North Middlesex Park

One playground we like to go to often is North Middlesex Park. We usually hit this park a couple times a week. The drive is very short, just about 5-10 minutes away from where we are staying right now.



Addy also likes that we have the whole place to ourselves. We have yet to see a single person playing on this playground in four weeks. I have no idea why - it's a bit older but it's always clean and the great views of the surrounding mountains are perfect.






And it has a seesaw. Good stuff!

Childrens Lake in Boiling Springs

We did manage to get back to Boiling Springs to visit Childrens Lake and feed the ducks and swans. There is a little store on the corner that sells huge $1 bags of corn for feeding the ducks.



Addy likes to toss as much food in at one time so that all of the ducks come running and quacking all around us.



Ave thinks that's pretty funny too...

Two weeks too long...

I apologize that it has taken us (okay, me) so long to get a new post on the ol' blog. We've been running between Carlisle and Alexandria each weekend and then with school and the holiday this past weekend I just haven't had many free moments to write. Now, armed with a coke and a full bag of pizza combos, I will press on and upload as many photos of the girls as I can while I "cheese my hunger away"...

The girls are doing great. They both seem to love our mornings together preparing for our adventures. Just this morning Addy told Avery that she was her "best friend ever". Good stuff!

Chocolate World

Today Addy, Ave, and I headed back to Hershey to take on Chocolate World! We rode the Chocolate Tour...



We met three very happy singing cows...



We drooled over Hundreds of Hershey Kisses in the making...



Yummm!



And then we ate lots of Chocolate (and a bottle of formula) in the shade outside...good stuff!

Hershey Gardens

Yesterday the girls and I went to Hershey to meet Tammy and Evan at Hershey Gardens. We spent most of the morning in the Childrens Garden. The Childrens Garden has lots of fun things to do including a Butterfly house with over 300 of the little guys flying around and a hedge row maze shaped like a huge pretzel which we ran around in for a while.



Hershey Gardens is full of beautifully landscaped open spaces as well as lots of little nooks for kids to explore like this sleepy creek.





After climbing to the top of this friendly pig...



...Addy and Evan found a quiet place to regroup, check out the map, and grab a much needed snack.





Evan loves the train and would have played there all day if the girls hadn't convinced him we would come back later.



He is also a master at spotting all the fish in the pond.





Here are two of the pictures Addy shot in the Butterfly House.

Dogs, Cats, Alpacas, oh my!

Today we decided to have another adventure to a working Alpaca Farm. This is just our second time to the farm but it is by far the highlight of Addy's week each time we visit.

We also really dig the drive through the seemingly endless corn fields with all the windows rolled down along the way...



Addy really likes being welcomed by Patches the Dalmatian! He's a really sweet, gentle boy and he reminds Addy of our Monty. (Monty is spending some time with my Mom in Virginia while we look for a home here in PA with a backyard for him to run in)



Alpacas are very sweet too. Addy really likes hanging out at the farm and playing with all of them. They seem to like having her around and will actually follow her from pen to pen now.



I think this guy is called Ozzie and he has a penchant for Addy's hair.



Today we were able to stay inside the barn pens during lunch.

The youngest of the Alpacas on the farm is just three weeks old. Hopefully we will get a picture with him in it next week. Addysen has decided that we need to return once a week to visit the baby Alpaca and his mommy. Too funny.



(I took these two pictures on my phone outside the Alpaca path and barn during our visit last week, sorry they are a bit blurry)





Next week we are planning trips to a Butterfly House, the Alpaca Farm, Children's Lake to feed the Swans and Ducks, and two new playgrounds. Keep your arms and legs inside the car at all times and hold on to your hats...

Much love,
d.
a.
and
a.

Gelder Park

Today we headed east to Hummelstown, PA which happens to be the home of a fantastic playground at Gelder Park. In Addy's words "yes, so cool". Addy loved going down all the big slides while Ave enjoyed a snooze before getting on the swings...
Later on we took Addy's scooter for a spin around the park and got caught in some rain. After about five minutes under some trees we decided to run back to the car and we got soaked!

Everyone had a great time and Addy wanted to stay and play in the rain puddles, so we did.

We drove back to the Marriott and jumped into the pool to finish off any dry spots.

Good times!