Taughannock Falls

This weekend we were all supposed to go camping at Taughannock Falls with Meredith, Curtis and their kiddos R and M as well as Rob and Janae D., but Matthew and his schooling ruined it. Matthew has this research paper due and although he has put many hours into it, it just doesn't seem to be finishing. It is an understatement to say that Matthew and I are both frustrated and tired. I have also been feeling a bit lonely not having him around all day and sometimes all night, so I decided that I should still go hang out for the day on Saturday even though I was no longer planning on staying the night to camp. I am so glad I did. It was just what I needed. It helped to cure the loneliness and was a beautiful day, perfect for wandering and enjoying the nature around us.

E and I left fairly early in the morning so we could enjoy our friends and the falls for as long as possible. We had previously arranged to make lunch for everyone and in turn the other meals were provided by either family. Rob and Janae had spent Friday night camping, so they welcomed us when we arrived. We decided to hang around the campsite and play games while we waited for Meredith, Curtis and their kids to arrive. I taught them to play Ripple and E had fun watching and interacting while sitting in her Bumbo.

Just as we were finishing a bite of lunch and getting ready to check out the falls, Meredith and her crew pulled up, so we decided to wait as they grabbed a quick bite and changed into their swimsuits.

Falls at the start of the trail to Taughannock Falls

Wandering the river on the way to the falls

Janae and I enjoying a mini waterfall

It was a short walk to the falls, but it took us awhile to get there because we meandered through the river along the way. It was a perfect day out; bright blue sky and not too hot and not too cold. On the way back towards the cars Curtis took a closer look at a set of falls near the beginning of the trail and next thing we knew he jumped in.

E even took a dip; she didn't seem to like it at first

But then she was alright with it

M loves E. She taught her to splash!

The guys were great at maneuvering the strollers up and around obstacles

Taughannock Falls

Another view of the falls at the trail head

Curtis before and after taking a dive

It was still fairly early in the afternoon so before heading back to the campsite we decided to take a quick dip in the lake. Meredith watched after E while Janae, Rob and I jumped in. We dived from the floating dock a few times and then had a race along the length of the swimming area. Rob whooped us and I'm pretty sure Janae was taking it easy as to not make me feel like a complete looser!

E had a great time at the lake. She even sang for us; I love her happy noises.

View of Taughannock Falls from above

After Meredith and Curtis had a turn in the lake we headed back to the campsite for dinner. Janae and Rob cooked up some fantastic foil dinners that included beef, onions, carrots, zucchini and french fries. As dinner was being cooked R found a frog friend who tried to jump on the food. R wanted to hold him for safe keeping, but unfortunately by the time Curtis grabbed a container, our fly eating friend had stopped breathing.

R caught a frog

I have a feeling froggy was posing for his last photo

If you look closely you will notice that R has his right hand closed. He was holding the frog and although it was a loose hold, froggy went to sleep and never woke up (R didn't realized that frogs breathe through their skin).

After dinner we enjoyed the rest of our evening roasting marshmallows for s'mores. I've never been a huge fan of s'mores, but I enjoyed a playful twist by placing a mallow between two chocolate chip cookies! Along with dessert we played games until around 9:30 or 10pm then E and I had to start our journey home. It's a trip E and I would take again so that Matthew could enjoy it as well!

Food Truck Rodeo

Recently we discovered that once a month, during the summer, food trucks from around town gather together at the Rochester Public Market for all to enjoy. Matthew and I were excited to get a chance to explore the possibilities and hoped to find interesting, delicious food. I was also very happy to try more sushi from the Stingray SushiFusion truck I discovered at the Lilac Festival a few months back.

Sushi "trash" Plate

We thought it would make it even more fun if we shared the experience with our new friends Janae and Rob. They recently moved to Rochester for Rob's residency and we are happy they are in our ward at church.

The donuts were divine!

There were so many trucks to choose from and I wanted something from all of them, but my stomach isn't that big and neither is our budget. We were still able to try a lot though and it was yummy! It has been hard to find really exciting food in Rochester coming from Seattle, but these food trucks didn't disappoint and I've learned that we just have to look a little harder around here to find great food.

E didn't want to miss out on all the eating!

Avocado, bacon, sweet potato hash...what more could you ask for!

L: Thai Bao R: Shrimp Thai Fried Rice

Just Keep Swimming

This month has been a hard one and I have a feeling it is just going to get harder. Matthew's schoolwork is overwhelming and on top of it he has started clinical work, so between the two I hardly see him. I feel badly for doing things without him, especially when they involve E, but I have realized that I will go crazy if I wait for Matthew. I will make attempts to schedule new and really fun things for when he can be there, but otherwise I will just have to take pictures and video and share that with him.

This summer has been very cool so far, so there haven't been many days that are good for swimming. The first attempt that we made to introduce E to the wonderful world of the pool failed. So when today was forecasted to be warm, I took the Cruzes up on their offer to come over and swim. Unfortunately, today wasn't as warm as predicted and last minute showers were expected, but it was still warmer than the last time we tried and the sun was out, so we attempted it anyway!

E wasn't sure about the water at first, but with time she really seemed to enjoy it! After swimming we decided to walk down the street and eat at Moe's. It was good. As I was ordering my food Francisco called to me and pointed out that Matthew was just outside on his bike. This was slightly alarming to me as he was supposed to be at the library so I ran out of the store to call him over. I soon realized that he was actually coming to meet us. He had tried calling me, but I didn't hear my phone so he called Francisco who let him know where we were. It turns out that the computer server was down and Matthew couldn't get the information he needed in order to work on his paper. It was nice to have him there, but frustrating that he couldn't make progress on his paper.

It looks like Francisco is biting E's hand in this one and I thought it was funny!