Having fun and feeling sore go hand in hand

So. The in-laws (known from here on as Maw Maw and Paw Paw) came in last week and the stayed for 5 1/2 days). We had a blast and ended up a bit tired, but happy for the visit. Michael was so excited to have so many of his "Big People" with him everywhere we went, especially since Maw Maw and Paw Paw are his "favorite people ever"!

The next day, we took them (actually they drove, but you get the idea) to Green lakes. We didn't go swimming, but we went around green lake and then played on the playground and Paw Paw and Michael went walking around the lake. Michael and Paw Paw found a Millipede and had a ball playing with him, even if the millipede didn't enjoy it so much.

Michael decided to go in a little and didn't listen very well to Paw Paw, but Paw Paw knows how to handle a three year old in these situations:)

We went to Fort Rickie on Saturday. My goodness! All the animals were so friendly and they let you get right in the gates with the Deer and the Goats. Michael was a little intimidated by the deer and their antlers, but loved it all the same. They had a playground there too! Yes, my son did tip the turtle onto his back. When we told him the turtle was going to be sad, he immediately turned him back and told him he was sorry:)

Isn't he lovely??

Notice how one of the goats is standing on another to get at the hay??

Bev made friends!

All the boys

Monday we went to the New York State Fair. That was of course our first time and Michael seemed to enjoy himself, we all did too! Michael rode some animails and almost went on the jumper, but he got a little freaked out by the guy trying to put the harness on him, so all he got out of it was a little blue ticket, unused. Paw Paw also showed Michael how to golf. I think the hardest part was probably teaching how to go in order...

The nice giraffes were very friendly at the zoo..

Waiting, so excited to jump... Refusing to be harnessed....
Geoff is the only one not smiling because he's being choked:)

They went home on Tuesday and for the next few days Michael was asking for Maw Maw and Paw Paw.

Michael and Geoff and I rested for the next week and then on Labor Day we decided to try another state park. We went to Clark Reservation and got a great workout-I'm sooo sore today!

We took the cliff trail which do a lot of climbing up some rocks (not real rock climbing, but a lot of steep steps type climbing).

View from the cliff trail (and Geoff, of course)

175 limestone steps of pain...

Michael has climbing tendancies

My boys!

After that, we went on the 175 limestone steps that lead down to the lake in the basin. Those steps are the most horrible things ever and I think they should be banned! But we did have a good labor day and Michael enjoyed most of the climbing but did about half of it on Daddy's shoulders (when it came to the climbing of the rocks, he did most of that on his own, "I want to do it by myself"!!!) I swear, the kids gonna give his mother a heart attack one day!

On an un-related note, Geoff and Michael have made a few birdhouses in the past couple weeks. Michael even helps with the sawing. He also gets to pick the color and does a lot of the painting. he loves building with his daddy and things that "the birdies need a place for their family so they don't miss their family". When hes not jumping and climbing and screaming, he's a pretty sensitive kid:)

Two of the birdhouses and Michael "helping" to paint one.

I had another infusion on Thursday and he changed up my meds a little. Arthritis-wise I feel OK right now. The problem is, I stop feeling OK about two weeks after the infusion and they've got me on the highest dose, so we're trying to figure out where to go from there...

Still no news on the job or the house, so keep praying!

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