I've Been Tagged!!

My long-time friend, Diane, tagged me. What does that mean you say. Well I guess I have to list seven things that are weird or interesting about myself. Shouldn't be too hard, right? I have plenty of weirdness to go around. So here goes...

1. I love to sing, but I don't do it well. I want to take singing lessons and everyone around me wants me to as well.
2. My favorite things right now are my new microfleece sheets (way better than flannel).
3. I love to cook and try new recipes.
4. I am always cold.
5. I have a very soft heart when it comes to the elderly.
6. I hate to exercise, but know that I should.
7. I want to travel the world when my kids are grown.

There you have it. Now I'm supposed to tag someone else, but not a lot of my friends have blogs so I'm going to pass. Feel free to leave a comment regarding your interests or quirks--I'd love to hear them.

Natalie's Halloween Party

My attempt at making cupcakes for Natalie's preschool. They were supposed to be bats, but the wings, I made out of sugar cookies, wouldn't stay on. So this is what they ended up looking like. Natalie as a Princess Witch.

Her friends from Montessori School dressed in their costumes.

Football

A mom made this banner for the boys to run through after half-time.

Nick receiving his Championship Medal.

The WINNING TEAM!!!

Nick's football team finished the season undefeated!!! YEAH!! On Sunday, they are going to play a game at Reser Stadium (where the Oregon State Beavers play). It's a great opportunity for the boys. How fun to be able to play on the same field as a Pac-10 team.

Goodbye to the last of a generation

Derek's grandmother, Jean Smith, went to be with the Lord and her beloved husband yesterday. She was the last grandparent that Derek and I had remaining. She was 81 years old. We feel very blessed that we were able to spend her 80th birthday with her last year. She really enjoyed spending time with her great-grandchildren and they loved her dearly. It's sad to think that we have lost an entire generation, but are who we are today because of them. What our grandparents did for us we will never forget. They taught us about the hardships that they endured and more importantly taught us how to survive them. They also taught us what family is really about--love and respect. They will all be missed, but will never be forgotten. Goodbye GG, may you rest in peace.

Correction...Uh Um...I'm allowed!!

I am changing the new baby alpaca's name to Criating Dream's Midnight Lace and calling her "Lacey". I thought I wanted her name to be Criating Dream's Black Lace, but changed my mind. Her father's name is "After Hours" so I thought "Midnight" in her name would be more appropriate.

GOT LEAK?

Just enlist your 9 year old son, who fits in small places, to help find it!!!

More Exciting News

My youngest brother, Kevin, who is almost 14 years younger than me is getting married. He proposed to his girlfriend of 2 years last weekend. They met at Willamette University in Salem and have been together ever since. They traveled to Europe this summer for a few months and then returned to go their seperate ways. Kevin is attending Colorado University at Boulder and his fiance' Allison is finishing her degree at Willamette U. I guess the distance really made Kevin think about their future together. It must've been harder than he thought it would be. Apparently his proposal was very romantic and she gladly accepted. :)

Allison is a sweetheart and my kids absolutely love her. They told me a couple of months ago that they wanted her to be their aunt. I told them not to get their hopes up, because Uncle Kevin still had a lot of schooling to finish. Well they got their wish sooner than I thought they would. We are all extremely happy and she will make a wonderful addition to the family.

Busy day on the farm

She is just minutes old in this picture.

Trying to walk.

Look how pretty.

You can just call our ranch "baby central". We've had two baby alpacas born in the last two days. One of the crias is from an animal we are boarding and the other one is from our silver gray female, Olympia. She gave us a beautiful true black baby girl. When she was born she looked like an oil slick her fiber was so shiny. She is everything we were hoping for with this breeding. We have named her Criating Dream's Black Lace and we call her Lacey for short. Lacey is a town in Washington as is Olympia. We thought the name was appropriate.

Katelyn

So grown up looking.

My oldest is 12!!!

Katelyn celebrated her 12th birthday with some friends. I can't believe it's been 12 years already. Where has my baby gone? Enjoy the photos.

Are you there? Because I'm here now!!!

Whew...it's been a busy month and a half. Let's see where did I leave off....

Oh yeah! Derek, the kids, and I went to Wildhorse Canyon, a Younglife camp in the middle of nowhere, in Eastern Oregon. Derek volunteered as part of the medical staff and the rest of us got to play. He had fun too, but he was mainly there to work.
The location of the camp was where the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his followers built a cult compound in the mid-80's and lived there until he was captured and deported. The Washington Family bought the land from the government and then donated it to Younglife. Younglife turned it into a camp for middle and high schoolers.
We all had a great time. The kids had fun going down the zipline and jumping on the big blob in the water. There were lots of activities for all of us to do. Before we left, we signed up to volunteer next year.

When we returned, we jumped right into football. This is Nick's second year playing tackle football for Pop Warner. He really enjoys it and has been playing very well lately. This year he is playing quarterback on offense and outside linebacker on defense. He made his first two touchdowns last Wednesday. One touchdown he ran for 53 yards. I can't tell you how proud I was of him. Nick is now in 4th grade and the other day I found myself looking at baby pictures of him wondering where my "little" boy went. He's getting so grown up.

Katelyn will be playing volleyball for the first time this year. She is very excited. She is a middle schooler this year (6th grade) and loves the whole social aspect of it. She also likes having a locker to decorate. I can't believe all of the accessories that they sell for lockers these days! We didn't have anything for our lockers when we were growing up. We also had to walk uphill both ways in the snow--oh sorry I forgot that was the story my mom told me. She is also learning how to play the clarinet in band. Katelyn just celebrated her 12th birthday and had friends over for a slumber party. There was no slumbering though--I never understood why they call it that anyway. We surprised her with her very own cell phone. We wrapped it up and had the boy, that she likes, call her. I think she liked the boy calling her more than the cell phone itself. We captured it all on video and have material to blackmail her with if the occassion ever arises.

Natalie is attending Montessori school this year. she attends five days a week from 8:30 to 11:00 am. She loves it so much--everytime I pick her up she's begging to stay longer. So far she has learned 6 states and their capitols and a ton of other things. It's been well worth the money we are spending. Natalie continues to keep us on our toes. She loves to go out and hang with the alpacas. If I can't find her, I just walk out to the pasture and there she is playing with the little babies. Speaking of babies (alpacas that is), we just had a new one born on Sept. 20 and are expecting another one any day. They are so cute!!!!

Derek has been staying busy with work and his college courses. He's getting classes out of the way so he can enter into a degree completion program at the Christian college here in town. He never can stand still for very long--always doing something!

As for myself--I've just been on the mend with the bulged disk in my back. About a week and a half ago I was in the shower shaving my legs and my back went out again. I hit the floor and stayed there until the pain meds kicked in and then Derek took me to the chiropractor. I felt much better the next day, but the recovery time has been a lot longer this time. I'm supposed to be taking it easy, but Ha that's a big joke with three kids, a husband, and 16 alpacas to take care of. Not to mention the other animals that we have. I'm trying hard, but sometimes it's just not feasible.

OK--so I think I've covered most of what we've been doing lately. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it sure feels like it.

OUCH!!!

Greetings friends and family,

Sorry I haven't updated our blog in a while, we've had a lot going on and I hurt my back and was in extreme pain for three days. Did you know that there is a high percentage of stay at home mom's that injure their backs? Yep, apparently we (stay at home moms) abuse our backs in the worst ways. We carry our little ones on our hips, we pick our children up from a bending position, we bend and twist while taking laundry out of the washer and we bend over (with bad technique) over a hundred times a day.

I woke up one morning feeling sore in my low back and when I got out of bed was in extreme pain. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what I had done to hurt my back. I tried taking a warm bath--with no relief so I took some advil. After a few days of this pain, I called my chiropractor. He was on vacation and wasn't returning to the office until Aug 13th. I then called my massage therapist and went in for an hour and a half massage. She told me she thought something was wrong with my L5 vertebra and recommended a chiropractor that she knew. When I called he didn't have any open appointments for that day. So then I called my regular doctor, because the weekend was approaching and I didn't want to be without pain meds if my back got worse (if that was possible). My doctor couldn't see me, but another one could. Basically all she did was ask where it hurt and then prescribed Vicodin and Flexeril--I still didn't know what happened to my back. I called my chiropractor's office again and asked the receptionist if she could recommend another chiropractor. BINGO-- I was able to get an appointment that day. After an x-ray the chiropractor diagnosed me with a bulged disk in my L5 vertebra (massage therapist was right) and Facet Syndrome. Facet Syndrome occurs when the back of the spine which interconnects to one another (the facets) compresses and irritates the soft tissue in between. This inflames the nerves exiting the spine and causes symptoms of numbness, tingling, burning and achy soreness along the nerve path. Not very comfortable at all.

So now I am going to chiropractor appts. every other day getting flexion treatments, getting treatments with electrodes (?) and ice packs and have to wear a brace all day long. This seems to be helping a lot, but I'm still not able to perform certain tasks and I was instructed not to do much at all for a while. How does a stay at home mom do nothing when she has three kids, is the team mom for football, and her husband is gone 24 hours every third day? I didn't know my job was so hazardous. Maybe Derek will give me Worker's Comp!! I should at least get some kind of compensation for my pain and suffering. :) --Don't ya think?

On to another subject--we are preparing to leave for a week long adverture at Young Life's Wildhorse Canyon camp in Eastern Oregon. Derek is volunteering on the medical staff and our whole family gets to tag along. We are really looking forward to it. We've heard that it's extremely fun. I, of course, won't be able to do most of the activities, but I will take lots of pictures and will post them when we return.

Is There a Heaven for Alpacas?

Do you think that God has a special place in heaven for all of the animals and pets that leave us here on earth? I personally think so and pray that alpacas have their own special place where the pastures are green and lush and there's no threat of preditors. Early this morning we had our first alpaca death on our ranch. She wasn't one of my animals, but I loved her all the same.

Since we have lived out in the country, my children have seen the miracle of birth and have experienced the saddness of death. As hard as it is for them, I think they are learning some very valuable life lessons and it's opened many doors for communication about our beliefs. There is a purpose for everything, even though we don't always know what that purpose is--God has a plan. Even though we will miss our pets, they are in a better place and one day we will get to see them again.

This particular alpaca was pregnant and due in September. Unfortunately her baby didn't survive either. So Hayley, I hope you are free of pain and illness and you are watching your little cria frolicking in the fields of heaven. Rest in Peace.

Home Alone

OK--I know this is every mother's dream... a whole week at home without the kids.

Going on vacation without the kids is great, but just not the same. You are away from home, enjoying yourself immensely, but the things at home that need to be done aren't getting done. They'll still be there when you get back and so will the kids.

Now that my kids are gone and I'm at home by myself--it's the perfect time to get things done, right? Ooohhhh--I only wish it were that easy.

I have a ton of things to do around here...believe me! Things that need my complete attention without distractions, weeding out the toy room without little fingers taking them back out of the donation box, cleaning the whole house so it will be clean for at least a week anyway--just to name a few. But I can't seem to get motivated to do these things---WHY?

I think I've finally figured it out--my house is too darned quiet. I know, I know who wouldn't completely relish a quiet house? I was really looking forward to the peace and quiet, but I must say that the laughter and noise of my children is what makes me happy and keeps me motivated--not a quiet house. Notice how I didn't say the fighting, just the laughter and noise. :) I'll never miss the fighting!!

So my goal for the week is to blast some great Christian music so I can get some things done around here. When I'm finished with my projects, I am going to relish my quiet house and read some books, catch up on some chick flicks when Derek is at work, take really long baths, sleep in, go shopping, workout, meet some friends for coffee, get a massage, pedicure, facial, go out to dinner with my husband, go see a rated R movie.....................

Maybe I can convince my mom to keep the kids for just one more week. ;)

Don't feel too sorry for me being home alone--I think I'll be just fine.

The Optimist's Creed

I came across this passage while surfing a website. If only we could all promise ourselves these things and strive to keep these promises to ourselves everyday. What a world it would be!!

I PROMISE MYSELF

To be strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.
To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet.
To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

Christian D. Larson

MEXICO

This was a long overdue vacation for Derek and I. We hadn't taken a vacation, without the kids, since Katelyn was born, which has been almost 12 years ago. We've taken little overnight getaways, but never a vacation this long. It was FABULOUS!!!

Some friends, at the fire department, had told us about a vacation that they had just come back from that they really enjoyed. We looked into it and immediately booked it. It looked and sounded perfect. The resort we stayed at, Aventura Spa Palace, was in a town called Playa del Carmen about an hour South of Cancun. This was an all-inclusive, adult only resort--PERFECT!! The moment we arrived we were treated like royalty. We were greeted with champagne at check-in and I was given a carnation. How sweet!! We were shown to our room which included a king-sized bed, a full-sized jacuzzi tub, a fully loaded mini bar with full bottles of tequila, vodka, scotch and rum. On our patio was a hammock that even had an ocean view. After getting settled we went to check out our new home for the week.

This was in our room one day after they had cleaned it. Every night our bed would be turned down and there were chocolates on our pillows. In all of the public restrooms were fresh flowers surrounding the sinks or on the countertops made into pictures or sayings.

This place was amazing. It had everything that you could possiby think of. The place was so big that there were two different lobbies--a North and a South. There was even a bus you could catch every 8 minutes that would take you between the two lobbies. In each lobby there were gift shops, restaurants, and other means of entertainment. The North lobby is where the spa was located and the South lobby had a discotech and a martini bar. Also in the North lobby was a fully loaded gym, an indoor pool with hot tubs and a juice bar--for those who wanted to stay healthy while staying at an all-inclusive resort (ha ha ha ha).

Outside were amazing pools, all with swim up bars and snack areas. There was a rock wall for climbing, ping pong tables, kayaking, and palapas (grass roofed huts) for messages right near the ocean. Kayaking was done in a little lagoon with tropical fish swimming all around. It was a breathtaking setting. The best part was the peace and quiet. No screaming or crying--just quiet. AAAHHHHHH.

Our days consisted of waking up, going to breakfast and hanging out at the pool. When we got hungry, we would go to the snack bar and get some chips, salsa and guacamole. The drinks were constantly flowing and the music was always playing. Some days we would go work out at the gym and some days we would play ping pong or go kayaking. The great thing was we could do whatever we felt like doing. Wow--what a concept.

At 5:00 pm we would go take dance lessons (salsa and merenge) and then we would go eat dinner at one of the 8 restaurants and then go dancing at the discotech where we would practice our new dance moves that we had just learned. We also participated in the theme shows that they put on every night. We met a lot of fun people at the martini bar and a lot of crazy ones too. We met one couple from Bend, Oregon, but most people were from the East Coast.

Part of the all-inclusive package included access to 7 other resorts that were all part of the resort system that we stayed at. This meant that you could go to any of the other resorts and swim in their pools, eat at their restaurants and participate in any of their activities for free. We didn't do this, because we didn't want to do a lot of traveling, but we could've if we wanted to. Our resort was the only adult-only and the others were exclusively for families. When we go there again in a couple of years--this time with the kids--we will resort hop I'm sure.

For the most part we just hung out at our resort, but we did take a few excursions while we were there. The first thing we did (or I did) was swim with dolphins. I had been wanting to do this for so long, but just couldn't justify spending that kind of money. Well come to find out, in Mexico it was a whole lot cheaper than in Hawaii--so I jumped at the chance. I was a little nervous at first because I didn't know what to expect, but once I was in the water with these beautiful creatures my nerves were settled instantly. They are amazing animals and very gentle. It was a little weird touching them, because they felt like wet velvet. They weren't hairy or anything, but they just felt that way. We got to do a few tricks with them and then we got to swim with them in the middle of the pool. For the finale, we each got to do what's called a foot push. That is where two dolphins come up behind you, while you are laying in the water, and use their noses to push you through the water by your feet. They went really fast and propelled you out of the water. It was kind of like flying. Talk about a rush!! I felt like a little kid. My face hurt from smiling so much.

We also went horseback riding on the beach and got to swim in the ocean with the horses. That was pretty cool, but didn't compare to swimming with dolphins. Needless to say it was still fun. I ended up with a grumpy horse. Everytime a horse got near it, that it didn't like, it would rear up and start kicking at it. It was try to bite the other horses as well. The cowboy said he would trade with me, but I decided to stick it out. When we arrived at the beach and it was time to dismount our horses, mine decided that it wanted to roll in the sand--with me on it. I didn't think I could move that fast, but I managed to jump off before getting squished. My leg got pinned, but I managed to get it out from underneath the rolling beast before anything bad happened to it. Of course, my horse was the only one that rolled that day. After that, I took the cowboy up on his offer and ended up with a really sweet horse named freckles. Derek's experience was uneventful.

The only other thing that we did was visit the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum. This trip was free for us for booking our trip through Costco. It was very interesting to see a village that dated back to the Classic Period (the earliest date lifted from the site is A.D. 564--taken from an incription on a stele). Tulum means "wall" and the city was christened thus because it is a walled city--one of the very few ancients ever built. Tulum was a major link in the Maya's extensive trade network.

These iguanas were everywhere in Tulum. They were called "Mexican rats".

This was the bluff overlooking the ocean. The beach below was absolutely gorgeous. The water was crystal clear.

Derek and I had such a great time in Mexico. I would highly recommend this resort to anyone. We were treated with the utmost respect and kindness. We really did feel like royalty. All of the staff members called us by our names and everywhere we went people were saying "hola" with genuine smiles on their faces--even the maintenance workers. Most of the employees could speak English, but if you spoke Spanish to them they were very happy. A few times, Derek would be speaking Spanish and they would think that he could speak fluently, so they would start talking really fast and then realize, from his glossed over eyes, that he only knew a little bit. We would all laugh and then they would speak English again. It was really funny.

If you want to get away to a tropical paradise then Aventura Spa Palace is the place for you. The place is first class all the way.

Adios!

NEW YORK CITY

We've seen it on TV, but we've never been--until now.


We parked our cars in New Jersey and took a ferry over to New York. Apparently, the cost of parking in New York is astronomical. Once we were off the ferry, we took a bus over to Ground Zero. It was really important for Derek to go see where all of his fellow firefighters lost their lives while trying to save people on that horrible day in September. I was afraid it would be really emotional and sad, but went anyway. I was right--it was very emotional, to say the least, and I didn't expect to see or hear what we experienced.


Where the World Trade Center actually stood was surrounded by fencing so it was really difficult to see. We did see one flight of stairs that were still standing, but everything around it was pretty much cleaned up. The buildings that surrounded the WTC were still being repaired from the damage they had received.








Right next to the Fire Station (whose crew all died that day) was a museum that had items found from 911. They had videos playing of people who were being interviewed, they had photos on the wall of the devastation and of the people that were missing, and they had the actual radio communication between the firefighters from that day. This was very difficult to hear, because you could hear the fear in the FF's voices. It was a very eerie feeling.





On display were some of the pieces of the aircraft that crashed through the twin towers. Some of it was melted so bad that you could only tell what it was because there was a sign telling you what it was. There were also personal items on display like shoes, hats and cell phones. One display was of the coins that must have been in someone's pocket that had gotten so hot that they melted together into a clump and you could barely make out the president's face of a particular coin. Pictures of people covered in ashes--like the images that we saw on TV only in person had more of an impact.


One wall was covered in photos of the family members that people had lost. Some had notes attached to them or personal belongings. I was holding myself together pretty well until I saw a photo of a younger, good looking man with a picture, obviously drawn by a child, attached that read: "Daddy, I hope you are having fun up in heaven. I miss you." The emotion that I had been struggling to keep inside came flooding out and I was a sobbing mess from that point on. I can't image what it was like to actually have been there on that day. It's really inconceivable.


The kids did really well, except for Katelyn. She took the whole thing pretty hard. Of course being the oldest, she understood more. I think what really bothered her was seeing a firefighter's turnouts that had been ripped and torn while trying to save as many people as he could before dying. She thought about her daddy being in that situation and couldn't contain herself any longer.




When we came out of the museum, this fire truck was parked outside getting ready to leave so Derek ran up to the engineer and asked if we could take a picture in front of it. He was very happy to oblige after hearing that Derek was a fellow firefighter.




This memorial was on one of the walls of the Fire Station dedicated to all of the firefighters--the ones who died and the ones that have to carry on. The wall says it all --"May we never forget."



















So now that we were emotional messes, we decided to go do something to lift our spirits. We of course had to go see the Statue of Liberty while we were in New York. So we walked over to where we could catch a ferry and hopped aboard. Once again, seeing her on TV is so much different than in person. I didn't realize just how big she was until I was standing beneath her. She's HUGE. Thank you France for such a nice gift.













After seeing the Statue of Liberty, we walked over to Rockefeller Center. On TV it looks like this ice skating rink is in a park or something, but it's actually surrounded by buildings. It was still cold enough for people to skate on.



While walking around, the kids discovered a two story candy store--so of course we had to go inside. I think it had every candy ever made. That was the highlight of the day for the kids.

We also saw St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was the most beautiful church I had ever seen in my life. We lit candles and said prayers while we were there. Of course you had to pay to do that. Nothing is free in New York. We then walked to Times Square which was quite a sight at night. Everything was larger than life. It was so much fun to be in a place that we've only seen on TV. We only had the one day there, but when we go back, we will definitely plan to stay longer and visit more tourist attractions.



So you have it--our whole East Coast vacation. It was so much fun and we loved spending time with our family that we don't get to see very often. It was a great learning experience for the kids and for the adults. There is sooo much history back there--it's amazing! I had never been to the East Coast as a kid, except in the airport while flying to Italy with my grandfather, but I sure felt like one while I was there. I hope you enjoyed our experiences and I hope that you will get to have some of your own one day. It's a place that everyone should see.

I will soon be posting photos of our trip to Mexico--mine and Derek's that is. It was our first trip without the kids since they've been born and we had the time of our lives--so stay tuned.

PHILIDELPHIA

Of course, while in Pennsylvania, we had to go to Philidelphia. That was a no-brainer. We saw and learned so much in one day it was unbelievable!! When we first arrived, we walked to where Betsy Ross used to live and saw her house and gravesite. Then we walked to Benjamin Franklin's gravesite (it was good luck to throw a penny on it) and where he used to live.

Derek learned that Benjamin Franklin organized the first Philidelphia Fire Company.

We then walked down the oldest street in America called Elfreth's Alley. This alley was named after blacksmith Jeremiah Elfreth and has been continuously occupied since 1713. The houses standing date from 1728 to 1836 representing Colonial and Federal style architecture.

While walking to Independence Hall, we stopped at The Christ Church. As you can see from the sign it was founded in 1695. While inside we learned that most of our first presidents attended this church. Church back then was an all day process, so some presidents would wander in and out during the day. Down the middle of the pews were actual gravesites that were in the church floor itself. The pews were also marked with the names of the presidents that used to sit there.

Our next stop was Independence Hall. Being there and knowing that was where the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution was drafted and signed was an incredible feeling.

Being in the actual room that that happened in was even more incredible. They had copies of these documents on display for us to see. Wow--did those men have beautiful penmanship back then. After we got home the kids rented National Treasure and saw all of the places that we had visited on the movie. That was really fun for them and a great learning experience as well.

We then went to see the Liberty Bell. That speaks for itself.

We also visited the U.S. Mint, but unfortunately don't have pictures, because we were not allowed to bring cameras into the building. We learned so many things about how our coins are made. The kids and I are collecting the state quarters so it was really interesting to learn the history behind them. We saw the huge rolls of flat metal that are used to cut out the coin blanks. These rolls are a foot wide, 1500 feet long and weigh 6,000 lbs each. We learned that the highest tonnage force is placed on a nickel to give it it's smooth appearance and the least tonnage force is exerted on a dime. It takes 60 tons of pressure to stamp the images on the front and back sides of a quarter. We watched as the coins were being made right before our eyes. The process is really fascinating. There is way too much information to put on this blog about how our coins are made, but you can visit this website to learn all about it and take a virtual tour of one of the Mints www.usmint.gov. This website also has fun games for the kids to play. Check it out.

Believe it or not, we did all of this in one day!! We also had to stop and have a Philly Cheesestake sandwich before we left. I think it would've been considered a sin if we hadn't. So there is our day in Philidelphia. Stay tuned for our trip to New York City.