On Friday afternoon we took advantage of Randy's "half-day Fridays" and went for a Charles River boat ride. The kids stayed at the bow of the boat for the entire trip and loved being on the water. The weather couldn't have been more perfect and it was nice being a tourist in our own town.
Since we were in the city, we hopped over to the North End and grabbed a box of Ernesto's and sat out on the Greenway for dinner. The kids ate so much, that Randy had to run back to Ernesto's for a second pizza! There was a band playing on the next block and it really made for the perfect Boston evening.
After dinner, Levi couldn't resist running through the fountains (surprise, surprise) and getting completely soaked.
Caleb and Lina were more interested in running around on the grass, which then turned into Barnes Kid Wrestling!
And of course, no trip to the North End is complete without cannolis!
After we got home from PA, Caleb was ready to get right back to our "Summer to-do list". We went raspberry and blueberry picking on Tuesday and made quick work of picking four pints of berries. The kids made even quicker work of eating them all!
On Friday we went to Mingo Creek in the afternoon, another one of our favorite places to visit. It was a little cool, but we still enjoyed playing in the creek, exploring the covered bridge, and building a dam that did a great job of diverting the flow of water. Uncle Matt, Aunt Beth, and Oliver came along too!
Cousin Love!
A terrible picture of a great moment....bedtime stories with Grandpa!
On Saturday we crossed one of our final things off our to-do list....a trip to Sarris Ice Cream Parlor. We visited the candy shop and the kids enjoyed picking out treats to bring home to our friends.
On Sunday we visited with the Murdoch's and had fun getting all the grandkids together.
And finally, our whole family went to the Pirate game. The Pirates won and we all had a really great time cheering them on....and eating fun snacks!
It was a wonderful trip, full of priceless family time, and I know we all made great memories. A few more pics courtesy of Uncle Dan!
On Thursday Uncle Dan joined Grandpa, the kids and I for a trip to Primanti's and the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. Lunch was fantastic and satisfied my yearly craving for a Cheese Combination. Adelina surprised me by eating half of a sandwich (they are huge) and Caleb loved eating his monster "When Pigs Fly" sandwich.
The Children's Museum was incredibly fun. The kids were so sad last year that we weren't prepared for the water play that is, in my opinion, the highlight of the museum. This year we went with bathing suits, fresh clothes, and towels and the kids had a great time. They built dams, played with a water wall, and built their own plumbing creations.
They even had dryers for the kids to use.
They enjoyed the rest of the museum, especially the "Garage" where they launched parachutes, built and raced cars, and started balls on a fun obstacle course.
We stayed until the museum closed and then the kids were treated to more fun outside with this "cloud maker".
Just about every day we went to the neighborhood pool and every day the kids got a little bolder. On our first day, everyone was too scared to jump off the diving boards. By the end of the trip, the kids were pros!
