Our Visit to "iladelph"

A couple of weekends ago we got to spend time in "Philly" with the Williams - Jonathan, Jubi, and Asha. They will be moving to NYC (as soon as their house sells) to be a part of the staff team at Incarnation. "Philly" is in quotation marks because Jon and Jubi cringe when the term is used. Though I suggested a snoop-dog inspired "fa-zilly," the Williams informed us that locals refer to their hometown as "iladelph" - that's right, no "ph." So there you go, you learned something, and so did I.

Top pic is Jon, Jubi, and Asha at a park in their neighborhood. Bottom pic is the Witt fam at the liberty bell.

Pier at 70th

We've come to love the waterfront on the Hudson. Henry's final baseball game was last week. And right by the ball field is a great open air cafe right on the river. The picture of Oliver is on the pier that runs out into the Hudson (used for live music, festivals, etc.). I have no idea what the hulking metal monstrosity in the river is. But you can see how much new construction there is along the west side of Manhattan.

West Side Little League

Henry is playing in the West Side Little League. He is by far the most disinterested kid on the team. He usually has something better in mind when we tell him it's time for a game. The field where he plays is right on the Hudson River in Riverside Park at 72nd Street. So it's at least a picturesque location to chase your other two kids around during the marathon two hour games.

Bunk Beds!

Since the kids broke their bed about a month ago (long story), both of their mattresses have been on the ground. That has been incredibly annoying. So, the past two evenings have been devoted to putting together their new bunk beds. I think I could have done it in one evening had not all three been "helping" me along the way (meaning, loosing bolts, misplacing my tools, needing a snack, etc.). Anyway, we finished late last night and they were totally excited. Remy is still sleeping in his crib. Whenever he gives that up, he'll share the bottom bed with Oliver. All in all, it should make their bedroom a little better organized.

Park Clean Up

On Saturday morning, our group of about 18 (our friends from Ohio and a group of us here in the city) participated in the "It's My Park" clean up day. We met at Riverside Park and worked in a two block stretch of landscaped area from 89th to 91st Streets. We were tired and dirty, but had lots of fun and made a big difference. A big thank you goes to Bonnie Joseph, who tends to this space every weekend and who organized our group. Public parks in New York City are priceless, the common wealth of a densely populated little island. We hope that volunteering in our parks becomes a habit for folks at Incarnation. As you can tell, the kids had a ball.

Service Project

This past weekend we had a missions group from Faith Christian Church in New Philadelphia, OH join us here in the city. We had a great time learning and serving together. On Friday afternoon, we helped a wonderful neighborhood center by cleaning. A group of us cleaned their well-used kitchen. And another group cleaned up downstairs in a storage and gym area. One of the after school directors thanked us and mentioned that our timing was perfect. This week the Food Network and Sandra Lee are filming a cooking show with the kids in the kitchen. It was nice to get to know a few of the people who work at the center. It is affiliated with the church where we are hoping to share space.

Henry's Newest Piece

After much nagging, Henry finally finished his latest art work. It was commissioned by us to fill some space above our sofa. You know it's a bad economy when you're squeezing your nine year old for art work. Actually, we like what he wound up with. And keep in mind, every time he paints, we have to get paint out for the other two.