Even though we are prepping for a big move, life continues to move forward, and although we haven't spent our usual time on hikes or at the pool, we have made time for some adventures. Here are a few.
Safari Fun: When the kids got their prizes for the library summer reading program, one of them was a pass for a free safari ride at the Lake Tobias Wildlife Park, and since we had to be up in Harrisburg on Tuesday anyway, we just drove a little farther and had the best adventure. It was a small zoo with a special safari ride.

We started our day with the safari, and while we waited to load onto the truck, we got up close and personal with an emu that was wandering around.

The safari was very fun, and almost all the animals that we saw, we were able to feed with treats (carrots, etc) that we bought before the ride. It was crazy to feed and pet them all, especially the buffalo.
The Texas Longhorn was amazing, with six foot long horns! As Lily fed it, it would turn its head, she would have to duck to avoid getting hit by them.
We even got to pet a bunch of female elk, one of which kept trying to climb onto the truck.

We also got to pet these really cool deer, as well as llamas and other animals. It was really cool.
One of my favorite parts of the safari, however, was that we had a family of about 30 Amish on our truck, and they had the most adorable kids. Usually you don't get to see the Amish kids around, and they are so cute, especially the boys in their little hats. I had to secretly take a couple pictures as I was taking pictures of the animals as well.
After the safari, we headed to the zoo portion of the park. It was small, but it was awesome. There were lions, tigers, bears, baboons (and a baby baboon), other monkeys and fun animals.
There was also a petting zoo with all sorts of goats, especially baby goats. They were so very cute!
Arthur was really funny about touching the animals, even the tiny goats. He eventually warmed up to it, but it was funny to watch the process of getting braver.

And as we were walking around, I just happened to snap this picture of this yellow swallowtail butterfly. Such a beautiful butterfly!

Our last stop was the reptile pavilion, which just happened to have a sloth as well. The sloth was awake and moving, which was really cool. The kids also got to pet a python and a small alligator. So fun! And since snakes are Lily's favorite animal, she was in heaven, and it was the perfect way to end our time at the park.
On our way home, we stopped at a fun little place for some ice cream, which was delicious. There were other fun things in the area, but we had to get Lily back to get to work on time, and so we got our ice cream and hit the road.

Flowers: I have been so busy, that I haven't had the time or energy to be out in my garden as much as I usually do, which is sad. That said, I am still loving having my fresh cut flowers in the house. And really, I will never get over how amazingly beautiful my hydrangeas are - I wish I could take them all with me to Texas.

And on a random note, my white rose bush randomly grew a pink rose! So bizarre and cool, and has never happened in the four years I have had this rose bush.

Mini Golf: Kevin is currently serving as the boy's activity day leader in our ward, and this week, he was in charge of a combined activity with the boys and girls. He planned the most awesome mini-golfing activity, and created this amazing course that he set up in the church. As he prepared for it, Arthur was so excited and fascinated by it all, especially since he got to try out the different parts of the course and even help set it up.

Kevin created nine holes, all with different obstacles, and they really were fantastic.

And the kids all absolutely loved it. They are going to miss having Kevin as their leader when we move.

Tennis: For the past month, Derek and Arthur have had tennis camp three mornings a week, and they have loved it. Arthur especially loved getting to have his brother with him there. And I am so proud of them for working hard and never complaining, even when it was crazy hot.
Temple Night: Just recently, our temple in Philadelphia opened up for proxy ordinances by appointment, which was so exciting! I made an appointment for Kevin and I right away, and then when I noticed that there were still openings, I let Becky know that if she got an appointment, she could come with us. And so on Wednesday afternoon, we drove to Philly. I love getting to go to the temple, and I truly love the Philadelphia Temple, but wow, I am not going to miss the horrendous traffic to get into the city. It is awful, and Wednesday was no different.
Luckily, we still got there in time to go and find some dinner, however, our plans were thwarted. We walked the fifteen minutes to reading terminal Market, only to find that it was closed for the night. Ahh! Then we walked to Steve's Prince of Steaks, only to get there and see that it is permanently closed (it didn't survive the Covid shutdown). By then we were not only short on time, but we were starving. And I really wanted my last Philly cheesesteak. Luckily, we found a place a couple blocks away, and although we had to try and awkwardly eat as we walked back to the temple, we were able to get food and make it back in time. (And because Becky is a temple worker, she was able to put the rest of our sandwiches in the fridge in the break room.)
The craziness was all forgotten the second we walked into the temple. Wow, it was so amazing to be back. It was like coming home after a long time away, and it was so wonderful to be there. And I am so grateful there is a temple in San Antonio, where we are moving.

Fun with Friends: Knowing that I only have a few weeks left here in Pennsylvania, I have started making plans with friends to say goodbye. On Friday, my dear friend, Becky and I went to some of our favorite places in Lancaster County, like Kitchen Kettle Village and all the shops there. We also explored a bunch of other shops, and then we finished things off with lunch at Rachel's Creperie, which is our favorite. And we had so much fun talking and shopping, I not only forgot to take any pictures, but I talked myself hoarse - ha ha!

Neighborhood Fun: I love where we live. I love that we live in a culdesac with amazing and kind neighbors, that the kids all play together, and we love to stand around and talk in the evenings. And my dear neighbor, Lindsey, always throws a huge party for her kids' birthdays, one of which was on Saturday. We all get together, talk, eat yummy food, and the kids play on a giant rented waterslide. It is Arthur's favorite thing, and I am going to miss celebrating with them. (And I really am going to miss my neighbors so much. They are amazing!)

Random Stuff: The other day, Kevin just happened to be playing golf in Maryland near a Crumbl Cookie store, and so he brought back a dozen yummy cookies for us to enjoy.

And the other day, I decided to follow the instructions for "stripping" clothes from the account I follow on Instagram called "GoClean." I did a bunch of whites in the washer, and then I did my workout clothes in the laundry sink. These pictures are only after hour two of four. My workout clothes water was especially gross, and FYI, these were all CLEAN clothes. This is just the gunk that gets trapped in them. So gross, and fascinating. Glad I did it, and I think I need to do my teenagers' clothes next ;).
And so another week of summer is over, and the days are just flying by. It is hard to believe that in less than a month, the kids and I will be in Texas. And in one week, Kevin and I will be house hunting. That will definitely be an adventure.