It's Topton Time

Most of you know that we take an annual trip to PA.  We like to take our trip in the Fall, but that doesn't always work out for us schedule wise, this year it did.  We spend an entire week hopping from one family house to the next and managing to travel from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh in 8 days.  There is only one word for this trip - exhausting!

 This year we flew to Philly and drove to Topton just in time for the annual parade.  I remember as a teen this being one of the best nights.  We would walk around, run into friends (pre cell phones), ate funnel cake and Tony's pizza, laughed at the drunks and pretty much did everything but watch the parade.  So imagine my surprise when I found out just how long the parade really was...hours.
Adelaide had the best time with her cousins.  There was volleyball and tag in the front yard, candy during the parade and lots of attention from family.  Unless you are from one of these little towns you don't realize what a big deal this kind of night is.  There are blankets and chairs put out along the parade route a week in advance.  Lucky for us we have a family that lives on the prime parade route so we get to play around until last minute when the parade starts.
A had to be the luckiest little girl because she had two boys jumping in front of everyone for candy and then giving it all to her.  However Penelope was a different story.  Little P was teething so she wouldn't let us put her down, she was whiny and exhausted from the travels.  Maybe next year she will have a better time.

Look at all of that family.

Look closely and you will see my alma mater in the back, no I was not in the band.

 What is the best thing to do after a night of Halloween fun?  Pumpkins of course!  Aunt Jackie spent the day with us looking for pumpkins, playing games and grabbing a quick bite at the local diner.  There were animals to feed and Grant has a taste of "the best root beer ever" originating in Kutztown.

Aunt Jackie you are crazy, that can't be a pumpkin.

Please let me out of here Mom, this is ridiculous.

 One last stop for the day was a place I haven't stepped foot in in about 15 years - Brandywine Heights gym.  When I was there it was the HS gym and now it is where we watched Madison play MS Volleyball.  A few things have changed in Topton, but not much.