Drea's Commerical

The Fairmont Federal Credit Union recently made some commercials using Allegheny Imagine Factory.  Unlike most local commercials they turned out really well.  Drea had the pleasure to audition for one of the spots.  She did not get picked to have her own commercial, however, they did create a few commercials with the audition tape.   Her cousins Barrett and Tyler are in this commercial with her, they did get picked for their own commercials.  They both turned out really well.  Barrett's voice is at the end of the commercial.  For those of you on facebook, just go to the Fairmont Federal Credit Union's facebook page and you can watch all of them.  For those of you not on facebook, just go to youtube and search for Fairmont Fcu.  The auto video is Barrett and the boat 1 & 2 video is Tyler.  I believe there is one other commercial with Drea, so when it comes out I will post it without all these details. 

Maryland Science Center

One of the other trips we took while visiting the Hoffmasters was going to the Inner Harbor.  I have said this before, but I really enjoy the Baltimore/DC area.  There is so much to do.  On this day we went to the Maryland Science Center.  There was so many things to do at the Science Center, it was impossible to do them all, but we tried. 



This guy greets you coming in the door

Making a hot air balloon

Digging for fossils

Isak and Charlotte putting together a dinosaur skeleton

Hugging a dinosaur

Sitting in a dinosaur footprint...

Oops...she shouldn't have been on that

Making dino footprints

Help me!

Up close and personal with a tornado

The kids dressed in parkas

Isak was the only on who really wanted to have his picture taken in this parka

Petting a snake

There were 3 of these seats.  You could sit in them
and pull yourself up using a pulley.

In the tornado machine...

Cool picture of Drea playing with fog

Tug of War

Laying on a bed of nails

Playing in Space

The girls in the kid area

Pretending to be turtles

As you can see there was a lot of things for the kids to do.  I didn't even take pictures of everything that was there.  I'll finish this blog post with a video of the kids in the tornado machine...only one of them makes it though the entire experience...Can you guess who?

The National Zoo Redo

The very first time we visited with the Hoffmasters we went to the National Zoo.  Remember this?  http://wvniessners.blogspot.com/2012/08/we-went-to-zoo.html So if you know the girls, you know once you do something with them, they think that is what you are supposed to do every time.  This is one of those things that I don't mind doing over and over.  We have yet to see the entire zoo, so there will probably be another trip at some point in the future.  The main reason we have yet to see the whole thing is because it has rained both times we have been there.  One of the great things about the National Zoo is it is free.   I guess technically it isn't free since we ride the Metro into the city, but that is another aspect I enjoy. 

As a kid, we didn't take public transportation, ever.  I am pretty intimated with it.  I really want the girls to not be scared to take adventures and try new things, hopefully using public transportation as kids won't scare them as adults.  I should be clear, it isn't riding the train or the people or anything.  That doesn't bother me, in fact I had a great conversation on the Metro with some guy about Elijah.  The whole ticket buying part is what freaks me out.  It is really stupid if you ask me, but I don't want people to think I do not know what I am doing or get on the wrong train.  Enough about that, on to the pictures and the fun.



Waiting on the Metro to start the day

Drea, Char, and Isak on the Metro

Drea, Elijah, and Char on the Metro



Charlotte's view while she was riding the Metro

The girls playing in the fountain

This fountain is on the way to the zoo

Finally in the Zoo

Zebras



The cheetah sleeping

Elk

The red panda sticking out his tongue, probably because of this http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/06/25/missing-red-panda-from-national-zoo-found-in-dc/



Complete with chips in hand posing with the red panda statue

Aunt Sarah, Charlotte, and Elijah saying cheese

Drea's Favorite

Charlotte's Favorite

This was during one of the three rain storms, I do not know if you can tell or not, but it is pouring while we are watching the seals swimming around.  Thankfully we are undercover and somewhat dry.



The sun came out for this picture, then it started to rain, again and
we headed back inside to see the octopus



The Octopus

We finally gave up and headed for home

This picture sums up the end of the trip, cold, wet, and exhausted

 There is an obvious difference between the beginning of the trip and the end of the trip, but it's hard to complain about a fun filled day at the zoo.  I am sure at some point in their lives the kids will look back and talk about the time they went to the zoo and it poured.  Here is hoping to many more zoo trips and fond memories.

Visiting Friends

I decided this year to split up our vacation week and spend time at my Mom's house in NJ and also to visit our friends the Hoffmasters in Elkridge, MD.  I know I have said this before, but I love how the kids pick up right where they left off and it is as if they never left.  It is always good to see them and it is great to see how well they are doing in their new apartment and new city.  We did lots of fun things together; swimming, playing at the park, the National Zoo, the Science Center in Baltimore, visiting their new church, and lots and lots of playing.  And that was just me and Jordan.


First things, first...playing at the park

Isak and Charlotte

Isak pushes Elijah on the swing

The girls swinging

Going for a walk on the trail at the park

Um, we are not going down there

Throwing rocks

Charlotte wading in the water

Everyone wading

We found a turtle

Charlotte would have liked to bring him home

Elijah's turn to hold him