When you live near the coast where do you go for vacation? Because even those beach bums need a vacation, right? And not at the beach, of course. (OK, that's not really true, offer me a house on the beach, waking to the lapping of waves & I'm absolutely there. But for the sake of this post, let's just say, not the beach.) We have decided to take a vacation, an extended vacation. We have decided to head to a place with abundant wildlife, diverse nature, and flourishing children. I will have spotty, sporadic internet access so I'll keep you posted on our adventure. So for now I better get back to packing and preparing, have you ever taken an extended vacation? There is sooo much preparation involved. But we have lots planned and will have lots to share. Next time I'll post pictures...

Sweet, Simple Saturday

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Originally uploaded by mom2aejs

Yes, I know it's Tuesday but these came to me on Saturday and I was so happy. It's time to mow the lawn so my sweeties, who know I love the natural look of wildflowers, brought me these goodies from the yard. The books showed up in the mail, these are a few we have been anxiously awaiting.

My Mudpies!

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Originally uploaded by mom2aejs

"Ama, can we please play in the hose?'
"Uhm, let's not do that please. I don't want the mud tracked through the house right now."
"Ok, Ama."

It's a good thing they're so cute!

Weekend in Philadelphia

This weekend we had a wonderful, whirlwind trip to Philadelphia. Our main purpose was to help our beloved Uncle Rob (my husband's brother) celebrate his 50th birthday. We really enjoyed spending time with family that we haven't seen in almost 4 yrs. They adored the kids and the kids adored them. Fun was had by all. We were fortunate enough to take a tour of the city on a double decker bus. I had a very fussy, tired baby in my arms so I handed the camera to hubby who did a stellar job. I love history, especially seeing where it happened. Betsy Ross' house

City Hall with William Penn's statue

Flags from every country line the streets that lead to a

fountain and a view of city hall.

I really thought this was going to be the highlight of the trip for me, aside from visiting family. But in all honesty I enjoyed seeing real life, what was occurring now, the heartbeat of a large city. It's been a long time since we have lived in or around a bustling city and it is so invigorating. I love walking everywhere and watching and smelling and touching, it is a very sensual experience and I have missed it. I loved watching and listening to the bagpipe player in the park, watching the wedding party run across the street in their formals for photo ops by the fountain, tasting the corner Philly cheese steak, watching my daughter observe nature in the middle of all of the busyness, observing the homeless man finding his next meal in the street trash can (yes, this is heartbreaking but it's real, it's not history yet, it's happening now). All of these seem to be in contrast to one another yet they were just steps apart.

I'm off to rest and unpack. It was over 20 hrs to drive home and we are still a bit travel weary.