Papa (my dad's dad) went to heaven on Monday, May 10th. He was a great Papa and was so full of joy and always made us laugh no matter what. He always had a joke or some crazy thing to tell us. It was nice to make the trip back to PA to be with family we hadn't seen in 7 years. We got to remember and celebrate Papa's life. The service was truly a celebration of life and I was blessed to be a part of it. Papa will be missed but I know he doesn't miss us right now.
Since we were back in PA we decided to hit some spots that I grew up going to. Sunday was Dutch Wonderland. We went with my brother Jon and his family as well as my cousin Greg and his wife and two kids. Had a blast. It was so much fun to see my kids faces light up when they went on rides that I used to ride. Yes, my eyes lit up when I saw the dive show (hasn't changed except it's told in story format now) and the old antique cars that Caleb and Kiet got to drive us around in. The kids loved the roller coaster and the log flume. It was great because there were no lines. It was great to remember the first amusement park I went to and it was neat to make some new memories also.
On Monday we went to a cemetary to visit Heather's grave. She was my sister born on May 19th. I was three when she was born and died. She was born premature. I have always felt a closeness to her, maybe because our birthdays are only 2 days apart, not sure why but we had to visit. Kietlyn's middle name is Heather so we bought some flowers and went out to the site. We got to explain to Caleb and Kietlyn what happened and why Kietlyn's middle name is Heather. It was a great opportunity to remember and help Kiet understand the meaning of her name.
We also went to Hershey. Caleb loves chocolate. I have never seen a kid who likes chocolate so much. Grandpa Gary started to get him the 1 lb. Hershey bar for holidays and Caleb always hugs it and says it's one of the best presents he ever got. So we couldn't pass up the chance to go to Hershey and see how they make the chocolate. Caleb loved it. He couldn't stop telling me about the process while we were on the ride. And then of course he got a free sample of chocolate and downed that in a matter of seconds.
We had a great time being family and know we can't wait another 7 years to visit. Thanks for the great memories, Pennsylvania.
