Trip to Pennsylvania- Happy 4th of July!

Chris had to come to Philadelphia to take part of his boards this year and Nana's family is about 3 hours away so we thought we would make a trip of it and see Gram who was getting pretty old and was sick, but she died in May.  They were able to hold off the funeral till we got there and we are so thankful we were able to all be together as a family and see everyone and be a part of it.  Here we are at the cemetery, it was a beautiful funeral and Chris even talked at it and did a wonderful job!

Chris, Katelynn, Me, Kasen, Carter, Bri and Nana

Gram's Casket and Flowers (Each flower in the bouquet below 

represents each grandchild and great grandchild)

Gram's headstone

Nana with her Brother, Sisters, and Aunt

Beth Winders, Glen Hower, Lona Heddings, Nana, and Aunt Jo

Lona, Beth, Glen, Nana with Aunt Bitsy (Pops sister)

Then we had a delicious luncheon afterwards at Aunt Lona and Uncle Lou's 

Here is Chris and Seth chatting and drinking Birch Beer, it is so good! Like a root beer, but made from the birch trees, the bottling company is just down the street from Lona's.

Here is Kasen with his! 

Nana with her sisters Lona and Beth and Aunt Jo

The cousins (Willie is missing)

Susan, Michelle, Seth, Chris, and Bri

Kasen and Katelynn enjoying the park across the street with the other cousins

Fireworks are allowed in Pennsylvania unlike AZ, so we had fun every night

 shooting them off and the boys loved the sparklers!

Carter

Kasen

While we were there Nana had her 40 year class reunion and here she is!

Aunt Lona is so nice and made Chris his favorite, hot dog, peas, and dumplings! 

4th of July Celebrations!

Katelynn

Here we are at Den and Bonnies they were Gram's neighbors and right behind there house in the grove of trees is the beautiful Susquehanna River that we watched the fireworks over! The kids also loved catching the fire flies each night.

Gram's trailer on Old Berwick road in Bloomsburg, PA

On Monday was the Millville parade! Here is Kasen (he always plugs his ears if anything is loud) and Carter with Mary Grace and Damien.  They caught TONS of candy and had a really good time! 

Of course while we were in PA there was a heat wave and the humidity was awful! 

Katelynn and Bri

After the parade we went to Aunt Bitsy's BBQ at the Grange Hall

Also the Millville Carnival was going on and we got to go there it was a lot of fun! It brought back a lot of memories for Chris and Bri, they used to come every summer with Gram and Pop, their cousins and play the games and eat the yummy food, like carmel corn, birch beer, ham sandwiches, funnel cakes, french fries with vinegar, ride the carnival rides, and the original wooden carousel that has been here since Pop was a boy.

I love all the rich history and traditions that are back east, the small towns and how everyone still comes to the parade and carnival, things like this just don't exist in AZ.  

We also got to go to Knoebals! 

A fun amusement park in the middle of the woods!

Here is Uncle Lou making us his delicious homemade ice cream!

Then we headed to Philadelphia for Chris to take his test and stopped at the Hershey Chocolate Factory

Here are the light posts through Hershey

Here we are with our favorite chocolate that Hershey makes

Chris

Kasen

Carter

Here the kids are with the Hershey Kiss

Carter and Kasen at the hotel pool

Nana with Katelynn

While Chris was testing we went downtown and
explored the historical sites there then Chris met us after his test.
 Here we are at the Constitution Center, it was fun and had some hands on things to do for the kids.

Here is Carter being sworn in as the President of the United States

Kasen

Here they are behind the Presidents desk

As the Supreme Court Justice

As the Jury

Jake and Bri in front of the floor to ceiling law books that contain the laws of our land

Carter and Kasen with George Washington

Carter signing the Declaration of Independence

All of our signatures

Kasen, Carter, Nana and Bri with Benjamin Franklin

These are the dates the states we have lived in became States

Here are Carter and Nana in the Quaker Church Nana's family helped to start
the Quaker Church and Nana used to be a member of it.

Here is Jefferson's rough draft copy of the Declaration of Independence in the Quaker Church

Outside another Quaker Church

Then we saw a real old time ice cream truck

 that was around when Nana was a kid! Even with soft serve ice cream!

Bri, Kasen, Carter and Nana enjoying yummy ice cream!

Here at Benjamin Frankin's grave stone

Then we went to the Betsy Ross house 

Nana, Kasen and Carter

Katelynn with Aunt Bri

Katelynn, Bri, Chris (see that happy smile, he just finished his test!) Kasen, Me, Carter, and Nana

Our family in front of the Liberty Bell

The kids with Nana and Aunt Bri

Independence Hall

Carter

Where the Delaration of Independence was signed

Where the Liberty Bell was

Carter and Kasen in their Rocky shirts (they actually sell them at the gift shop)

We couldn't see Phili without stopping at the "Rocky" steps! 

My boys love Rocky, Heber would be so proud!

Kasen and Carter

Here they are running up (they ran up and down so many times!)

Carter

Kasen really got into it!

Daddy and Kasen

My Boys! Not only reenacting Rocky, but celebrating the end of Chris's Boards 

What a wonderful Summer we are having visiting family and fun places, but the best part is spending time together as a family!  I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who 

knows each of us and blesses us with so much!