Our excursion at Lakemont Park

So this last weekend the kiddos went to AR for the summer. We decided that before they left, we would take them to Altoona, PA for some fun at Lakemont Amusement Park. This is a nice little park with 1 big roller coaster, lots of smaller rides, and a water park. We didn't have time for the water park because this was a side stop on our way to Knoxville (via PA and WV).

Here are my kiddos and hubby posing in the train just inside the gate. Dougie is hiding in the red engine. A couple of shots of the kiddos in the 4x4 kiddie ride...

On the carousel. Tim and I were on a bench in front of the the kiddos on their horses. There might have been 30 people in the park, so we could walk up to any ride and get right on. The best part is, it was only $5 per person!

They also have 2 Indy tracks, one for the adults and a mini one for the smaller kiddos...

And the resident favorite... the swings. For the second year in a row I wasn't able to ride this one (something about skinny seats). Don't worry, by this time next year, I'll be in them!

I managed a pretty awesome shot of the 4 of them...

We're turning this into a yearly tradition, I think, and going before and after their vacation. Next time we'll take a longer day so that we can also go to the water park side of it.

Generation Photo #2

A couple weeks ago the family and I accompanied my parents to visit my great-grand mother in Cresaptown, MD. While we were there, we sat everyone down for a 5-generation photo.

Yep, you heard right. 5 generations... one photo.

From left to right:

Top row: Shaunna (my youngest sister, generation 4), Kris (my younger sister, generation 4), me (the oldest of the 3, generation 4)

Middle row: Dad (generation 3), Grandmother Brown (95,generation 1), Aunt JoAnn (generation 2)

Bottom row: Audie (8, generation 5), Dougie (5, generation 5), Chloie (7, generation 5)
My grandmother (Dad's mother, Grandmother Brown's daughter, and Aunt JoAnn's sister) passed away when I was 12 from a rather nasty form of cancer, so Aunt JoAnn represented the second generation. We were always told to call Grandmother Brown "grandmother" instead of "great-grandmother" because it made her feel old. We've continued the tradition with my kiddos even though she's "getting up there". She's still as spry as she used to be, or at least as spry as I've ever remembered her. We crunched the numbers, and the only way we could see getting any more living generations in one picture would be if the entire family, each generation, had their respective children at 15 years of age, and even then that would be pushing it.

So, here's one for the news paper!

Generation Photo #1

While in NY, we thought it would be nice to get a photo of the oldest and youngest generations of the family. From left to right - Audie (8), Chloie (7), Great-Grandma Rose (90ish), Christian (6), Douglas (5), and Cindy holding Connor (3) and technically Carson (in progress).

This was at a restaurant local to the Rochester area with great food and quippical signs and sayings on the walls. Part of the meal was just spent reading all of the nifties in view. :)

More progress on the cross stitch

I know I haven't posted progress of the eagle in 2 weeks, but really there has only been slow progress. There were 8-9 colors crammed into the white areas of his head and tail feathers so I'd do 20-30 stitches, switch to another color, then do 20-30 more and switch again.
He's starting to look very regal sitting on his partially-formed branch. This week I intend to do more of his body, though for indulgence's sake I might do his beak. :)