Jim and I drove to Yorktown, VA, on Friday, August 10, to pick up Christina and Andy to take them for their annual trip to Mt. Snow. On Saturday (8/11), Jim and John got in a round of golf; and on Sunday (8/12), we brought the kids up to Somerdale to spend the night. My son Chuck and his family came over to visit with the kids and celebrate Christina's 11th birthday. After a supper of pizza, my daughter-in-law Lisa served the birthday cake she had brought.
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| Lisa serving birthday cake to Andy, Kirk and Christina... |
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| ...but first, Christina had to blow out 11 candles! |
First thing on Monday (8/13), we drove with Christina and Andy up to Mt. Snow. After unpacking and getting settled, we all went to the pool at the Sports Center before dinner. But the next day, Tuesday, August 14, which was supposed to be very nice, the kids and I spent the entire day at Bromley Adventure Park. And it was a beautiful morning--as some pictures indicate, there was blue sky and sunshine. However, by afternoon it was beginning to cloud over (thus the gray sky in other pictures) and there was even some rain at the top of the mountain.
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Andy's favorite--the zip line!
Notice how he's throwing the red
stuffed animal into the box--just to
get a sticker! |
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| Christina has a go at it.... |
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Another try for Christina while Andy
is waiting his turn! |
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| Andy is going to make this one! |
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Another favorite--the trampoline!
Here's Andy doing a back flip |
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| Christina doing a front flip |
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Andy doing a front flip
Both kids love the climbing wall and return to it over and over... |
Christina doing a back flip
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| Andy climbs up.... |
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| ...and then repels down... |
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| As does Christina.... |
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| Christina repelling down |
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Andy still on the way up,
Christina on the way down |
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| Andy and Christina race to the top! |
On to the Shoot and Shower--kids stand on either side and throw basketballs into a hoop. Whoever has the fewest number of baskets gets showered on! And poor Christina was really wet!!
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| Christina--wet but has a great time! |
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Andy--on the other side--always won and was
never wet! |
Another one of the kids' favorites is the water slide--so up the magic carpet they walked--again and again--only to come down in the raft and get very, very wet! (Grandmom was not about to do this one!)
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| Laughing the whole way... |
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| ...and then doing it again! |
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| Time for a lunch break on the deck of Bromley's lodge! |
There were many more people here today than in previous years, perhaps because it was a free ice cream day! As a result, the lines were much longer--particularly for my favorite, the Alpine Slide. So, during the morning while waiting in line for the lift for the Alpine Slide, we ate our free ice cream cone. So after lunch, we got back in line--letting our lunch digest this time while waiting--for another ride on the Alpine slide. We got one ride in before they closed it because of rain at the top; however, once they opened it, we finally did get a couple more rides in before it was the end of the day
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| Christina and Andy riding the chair to the slide |
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Grandmom rode first this time so I was able to get a
picture of Andy and Christina coming off the lift
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| Andy all set to take off down the slide.... |
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| ..with Christina right behind him! |
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| And the attendant, who saw me taking pictures of the kids, very kindly offered to take one of me! |
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| Since I went down right after Christina, I was able to get a picture of her sliding down.... |
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Andy wanted no part of the giant swing--so it was just
Gayle and Christina--up, up, we go... |
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| ...and when we got dropped, did we ever come down fast! |
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And up to the other side before swinging back down!
Andy took these swing pictures for us while he waited
at the bottom.
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The kids had never done this ride until this year. At
first it was just the two of them, seated opposite from
one another and pushing and pulling on the rod that made
it spin--faster and faster!
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| Christina is certainly enjoying herself! |
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| Christina and Andy seated side by side because two other kids got on. But Andy tired of this ride pretty quickly and wanted nothing more to do with it. |
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Christina wanted another ride on the swing but Andy returned to the zip line. So Christina waited in line and rode by herself.
As usual, we arrived at the park only a few minutes after it opened--but we definitely closed the place!!
On Wednesday, August 15, we headed down Route 100 to visit Adams Farm for the morning. The kids were both pretty excited because they used to love coming here but it's been closed for a couple of years and just re-opened this summer.
Christina and Andy can never get enough of kittens!
Love feeding the turkeys! They each carried a basket that had all kinds of animal food in it. And in the basket was a paper that told the kids which kind of food to give to each animal.
Christina and Andy watch the owner milk the goat--and then feed the goats that are in the pen
Having a look at the sow and her piglets...
...and Christina feeding the alpacas....
And this was a special treat this year! There was a house of rabbits. Andy and Christina had a blast going in and feeding the rabbits--but trying to pick one up and hold it was another matter!
It was very difficult to hold on to these critters--they just wanted to get down!
Christina was a little timid trying to feed the cow!
Taking a picture of the horses....
Christina never grows tired of playing with the kittens--she really wanted to take this one home! But, alas, it was time to return to the condo for lunch....
Just as we've done every day, we walked down to the Sports Center. We had all afternoon so not only did Christina and Andy swim in the pool (or were diving for pennies) but enjoyed the other games available as well.
Swimming and diving for pennies in the big pool....
...to soaking in the hot tub!!
From basketball to ping-pong--
and all before dinner!
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Thursday, August 16, was a clean-up day to get ready for John and Lynda to arrive in time for dinner. Both kids enjoyed lying on their beds and watching TV--something they cannot do at home! And they were very excited to see their parents after having been away for almost a week. And I was happy to have them as well since it was the first time in 13 years that John and Lynda have been here in the summer (they'd only been here in the winter to ski since 1999).
On Friday, August 17, while John and Jim went over to Haystack to play a round of golf, Lynda, Christina, Andy and I decided to ride the lift to the top of Mt. Snow, have lunch on the deck up there, and hike back down....
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Andy and Lynda on the Bluebird Express lift on the
way to the top of Mt. Snow... |
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...and Christina, sitting on the other side of me. We
kept the bubble top up because it was a lovely day!
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On the deck of the lodge at the top of Mt. Snow with the Somerset Reservoir in the background:
Christina, Gayle (aka Grandmom), and Andy |
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Having lunch on the deck: Christina, Lynda (aka Mom), and Andy
Once lunch was over, we started our hike down the mountain following Deer Run and then Ridge--trails that we've all skied in the winter. |
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The hike down the mountain was filled with Monarch
butterflies and beautiful wild flowers--all of which the
kids were admiring! |
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But it's still Friday--and a work
day--so Lynda keeps on working
via her Iphone |
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Both kids were excited to find a little frog--Christina is
pictured holding it. |
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Lynda stopping to take a picture of Andy and Christina--
both holding the flowers they've been picking along the way |
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| Christina, Lynda and Andy at the top of Ridge--one of my favorite ski trails at Mt. Snow! |
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A rest stop before completing our hike....
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Once back to the condo, Jim and John have returned from golfing--and it's off to the outdoor pool and the Sports Center....
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Andy, John (aka Dad), and Christina in the outdoor
heated pool |
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While John and Lynda play ping-pong, Christina is
looking on--behind Christina, Andy is playing basketball |
After spending the afternoon playing in the pool and other activities, it's time to clean up for dinner. I hadn't been to the Deerhill Inn in years because it had been closed to the public; however, it recently re-opened and we heard good things about the new owner--so we tried it out!
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| Andy, Christina, Jim, Gayle, Lynda, and John at Deerhill Inn in West Dover |
