Fun in the sun!

Each year we choose to get a membership to one of the many places located in and around Philadelphia. One of the benefits of living in the city is the incredible facilities they have for learning. We have had memberships to the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia Zoo, Please Touch Museum, Camden Children's Garden, and Adventure Aquarium. Of all the memberships I think we have enjoyed the Aquarium one the most! Unfortunately, it is the most expensive of all the memberships. The only reason we were able to get this one was because friends of Andy's parents gave us a gift certificate to enjoy the aquarium for a day. We chose to apply that towards the price of a membership. But, sadly, that membership runs out on Wednesday. So we have been going to the aquarium to enjoy our last few days. We were able to go on Friday afternoon, though it was much more crowded than what we were used to. We have discovered that the aquarium is basically empty Monday - Thursday afternoons. One of the new exhibits they have opened is feeding the birds. Matt really enjoyed it. Sarah was apprehensive! She ended up letting Andy feed the birds.It has been fun to just load up the van and go explore and see or touch the fish any afternoon we pleased. We plan to go tomorrow to use our4-D movie tickets. We are planning to see "Planet Earth". We'll see how it is.

After the aquarium we headed over to the Camden Children's Garden to let the kids run around. They love running through the different paths. Daniel likes to hide - which can be a bit nerve racking because he doesn't answer you when you call for him. He is really good at hide and seek. In history we read the poem "O Captain, My Captain!" by Walt Whitman. In the garden they have a statue of him. So the kids decided to pose with him. Friday evening, demolition began on the dining room. Poor Andy hardly slept the entire weekend. It is much easier to tear out a room without Daniel running around and our children sleep through anything! He tore out the ceiling Friday night.

Then the window wall Saturday night.

The only thing that has to be torn out now is the paneling that is on the wall attached to the kitchen. The full wall, opposite the window wall, will just have to be sanded down as the previous owners textured the wall with some sort of stucco. I have hated that stucco since we have moved in. The dust just hangs on it and it is impossible to get it all off. Now it will be sanded down smooth and look beautiful! I am excited that this project is underway. After this room the only rooms left to be renovated are the living room, downstairs bathroom, and our bedroom (which will probably never get done!). All the other rooms have been gutted and redone. I believe the next project scheduled for this summer is the upstairs hallway - it is starting to fall apart - no thanks to kids that like to pick, namely Daniel. It has been an eyesore for quite awhile. It's just a matter of finding the time - maybe August. Pray for Andy as May has turned into a very busy month and he will be anxious to get this project completed before the hectic summer ministries begin.