Upstate NY

When I asked the kids at the beginning of summer what they wanted to do.  High on their list was visiting our friend's farm in upstate New York.  It was such a highlight of our last summer and they really wanted to do it again.  What a great weekend it was!  Very relaxing and yet we were never bored.

Picking raspberries in the backyard.  I would be surprised if there were any left.  Rachel is crazy about them.

New this year was their RTV.  We took lots of rides through the orchards.  It was so scenic and SO beautiful!  The kids LOVED it!!!

Throwing rocks in the lake...never gets old

Watching the cherry picking machines do their thing...very cool!

We still had to pick some by hand though

Sweet cherry season was over, so we picked sour cherries...they made great pies!!

Lots of water fights

Playing school

Very cheap, very big, and very delicious ice cream

Painting rocks...acrylic paints and this girl aren't the best combination.  But she is very creative and she enjoyed it.

Sodas Point.  The kids love swimming in the non-salty lake water

Emily made us a cherry pie

and a blueberry pie!  Oh my she spoiled us!!  They were amazing

Jake's best friend Nathan.  We were trying to think how long it's been since they've seen each other.  I think we figured it to be 10 years.  We played lots of the ladder ball game, and one time it got stuck in the tree.  The tent back there also reminds me that Jake and the kids slept out there one night, I can't remember exactly how it went, but it only lasted one night :)

A hike along the bluffs

Slip-n-slide...The kids did this for hours.  There was a good competition going between Jake and Nathan for who could have the best slide and roll.  Nathan's Korean dinner roll was the winner.

Lighting paper lanterns in the sky

So fun!!

And s'mores!

Few people can make Jake laugh to tears.  Nathan is one of them.  The kids have never seen it and it was hard for them to understand why he was crying.  It was hard for me to understand too, cause it was all in French.

Lots of great memories and good company...we'll probably do it again next year.