Pennsylvania

Howdy! I've been alerted that its been quite sometime (since May) that we've updated this bad boy! I'm sorry to any who have been trying to keep up here. It seems to be a never ending battle to try to stay on top of lots of things in life.... especially with this baby that is growing SO fast! She has been attracting lots of visitors to our neighborhood and home, and we'll have to update those pics later because right now we're hanging out in Eastern Pennsylvania at a Quality Inn. Little AJ is taking her morning nap and Daddy is at work in the simulators. In order to get the unit up and flying quicker, they are dishing out some of our guys to different locations that have aircraft and instructor pilots that can help our guys to progress (be ready to fly in the unit). Keith got tagged to come here to PA, while a few others got to go to Kansas and Ft. Campbell, TN/KY. I think we got the pick! We are in a little valley in the Appalachians, the App. Trail goes through here just a few miles away. We are about 30 minutes from Lancaster County attractions, not far from Hershey, and our favorite things to do revolve around the mountains and hiking trails. Annika and I are here for a week or so, Keith will be here for about a week and half after we leave and got here 4 days before us. The Army gives him a hotel room and a food allowance, so its kinda like a free vacation for us!

We did a little exploration around Lancaster County on Saturday. We didn't know what to expect I guess. I had the impression that Amish country would be quiet and relaxing, full of a quiet people who sell quality goods to the public and allow us peeks into their lives. I was pretty disappointed in the circus that seemed to be going on around them. The traffic through their towns was pretty insane, lots of people from lots of states stopping to take pictures of horse and buggies with little kids poking out the back, and lots of commercialism utilizing the Amish for their marketing. Hotel signs saying "Come explore the quiet life of the Amish with us! Wireless internet and free Cable." Huh?! Does anyone else see in dichotomy here? We do like the landscape though (minus the subdivisions dispersed throughout the countryside). And we all fit in well... because it is quite a "cOrNy" place!

We stopped in the city of Lancaster for coffee in the late afternoon and really enjoyed this city. It is very walkable and we found an awesome place to sit. Rachel's Cafe and Crepere! It was a pretty authentic crepere with an expansive menu of both sweet and salty crepes, with salad crepes too! I got a Nutella Mocha and it was AWESOME!! I'm not normally a mocha fan... too sweet normally. But they just sweet this espresso and milk with nutella and it is delicious! As cities go... we both enjoyed this one... and that isn't really typical of us.

We found a random road near the hotel that had signs for a Hawk Watch, and after bumping up the mountain, past military live fire training ranges, we got to the top of the hill with a beautiful lookout! Annika decided to be super cute for us there! She does that most places, little booger!

We went to church yesterday at the Union Salem Evangelical Congregational Church, attendance (including the 3 of us):14. It was a simple service with a decent sermon. And the Sunday school following the sermon was led by the elderly pianist and was an excellent exposition on the book of Jonah. The pastor's family was very welcoming and invited us back next week and to their home for lunch next Sunday. They are very nice people, and we look forward to spending some more time getting to know them.

I think thats about the bulk of our excitement for now. More later?!