My first Opera

I need everyone to know I went to my first Opera and loved it!! I had the honor to watch Dave's cousin, the famous Andrea Chenoweth in Handel's Opera "Xerxes". Andrea has an amazing voice! If you click on "voice" it will take you to a You Tube clip of her singing. Just a moment and you will see why I loved this opera! I can not wait to hear her sing again! 

Yankee Candle

Everyone has heard of Yankee Candle. We actually went to their humungous store in Greenfield, MA! It was AWESOME!!! I smelled so many candles I left the store hungry! The had many candles on clearance and I was able to scoop up some mad deals!

The boys made their own fun candles and are very proud to have them on display at their new home in Yakima.

This store, like I said before, is HUMUNGOUS! It is an over sized gift store with different themes in each separate room. Each theme having a number of different candles to emphasize that particular theme.

Mid Evil Theme

We experienced the marvelous wonderment of Yankee Candles with Aunt Marianne, Sarah, Jake and Zake. Above Jakie is dressed in his armor. Aww got to love them boys!

There was of course a Christmas theme. There were many more but Christmas proved to be the boy's favorite. Maybe because of Santa's workshop??? Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner!
Yes, friends if you ever get a chance to go to ANY Yankee Candle shop DO IT and if you are ever in the Area on Massachusetts. . . this is a MUST STOP!

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory

Outside of Northfield  is The Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Gardens and it was beautiful! This was a moment I wish I had one of those expensive fancy cameras. But here are a few shots I thought were pretty good.

Humming Bird

It was an awesome time and I recommend it for anyone. The staff were friendly and there were hundreds of butterflies every where. They would land on people and just hang out. Benn got a kick out of it and waited patently in hopes one would land on him. One never did, but he still had a great time.

Fathers Day

While in Northfield on June 19th Dave celebrated his 5th Fathers Day. It is special to be able to spend it with your grandparents. Something about spending it with the Father of Dave's father was sweetness!

We ate lunch at the "Four Leaf Clover" another childhood memory of Dave's. It is a diner with a friendly staff and yummy home cooked food. Food and fathers day go hand-in-hand I think.
Later in the day Dave took his mountain bike out for a fathers day spin!

Happy Fathers day sweet heart! You are an amazing man and we are blessed to have you as a father and spouse

Northfield, MA

Eating dinner on the screened-in porch. Lovely!

After our time in Pennsylvania we made the drive up to Massachusetts to spend quality time with Dave's Grandparents. Alan and Janet Abel or Poppy and Grammy.  They own a cute cottage in a the cute little town of Northfield. We love going there to get away and rest.

While we were in Nothfield we were able to experience a couple different thunder and lightening storms. The lightening was bright and fast and the thunder shook the house. Only a show that an amazing creator can create! I wanted to yell "Make it louder God! Make it louder" It was just speculator!!

Grammy and Poppy love music! Poppy retired from The Philadelphia Harmonic and Grammy taught voice lessons to all ages. Above Caleb is watching a musical piece in Grammy's arms. Below, Caleb dozes off to sweet music and the snuggles of Grammy.

The swing that Dave use to swing on years ago when he made the trip to Northfield is still there today and the boys made sure it was all in good order, using it every day! :) Grammy was so sweet and always faithful to walk down with them and give them a few pushes. Always making sure they were not smooshing their "pooter poppers" on the rope. . .hee!hee! That is Grammy's nick name for. . .well I think you can guess! :)

Caleb is an amazing baby! While we were in Nortfield he cut his second tooth, sat up (for a few secs) and learned to scoot around the floor. I can not believe how fast he is growing.

Learning to sit up

This is where the boys slept. Up in the loft. They LOVED it!

While we were up in Northfield Dave's cousin and her two boys also came to town. Sarah, Jacob and Zack! Jacob is 3 and Zack is almost 2. Benn and JJ were thrilled to have friends to play with! It was a joy to watch the little dudes run around! Aunt Marianne (Grammy's daughter) and Andrea Wells (Marianne's daughter) also were in town! It was a wonderful time spent with family.

Dancing, clapping and singing is an all time favorite in the Abel/Chenoweth family. Every night we would have some sort of singy songy thing to "chill out" the boys after dinner.

On rainy days occupying 4 young boys in a cabin is not always easy, gives to meaning to "Cabin fever." Brilliant, Aunt Marianne took a Mr. Potato head and hid all the pieces. The boys had to search high and low to put Mr. Potato head back together. It was a fun time. The boys also enjoyed earning stickers for various tasks that Aunt Marianne would give them. They love their Aunt Marianne!

Poppy loves card games! To sit down in the evening with a deck of cards is a common occurrence at this Cabin. Watch out Poppy is a slick one, he wins almost every time. I say ALMOST because on the last night we played cards I WON with Sarah coming in 2nd and Poppy 3rd. It was an awesome moment for me!

Our first and only flat tire! It happened over night thankfully. We woke up to this beautiful sight all because of a nail. Poppy took it to town and had it fixed by a local mechanic in no time. I would say it was the best way to get a flat. Not on the side of the Interstate :)

Bath time for a super cute baby!

We had a wonderful time in Northfield. It is a beautiful little town that I would LOVE to live in! Everyone knows everyone and there are smiles in ever local store you stop in.

New Tripoli with the Brecks!

Super excited to watch Uncle Craig fly the plan!

Right up the street from Uncle Craig and Aunt Kathy's house is a family with pet deer!

The family with the deer also owned 7 cars of great value. Including one Ford Mustang Shelby.

Look at these handsome men!!

I think Grandma B missed us. She made the 45 min drive to come and see us before we headed out to Massachusetts.

While we were in Pennsylvania we had to try a real true Philly Cheese stake! All I can say is YUM!!!

Lancaster, PA

Remember Jay and Beth Weaver? We met them while staying with Ann and Alan in Wichita. We had the opportunity to stay with them at their home in Lancaster, PA. Jay was out on business but Beth and I had a blast canning. She taught me how to make Ratatouille and we canned it along with salsa and fruit! It was awesome!!! I can not wait to get to Yakima and start canning! 
Beth is a wonderful women who has been a missionary for many years. I was able to watch her interact with a few people while I was with her and it was wonderful to watch the light of Jesus Christ shine through her. We also all had the privilege to meet her mom, Marjorie!! Her mom was a missionary kiddo back in the day and then became a missionary herself later in life. When  Marjorie was a missionary kiddo in China she was taken into a refugee camp and had no contact with her mother  or father for 7 years. I am reading her story to my boys now. "God's Prisoner of War, Marjorie Isobel Harrison Jackson's story as told to Linda Ansel. Does God Answer the Prayers of Children" She is a beautiful women and we are blessed to have met her. 

Marjorie

He was so excited and squealed with glee while on the swing!

While Beth and I canned Dave took Benn and JJ to the local dairy farm. There was a petting zoo along with free milk and ice cream made right there at the farm. It was super cool for them and I am glad they were able to go. They brought us home yummy dinner of BBQ chicken and UTZ potato chips! yum yum!

Lancaster, PA is well known as Amish country. It is not uncommon to see a family piled high in a horse and buggy like the one above. Also to see them in front of stores or in the McDonald drive through is very common as well. I will not be posting any other pictures of them this because the Amish have strict beliefs that NO photos be taken of their faces because of religious reasons. So out of respect this buggy is all I will post.

After Lancaster we drove north to New Tripoli to visit Dave's Uncle Craig and Aunt Kathy! The boys had a blast running around with their cousins Leigham and Josh!!

Uncle Craig sang a song for the boys "There is a big up your nose"

Dancing to the song

They love their cousin!

Caleb snuggling with Aunt Kathy!