grammy and Grandpa's house. Since the past couple of trips were a little less than ideal, I was pretty nervous how this trip would turn out. Even the flight scared me because I didn't know how Levi would handle sitting still for an hour and a half. I'm happy to say that the trip couldn't have been more perfect! The kids did great on the plane and Caleb was treated with a trip to the cockpit when we arrived in Pittsburgh. The pilot let him sit down and explore....he even got to push some buttons and move some levers (the plane was off so it was safe).
When we arrived in Pittsburgh, Thing Grammy and Thing Jan were waiting for us! I wish I had gotten a better picture of everyone in their shirts. We headed straight for Primanti's for lunch...it was so yummy!
The fish pond was a big hit again this year. Surprisingly, Levi never tried to jump in. The kids never tired of feeding the fish.
The tubs with the "jets" was also very popular. Lina was nervous about it at first, but it quickly became one of her highlights of the day. The tub was literally overflowing with bubbles every night. Grandpa took charge of bath and bedtime and for some reason, Caleb and Lina thought it was so funny that he said, "Now, let's find something out about pajamas".
The piano was definitely the most played-with "toy". Levi went straight to the piano first thing every morning and Caleb really enjoyed learning and playing little songs. I keep thinking that I'd like to buy the kids a keyboard and invest in piano lessons one day.
On Wednesday, I was lucky enough to meet up with my good friend Jen from high school. We hadn't seen each other in three years, so it was wonderful to catch up. This isn't the best picture (it's tough to get 5 kids to sit still), but here are all our kids....little Nicholas and big brother Evan on the right side.
On Thursday we went to the Spring House....a nearby dairy farm that has been a family favorite for years. The kids had so much fun climbing on this old tractor...and they loved the chocolate milk too!
After lunch Jan took the kids and I to the pool for our second visit. The kids absolutely love it there! Caleb and Lina were like little fish and I couldn't believe how daring Levi was--even "jumping" off the side of the pool into our arms.
On Friday we went to Sarris' Ice Cream...another big hit. This piano plays by itself, which the kids thought was really neat. Levi couldn't get over the fact that they sold chocolate baseballs.
Caleb had fun building train tracks...I'm sure these were Uncle Dan's from childhood.
Lina working on a puzzle.
Caleb was excited to take a walk around the neighborhood like we've done the past several years. We discovered this rhinoceros beetle and found a spot on the sidewalk where I made footprints in fresh, wet cement.
Lina loved being Grammy's helper...whether it be to load the dishwasher, feed Tess, or cook in the kitchen.
We went to the gym on Friday night for a family fun night and we parked right next to a car from Idaho! That's pretty exciting stuff for the Barnescrew!
The kids had a blast running around the track and playing in the gym.
After the gym, we finally crossed off Wyoming from our license plate list! Energy companies are extracting natural gas from Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania right now, so there are tons of workers in the area on these drilling sites. Most of the workers are from the western states, so we drove through a hotel parking lot to see what states we could see. It was a trip highlight for Caleb!
On Saturday morning, we got to visit with another old friend of mine from high school. Grace and her three girls (Addison, Jillian, and Kaylyn) came over for a play date. It was wonderful to see her and her beautiful children....but extremely hard to take a picture of 6 kids!
On the way to the airport, we made a quick side trip up to Mt Washington. Of course, Caleb was so impressed with the view and was disappointed that he couldn't ride the incline. Maybe next year!
This trip was the one I've been hoping for! Everyone had such a great time and I know that the kids made such wonderful memories! Looking forward to traveling to North Carolina soon!
