I'm Back!!!

WOW... what a 3 weeks it has been. It seems like I have been away a life time. As much as I long for the beauty and coolness of the Adirondack Mts, I am glad to be home. I missed my dogs, my house and my own bed :) We got home yesterday and it took all I had in me to get the house in presentable condition for my arrivals today. We have Little Miss M back for the week, until her new school starts up, and our newest friend joining us, we'll called her Roo, because she is so inquisitive and friendly, just like little Roo with his Mama Kanga.

This morning I was able to welcome my friends back to "school" with some new and old toys, (Miss M liked finding some of the toys right where they were when she left) and plenty of activity to go around. We sang some songs, moved from Do-A-Dots, to sand table, to play dough effortlessly, and even went outside for a rather hot and muggy romp in the yard. Thankfully, the water table was in full swing and the breeze from the swings made it tolerable. It was nice to have "my" kids back, I missed them!!




Below you will find some photo's from our many excursions and adventures we had over the last 3 weeks...

Romping in the Atlantic Ocean off Fire Island in NY

Jumping off Aunt Kimmy's boat on Schroon Lake, NY

My Dad and I enjoying the views at Red Rock Canyon in NV

I have lots to post about in the up coming days... I loved each and everyday of the NAFCC conference, I loved visiting family and friends in NY and I loved coming home.

The Hurricane Deck

We recently went to Buffalo, NY to visit my sister and her family for my nephew's high school graduation. It was a wonderful trip, but one of our favorite things was our trip to the US side of Niagara Falls. We have been to the Canadian side many times, before the border required passports, but the American side is absolutely wonderful. We got to visit the Cave of the Winds and even were able to go on a Maid of the Mist boat ride. We got really wet, and had a ball!!!

The Cave of the Winds thrilled my 6 yr old to no end. Can you imagine, being so small and seeing something as huge and powerful as the American Falls. Not only see it, but walk along side it and feel it's power on your face. Well, that is just we did on the Cave of the Winds tour. It really isn't a tour in the real sense of the word. It is more like a self guided walk. There is a wooden walkway and deck system (that they take down each Winter and put up again in the Spring) that you walk on, and you get to admire the Power of Nature.

I was watching as my young son stared at the water, as it crashed right in front of him and sprayed him with a mist that was stronger than our shower at home. All of a sudden, standing with his back to me, he lifted his little fists into the air and pumped them like he just hit the winning run in the World Series... he then turned to me (as I snapped the photo) and pumped them again. WOW!! I don't know what he was thinking when he did it, when I asked him, he just said, "I just loved it Mom!" and ran back in to do it again.

While we were on this "Hurricane Deck," as it was called, there were some young children that ran in and out of the mist just like my son, but there were many more that choose not to. The power of the Falls were to intimidating to them, maybe?? I was proud of my boy for running in there, full throttle, assessing the risk of the unknown, then adding another experience to his list. What an awe inspiring experience for his Mom!!