A Fun Day with Bria and Cali and Then They Head Home!

Bria and Cali came to our bed at 7:30 and we watched an episode of I Love Lucy! 1st time for them and they found it very funny!  We got up at 8:30 and they watched a short movie while we got ready and made breakfast!  It was another pancake morning with bacon and frozen blueberries!

After cleaning up, we sat outside and played numerous games of Crazy Eights and Go Fish.  We decided to take a walk around the CG.  Bria enjoys wearing my stepper and trying to get 10,000 steps for me.  The girls had asked if we could have a picnic lunch on the top of the grass hill where we had caught lighting bugs last night, so we packed sandwiches, snacks, fruits, drinks, etc., and walked to the top of the hill and sat on a blanket enjoying our lunch.  Then we played more games of Go Fish and Crazy Eights.  Ken and I hadn't had a real picnic for quite a long time and it was fun to share it with Bria and Cali.  The girls loved rolling down the hill on our way back to Waldo!

Quite a nice and private setting for our picnic!

Time for PaPa to be on a picture!

Bria and Cali enjoyed rolling down to Waldo, but the recently
cut grass made them itchy!!!

Back to Waldo and the girls changed into their bathing suits.  Ken stayed at Waldo to clean up while I took Bria and Cali to the stream to play.  The stream has very little water, but they certainly enjoy walking through it and checking out the tadpoles.  Ken joined us as we were walking to the playground outside of the pool entrance.  Cali leaned how to go across the monkey bars without help from PaPa and is so proud of herself.  Then the girls swam while Ken and I watched.  Of course we had to get some ice cream at the CG store since it was Bria and Cali's last camping day.

By 3:30 we were changed and the CRV loaded to go about 6 miles from the CG to Colebrook Stables for an hour horseback riding lesson for both girls.  It was our birthday present to them way back in March and April, but because of school and swim team and our travels, this was the 1st chance we had to go to the stables.  Taylor did a great job and the girls really enjoyed the lesson.  Cali was a bit frightened, but Bria agreed to go 1st and when that hour was over, she was ready for her turn.  Jamie joined us there to be part of the experience.  By 5:30 the lessons were over and Jamie took the girls home with her.  Ken and I decided to go out for dinner and ate on the deck at the Quentin Tavern.   We enjoy their deck and appreciate the huge menu and good food.

This is their instructor, Taylor.  What a patient and very
knowledgeable gal.  1st the girls had to get acquainted with
the horse.

Then they had to brush them before the lesson began!

Taylor taught them how to lead the horse around the outdoor
riding area and give commands.

Then it was time to actually ride!

Balance and comfort was a large part of the lesson too!

Before riding, they also had to clean their hooves!  

Now it was Cali's turn to lead her horse around the arena!

It took a little more time for Cali to really feel comfortable
and not frightened!

Bria and I took time to pet the other horses during part of
Cali's lesson.  Bria loves horses and was so sad when the lesson
was finished!

By the end of her lesson, Cali was all smiles!

Back to the CG by 7 and we watched America's Got Talent while I worked on this blog.  It was a fun time with the girls, but we are tired.  We went to bed at 9 to read and unwind!   The girls told us they were not ready to go home and wanted to stay until we leave the CG next Tuesday.  But, they have dentist appointments tomorrow morning and are going to Pittsurgh on Friday for their daddy's triathlon.  We were thankful they had such a good time!

Fun Camping with Bria and Cali!

All of us had a good night's sleep.  The girls came to our bed around 7:45 and we chatted and had fun before getting up around 8:00.  They watched one of the short Princess movies while Ken and I got ready and made breakfast.  We had the normal - pancakes, frozen blueberries, bacon, and dry Pop cereal.

After breakfast we drove about 25 minutes to visit my parents at Masonic Homes.  Bria and Cali had mentioned that they would really like to visit them since they hadn't seen them since last Fall.  My parents were thrilled to see them and Mom thought they had grown "like crazy"!  We had some fun with PaPaw's antler hat and trying to toss the rings onto the antlers.  He was a good sport!  Then we followed MaMaw and PaPaw on their motorized skooters outside to go to the pond area near their building.  There were some large "goldfish" in the pond, Canada geese, ducks who tried to eat the buttons on the side of my shorts and MaMaw's shoelaces, and gorgeous landscaping.  We had a very nice walk.  It was an enjoyable visit for everyone!

In MaMaw's room when we first arrived!  Dad and Mom
were waiting for us!

Bria trying to through the rings on PaPaw's Antler Hat!

Masonic Village adjusted Dad's chair so it doesn't go very fast!
He tends to be a bit reckless at times!  So, I stayed back talking
with him as we walked outside!

The gazebo overlooking the pond.  A beautiful area, but
there are many exceptional places on the grounds of Masonic!

We walked further to another bridge area on the pond.  The
ducks were extremely friendly and unafraid!

We were able to pet them!

This was a special day with my Dad and Mom!

Bria and Cali enjoyed seeing their MaMaw and PaPaw!

We left there by 11:45 and went to Chocolate World at Hershey to take the tour ride 2X, get our free chocolate, and then buy licorice and cookies.  Our granddaughters would spend the day on that ride if we didn't limit our time there!  Back to the CG to have lunch and go to the pool.

It just might be the sweetest place on Earth!

Good philosophy!

Enjoying the ride at Chocolate World for the Second Time!

Hershey Kisses unwrapped and then quickly put in the silver paper!

This sphinx is totally made of 265 bags of licorice and it took
2 artists three weeks to make.  It was shipped from CA to
Hershey PA!

Rather amazing!

It was a fun time at Chocolate World!

The girls enjoyed swimming and especially the fun time they have playing with their special PaPa in the water.  After time at the pool, the 4 of us walked over to the stream where Bria and Cali spent about an hour playing in the water. PaPa went back to Waldo around 5 to shower and get organized for dinner. Bria, Cali, and I got back at 5:30 and we all showered and they watched part of another short Princess movie while we grilled dinner - hot dogs again (their request because we also grilled chicken) and corn on the cob.  It was cloudy and not as humid so we were able to eat outside!

After dinner, we chatted and then I did bubbles with the girls while Ken did the dishes (Bria did help him for some of the time!).  Then it was movie time and we watched another movie they brought from home - "Wreck It Ralph".  I must admit that Ken and I didn't really see much of the movie!  At 8:30 we went outside to check for lightning bugs and to "hike" to the top of the grassy "mountain" again.  It was a good night for catching lightning bugs and singing songs.  By 10 it was lights out for the end of another special day.  Bria and Cali both said they would love to stay for the week, but they have dentist appointments on Wednesday and are going to Pittsburgh for the weekend to watch their daddy participate in another triathlon.

Wow, Grandma makes big bubbles!

We Bring Bria and Cali to Join Us!

Ken and I woke to 6:45 alarm, showered, at breakfast, and left for church at LCBC.  What an unbelievable and moving service and sermon.  So glad we made the effort to be there today.  We loaded Bria and Cali's things in our CRV and the 4 of us drove to our apartment to get a few items we thought we needed for when the granddaughters are camping with us.  We got to the CG around 11:30 and Fred and Doloris had already left.

We walked to the small stream so Bria and Cali could walk in the water and enjoy seeing the beautiful butterflies and the small tadpoles!  Back to Waldo to have some lunch and get ready to go to the pool.  PaPa does such a great job of playing in the pool with the girls.  We had an afternoon snack of ice cream by the pool and then walked back to the stream where they had a fun time.  

There were about 8 butterflies fluttering around the stream.
I was surprised at how large and beautiful they were!

Bria and Cali really enjoy playing in and around the stream!

Oops!  1 part way down!

Back to Waldo where we all got showers and then watched the movie, Home! What a fun movie for children.  Ken and I had actually taken the girls to the movies to see it when it 1st came out!  Ken started a campfire with the sticks the girls found and with the few pieces of firewood we had leftover from Circle M.  The girls cooked hot dogs over the fire and I made mac and cheese.  Ken and I had large salads with leftover salmon and steak from Friday night.  After dinner we made s'mores, a favorite for all of us.  

Back inside (it was so hot) to watch a movie that the girls wanted us to see - Descendants.  It really was a fun movie.  At 9 we went outside to catch lightning bug but there were very few around and it was so dark.  We did use our flashlights and climbed the grassy hill behind Waldo and all sang "The Sound of Music" theme song.  By then it was 10 and time for all of us to go to bed.

It was a fun camping day with Bria and Cali!

Special Day With Fred and Doloris at Hershey Preserve!

Ken and I only woke at 8:30 and watched some TV before getting up.  We decided to eat our cereal outside.  After clean-up I left the campground to go to the nearby Hobby Lobby and Dollar Tree.  I wanted to get a few fun things for the granddaughters to do while here at the CG and look for some way to display the pins in Waldo that we had gotten from all the National Parks we recently visited.  I had them above the entrance way, but they really weren't very visible there.  I wanted to find a frame that I could hang on the wall in the BR with the photos of our travels.  After much searching, I decided to purchase 2 small black artist canvases and attach the pins to them.  I think it will work out well!

I returned to the CG around 12:30 just when Fred and Doloris were stopping by to visit.  I suggested that it is such a beautiful day and we have this large, shaded, grassy area behind Waldo just inviting us to play outdoor games  We all decided that would be a great thing to do after lunch.  So we spent the afternoon playing the best of 5 ladder golf (women won in 3), 2 games of Kubb (women won both) and then 2 games of Bocce (we won both again!).  Ken and Fred decided we should play another best of 3 ladder golf, which the women won 3 of 5.  Wow, we were on a roll!!!!  Right before we finished playing, Tom and Becky stopped by.  They are fellow campers who full-time and we met in Florida through Neil and Nancy Savage.  Fred and Doloris had met them in Florida too when we did some star gazing!  It was great to see them again.  They have a seasonal site near Hershey at Penn Dutch, about 15 minutes from here.

After ladder golf, we played Kubb.  If you know the game, you
can see that the women won big time!!! 

The winners!

Appears that Fred is not happy about our big win!

After all our big wins, we needed some time to relax and rest
up for the next event!

Doloris said, "You know!  I almost feel sorry for them"!
I am way too competitive for that kind of thinking!

Now is is time for bocce......

....and guess who won and who is not too happy for us!!!

We each got our salads and meat ready for dinner and met at Waldo to cook on our grill.  Then we ate on our shaded picnic table.  We played a game of Skip-Bo outside (the men finally won) and then moved indoors to play Up the River (men won) and ended the evening with a game of Haus which the women won.  It was so good to have a weekend to camp with Fred and Doloris.  We usually camp at least 1 time a month from April to October, but this was the 1st time this spring and summer that we were together.  We will spend a week together at Sea Pines near Avalon, NJ in September when Chuck and Melissa will join us.  We will have a great time!

They are so excited to win a game - Skip-Bo!  Maybe
the wine helped them!

It was time for dessert - brownies and half a small ice cream sandwich!
Fred and Doloris wanted us to sample the brandy they have brought
at a distillery in New York.  I passed, but the 3 of them loved it!

Okay, the men won Up the River and it did not make the
women Happy Campers!

We only got to bed around midnight, but it certainly was a fun filled day with the Martins!!!!