Happy Birthday Mom!

Missy, Mom, and Me

Today is Mom's 60th birthday!  While Curtis and I are sorry to miss her special day, it sounded like plans were in the works for a fun celebration tonight with friends and family.  Missy baked her signature german chocolate cake, and you can see that Noah did a pretty good job of helping too:

Yikes!  Hopefully Olive didn't lick up too much of that chocolate :)  Happy Birthday Mom!  Hope you've had a wonderful day and have fun celebrating with everyone tonight!

We had a great time visiting with Jesse, Jessa, and Eily early this week.  They live within walking distance of the tow path that runs along the Delaware Canal so Curtis and I took our mountain bikes out for a spin Monday morning up to Washington Crossing State Park.  We had a little picnic, then crossed the bridge back over into New Jersey and took the tow path all the way back on that side.  It was a little questionable in parts closer to Trenton, but it was otherwise really lovely.  Lots of mallards, a couple herons, an egret, turtles, and death defying squirrels that jumped out in front of us as we cruised along the trail.  Very pretty.

On Tuesday, Jesse and Jessa took the day off to spend with us so we went to the park where we picnicked while Eily played on the playground.  After the meal was digested, the men took to the playground too:

This is what happens when two grown men are let loose on a playground

We drove up to New Hope and walked around the downtown, checking out a few shops where  Eily got all decked out in a hot pink feather necklace, hair clip, and sunglasses.  We were all a little sleepy after our lunch and playground play session, so we headed home early for dinner.  Jesse was master of the grill and made us a delicious dinner of burgers (mushroom on the stove for me), potatoes on the grill with Jesse's secret spices, and oven roasted asparagus.  We feasted for our last meal with them.

We were sad to leave them on Wednesday, but excited to get out to Gettysburg.  We wound out through Lancaster, PA which may officially be the weirdest town/city I have yet to see.  For those of you that haven't been, imagine strip malls, big box stores, and outlet stores sprawled across the country side and then add in Amish horse and buggies.  I even saw one buggy pulled up at the Hess Express.  I wish I had been fast enough to get a photo of it.  It was such an odd combination.

We got to Gettysburg late in the afternoon, but we had enough time to stop at the visitor center and stamp our National Parks Passport that Ginny & Dave gave to us before we left.  And we started on part of the self-guided auto tour around Culp's Hill.

Our house from the observation tower on Culp's Hill

We strolled through the historic downtown and found this lovely store that sells all hand woven textiles: coverlets, tablecloths, pillowcases, you name it.  I might have to revisit that place when we have a home again someday.  We camped out at the Michaux State Forest in a free camping area about 40 minutes from Gettysburg.  It had been drizzling all day so the forest was fogged in and the campsite was barely visible.  We could have been driving into a lake for all I could see.  

Thursday we woke up to more fog and drizzle instead of the sunny skies we had hoped for.  We did the rest of the auto tour from seminary ridge all the way over to cemetery ridge and got out to explore Little Round Top and Devil's Den.  

The walkway near where Pickett's charge would have begun

Artillery where Lee would have stood when the Confederates fell back

20th Maine monument on Little Round Top

On top of the NY monument looking out at Devil's Den

And for those of you looking to visit Gettysburg in the future, you could take a Segway tour!

The last things you expect to see on Little Round Top

We returned to our campsite and set up our tarp just in time for the downpours to begin, and it did pour.  All night.  If the thunder and rain weren't waking me up, the drips from the condensation on the cap roof certainly did.  I think 3 big drops hit me smack on the face during the night.  Quite the wake up call.

So now we're in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay, hanging out with our friends Joe, Jac and a bunch of their friends.  We timed it perfectly to meet up with them on vacation so we get to spend more time with them!  

That's all for now!  Happy Birthday again Ma!