A short hike

 After fishing we went hiking on a short little trail. Alex took a pretty big spill as soon as we got onto this rocky trail so I carried him the while time. Hey, at least my arms are keeping tone!
Lilia did great. (I love age 5!) She happily hiked the whole time, even as we trudged up hill for half a mile just to get to the trail.

Shu Shu Matt is pointing out a woodpecker in the trees.

Sweet Ellie (9 mo)

Wildlife

We also saw many birds of prey flying over head, along with horses trotting by.

Grassy field

 Matt & Ellie had to leave, but the kids and I stuck around for a while longer. I laid out a big blanket and I just lounged while the kids ran around and played with some older girls. Their mom was painting a scene.

The perfect weekend

Dave and I just finished the perfect weekend.
We are spoiled by parents who live close by and love taking the grandkids for the weekend. Wow, it's such a blessing to us!
Following Dave's usual style, we ventured into Philly to try some place new.
Ultimo Coffee. Wow, now this place was a seriously amazing coffee shop. And I'm a tea drinker. (Their tea was just ok, but the atmosphere was an 11 on a 1-10 scale.)
We sat for hours studying the Bible, sipping our hot beverages. It was glorious.
If you notice the picture at the bottom of this post, it's how they brew your coffee. They place a filter in a cup, pour the grounds in, pour hot water over the grounds and it steeps into your cup. Ok, wow. Now that's cool!
Side note not about coffee: For Dave and I it always takes a weekend alone to remember that we love each other and that we're on the same team. It's like we fall in love all over again! There's no one nagging you or clawing for your attention while you're trying to have a conversation. It's weekends like the one we just had that are so clutch in keeping our marriage strong. So thank you Al & Marilyn, and Bob & Linda for helping to facilitate that. Thank you.

This is their process for individually brewing your coffee. (WHOA!)

The perfect touch

 Our old curtains needed some serious help. (not pictured) They were just sad. They add anything to the room at all. I had just had them up until the right thing at the right time for the right price came my way.
Well Saturday was the right time, shower curtains from West Elm were the right things. Also I had a gift card, plus they were on sale, which made them the right  price.
I didn't want to buy something to hang the curtains so I thought about what I could reuse. I had some fabric scraps in the basement and one was the right color. I cut 1in strips and tied them around my tree branch curtain rods. (Can you tell I'm obsessed with nature?)
I am CRAZY about them! I love them so much. They add so much to the room. I love waking up to the colors and the beautiful pattern.

Easter Egg craft

The really nice Pinterest version

I saw these on Pinterest and thought they looked easy enough. They are, but our didn't turn out as perfect. I made 18 of these for Lilia's preschool Spring Party last week. I thought it would be fun with the kids helping me, but not so much. You have to paint them well (fill in all the spots), use markers and a hot glue gun. I enjoyed it at least!

Painted egg cartons 

Our finished product

Outdoor Things to do in Philly

One of our family values is "fun." On the weekends we like to get out and explore the city. Dave has compiled a list of things to do in Philly. We'd like to share it with you in hopes that you discover a new part of the city and fall in love! (I've created each listing to link to their website so just click on it and learn more about it.)

Smith Playground
Rittenhouse Square
Franklin Square

Elfreth's Alley

Kelly Drive/Boat House Row
The Azalea Garden
The Horticulture Center
The Japanese House
Bartram's Garden
Fabric Row
Antique Row
Elfreth's Alley
Italian Market
Navy Yard
Philadelphia Zoo
China Town (We loved Lee How Fook's pan-fried chicken with lemon sauce or E Mei Resturant)
Taney Park (This is mostly a big, wonderful playground.)
Penn's biopond
Penn's Landing
John Hines Wildlife Refuge (It's located across the highway from the airport, but the park is huge and worth checking out at some point.)

WELL OUTSIDE OF CENTER CITY

Morris Arboretum  (Free entrance with a Penn ID card)
Cynwyd Hertiage Trail
Wissahicken Valley Park (I set the link up to Valley Green Inn because there is plenty of parking and you can choose from several different trails to hike, walk/run, or bike. We LOVE this place!)