Since Matt covered the not so fun stuff, I guess I can continue on and update the fun things that have happened in the past month. 
We heard that Katherine, Josh, and Annabelle were headed to NH for the 4th of July, so we decided to head back to town to visit with everyone! We left the night before and stayed with our friends, and previous neighbors, the Remellas! We just missed seeing Jay that night, so the kids weren't able to play, but they did have a few other opportunities since we were in town until Monday morning.
The 4th was a beautiful day, we started off with breakfast with Dheeraj, Natasa, and Jay. Then we headed out for the New Boston Parade, where Hannah and Annabelle were able to gather up a bunch of candy! It was a nice parade. Then we went back to Matt's parents house for a short time until we headed over to the Poore's for a BBQ and swimming! Hannah had a ball in the water, and was able to get a quick swimming lesson with Annabelle's lifejacket! Hannah absolutely loved the water!! Later that night, we had sushi for supper with the Remellas!!
Saturday, we went to visit with Grammy, and Hannah and Annabelle had a great time feeding the chipmunk! It was rather entertaining to watch that little critter come in and eat right out of their hands! Matt's parents had a BBQ and a bonfire that night... the kiddos were really late to bed the entire trip.
Sunday, we had all intentions of heading to church, but one thing led to the next, and we stayed to let Jay and Hannah play together for a bit! We were able to have lunch at Lui Lui's with Dave and Larisa! They invited us over for dessert afterward and the kids napped there while we visited! It was great to be with them again! We are praying that their house hunt is going well, it can be exciting, but very frustrating too! That night we had planned to have dinner with The Remellas, so we headed back there and enjoyed the evening with them. We had a wonderful time with them, and are so thankful for their hospitality. We are so blessed to have their friendship! We miss them so much.
Monday morning, we headed over to the Richmond's house to say goodbye. We followed the Roots to Albany! We actually stopped at Hogback and visited the little shop there! Then we stopped for a quick peek at Bennington Pottery! It was very nice stuff, but very pricey... so we continued on our way! Got to Josh and Katherine's and they grilled up some burgers and then we got the kids to bed and were able to watch National Treasure! We had never seen it and had been hearing that it was good... it was!
We had breakfast with Katherine and Annabelle then headed to Altoona, PA for an overnighter. We had planned to spend the better part of Wednesday at Horsheshoe Curve and at the Railroaders Memorial Museum. It was a great train day! Even though we got soaked while we were waiting for trains to come around the curve! It was well worth it! That was something that Matt has wanted to do for 2 decades! When we were finished in the museum, we headed the rest of the way to Canton.
I was able to visit with Jalyn and Abby over coffee while we were in town. Visited with my grandparents, and Jimmy! We met Britt and Manny at Skyline Chili for lunch, then we were off to my Aunt Lori's house for Saturday evening. We had ribs on the grill - AWESOME!!! We were able to visit with Caleb and Zachary, what lovely boys they are growing up to be! We had a great time!
Sunday we headed to Dale Hollow Lake for the week! We had a ton of fun splashing in the water and taking rides around the lake! It was perfect weather, not a drop of humidity... and very, very warm temps!! We were able to take a ride on the Big South Fork Scenic Railway in Stearns, KY. It was a 2 hour drive, but the train ride was almost 4 hours long. It was a great week! Britt and Manny joined us Thursday morning, which was a surprise... we were expecting them Friday! So that was great to have the extra day to visit with them!! We had a great time swimming and riding the boat during the day, and games at night!! After a great week, we headed back to my Aunt's house for another overnight, a BBQ, and Dad and Matt finished putting up a basketball hoop for the boys! It was so wonderful to spend time with them. Thanks for having us, and thanks for letting us use your rooms, Caleb and Zach!! Monday we headed back to Canton for an overnight... and Tuesday morning we were able to visit with my Grandma Reel and Aunt Laura, who flew in just early enough to visit with us for a few hours!! And my Grandparents Hall came over too! We were able to talk Grandma, Aunt Laura, Mom and Dad into joining us for one more Skyline meal before we started our journey to Maine!
We stayed another night with Josh and Katherine and headed for home on Wednesday. Matt got home and jumped right back into working with Bob, bright and early on Thursday!
Unfortunately, Steven and Ashley weren't able to make it. We do hope that we get to see you both soon, but know we love you tons, and are praying for you! Ashley is also seeking new employment, hope you find something soon! We look forward to seeing you around Christmas if that all works out!
Since we got home, Mason had his first tooth pop through! He loves to feel it with his tongue... what a weird thing!! He also started eating potatoes! After 4 days, he no longer spits it all over the house... and he doesn't even make the "yucky" face anymore!! He is also learning to sit up on his own now... He is getting strong! He can hold himself up when we set him down on the floor, and if he falls forward onto his face, he is able to push himself back up into a sitting position! He is so proud when he is sitting there playing with his toys, he gets so excited! He is really growing up!! We have his next appointment in 2 weeks, I am interested to see what he weighs now, and how tall he is. He is growing so much! It is unbelievable!!! Hannah is doing great!! She had one night that she stayed dry all night, that was a pretty big thing! So we are on the right track!! I know it may take a while, but she is doing great!! Hannah was admiring my toenails while we were on vacation, so I told her we could paint hers when we got back home... she now has light pink sparkles on her tootsies!! She is always afraid that we are going to wash it off in the tub! She is so funny! She thinks it is just great that we have the same polish on our toes!!
Well, that should do it for now... we need to get the kids in the tub! Hope you are all doing well, and enjoying August so far! We will keep you posted!
