Cape Cod to State College, PA 24 June 2015

Good Morning,
Sitting here at the table looking across at the fields and two deers running across the area.   The sun is out today and so have blue skies around the beautiful green trees and fields.
We spent some rainey but good family days on the Cape.   Tom and I stayed at Otis AFB in their billeting as Pete and Linda had a full house with Kelly and girls and Danielle in their two bedroom neat condo.   We arrived with only 2 minutes to spare to check in at Otis...what a day!  Otis has some nice three bedroom condo's where we made home for several days.   We were at Pete and Linda's every day.  We did bring the rain with us but had nice day to go to Mashpee Beach and enjoy the kids playing in the ocean and making sand castles.   Maryann of course was covered in towels to keep warm as the wind was fairly strong.   We also spent a morning Candle Stick Bowling with the girls and Danielle and Pete and Kelly.   Molly was the winner!  First time we had heard of Candle Stick Bowling.   It was fun!   Also Linda and Maryann and all spent time at the pool in the condo area- watching the little's playing in the water.   We took a trip to Brocton and had dinner with Pete's brother and his daughter and son-in-law at a restaurant that has been a family tradition for years.   VERY good food and company!   IT was nice to meet more of the Walsh family.  AND of course we all played dice..even taught Danielle how to play. ALSO made time to go out and get ice cream...Cape Cod had the best ice cream shops..a small cone is two extra large scoops!!!! AND would not be a trip to the Cape without going to Lindsey's..our favorite seafood restaurant. We always eat very good when we spend time with Pete and Linda at their place in Mashpee!   It was bitter sweet as we gave lots of kisses and hugs  to Kelly, Molly, Samantha, Kirsten after traveling with them for the last month. AND to Pete and Linda who we won't see again until September back in Tucson.
We left the Cape on 17th June and spent a night at Groton, Conn. Submariene Base.  Tom and I went exploring and had a nice late lunch on the dock watching the fishing boats.  We traveled back to  Tobyhanna Army Depot in the Pocono Mountains where we spent time with Peggy and Larry.   Maryann and Peggy met in nursing school in 1966 and "what a wonderful friendship" they have.
When we say we are going East to spend time with family....they are family!   Of course we brought the rain to Tobyhanna...but the rain stopped at appropriate times as we went out and about.   Tom and Larry barbequed steaks one evening.   If you are ever in the area, the Army have very nice Villa's that ID card holders can rent.   We spent the days catching up and just enjoying being together.   We left Tobyhanna on Father's Day and traveled together and had a nice late lunch before we gave our hugs and headed to Belefonte to spent time with Joan and Tom who are taking care of Sara and Adam's home while they are at the beach for the week.   Lots of laughing happening here!   We did take a day and go to Shanksville Memorial ....where Flight 93 went into the ground on 9-11.    They are still building the memorial but it is amazing.   The park ranger that was telling the story brought tears to our eyes even before we walked around the finished area.   Being there was extremely emotional... felt the same emotions when we traveled to Dachau, Germany and to the Vietnam War Memorial.
As I walked pass each panel with individual name on them of the heroes  that helped take Flight 93 down...I took time reading each of their names and thanking them for their sacrifices.  We will go back when they have completed the memorial in a year or so.
It seems like the rain is following us still...but have had some nice days too...so take advantage. We spent a fun afternoon minitature golfing with Joan and Tom in State College.   Carrie and Emme arrived on the June 25th and will be traveling with us until 5 July.   We spent a day just letting Emme play.   Carrie and Emme stayed at Sara's with us too.  We  then headed to Harrisburg to spend a few days at Carlisle Army Depot again.   Visited our Aunt Fran and her family and then Tom and I attended Aunt Ethel's grandson's wedding mass...poured rain all day...they say rain on a wedding day is good luck!!  We were able to see some cousins we had not seen in years...so good to see all and catch up on their lives too.  Peggy and Larry  came up from Lancaster on their Anniversary in the afternoon to spend some time with us and Carrie and Emme.   Emme warmed up to them almost immediately.  After they left, we went and visited with Aunt Ethel.  So far once again Emme has been a great travelor.
Kelly and Bryan also started their road trip Arizona June 28.   They have plans to stop in Alabama to let the girls enjoy the Space Museum.  Since Molly was about 4 , she has wanted to be an astronaut...and still does.
We stopped at the Safari Adventure in Halifax, Pennsylvania on our way back to Karthaus.  Spent several hours walking about and seeing animals and taking the jeep ride.  Emme was able to feed the animals and enjoyed the petting zoo.
We are back in   Karthaus area for the 4th of July and to see family and friends
again.
Keeping you all in our daily prayer.  Love and hugs
God Bless,
Tom and Maryann

~"The Best things in Life are the People we Love, PLACES we have been and the Memories we've made Along the way."~

Linesville, PA to Harrisburg, PA June 2015

We arrived in Linesville, Pa on 31 May and spent a night with Joan and Tom.   We arrived late in the afternoon to a wonderful home cooked dinner and lots of hugs...in the rain.   I do think that the rain followed us across the states. We had a great pancake breakfast with Tom's homemade syrup and all the fixings.   The girls had a fun time at Pymatuning Lake  where ducks walk on the fish.  We fed the carp lots of bread near the Spillway where the carp gather in hundreds to catch the bread thrown by visitors.  The ducks try to get the food too and since there are so many fish...they actually have to walk on the backs of the carp to try to get the bread.  The Spillway draws over 300,000 visitors a year to see this attraction...and the only advertisement is by "word of mouth".  Joan had about 6 bags of old bread that the girls were able to feed to the fish!!  We bid farewell to Joan and Tom knowing that we would see them in a few days when we were to meet them at their camp and spend a night.We talked to Pete and Linda and Danielle Walsh while we were having lunch at Joan and Tom's as they were heading to the Cape from Tucson.   They were in Akron, Ohio.  We thought we would meet up as they were going to be staying the night in Clearfield, PA.   When we next talked to them, we were only 12 miles apart!!!   We met them at their hotel in Clearfield.  (Julie and Denny had invited them to dinner too!!) and they follow us down the mountain to Julie's.   Once again we had a wonderful family dinner at Julie and Denny's and Tyler and  also Massey's ( their cute little dog).   Pete, Linda and Danielle went back to their hotel and left the next morning for the Cape.  What wonderful family we have to welcome all 9 of us into their homes.   Julie took off the next day and all went to a local amuzement park..Kenny also joined the kids for a day of fun and rides.   On Wednesday we headed to Joan and Tom's camp about an hour into the woods from where we were staying with Julie.  Another fun time with roasting hotdogs outside around the firepit and then making smores.   The girls were exposed to using the outhouse and staying in a real camp!!  We took a couple walks in the woods...saw a few cow elks, deer and their fawns, turkey's with new chicks. We walked down to Maryann's Dad's old camp as Kelly had memories of spending time there with her grandparents.   Joan and I took them SNIPE hunting when it got dark....but unfortunately we were making too much noise so were not successful at capturing a SNIPE.  We woke to a beautiful day and another great breakfast and played some DICE before we headed back to Julie's.

Friday, Kenny and Julie and Tom took Kelly and girls for a hike to a local waterfall.  I stayed back as the area was fairly rugged near the Falls.   They did see a couple snakes.   Uncle Kenny made sure that Kirsten made it back up the rocky area..and she actually saw one of the snakes and alerted all!!
Friday evening we traveled about an hour down to State College and spent the evening with Joan and Tom and Roseanne, Jeff and girls and Sara and Adam and their twins.   It was so fun to see all the cousins ranging in age from 10 to 6 immediately bond.  They played all kind of made up games outside and then went indoors to Roseanne and Jeff's basement play area and played while the adults sat on their outside patio for  a beautiful evening of fun, laughter and catching up.  We thank Roseanne and Jeff for once again making us feel so at home.
Saturday the girls played outside in Julie and Denny's beautiful huge yard.  Kirsten loved their swing.
Julie made their stay special by doing manicures and pedicures with them..even did do overs with a big smile on her face!!!   They really enjoyed talking to Denny and playing games on the x-box and pool with their cousin Tyler who will be in his third year of college for engineering.    Julie would go to work but still had time to fix us wonderful home cooked foods and desserts.   Saturday evening , Kenny, Steven and his family and Rita and her Tom came over and we all had Pizza plus a great taco roll plus that Julie made.   The kids and Julie played crouquet.    Denny made a fun bond fire and once again made smores.  The kids and their cousins collected lightening bugs (fireflys) and put in a jar.   What fun to see the kids make these new memories with their Hugar Cousins.
Kelly and girls left for Stephenson ,Virginia on Monday to visit their friends that had recently moved to Virginia from Tucson.   They had wonderful adventures with their friends and then met us in Carlisle , Pa on Wednesday.  We took Maryann's Aunt Fran out to lunch.   She picked the perfect place for the girls ...Friendly's !!   It is always good to visit with Aunt Fran.   We were to visit with Aunt Ethel but she had eye surgery scheduled...she had a long day so we will see her on our way back.  We visited the Army War College Museum with the girls and they had fun exploring the outside areas and military  bunkers and World War 1 Trench.    We stayed at the Carlisle Barracks Military Billeting in a building that was build in 1880....of course remodeled!!!!    Thursday, we went to Lancaster and had a lovely lunch with Peggy, Larry, Lisa, Brendon and Elisabeth and Oakley the family pet!.  We spend the night in the Pocono Mountains at Tobyhanna Army Depot.  The girls were so happy to see deer and  a turkey and her hens near our villa.  We were all in bed early as we were excited to head to Mashpee on Cape Cod to spend time with Gramma and Grandpa Walsh and Danielle.
We just found out that our Emme is finally 19 pounds and 2 ounces!!!
We are keeping you all in prayer and thank you all for the prayer and thoughts for safe travels.
God Bless,
Tom and Maryann

~A JOURNEY IS BEST MEASURED IN FRIENDS AND FAMILY  RATHER THAN MILES~