New Jersey and New York

Finally, I had time to update on our family vacation last week. the last weekend of June we ventured on our first family trip. We went to New Jersey for Joshs Grandparents 60th wedding aniversary/family reunion. This was a 12 hour road trip for most of us, and some family members flew from far away places, and others drove from wisconsin about 18 hours or so. Almost all the family memebers where there. there are about 100 total and I belive we were missing maybe 6 or 7 people. Josh and I drove through the night on the way there. This went well, and we did not have to entertain laine much because she slept most of the way. We arrived in new jersey around 7am. We were tired but laine was in a great mood! Friday night Joshs brother and wife arrived and joshs parents. We ordered some wonderful new jersey pizza! the best pizza ever, but you have to like grease!! Sat morning joshs two brothers and sister arrived. Sat afternoon, was the big bash and the church!!! I was able to meet everyone eles!! I have only met a small hand full of Josh's extended family!! What a blast. Elaine had so much fun playing with all her new found friends!! There was an open house for the community in the afternoon, then a big family picture,and then a catered in family dinner. All 90 some of us!! There was a program with songs, poems and a very teary eyed special speech from Grandpa T, (even josh cried) Grandpa and Granda Troast are so in love, even 60 years later, you can see how much he adores her, he watches her from across the room with such love in his eyes. He spoke to his whole family on learning to lean of Jesus Christ, and if you ask Christ he will be with you no matter what you are going through in life, you cannot go through life with out him. He also said that its ok to wrestle with God and ask Why?? but be ready for the answer. Grandpa is such an amazing Man, and Im proud to be part of his family. Part of their wedding party was still alive and able to join them for cutting the cake. That is so sweet!! !!

On Sunday every one went to church, josh;s dad who is a pastor was able to (with the help of the pastor at the church) surprise his parents by delivering the sunday sermon. Grandpa and Grandma T were so surprised! Sunday night josh and I along with his cousin and wife and josh's brother ventured into New York City!!! What and adventure. We came up off the subway to the Gay Pride Parade just finishing up!!!! what a culture shock for me!! I have seen gays and lesbians but this was to the extreme!! these were outragous and wild gays. it was funny to see this madness, yet i felt an overwhelming saddness for all those messed up people. They walk around so proud and happy. truth is they are sick. all you can do was say a little prayer and keep walking. We then ventured down to ground zero, its one thing to see it on T.V. but WOW in real life you get goose bumps and teary eyes viewing it with your own eyes. Then we took a subway to Time Square!! we had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe We had so much fun!!! the lights and the busyness was wild!! we started our way home and on the train we encountered some more gay guys. Only this time it was even more extreme, they decided that the train ,that was full of people, was the place to have a make-out session!!!! needless to say this time we laughed, and laughed and laughed. they just would not stop. They were doing stuff that straight people would not do in public. finally they left. we got home around12:30am.

Monday we went and spent the night with one of Joshs cousins and his wife. They have twins that were born a few weeks after laine. They had so much fun together.

Tuesday we headed home. We traveled during the day. Elaine did ok, but it was definitly better through the night!!

We are finally getting back on a schedual again!!! Ihope everyone had a wonderful fourth of July!! we went to the fire works and Elaine had a blast!!