camping

Our family with our friends, Jill & Rod, and their 4 boys who are all born in relative close proximity to our own kids. Our families are friends in every sense of the word...everybody always has a buddy (though some are more talkative than others!) when we are together.
"Just sitting here thinkin' with myself." (an old family joke)
Little boys who loooooove to do dishes.

Besides the fact Isaac appears to be pulling his diaper out (??) I love this picture. Jill took this picture and is making me laugh at something. A reminder to me of how joyful family times and friendships are if we only take the time to learn to laugh together.

Tom & Rod, planning a trek.
Lunch
Jill & Jen
Jill playing Uno by lantern light with a LOT of children.
Defending their castles from the evil marauders (i.e. the crazy babies).

Besides the fact we had rain (which is a big "besides"), our weather was actually quite beautiful. Cold enough for sweatshirts (which doubled as an extra defense against the mosquitos) at night but warm enough to swim in the day. The kids were a delight to see them frolic in the waves...and a few adults even turned into kids again as well.
Crazy but super sweet! Isaac is at a very hard stage to photograph...especially with a digital camera (the added delay is just enough time for him to turn away, bend down, or completely run out of the picture). I actually love this picture better than the one I was trying to get, though.
In times of rain...play charades!
"Me thinks me spys a pirate ship!"


Each day as I feel the bumps (many!) left by our darling mosquitos, they only bring a smile to my face at the many memories we made camping this year. Could we wish for better weather, less mosquitos...for sure, but good memories are always waiting to happen regardless of our situation. It's the quest for perfection that always drives a camping trip into the ground. Tom has taught me that one over the years. And in most cases, what goes wrong camping is usually the thing that will crack you up the most later on (sometimes much later)!

reading with Andy

Josiah really, really wants a dog. He was delighted to participate in a "canine capers" reading program at the library this morning. You can't really hear on this video but my camera is on the blitz and wouldn't take a still photo either.

soccer

the case of the missing rice krispies

the evidence...

the obvious guilty party...

where was mom?

good question...

the ultimate frugal family vacation--Washington D.C.

This post is not particularly geared to my faithful readers (all 3 of you), but more towards anyone who may be, like me, googling the words "frugal family vacation D.C." We were helped by doing a similar search in the early stages of our trip planning and it was bloggers who came through and delivered the most helpful trip information.

1. Planning--We did not start early enough in our planning. If you're thinking of going to D.C. and know the dates you will be there for sure, don't delay in contacting your U.S. state senator and state representatives. They are the ones who can help you score big in getting tickets to hard to obtain tour events (i.e. the White House, Senate, Washington Monument). The Washington Monument sells tickets ahead of time for $1.50 through the National Park Service website. They are free if you can get them the morning of....but be prepared to get in line EARLY and wait for a couple hours. We had tried to get tickets ahead of time online, but as we were there the weekend of July 4th they sold out very early. As luck would have it, a very kind family man gave us two tickets that his family was unable to use so at least Tom and Josiah were able to go up to the top of the monument.

We did hit up our local library and found 3 great tourbooks we were able to check out. Be sure to notice the date of the copyright, though, as D.C. has changed dramatically post 9/11.

2. Lodging--By searching our options ahead of time online we were able to purchase a room at a special online rate that ended up being the greatest single savings of our trip. We chose to drive out to the Dulles airport area (17 miles) and ended up with a full 2 bedroom suite with a fully stocked kitchen for $67 (including taxes, parking and breakfast). That room would have cost us $185 if we had walked in that night. We had found a room downtown for around $105 (without taxes), but it did not include parking or breakfast. We paid about half price for a much nicer room, the only inconvenience being the small drive. We timed our trip so that we drove in/out when we hit absolutely no traffic. Here is the link to the particular hotel we stayed in.

3. What we did--
We were only stopping by D.C. on the way home from New Jersey where Tom had been preaching at a small camp. Therefore we had 2 days/1 night to try and see as much as we could.

First afternoon/evening:
The national zoo--

The panda bears are the obvious highlight of this zoo, but we found the entire zoo to be worthy of the title "national" zoo. It is just so clean, so well kept and the buildings and outdoor exhibits are very well planned. One note, if you go, walk all the way in and then start walking out. The brick pathway spirals 3/4 mile downhill so it is easier (especially with small children) to start at the bottom and work your way up so that you don't find yourself at the end of the day exhausted and having to climb all the way back up (it is very hot and muggy in the summer in D.C.!). Fortunately someone who worked at the zoo passed this tip on to us.

Next we parked by the Lincoln Memorial and visited the Korean War Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. We began at the Lincoln while it was still light...but by the time we had walked around to the Vietnam it was definitely growing dusk. This was perfect because it enabled us to see all the details of the memorial by daylight...but also how differently (I think more majestic) at nightfall.

We picked up a child's passport of D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial that was helpful to our planning and informative as we visited the different sites. Your child can stamp the passport at each of the sites. And if they answer all the questions correctly they can earn a badge. Really great (and inexpensive) resource for families.

Day 2:
We started out trying to get tickets (but we didn't get into D.C. until around 9 as we hadn't wanted to leave any earlier or risk getting caught in rush hour).

The Washington Monument
....tickets were gone, but Si and Tom still scored tickets through the generosity of a stranger.

The Smithsonian
We decided to thoroughly hit two (as opposed to seeing a little bit of all of them). We chose the Air & Space and the Natural History museums (American History would have been our top pick but was closed for renovations). The restaurant in the Air & Space museum is spacious, inexpensive and easy to eat at. They offer McDonald's and Donato's pizza in addition to an icecream bar and a coffee bar.

Walked up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.

Lastly, we toured the Federal Bureau of Printing and Engraving. We had been able to secure tickets for the next to last tour (and we had been there at 9:30 in the morning to request tickets). It was a great tour, and we indeed SAW money being printed.

During our stay in Washington, we never had to pay for parking (and the walk was never unreasonable). The only tickets we purchased were for the boys to see an IMAX film at the Smithsonian. Next time we hope to get tickets to the Senate and the White House by planning in advance through our congressmen. Also, Tom and I greatly desired to tour the National Holocaust Museum but not with young children.

Our best tip to pass on is this...carry an over the shoulder water cooler. You can refill at any place that sells soft drinks. It is an easy way to keep the entire family hydrated. We found that in the heat our kids were rarely hungry, but always thirsty. Keeping them well hydrated enabled them to keep up with all the walking.

love waits

Maddie & "her Benny"

Delanco camp highlights

1. Singing "He's my rock, my sword, my sheild...He's my wheel in the middle of the wheel...He's my lily of the valley, my bright and morning star...makes no difference what you say, I get on my knees and pray...and I'll sing until the day that Jesus comes." Josiah, Cole and Maddie had the privilege of making many new friends at the little camp we attended in New Jersey a week ago. Many of the children who came, did so through an organization called Cityteam that work in innercity ministries. 6 single mothers from the Philly area were chosen to come and experience camp. They added so much to our week there...it was a privlilege to mutually encourage one another in our daily walks with Jesus. They certainly had much to teach me as I heard about the pressures and trials they daily face...so foreign to the "good life" I daily take for granted. Puts concerns over rising grocery and gas costs in a very minor light by comparison.

2. If you ask Josiah for a highlight...it would be watching and feeding "whompas"! Whompas is a huge (hence the name) snapping turtle that lived in the camp pond along with numerous other turtles, snakes, frogs and other fascinating creatures. Both boys loved trying to catch the frogs which seemed to be easier to do at night (?) maybe due to the change in temperature.

3. Cole had a blast competing against Kristian (37 year old lead singer of Big Street) to see who knew more U.S. capitals. They ended up calling it a tie...but there was a little winking going on between the emcees and Cole. I wish I had my camera with me that night...Cole was absolutely adorable and so excited to do this.

4. the candy store!!!!!!!!

5. canoeing and swimming in the lake

6. the food! (no cookin' for mom!!!) especially fresh Jersey corn...mmmmm!

7. newly renovated rooms

8. daytrips to Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore

9. meeting the Rinehimers...I've been reading their son and daughter-in-law's blog for a while now so it was really neat to get to know their family.

10. Maddie LOVED "teaching" for hours in the lounge beneath the rooms we were staying in.

I really enjoyed the people of Delanco. It was so encouraging to see holiness lived out in the diverse lives we encountered at this little camp in South Jersey. Whether it was hearing Steve and Connie (from Ireland!!) sing (or feeling their instantaneous love for our family), hearing Big Street (from Sweden!!) sing and interact with the college students at camp, listening to an elderly (but oh so young at heart) couple from Germany talk to me about being a part of the German Lutheran resistance before and during WWII, hearing how today that elderly German doctor works 3 days a week at the Ocean City Rescue Mission to serve a population that has absoutely no access to health care. In the mornings I was able to attend Tom's Bible study on Romans and also a second study on I Corinthians taught by a new female friend who is finishing up her Ph.D. at Princeton. I loved hearing the camp president (homeschool mom of 4, 3 graduated already) pray. Her passion is for this camp to be a connection point for students to experience God and then go out and make a difference in their worlds. Lastly, I was able to sit and hear my husband preach sermon after sermon each night. I felt my heart challenged and renewed by his passion of a holy God who wants to make His people a holy people.

Campmeeting...I grew up loving them, last week taught me that I still do.

happy day to our fancy girl!

"I am 16 going on 17..."

Maddie loves to reenact that part of Sound of Music everytime she sees a circular fountain or gazebo. Here Daddy joined in the reenactment by the Smithsonian Castle in D.C.

She spins and she sways

to whatever song plays

without a care in the world.

And I'm sitting here wearing

the weight of the world on my shoulders.

It's been a long day

and there's still work to do

She's pulling at me saying, "Dad I need you

there's a ball at the castle and I've been invited

and I need to practice my dancing

Oh please, Daddy please"

So I will dance with Cinderella

while she is here in my arms

'cause I know something the prince never knew

Oh I will dance with Cinderella

I don't want to miss even one song

'cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight

and she'll be gone

by Steven Curtis Chapman

(see the video here)

Summer Reading Recommendations...please share back yours!

Last night, we finally got to read a book we have been trying to check out from the library for a couple of weeks...the original Fancy Nancy book. We've read three others that Maddie has enjoyed altogether but I must say the original is the best in the series. The last page is one of those classic children's book endings. Tom was working on the computer while I was reading it to Maddie, and he even said "awwwwww" aloud when I came to the ending. They're not deep books, just really sweet...especially if you happen to have someone "fancy" under your roof (I identify on a deep level with the mom & family in these books who are definitely "not fancy"). Thanks to Aunt Amy for clueing us into their existence.

After being on a Jane Austen watching kick all spring, I finally rose to a higher level and did some actual reading. I read Persuasion (which I believe is now my new favorite) and Sense & Sensibility. We were supposed to discuss the later at our last book club meeting (which has yet to find a meeting date) but I mistakenly thought we were reading the former (classic Jen-jo moment here) so ended up reading both. The discussion questions were great on the PBS site but I was so disappointed to go back and look for them and find they are gone! This is a great teaching guide but totally centered on the films as opposed to the books.

I realized anew that I am altogether too interested in fiction and although I've picked up quite a few nonfiction books there are an alarming number on my shelf that have been only read half way. Currently, I am reading Children Matter by Scottie May (started a great while back, picked up at the children's conference I attended this spring). Also, I finally purchased The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and finished Part IV and am working through Part I. Hope to finish both on our trips next week. A friend once told me she made it a rule to read 2 nonfictions to every fiction...I'd like to try and adopt that rule but must say it would be a hard stretch for me personally. But then again I'm definitely in need of some stretching

Back to fiction, I just LOVE the Mitford series so much. I finished book two, At Home in Mitford and found it every bit as enjoyable as the first (had heard some say the odd numbers in the series were best?). I love Father Tim's depiction of a priest...he is real, imperfect, has his areas of weakness...but he is so deeply relational, so truly living out the holiness he speaks of that he inspires me to sit with others, to listen more and talk less, to show loving acts of kindness after reading. And then there is Cynthia...what a lovely female heroine she is...I find her frankness refreshing and her steadfast loyalty absolutely endearing. Never would I have thought back in my twenties that I would someday think that a romance between sixtysomethings would be the ideal...but theirs is definitely an ideal setting type of love story.

The boys are reading Prince Caspian (with the hopes of watching it at the conclusion of their reading) but we've heard mixed reviews (good friends on both sides here) on the value of taking them to see it.

Any other summer reccomendations from you all...?

p.s. Josiah & Cole loved watching White Fang (Disney's adaptation of a Jack London classic)

Eating out with families

(Update) I think these vary by individual chain so be sure to call ahead before you plan on using this list. However, here in our town:

Applebees--Wednesday night kids eat for $0.99

IHOP--kids eat free every night from 4-10

Perkins--kids eat free all day Tuesdays (1 kid/adult)

Red Robin--kids get free sundaes on Tuesdays

I found the night to be different than what was originally listed but I never would have known had I not called.

I found this listing over at moneysavingmom.com to be most helpful, especially as we are planning to head to New Jersey next week where Tom will be teaching at a camp.

Last day of school

Cole with Mrs. Gaudio

Josiah with Mrs. Mommaerts

family visits (2)

Uncle Tom holding Graham and Grant....twins just days away from celebrating their one year birthdays!

Graham and Isaac...making a playground of the coffee table.

Josiah & Becca~Josiah is such a little social bug, he loved having cousins around to play with 24/7 even if they were younger than him. I love to watch him interacting with the babies...he gets very cracked up by them.

Cole & Grant~Cole is a delightful little helper.

Cole & Jay~Jay is too interested in the lions to look at the camera. He was loads of fun to take to the zoo.

Good-bye...please come back soon!!