PA Vaca - Day 9

Our last full day in Lancaster!  We started our day by heading up to Denver to see my cousin Lori's new house.  They had just moved back to PA from way too many years in Wyoming.  Lori is my cousin who is closest in age to me.  We've been able to stay close through the years even with an 8 year age gap.  I'm so happy for them to finally feel settled and in a place of their own.  It was also great for us to see Jason.  We missed seeing him earlier in the week.  The kids got to play and Lori showed me around and shared all her ideas for her new place.  I really miss her - I loved it when we both lived in Lancaster as adults.  We spent a good deal of time together then.  Now it's lots of text messages, emails, Facebook, etc. that keep us close.

After we left there, Sis was in desperate need of a nap so we headed back to the hotel where I got us packed while she slept.  While we were at the hotel, the boys went down to a creek near Safe Harbor that Andy and I use to go hike along when we were dating.  Ra had a blast with Andy, catching crayfish, building dams, rock hopping, etc.  Andy always loved that as a kid and now Ra does too.

The boys before they went "creekin"

This is the spot they went - flows into the Conestoga between Slackwater and Safe Harbor

Having fun being a boy

Building a dam

In the evening we took the kids to the Washington Boro Tomato Festival.  WB is known for their delicious tomatoes and something I just took for granted for so many years.  My family use to go to the festival when I was younger and Andy and I kept that tradition for all the years we lived in Lancaster.  It's a great place to see many friends from our former church, friends of my parents, former neighbors, etc.  My cousin Jon and his wife Laura and their beautiful little boy Jake met us there.  It was awesome to catch up with them and finally get to meet Jake in person!  He's even more adorable in person than all the pics that Laura and Jon post of him!

The best part of the 'Mator Festival is the FOOD!  Tomato sandwiches, chicken corn soup, beef bbq sandwiches, Turkey Hill ice tea, and every type of pie under the sun!  The second best part is the raffles!  It use to cost a quarter but I guess inflation effects everything because now it's up to 50 cents to play!  The kids loved it and all the proceeds go to the Blue Rock Fire Rescue.  My dad's good friend is on the board of directors.

This was their first time playing this type of raffle - put your money on a number and they spin the wheel.  If it lands on your #, you pick a prize!

The most expensive bag of M&M's, but so much fun to win!

This sweet boy is even cuter in person!

Meeting a new cousin for the first time!

Kendall could have eaten him up too!

Me and Jon - It was so great to see him.  What great parents he and Laura are.  So proud of him and love their family! (not sure what Andy was laughing at but he photobombed us!)

After the Tomato Festival, we headed back to the hotel and I met up with my BFF Beth to go out for a GNO.  It was some much needed time together.  She and I never get enough time together or time on the phone without interruption!  We had all night to talk, drink, eat and be merry!  I miss her terribly and wish we lived closer to be there to help out in each other's lives on a daily basis.  I'm so thankful for a friendship that has survive the thick and thin.  We've always stood by each other's side, no matter what roller coaster we've been on in life.  It's so comforting knowing that you have a friend who loves like a sister!

We had a fantastic time on our trip to Lancaster.  We headed to the airport the next morning to fly back to Jax.  There's always more to see and do and people we didn't get to see or see enough of, but that's what makes our trips back home so special.  Our 10 days will have to hold us until October!