Eagle Rock getaway

Two weekends ago I ventured out to Hazleton, PA with the kids to meet up with my parents and my nephew and niece (Nolan and Mia) at their place in Eagle Rock. My parents were watching the kids so Jon and Renee could celebrate their anniversary, so we thought it would be fun to meet up with them for a few days since Marlon was busy getting started with the season. I don't have a ton of pictures since my parents took most of them but I wanted to do a post about our trip anyway! We took the kids to the lake--it was fun to watch them play in the sand and wade in the water. Alex ventured out in deeper waters with her swimmies on, and my parents even took Alex and Nolan out on the paddle boats. The kids enjoyed playing together, going to the pool, and just running around the house!

The kids lounging by the pool

Kellan enjoying his first "grammy's cookie" (AKA a mint oreo)

One night we ventured out to Knoebel's-a nearby amusement park that is great for smaller children--no admission fee, no parking fee, you just pay for tickets to use on the rides. My parents and I were outnumbered so it was a bit overwhelming at times, but it was definitely worth the trip! Mia seemed to be running a bit of a fever, and Kellan had no interest in being confined to a stroller. We tried to make the trip fun for all the kids, and I definitely think Alex and Nolan had a good time. They really enjoyed the kid go karts-I think that was probably their favorite ride. The highlight was the end of the night when we decided to go on the log flume. Alex was not interested at first so I took Nolan on the ride. Those drops were steeper than I remembered, and I was impressed with how excited Nolan was! He kept saying "OK, get ready to scream!" Once we got off, Alex decided she wanted to give it a try, so my mom came along and we took both kids on. This was by far the biggest "ride" Alex had ever been on, and she seemed a bit apprehensive. I had forgotten that log flumes don't have seat belts, so I did my best to hold onto her for dear life since she seemed light enough to just get bumped right out of the log! I don't think she enjoyed it much--she seemed a bit overwhelmed when it was over and said she did not want to go on it again!


When we left Hazleton we decided to head home via State College, so we got to spend a night with our old neighbors. Alex got to play with the girls, which she really enjoyed, and we were able to meet our friends' (Kevin and Sue) new baby girl, Julia. Of course we got to hit up The Waffle Shop in the morning with Mindy, Sue and the kids before we headed home. All in all it was a great trip!

Hodge Podge

I've been slacking in the posting department and I need to get caught up! Rewind back to St. Patty's Day and Kellan's official birthday celebration. We got him a little St. Patrick's Day cupcake to enjoy (which he later threw up when Marlon was pushing him on the swing after dinner!).
Turning one doesn't necessarily make you smarter, but it definitely makes you more curious! Kellan has enjoyed checking out what he can find in the trash can, and he also was caught eating a piece of the dog's food the same day. Gotta keep my eye on that boy!

Also, the day before Kellan's birthday Alex FINALLY had her cavities filled! I had a sleepless night before taking her and I was so stressed out, but we all survived. The dentist was able to get everything done that needed to be done (although they did tell me she was a bit difficult at first--her, difficult??!! I just can't imagine). She was sedated but awake, and I guess she was still alert enough to know that the drill was nearby! When she came out, she looked at me and in her groggy voice said "They shot me in both legs" (she got her IV in her thighs) so I guess she was somewhat aware of what was happening. She was pretty out of it and cranky--I got a glimpse of what she may be like as a pre-teen (SCARY!) She was moody, wanted to do everything herself, flipped emotions at the drop of a hat--it was like walking on eggshells around her for the first few hours afterwards, but the most important thing was that she made it through, and she hopefully isn't completely scarred for future dentist trips. I have already started telling her that she will be going back again for a cleaning, but that it will not involve the drill and the needles.

The weekend of the 20th we made a trip to State College for the weekend to hang out with our old friends and neighbors. It was great to see everyone there--Alex loves visiting with her friends, particularly since most of our friends have boys so she doesn't get to play with girls her age much outside of school. She was in heaven!! She's already talking about needing to go back there to visit the girls on our next "stay home day" (Saturday). We spent a good bit of time on campus visiting the HUB aquarium, hanging out on the Old Main lawn, eating at Baby's, hitting up the new Dunkin Donuts downtown (more than once!).

The girls on the steps of Old Main

Playing Red Light, Green Light

Enjoying a soft grassy spot to walk around on

My next post will be about our weekend visit from my dear friend Heidi and her 2 little boys!