Hershey's Chocolate World

We toured the Hershey's Chocolate World today! America sure loves chocolate! These numbers just keep going and going and going. It is hard to believe that well over 9 million kisses are made each day. The numbers were from around 7:15 pm tonight.

The place smells wonderful! We were not hungry but when we came out we were sure hungry for chocolate! We are so glad they gave out free samples! The tour was enjoyed by all especially Elyssa with the singing cows! The tour of course ended directly into the world's largest selection of Hershey chocolates and merchandise. We did not have time to buy chocolate today but will be back tomorrow again to the amusement park with plans to stop back by Chocolate World to get some goodies!

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park

On Tuesday and Wednesday we spent the day in Dayton, OH so Quenton, Tabor and Victoria could take part in the Jr. Ranger program. The kids learned a lot about Orville and Wilber Wright while we were at the park and they earned their Jr. Ranger Badges! The kids also learned about the printing and bicycle shops the Wright Brothers had before they became famous for their aviation research and development.

Our Lady of Snows Shrine

Today we took time to see the Our Lady of Snows Shrine. It is a wonderful place to visit. We wish it was cooler so we could of seen more of the shrine. We did not want to be out much as it was 103 degrees when we left the shrine! This grotto was one of the favories of our family. The grotto is of Our Lady Of Guadalupe. The Lady of Guadalupe is the patron of the Catholic Mom group that Bev belongs to. Elyssa did not want to leave this grotto and kept saying "Mary, Mary!"

We decided to take our time on the road today and made it to Effingham, IL. We ended up eating at a Chinese Buffet which is one of our favorites. We did try some squid tonight but it was very tough and chewy. Not that good. On the buffet was also some peppered frog legs - none of us would try it at all. I do remember my parents cooking frog legs when I was young and watching the legs "kick" as they were fried in a pan. I do remember that they DO NOT taste like chicken! Tomorrow Dayton, OH is on the schedule.

On Our Way to PA!

We are almost out of Kansas! The Jayhawk is pointing us to Missouri. Were elso would you find a large Jayhawk sculpture than close to Lawrence, KS? Victoria was the only one that would let me take their photo today! We made it to Kansas City this evening after a very very long trip with a lot of potty breaks! It was pretty hot and humid today and lets just say that the kids kept very well hydrated. Tomorrow we are planing to go to St. Louis, MO to see Our Lady of Snows Shrine and then see where we end up for the night.

Elyssa is 2 Today!

Today Elyssa is 2! She is showing everyone where her smile is. For her birthday she got a purple tricycle! She loves it! We will be celebrating her birthday tomorrow with Grandma and Grandad on our way to the PA Wade Fair.

Almost Ready for Vacation!

We are almost ready for vacation! Still alot to do before we can leave early Saturday morning. Our family is attending the Summer Wade Fest in Camp Hill, PA next weekend. Shown at the left is our Fair Special we commissioned in a LE 100. We think he is so cute!

Tonight we need to finish packing all the Wades in boxes and pack the van. Mow the yard. Weed, mulch and harvest the garden. Get ready for a Scout overnight campout tomorrow night and then set-up for the County Fair early Saturday morning before we can leave! Alot to do and a little time. Tomorrow night the Boy Scouts are working on marking the Great Western Cattle Trail that came through Hoxie years ago. Should be a fun project for they boys!