Biking and Cousins and Soccer Stars

Saturday evening Rudy wanted to take his bike out. At the beginning of the summer, he wanted to training wheels taken off, but once they came off, he wasn't very excited to ride because it was too hard. One night recently, while playing outside with the neighborhood kids, he took his bike and Paul saw some of the kids riding alongside him helping him balance and ride. I think that gave him the confidence (and the peer pressure) needed to give it another try.
So just before dark, while Paul ran out, Rudy and I headed to the end of our street. He did amazingly well. He would go about 20 feet pushing with his feet, and then stand on the pedals and start pedaling. He still isn't going very far before loosing his balance or concentration, but it's enough that he feels accomplished! We had to call Paul as it got dark to drive home quickly to see him do it.
Sunday morning, when Rudy woke up at 6:45, the first words he said to me were, "Can I go out and ride my bike?" We put him off for a few hours, but then he was out there practicing some more.

Later on Sunday we met up with the cousins to celebrate Charlie's birthday at Johnson's Farm. We didn't get to stay long because we had plans to go to a soccer game, but we got to hang out on the playground for about an hour.
The girls stayed together most of the time.

The big boys decided the stroller was the best thing to play in.

Charlie, ever the Daddy's boy.

The girls.

Rudy hiding from Max.

The biggest monkeys.

Playing on the tractor and wagon.

Just before we left, we threw all the kids together to take a picture. I just kept snapping and ended up with some good ones, except for the funny shadows. Everyone cooperated, without any bribes, which was a pleasant change.

After a while at the farm, Paul, Rudy and I headed to PPL Park for a Philadelphia Union soccer game. A local group of families who have adopted from Guatemala planned the outing and there were a lot of perks involved.

The beautiful park.

The players warming up on the field.

We received t-shirts and a bag with a sweatband and wrist bands and a magnet.

The end zone where all the excitement happens when the Union score a goal.

At the 80 minute mark, our group headed into the locker room area for a meet and greet with a couple of players. Here we are waiting (with our bug-eyed son).

Rudy getting an autograph from Gabriel Farfan. He was so excited to meet the players and get their autographs, but really couldn't have cared less about the game. He did say on the way out, "I'm really into soccer now."

We also met Zac MacMath, the goalie.

On the way out I attempted to get a nice picture taken with my son and the Commodare Barry Bridge behind us.
Attempt one.

Attempt two.

Attempt three- guess this will have to do!

Codorus Camping

This weekend was our bi-annual camping trip with other Guatemalan adoptive families. This year we had a new family join us. We all arrived at Codorus State Park on Friday. We and another family just barely made it before dark and raced (and lost) to get the tents set up before dark.
Once the tents were set up, a fire was built and s'mores were made- the perfect start.

Saturday morning we had plans to tour a dairy farm and an alpaca farm. The adults, and the kids too, really enjoyed the farm tour.
At the dairy farm, Walk-Le Holsteins, we saw lots of cows.

Rudy: Does chocolate milk come from those brown cows?

The kids helped to prepare formula for the calves.

Those are some big pachas! The calves drank them down fast!

The older cows relaxing after being milked.

Sweet girls.

Besides milk, the farm also produces a lot of fertilizer. Enough said about what's in this picture. :)

A big tractor.

More calves- these were the males that were going to be sold to another farm.

The milking process- done entirely mechanically.

Our next stop was Painted Spring Alpaca Farm. Crazy kids striking a pose while they wait. 

Such adorable alpacas.

This one was Pink (although the kids kept calling her Fluffy).

She was very friendly and easy going.

A feeding frenzy.

"Let's get a picture of the kids and an alpaca." The kids were certainly harder to wrangle than the alpaca for the picture.

Rudy at the barn door saying one last good-bye to the alpacas.

Back at the camp site, we had lunch and the kids just played. Some of the adults took naps while others sat and relaxed and talked.

Attempting to take a picture of Josh, who doesn't like pictures being taken.

Ashton's wagon was the biggest hit with the kids. It was nice that there weren't people in the sites next to us, so the kids had plenty of room to run and play and pull wagons up and down hills.

Before dinner, we were treated to a little music.

Charlotte whispered to me, "I like his guitar." When I asked which one she told me both.

Checking out the Leap Pad.

Corn on the cob over a fire- yum!

We made the kids cook their own dinner- and they thought it was the best thing!

Kimmie and Ashton

Ashton demonstrating how much roll he can stuff in his mouth at one time.

After dinner the kids made dessert- fill an ice cream cone with various chips (chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter), marshmallows, fruit, etc, then wrap it in foil and melt it in the fire for a few minutes.

The dessert was a success!

At the very end of the night we all sat around the campfire and told stories. Then everyone, kids and adults, headed to bed.

The next morning we discovered a visitor to our sites: a butterfly! Lily and Rudy both carried it around for a while. We didn't think the butterfly had long to be in this world because it was so calm and lethargic, but after a while it regained its strength and flew away.

As is our camping tradition, once the cars are packed, we take pictures.

Our family picture- can you tell someone didn't want to be in it?

Kim, Olav, Ashton and Lily.

Chris, Megan, Lily and Charlotte.

JoDee, Bob, Joshua, Emily and Ashlyn (an honorary family member).

Our Guatlings. Josh was determined not to smile.

But when you add a silly face in, you can't help but give a little smile.

All the kids. See the chaos reign as the pictures progress.

Group shots.

As usual, we all had a wonderful time; and for a change the weather cooperated. We have pretty much decided that our fall camping trip will have to be in September in tents, instead of cabins in October because the weather is much nicer!