Summer Camping at the Deleware Water Gap National Park - Belated Posting

Given we all love camping, it has been a long time coming but we finally got our act together to do a proper US camping trip. We got to the Delaware Water Gap National Park which is located about 2 hours North of Philadelphia. It's equidistant to Philadelphia and New York so we met people from all over!

 Luckily the 4 days we were up there it wasn't too busy so we had a lot of the hikes and areas to ourselves given that school was back. We had heaps of fun with camp fires, waterfall, marshmallows being cooked extra well and swimming.

Getting a cuddle with my very long Bella at Dingmans Falls

Beauty of the fall

Moss taking over the trees

Butterfly Mirabella spotted

Mirabella Bear pondering life

A favourite pink mushroom

Deer leap falls

Look at all the firewood I collected Daddy!

Oppps, the marshmallow's a little over done!

Yum!!

This fire's not big enough yet!

Hanging out on the fall!

This was worth the hike, wasn't it Bella?

Light playing with the leaves

Cedar and pine tree woodlands

Someone's happy to be adventuring

Collecting leaves and playing with the water

It was a great relaxing time away and good to get some real American camping in!

I've also included some photos from over the past few months around the traps:

Bella's response to learning how to spell EXIT in addition to pointing it out everywhere we go ;-). This sign shows the exit to her room, a very handy thing in her opinion.

Bella's Kindergarden Graduation Photo beautifully framed by her teacher (equivalent to Australia's Prep).

Bella on her birthday checking out her new wireless headphones (one else in the family has them)

Bella eating her birthday card

Bella at last reunited with her beloved waterlily card we got from Monet's garden outside of Paris

Bella on her birthday saying hi to her new doll called Bella-Elsa

Showing off her new playground skills

Paper boat experiment

 A quick sketch from an artist at the Old City Festival last year. The princess and her father

Yesssssss to swimming lessons!

 

 Mira mira and I made the most of the last of the hot days taking the train down to Atlantic City beach

Bella sending her love from Temple University (Nick's work)

Look what I made ;-)

Lily and I are so proud of our little girl, growing up so quickly into a young lady.

Thanks for checking out our post! 

Lots of love from NLB 

Late Summer Weekend - Hammocks and Bike Rides

 We can't believe it! Summer is almost over and what a great summer it has been.  I have a few things to blog about; our camping trip and Mirabella's birthday but it's a busy time of year for us with Bella starting school, me starting my Masters degree at Temple University and Lily getting up and running with a new job.

With the craziness we hadn't managed to catch up with Etta, Bella's oldest friend in Philly. Well we managed it on Saturday and we went down to the Spruce Street Harbour which is a great spot on the Delaware River near our place where you can chill in hammocks, play super sized chess & connect 4 & arcade games, grab a bite to eat and a local craft beer. So there was something for all of us there and Etta and Bella had a ball!

 Mischievous hammock monkeys

 

 

 Check out the concentration for the air hockey

 Both girls took the game very seriously!

Then they decided to form a band! ha ha so cute!

 

The girls wanted to be 3 again and get a ride on the miniature merry-go-round

On Sunday Bella and I embarked on a adventure! Go over the mile long Franklin Bridge to New Jersey.... this is our account

 Hello BBS New Jersey :-)

 Rest stop going over the bridge!

 Daddy's little outboard motor!

Our 4th of July this year!

So last year we went to a beautiful beach at a place called Cape May.... it was great but the 5 hour car ride was not!! This year we decided to do something a little different, we left early and headed to a inland lake called Lake Palvin.

Bella was on fire using her goggles (that we recently got while in France) and jumping in and doing her doggy paddle! We also set up a nice towl line on the sand of the lake, read books, comics and relaxed before having our packed picnic lunch! Was a great day and a lot of fun with Lily, Bella, Nick and our friend Kristy who came along for the ride.

After the excitement of swimming Mirabella was in a but and animal discovery mood and she managed to catch a frog and dragon fly in our picnic cups that then came back with us in the car. The frog actually managed to escape and managed to be croaking from the cup holder ha ha. Was a great day.

 

General ambience of the lake

Bella discovering friends to play with

Trying to get some shade!!

 

 A racing girl!

  

Come on Daddy, let's get bugs and frogs!!

And then back in time for the 4th of July fireworks on our apartment roof deck!

 

Here are some more random shots from the last couple of weeks:

Nick at a Gay bar in U Street Washington DC.... they kept making me pretty strong Gin and Tonics ha ha

 You can tell it's a Gay Bar from the Drag Bingo and Drag Brunch

 

Jo Jos was a sweet Jazz Bar

Dupont Circle in Washington DC on a walk at night

Pontomac River view from Virginia into Washington DC

Philadelphia skyline for the "Ready for 100% Renewable" Photoshoot

Mirabeau enjoying the swings at Philly's 30th Street Station garden on the way to the swimming pool

Bushwalk adventure

Love- heart photo!!

Ride-behind bike maiden voyage!!!! Bella loved it!

Nothing better than a fountain and hammock on a hot day
 

Running and dancing is good for the soul Daddy!!

A building 770 ton Chiller Nick was working on optimization for Temple..... all in a days work ;-)

Loving the swimming pool!

Thanks so much for looking. Love to those all over the world :-)

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX