From Asher's Crib to the Cradle of Liberty

From Atlantic City, we headed to the City of Brotherly Love, aka The Cradle of Liberty, aka Philadelphia. We hit all the major attractions, from Independence Hall to the Art Museum to everything in between. It was a whirlwind of a day, but a great time was had by all. We started with cheese steaks at Pat's and Geno's (Pat's unanimously won the taste-test), headed to Old City for a history tour, walked to City Hall, Love Park, saw "The Thinker," posed with Rocky's statue, and had ice cream at Reading Terminal Market. The day was capped off by Russ and Alisha making fish tacos with ingredients bought at the Market!

Independence Hall

Asher's second to visit to the Liberty Bell

Asher's first taste of a Snow Cone in Fairmount Park

The Galapagos Islands' most famous animal...the Philly Phanatic in JFK Plaza

The City of Motherly (and Fatherly) LOVE

AC, Bay-by!

In June, Russ and Alisha made the cross-country trek to the Garden State and we started our whirlwind week with a trip "Down the Shore." (You don't got to the beach in Jersey, you go down the shore). Not only was it Russ and 'Lish's first trip to the Jersey Shore, it was Asher's first dip in the Atlantic Ocean...well, the first dip in ANY ocean for the matter. He was a bit wary of both the sand and the water, but warmed up by the end of the day. It was a true Jersey Shore experience, complete with fried Oreos, White House Hoagies and all the Jersey Fist Pumping we could handle.

Mommy with a very cautious Asher

Alisha and Russ Mendelson

Asher's first dip in the ocean

Checking out the sand

Fightin' Phils

After Asher's first baseball game on Father's Day, he went to his first Phillies game on the following Tuesday. (Actually he went to three baseball games in nine days, but more on that later). Asher donned his red pinstripes and had a great time watching Jamie Moyer get the win and Colorado native Brad Lidge get the save.

Heading into the Bank. Asher means business.

The ticket lady gave Asher a Phillie Phanatic figure. It went straight into the mouth.

Enjoying the game

Mommy and Asher celebrating a Phillies' win!

Asher, Dad, Mom, Bruce, Danielle, Katie (carrying a player to be named later), and Louie

Father's Day

We had a really awesome First Father's Day here in New Jersey. Pop-Pop and Nana made their way out on a road trip with pit stops in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Toledo for (shocker!) baseball games! So, what did we do to celebrate Ed's 35th and Jimmy's first Father's Day? We wen to Camden to watch the Riversharks play the Bridgeport Bluefish in the shadow of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. It was Asher's first professional baseball game, which was a really cool experience for everyone, especially on Father's Day.

Asher and Daddy After the Game

Three Generations of Woytek Baseball Fans

Asher didn't quite understand the whole 7th Inning Stretch concept.

Cori and her Diamond

Asher, quoting Red Barber, says, "Baseball is dull only to dull minds."

Some of the Words are Hers

"Then in the Arctic half light of the canyon, all existence fades to a being with my soul and memories...Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs."

--Norman Mclean, A River Runs Through It

While playing with Asher this morning, he used his now-perfected army crawl to propel himself across the room to grab his Sock Monkey. Now, for those of you who do not know, giving a Sock Monkey to newly minted family members is a Howard-Reece Family Tradition. (A tradition, by the way, that a certain Howard-Reece-Woytek woman probably needs to take up as her progeny have been especially prolific in adding to the brood in the last 15 or so months). While he was playing with his Sock Monkey from Baba, I thought of this picture, which captures the pure joy that Baba exuded...joy that obviously rubbed off on Asher and her 8 other great-grandchildren (soon to be 9 with another boy on the way in Idaho). We all miss Baba, but Norman Maclean's quote seems fitting. She's neither gone, nor forgotten. She was always at home in the Canyon and on the River. We'll always tell Asher that, if you listen closely, you can hear her words echoing off the canyon walls, just below the steady rumble of the river.

Oh, Shenandoah

Over Memorial Day Weekend, the three of us packed up the car and headed South across the Mason-Dixon Line to Northern Virginia. We stayed in Front Royal at the north entrance of the beautiful Shenandoah National Park. We took a drive up the famed Skyline Drive, which runs along the Blue Ridge Mountains. We loaded Asher in the backpack and took a hike to Overall Run Falls, which, with a height of 93 feet, is the Park's tallest waterfall. Asher enjoyed the fresh air, chirping birds, and the greenery. Mom and Dad enjoyed the weekend with no homework, lesson plans, or work-related obligations.

Overall Run Falls, Shenandoah National Park

Taking a break above the Falls

Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley

Mom and Asher taking a look at Overall Run Falls

Resting

Asher was a bit worn out after the hike

Master Mommy

Asher attended his first graduation ceremony in May and made it all the way through the two hour ceremony with no major meltdowns...a huge accomplishment. The greater accomplishment, however, was Cori's. She was hooded in the ceremony as a Master of Science in Reading Education from Gwynedd-Mercy College. While the diploma isn't quite in hand (she'll be completing a practicum in North Philadelphia this summer) she finished her classes with a 4.0 GPA. She's set quite an example for the little man to follow! So, congratulations, Master Mommy! We are so proud of you!

We were so lucky to have both of our moms out to celebrate and to watch Asher while we got to have a nice dinner in Center City and go to a Sugarland concert in Philadelphia. It was wonderful having Nana and Mimi for the weekend.

Master Mommy--All Smiles!

Celebrating at Home

"I'm proud of you Mom!"

With Nana and Mimi. Asher says, "Hey Mom, gimme that diploma!"