Bushkill Falls

We had a plan to go see the "Niagara of Pennsylvania" for Daddy's Birthday in July, but our plan got rained out.  This week we had a free, beautiful sunny day, so we set out for adventure!  The day was perfect, the sun went in and out, but the day was one of those August days that you only get in the mountains. I know, this because I used to live on an island, and August was very different there.  Like March, it's an unpredictable transition month here.  March could be Spring 50 degrees and sunny, or a blizzard.  August could be 85 and beach-hot, and then cool and crisp and smelling like you want to pick and pumpkin the very next day.  This day was somewhere in the middle.  There was no humidity, no sunscreen, no sweating, but no jackets either.  Just perfect for this kind of outdoorsy day!

This picture is kind of my favorite.  All my loves.  And Declan will surely not miss out an opportunity to flash his gorgeous smile. I told Hubby that it wasn't fair, this is how I look 95% of my days as I go around shopping and whatnot, and nobody every gets a picture of it.  Daddy wears baby for the first time, and the children pose like models for an adorable shot. #mamalife #realmeanwearbabies

This cracked me up, because the "wildlife exhibit" was animals that we literally have in our yard daily.  But the girls were no less excited than all the Brooklyn children to see the stuffed version. Haha. And here is Dec again, smiling.  :)

Hubby realized, he did indeed have to carry baby back out of the park with us. ;) Declan thinks it's funny.

The beautiful falls!  Pictures do not capture it's magnitude or beauty fully.

My little sweet angels and I.  Fun Fact:  Dad is "uncomfortable" with heights.  I learned this on our honeymoon, and it's an attribute I find somewhat adorable because Hubby is not afraid of much at all.  So when I found an instance where I am braver, I think it's ironic and fun.  We didn't really know what to expect when visiting the falls, so we didn't know that heights would play a role.  We didn't know we would be on man-made pathways on the side of a mountain, with fences made of old trees (some of them dead and rotting, Hubby pointed out many times) preventing us from falling down the cliff.  It was HIGH.  Children's hands were held, tightly.

But it was also COOL.  I loved it.  We were laughing so hard.  There were people who brought their dogs on the walks, and as we had to shimmy past people and their giant dogs, and we wondered why people would take their pets on a treacherous hike. We imagined they thought the same of us taking our toddlers. ;) Family experiences!

A nice girl took our picture, and cut off someone's adorable chin.  Declan clearly didn't like her, as it was the first time all day he didn't smile. Ha.

Daddy and Reilly making nervous faces, even though Reilly is just an actress and wasn't actually afraid at all.
 I think this was taken about the time that we accidentally ventured off the "Green" trail and onto the "Red" trail.  Red, as in, the black diamond of hiking trails.  As in, don't attempt unless you are a serious hiker. Don't ask me how we ended up on this trail, because I'm still not totally sure.  We remained on it for a bit, because the map appeared like we would intersect with a Green trail again.  We eventually had to turn around in search for Green. Cue Hubby's nervous faces again.

The girls huddling in their "cave".

Declan and Daddy, marveling nervously at nature. :)

Another nice stranger took our picture!  Declan liked her better. :)

Just some tree-huggin' girls. Haha.

We couldn't BEAR to leave!  We had such a fun day.  I heart stay-cations.  Sidenote, these are the days when Mommy's pocketbook gets heavy real fast carrying everyone's things.  In other news, I now have an extreme desire for a fanny pack.  Let's rename these, shall we?  Waist Purse.  Belt Bag.  Anyway, I'm going to have them make a comeback for all our future family vacays and day trips.  But, you know, a cool one, maybe a camel colored leather.  Fanny packs and mini vans. I tell ya, sometimes I don't recognize myself these days people!  But then again, this is the most me I have ever felt. :)

My gorgeous girl.

They are suckers for the head-in-a-holes!  Man, they love these!

Reilly insisted that I take one of her BEING the bear.

We had a picnic, played on a pretty awesome park, threw some rocks into this secret-garden looking lake.  A young boy pushed Reagan over, and I saw Hubby get all "Daddy Bear" on said little boy's father. :)  It was super cute. ("Yes she's fine, thanks.  He PUSHED her, that's what happened!)  Then the same little boy ran right into the lake in his full clothes, seemingly not knowing it was water?  Then we went and got ice cream and ate it in the car because we're rebels like that.  Sweet sweet days with my sweet man and the kiddies that we grew.