From Pennsylvania we went on to New York!  (this was in May) Niagara Falls was one of the "must see" things on our list of destinations, partly because Joe's parents honeymooned there 48 years ago. 

We decided to do the Maid of the Mist boat ride.  I DO get quite motion sick, but I figured it usually takes me about a half hour to start to feel sick on a boat, and the ride was only 27 minutes.  We decided to go for it.  What's the worst that could happen?  I'd throw up in front of a bunch of strangers.  Nothing new.

So we donned our rain ponchos and ran to board the boat.

Don't know who that random guy in the back is...or if he was actually trying to get in my picture???

We were all soaking wet.  Her face may not say it, but we had the best time!  We giggled and laughed the whole time as the mist was spraying all around us.

He looks pretty happy to me.

The Lawson's were in Niagara waiting for us when we got there.  So we got to hang out with them for a few more days before they headed west for home (Washington).   We had a big night out at a local pizza dive called "Goodfellas", which had amazing pizza and wings for cheap! 

Later that night we decided to drive over to Canada to see the falls all lit up.  Our first trip to Canada! 

Unfortunately because of the fog and mist, there wasn't much to see.  But, now we can say we've been to Canada!  It is my dream to be a world traveler...so this is a start, right?

The Lawson's met up with a park ranger on the US side of the falls while we were in Canada, and found out a little bit more about the falls.  Apparently a LOT of people try to commit suicide over by jumping over the falls.  Many succeed, but those who don't end their lives have reported that there is something about the falls that "call to them".  Creepy!  We listened for a while...but we didn't hear any such "calling".

This post was written several months ago.  I am attempting to complete a chronicle of our trip, mostly for posterity's sake, but also so we have an online journal of our journey.  As we continue to process it all, I hope to share more of the stories that made this a year to remember.

After Emily and I returned from Azerbaijan, we headed north from South Carolina. 

We had an interesting few days.  God showers us with blessings when we least expect it, and when we need it the most.  We left South Carolina and headed towards an RV park in Colonial Beach, VA.  Most of the RV parks we stay at are very rural.  We drove down a harrowing narrow country road,  faithfully following our GPS, only to realize at the next turn that we could have taken a much better, wider road.  But, we made it, and the park was in a beautiful area near the Potomac.  We caught up on some school work and tried to recover from our jet lag.

From there we decided to try to drive Buster into Washington D.C.  I know, it was crazy.  We thought we'd like to spend just one more day in the city at the Smithsonian and maybe the new Spy Museum.  We had a few options for parking, but in the end, none of them worked out.  One option was now a construction site, and then we couldn't make the turns required to get to the other one!  So, we drove north toward Pennsylvania.

We weren't sure where we were going to stay once we got to PA, but our new friends, The Lawsons were already there at a park near Dover.  After debating about whether we should spend the money to stay at the RV park, or opt for a night at Walmart,  we called the RV park, and were told it would only be $3/day! God is so good to us.  I'm so glad I didn't spend another minute worrying about where we would stay.  Again it was SO GREAT to be with the Lawsons!!   They are expecting a baby this fall and were beginning to plan their trip home to Washington. 

I think this was the day I sat on a well used camp chair and it broke!  So embarrassing!  It was great for the kids to hang out with some friends, swap books, ride bikes, and watch YouTube videos.

We toured the capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. 

The Lawson's 5th wheel was named "Out Of The Rut" after Kyle's grandpa who had recently passed away.  The sentiment was wholly appropriate for our lives at this moment.  We were both families that were trying to get "out of the rut" and into what God was calling us to do.  Living on the road will get you there pretty quick!

And another blessing in Pennsylvania...
The next day we took our TV back to Costco.  It hadn't been working for a few weeks, and we thought we'd see if they would be able to help us out.  Sure enough, we were within the warranty period and they gave us a Cash Card with the value of the TV.  So, we were able to get a new TV AND some groceries.  Yay!

We spent a few days in Lancaster and Intercourse, Pennsylvania, also known as Amish country.  It was awkward to take pictures of people who were just going about their everyday lives.  As if THEY were the spectacles!  This was a shot I took from a distance...the countryside was about the most beautiful I have ever seen.  It made me want to live on a farm...just a little bit.

girls...