Family Vacation!

We decided last minute last weekend that we wanted to go to Niagara Falls and Palmyra for a little family trip. Pete starts school on the fourth of August and we hadn't really done a family trip, which we had all summer to do. So we got a hotel and headed out last Wednesday morning. First we went to Niagara Falls, wow its amazing!! In this picture we are actually in Niagara Falls, before the falls of course. We rode on the Maid of the Mist boat which took us right into the middle of Niagara falls, it was crazy but so much fun!

We also went to the Cave of the Winds. You walk down and are right under the small (not really that small but the smallest of all three) waterfall. We really needed a waterproof camera and would have got better pictures. So by the end of the day we were soaked even with the rain jackets. It was such an amazing thing to see and hopefully we'll be back a few more times before we're out of Cleveland.

There are two waterfalls on the left, one big one and then you can see the really small one next to it. These are the falls on the American side. On the right, with all the mist coming up is Niagara falls which is on the Canadian side. Jack and I getting ready to enjoy the trip!
After Niagara Falls we drove to Palmyra and saw some pretty neat stuff. We got to Palmyra just in time to see the hill cumorah pageant. Wow we were really impressed and are so glad we didn't miss it. The next day we went to the Smith farm and also the sacred grove. What a humbling experience. The spirit and peace you can feel in the sacred grove is amazing! This is Jack and Pete in he sacred grove.
This is the Smith's house. I couldn't believe how small it was for such a big family. I don't have a picture of the house they built just down the lane, but we have the inside with Jack.
Jacks is standing on the bricks were Joseph Smith hid the plates at least one time. He pulled out the bricks and stuck the plates inside hiding them from mobs and people trying to take them from him. This is the new house that was built close by the first one.
We had so much fun and now next week get to go to Washington D. C. with my brothers. Anyone who's been there, please let me know the places we need to see and the places to skip!

Getting the basement waterproofed

Okay so a few months ago a person from Ohio State Waterproofing came to our house to offer to look at our basement and give a free estimate. We had had some problems with leaks but thought really nothing of it. Most basements leak around here. So we let him in and boy were we in for a surprise! I don't really feel like boring everyone with all the details and lots of boring pictures which we have, but here are a few mostly for family to see. The previous homeowner had freshly painted the walls white and patched up a lot of problems then told us he knew of no water damage or leaks in the basement. We said great. With in a few months the walls were turning yellow and we were getting small puddles. This one below is one of the many yellow spots with a hole where water was getting out.
Another big hole hid behind some shelving.
You cant really see it but there are lots of bugs on the ground and somewhat molding around spots on the floor, pretty gross!
So they came in and dug all round the basement, look at all the water! Then they put pipe in to gather the water and get it to the sump pump (below picture). The workers told us there was a lot of water below the floor. In the sump pump is water that was gathering while they were working. We even saw places where we could see water running down, so there's quite a flow under the floor. We are just glad that it is fixed with a life time warranty on the basement. Sorry I didn't put any pictures of the finished product on here I'm sure you are already bored by now. They covered the pipe with gravel and then poured cement over the top. They also did work outside with waterproofing it, so lets hope this is the end of our home owning trouble, well at least with this house. I have to give it credit the house is pretty nice for being built in 1920.

MEMORIES...

So a friend had this on her blog and I decided to try it too. Please everyone do it, it will be so fun for all of us :)

First leave a comment on my blog about a memory you and I had sometime even if you know me a lot or just a little any memory you have of us. Then because you leave a comment you have been tagged and get to copy this tag onto your blog for the memories to come pouring in. Please do it, I'm already trying to remember memories of all my blogger friends.

Now only nice memories ( that especially applies to family members!) Have fun with it and PLEASE do it, I promise it will be fun! Thanks

Water Park and 4th of July

We went to the Shaker Heights Firework show, it was pretty lame, but was good enough for Jack. It was also only about five minutes away from our house which made it nice to get home and get Jack in bed!
We took sparklers with us and Jack thought it was fun. It took him a while to figure out that he couldn't touch himself or anyone else with the sparkler.


This was Jacks first firework show as the last two he was asleep and I just couldn't wake him up. He loved them and when asked which firework he liked best he said the one that went "a big boom."
We bought season passes to this water park about thirty minutes away. Jack gets in free and the passes we thought were pretty cheap. We've been going two or three times a week and its been such a fun thing for us to go do. We figure its probably the only summer we can because Pete will be in school the next two summers and Jack will cost money to go. So we are enjoying the SUNNY days and having fun!
Little kids heaven!! Jack is to small for most of it, but enjoys the slides he isn't to little for.


The Peanut's crew comes out everyday and does some dancing. Jack loves it, he always wants to hug everyone, especially snoopy.

The wave pool is a favorite, they also have a small swimming pool, a lazy river and some other fun water slides.

The slides Jack gets to go down again and again!!