Zook Family Vacation...



I so love these kids!! They are my biggest BLESSINGS!!

Back to real life again here today for us. The bags are unpacked and the laundry is catching up. We always have a great time with the Zook family and I took lots of pictures to share! We made it in last evening around 8 o'clock after about six hours on the road! We drove through some storms and had lots of vacationing traffic to deal with! We were all glad to see our neighborhood again!

We normally go up to the cabin over the forth of July week-end but it got changed this year. We spent our week-end up at Dave's sister Marianna in New York instead. We got to stay in a brand new, beautiful cabin that Kent and Marianna just got set up for a rental vacation property. It has a lake view and even a hot tub on the deck!! (We were here with three other families) Our family had the whole furnished basement which was perfect for us! We spent a lot of time at Kent's house, so by the time we got back to the cabin for the night we were pretty tired and ready for bed!! Most of the time spent at the cabin was the few sleeping hours we got...:)

We spent a few hours on Friday walking Watkins Glen State Park. It was a beautiful sight!! The children all did so good on the hike but my Little's were tired and wanting to be carried towards the end of the hike! We found a wading hole about a mile into the three mile hike where the kids could cool off. It was a very warm day so they were delighted to get wet after looking at so much water!

We never made it in until 1:30am on Friday morning!! The camp closing program was great and we were happy to have our oldest boys back again!! We headed to New York right afterwards but still never got there until late!! We (Dave and I) were up at daybreak to walk/run, swim in the lake...:) and see our beautiful surroundings! Friday was the day we went to Watkins Glen and with so little sleep we were so tired by the time the day was done at 1:30am again!! What a trip full of great memories though!!

Up at the mountain cabin Papa always treats the whole crew for ice cream every year, nobody wanted to miss this this year again, so we found and stopped at, a neat ice cream shop for ice cream, after swimming in the lake on our HOT Saturday afternoon. There was a fun race car track close to the ice cream shop. We of course had to try that out to! What a blast!!

 Marianna was the snack person this year and she was always spreading out a wonderful snack to make sure we never get hungry!!:)

Friday night we went to watch fireworks after our wonderful, (full course), Amish wedding supper made by Ruth! So yummy! The guys also played some competitive games of Frisbee football before the fire works party.

We also did some race car watching! These cars flew around the track and sent dust pouring our way!! Chris's van was covered inside and out with this thick dust!! It was a huge highlight though and everyone loved the action!! After the race is when they put off the fireworks.

Marilyn and I's food day went well. We made breakfast at our cabin then everyone gathered there for breakfast,  we then took our supper meal to Kent's house to serve. It seemed the children had more to do at Kent's house and keeping the food gatherings over there just went better. The drive from our cabin to Kent's was about five minutes.

I made way to much breakfast!! I forgot how to cook for this crew!  Since we had such a huge variety, the food was way more then we could eat!! I slopped it all together in the end and made a huge breakfast casserole that we all shared after church on Sunday for lunch along with the "Grand fanally" of everything else left over! . Plus we were missing a big part of our family!! We missed you guys Dave, Rose, Josiah!! Maribeth! Brandon! Derek! Austin and Leandra!!

The highlight of my trip was... Early Sunday morning Dave and I ran the one and a half mile, eight hundred plus steps, up to the top of Watkins Glen!! We ran down a neat trail, it only took us about ten-fifteen minutes to reach the top the first time! It took hours to walk it the other day with the whole crew and the crowds of people! We only met four people on our way up~! We got back to the bottom and I said I'd like to do it again but do more walking and admiring! We did it again! All the way up. This time we kinda went slower and kept stopping to admire Gods wonderful detailed handiwork!! . Dave even did some swimming. Then we ran down another side trail. It was beyond beautiful!! All together we ran close to four miles and went over 1600 steps!:) Dave and I decided if we lived as close to Watkins Glen as Kent's we would do this run often!! The trails were perfect and cool, out of the sun!  We loved it!! We got back as the kids were waking up, then we went to Kent's church, for morning service...


I decided to do my typing first this time then I'll share the pictures... I have yard work to get to so I think this way will be faster and I can get to the yard sooner. Justin is home not feeling so well this morning. Not sure if he's just hung over from all the time away but he has been on the couch all morning so far. It was a week away from home for him!! He really missed Josiah on our vacation this year!! He was alone so much but enjoys his uncle Mark Andrew a lot! The two of them were often together doing something.

Ashley and Martina are here already this morning to swim! I guess they never tire of being together and we love it! Marilyn text ed me and made sure it was OK...  I told her Summer is only here for a little while, we might as well enjoy every minute of it!! The berries along the drive are ready to, and the kids spend so much time together on the four wheelers picking those berries! Living next to cousins has been great so far!!

The rains are still here! We had a cool off thunderstorm last evening after a hot steamy week-end. The weather looks unsettled today yet and thundershowers are fore casted for everyday this week! It is making things take off growing! My beans need to be picked today and the garden needs so much attention!

 We have a chiropractor again this evening and after skipping last week it feels like it's been awhile since we have been there.

We are glad to be back home again after three days away. The house was so clean when we walked in... thanks to my Rachel Ann who spoils me rotten! (I call her my BLESSING!) We walked out on Thursday night with the house in need of a huge cleaning from the top to bottom, Rachel Ann came on her normal day (Friday) to clean alone this week!  Thanks Girl!! We so love you!!

Here is our week-end in pictures... So many adorable Zook Little's!!

Javon... On the trails... So dirty and tired...:)

 

So amazingly beautiful!!

This was just before the water hole...:) They were so warm and getting tired of all the steps!

Cooling off on the hike...~!

 

Of course she was wet from head to toe!

Jordan and Ashley... Best of buds...:)

Filling the water bottle right out of the natural spring!!



 

At the park where we enjoyed a snack Marianna provided... After the hike everyone enjoyed this part!

 

These guys went together and bought this boat for the lake! They have it here in a lug now for future use...:) It was a highlight for everyone to have rides on it!...:)

The lake swimming area where we spent an afternoon...

Justin all alone...  (Note to Josiah...) I could just see you... out there carrying on with him!...:) It spited me that he was so alone but I hope you can pick up where you left off when you return from Africa...:) He really did miss you!

                            At the ICE CREAM PARLOR...

My Little's enjoying ice cream from Papa dawdy...:)



The newlyweds.... Peter and Roxie



Angelina... (Jonas's) She is a TWIN...:)

Haley... (Nelson's)

Adorable Bryant!!



What a Blast...:) Jordan is behind then Andre, then Ashley, then Leah, then Jonathan and Martina...

This looks dangerous...:) Look out Jonathan!! He just watched the real thing last night, you are about to get nailed!!:) Andre was behind and came and hit Jonathan head on! His glasses flew front, almost off and it was SO funny!!

Jenika's in her GLORY!! Wild and Crazy with her Daddy!!

At the races...

Just to give you an idea how dusty we got at the car races...~!

Watching car races before fireworks...

Jordan and Lincoln...(Kent's)

Ballgames, family discussions... Always a highlight...

This is how we chatted to family in Africa... We kept in touch while on vacation...:) (Skype)

Jackson... (Kent's)

Zook cousins... Hayley and Shae are missing. They had left already. And of course the Africa crew... ;)

All because two people fell in LOVE~!... Thank you so much Papa and Mom for all you do for the family and for the great memories made over the week-end... We look forward to next year already!

                                      I will always remember the beauty of this place~!

 

Summer is great and we are so happy to be back and have more great Summer memories made...:)
We have more fun things coming up to make up the rest of our Summer vacation...:)

I'm off to get the yard work caught up.. Looks like a more low key week here with small groups here being the only thing on my schedule so far this week... Dave leaves for a few days on an investors trip he has been anticipating... We will pack him up and out in a few days...

Have a blessed Monday...