Sunny with a chance of Thunder

We had the opportunity to travel to "home" for the biggest event of the year; Thunder in the Valley; the annual motorcycle rally that hits Johnstown every summer.  I know that Thunder in the Valley is a nuisance to some Johnstown folks, but it has taken living somewhere else and coming back that makes you truly appreciate it (and other events like it; Folkfest & Polkafest!) It was so refreshing driving back into downtown on Friday and for once seeing  people walk around and the city alive.  We've driven into town too many Fridays before where it looks like a ghost town.  We should be thanking our lucky stars for all of the bikers that rumble into our town each year.  Plus, we love the sound of a harley.  :)

Grey got into the spirit of Thunder by wearing a bandana and looking pretty BA.

While we were in town, we also got to celebrate my cousin Kara's high school graduation!  She'll be attending Juniata in the fall and we are so proud of her.  She is beautiful on the inside and the outside.  She is a fantastic role model for her sisters and cousins (including Grey!)  We are so excited for her life, she is going to do amazing things.  We love you Gug!

On Sunday, we met up with Mimi and Grey got to meet more of his cousins for the first time.  Grammar got to have all of her GREAT grandchildren together at one time.  Tausha's girls; Ariel and Gracie, were so cute and sweet with Greyson.  Mimi was loving having all the greats together<3

We also had the pleasure of getting together for brunch with two of my high school friends; Ang and Steph.  It was so fun and nice to catch up with them; especially since we've all had babies over the past year!  And we're not the only ones- there are at least 6 of us from our graduating class that has had babies in 2009-2010 and 2 more that are due later this year!  I think HS alums all having babies the same year is a Johnstown thing; like sundowners and high school sweethearts.

Tab and Greyson, Angela and Tommy & Maggie, Steph and Lilly

(Mommas are all Conemaugh Valley Alums '01)

Greyzie Sosa

Greyson has reached another milestone:  Batting!  This milestone seems a little boring, but as I reminded Brandon today (who is hardly waiting for him to play catch!); we used to put him in his baby gym and he'd just lay there and stare...now he hits things!  It's getting pretty exciting around here!  Maybe the batting milestone can only really be appreciated by Mommas and grandmommas:)

June Kindness: One Car Family

When I made this month's kindness a "one-car family" month, I was thinking it was going to be a breeze.  I work from home and with a new baby- where do I have to go anyway?  Well, this month's kindness has proven to be a challenge!  You don't realize how convenient it is to jump in the car and go until you don't have that option.  There was a lot of struggle to uphold the kindness for the whole month- but we did!  The only exception we made was for church (B had to work one Sunday) and I think the Lord might forgive that one:)

The struggles came up when we needed to do something while Brandon was at work...and since he worked  very long hours this month; there was a lot of struggle.  We needed stuff for Greyson's Baptism, but I waited until my parents got here to go with my mom.  And Jinx needed fixed, so Brandon dropped her off in the morning before work and then picked her up on his way home.   Luckily, Brandon was off on the day (by chance!) of Greyson's 2 month appointment, so we all went together.

Unfortunately with a new baby and a crazy pup, we didn't get the chance to test out any public transportation.  I still want to buy a bike though with a baby seat (Grey can almost hold his own  head up) and then teach Bullet how to run next to the bike.  Ambitious much?  most definitely.

I know it sounds dumb to struggle to keep up with something like this when we have a truck and jeep sitting in the driveway (B drives his work car), but the point of the 12 months of kindness is to do something out of the ordinary and to be actually be aware of the goal for the greater good (in this case, Mother Earth).  So, if we're not a least a little inconvenienced, what's the point of doing it at all?  I feel proud that we were able to stick with it even when it was harder than we expected.