Demolition Derby

The Mr. and I decided to take advantage of the local county fair for one of our last dates in NY. They don't have rodeos there (they're missing out), but we did find a demolition derby to attend. Talk about a great activity! Here we go with round 1!

Crash! Funny how people will pay so much to get a car here just so they can wreck it - all for our entertainment. But hey, I'm not complaining!

Dirt and mud flinging right into the audience - like the splash zone at Sea World...except not water.

Begin round 2!

Best part by far was the small truck round! Only 2 trucks entered, but they went at each other quite aggressively so it kept the entertainment up.

 

Last good hit that knocked the second truck out ended up getting both trucks stuck together so the big trucks had to come in to tow both contestants off the field, they had to make a train of sorts and pull #99. However, the tow rope ended up breaking, but luckily the movement gave the last working truck (#44) enough traction to push the other car off as well. :)

Next round up! This one brought much more dangerous situations - although no one was injured.

It took a crew of about 10 men to flip this car back over.

Of course, one can't end a fun date like this without a treat! We decided to test out the taffy. It wasn't really worth it, but it was a fun way to end our night out! Hooray for fairs! They are one of my favorite things of summer!

Family Reunion

We were lucky to be able to join in on the Church History family reunion while in New York. In fact, we had a couple days were family got to stay with us - what a joy that was to have a house (and an RV) full of loved ones! Mickey was pretty excited to get the house and beds ready for family; who knew mattresses could be such a fun climbing toy!

Once the troops arrived, grandpa suddenly found himself to be perhaps the most desired person of the crew with all 3 grandchildren seeking his attention throughout the day. (P.S. These events are out of order, my apologies! Also, some photo creds go out to Grandma R... still waiting for Grandpa R's and Aunt H's pics...).

Driving the van - a favorite activity.

Digging - a must for the boys (and occasionally the little Princess)

Ice cream at Mr. Twistee's had to happen in wine country (what is it about wine country that makes such great ice cream?). Miss B got more than she planned on and ended up sharing the joy.

Our Sunday adventure was to visit the Peter Whitmer Farm after church, including egg gathering, sheep herding, tree chopping, sowing and harvesting crops, and churning butter (virtually anyway). 

All 3 grand-babies together - they grow so fast!

We were also able to visit the Smith Family Farm and the Sacred Grove together. The trip was a bit shorter than desired for those with children needing naps, but was still fun for those who had to leave early as well as those who got to stay (I'm assuming in the latter case).

Another joyful activity was visiting Seneca Lake Park together. Mickey got to show his cousins his favorite digging spots on the beach, his favorite "ride" in the playground, and the coolest firetruck around.

Storytime with grandpa!!

Our last visit before everyone had to leave and we had to return to normal life was a visit to Niagara Falls.This was such a blast (even though we did get poured on while walking to the aquarium - which is further than it appears on the map; we didn't quite make it).

Towing grandpa to the observation tower where we could access elevators to go down to the Maid of the Mist Ferry.

Mickey didn't want to walk - he wanted to be held in a swinging position...

Unfortunately, these are the only pictures I have from the trip - all the ones from the Ferry ride are on Grandpa R's camera .... eh-hem.... ;) After this fun day and all the time with family, it was hard to say goodbye and return to a quiet, "empty" house. We consoled ourselves with a reminder that eternity doesn't have to be quiet and empty as well! Thanks for stopping in to see us for the reunion!!!

Farmette & A Great Helper

The Mr. was able to meet with a nice gentleman at another account (location) in the area who mentioned that his wife had horses. As persons interested in owning horses as well as a farmette at some point in our lives, we wanted to meet up with him and his wife to see what owning both really looked like. It's a lot of work and a continual commitment (not ideal for a travelling family), but we already have such a great helper it might be a good idea. :)

My apologies for the lack of quality in the following pictures, Mickey was so busy sweeping up hay, and ensuring his adopted grandpa scooped up what he swept, that I couldn't get him to hold still.

We definitely learned a lot from our visit and are so grateful to Dennis and Anne for their willingness to show us the ropes! Mickey still talks about how much fun he had with "grandpa" on the tractor from time to time!