A horse is, of course, a horse.....

After leaving our campground, we headed up to visit some of the Johnson Clan (my mother's side of the family) in the Ogdensburg, NY area. Although they do not offer full hook-ups, we did find the Madill campground to be a pleasant place to stay....



We saw about 40 Amish carriages and buggies a day on the road in front of us. The Amish have bought up lots of farms, and there are many Amish families living in the area. There are a lot more Amish than there was when I used to go and visit years ago. I wanted to teach the kids about the Amish lifestyle but Wierd Al ruined it for me! The kids have listened to Amish Paradise and every time I talk about the Amish, the kids break into song.





One of the many buggies on the road



We had a great time visiting Kevin and Karen. We got to see their horses and the kids got to "ride" (they were led around bareback on a lead). They also enjoyed feeding the horses grass, carrots, and treats.





Liam feeding the horses grass




Skyler thanking Reba for the ride





Sky riding Reba





Liam riding Reba

My Cousin Julia and my Aunt Karen threw a surprise birthday party for Liam. He was SO HAPPY! Liam always gets shorted when it comes to birthdays... his birthday is at the end of July. He doesn't get to celebrate in school with his friends because it is in the middle of the summer. This year he got a party with relatives up north, Grandma is doing something special with him, and we will celebrate on his birthday.





Julia made Liam an ice cream cake

Playing on the water slide

Skyler, Liam, and Caleb

Silly string fight

Second cousins... Caleb, Liam, Skyler, and Damen

We had pizza, and Julia made Liam an ice cream cake. The kids got to play on a big water slide and then they had a silly string fight. The boys enjoyed playing with the little boys (their second cousins). Everyone had a great time with family.

It's great to spend time with family!

We have been able to spend time in New York visiting family. The kids have gotten to see Grandma and Grandpa Tom, Uncle Darryl, and their cousin Emily. We also have been able to see some of Kent's family... Aunt Diane, Uncle Donnie, and Aunt Brenda.

There is going to be a big 25th Anniversary party for Diane and Donnie this weekend and well as cousin Emily's Baptism... so there will be lots more relatives to see! We will also be heading north to see more of the Johnson clan next week! It's so great to be able to spend time with family after so many years of being away. It has been 4 years since our last visit to this area. One of the best things about moving to Delaware is it will be only 5 hours to visit. That is, in my terms, a very close distance. I am looking forward to being so close to family.



Liam, cousin Emily, and Skyler
having a great time playing and
getting to know each other!


Patti and Mary sharing her
Yellow Brick Road wine from
the Oz winery.