s'more puh-lease

Had so much fun visiting Laura/Paul and Rochelle/Tom and their families in New York. Was good to see their new homes and lifestyles and to experience a little of what New York has to offer - beautiful natural areas and a high quality of life, among other things. It was so good watching the kids reconnect and share moments together, like when Phoebes and Jack waited for empanadas at Rochester's Open Market, one of the biggest east of the Mississippi river. The wait was definitely worth it as those were some tasty vittles.

And having some moments for the parents to reconnect, like when Rochelle and Tom spoiled us with a divine dinner, lovely as always, followed by a fire in the backyard. We'd experienced Wegman's earlier that day and got to pick out a scrumptious raspberry tart. It's making my mouth water just thinking about it! They happen to live minutes from a showcase store, meaning it's loaded with everything you could possibly ever want to EAT! And more!

The most relaxing moment of the trip was sitting atop this Seneca nation hilltop, watching the sunset while the kids ran around in the meadow finding Monarch caterpillars and doing who knows what else. There's a peacefulness about this place that you can't explain - you just have to be there. But the highlight was our exit, when Alex and Max led us together through the deep, dark forest (almost pitch black), with nothing more than their courage and the light of the fireflies to guide our way. You really couldn't see the trail(!), yet they never faltered or lost hope. Boy were we proud.

Nature, nature, nature - I couldn't get enough. Loved visiting all the natural areas and seeing what we could find. Six bald eagles flew by just as we made our first stop at Letchworth State Park, also known as the Grand Canyon of the East (just. 45 mins. from LP). Turkey vultures flew overhead and a variety of woodland songsters entertained us as we hiked up and down the gorge. The waterfalls were perfectly stunning.

A trip north would never be complete without SMORES! If you've been deprived of this campfire treat, I feel sorry for you indeed. After a long day in the field or working in the garden, there's no better way to top it off than by roasting a big, white fluffy marshmallow til it's crispy brown on the edges and squishing it along with a piece of Hershey's chocolate between 2 graham crackers. It's warm. It's sticky. It's sweet. I was in heaven! Watching the bats fly around was cool too, and the fireflies were in full swing with the boys flashing the girls and hoping to get lucky. Paul even heard an Eastern Screech owl, but i wasn't so fortunate. Could've sat by the fire all night...