Fun, fun, fun with Austin and Sammy

Friday morning dawned cool and rainy - very much like the morning exactly ten years before, Anthony and Lori's wedding day here in State College.  Many were praying about the weather that day, because the reception was to be outdoors.  I will never forget looking outside when the wedding ceremony was over and seeing sunshine!!  The temp rose into the 70's, and we had a very fun reception.  Later I found out that that was not the case anywhere else around here or in Lancaster County.  It seemed God had opened up the skies just for us that afternoon.  It was a wonderful day.  Here's our family (all but Miki's family in Sweden).   Destiny was sitting on a clear pedestal.  She was not levitating or photo-shopped in!

Now, back to the present.  Lori had to do a presentation in the DC area on Friday, their 10th anniversary, so Anthony went along and they made an anniversary celebration out of it.  I went to their house at 7:30 am Friday to be with Austin so they could leave.  Here they are with him before they left.

Later I took Austin to preschool.  When I got there to pick him up at 4:00 he wanted to stay a bit longer to play, so I sat down at a Lego table to play with him and his friends.  It was fun.  One little guy showed me his creation and when I asked what it was he went into a long, animated description of his "tornado buster".  One of the things it could do was shoot bad guys right up into the air, to HEAVEN!  Then he said, "No, to HELL, because that's where bad guys go to play."  Wow, try to keep a straight face after that!

That evening we took Austin to the YMCA for his first experience with rock wall climbing.  He really wanted to go, but I think as he was getting into his harness and watching the others, he had a bit of apprehension.  What do you think?

But when it was his turn he did not hesitate to give it a try.  He got the hang of it very quickly and probably took about 8 turns.  There was a certain point at which he would always look down and decide that was high enough.  He told us that when he's five he'll go all the way to the top! 

He was still talking at 11 pm, but was wide awake before 6 am, full of energy!  The first thing he did when we came out to the living room was run races around the circle of our living area - through the living room, the kitchen, the dining room,  the living room, the kitchen, the dining room.....

Then he wanted to take a bath in our big tub.  Sometimes he wanted the jets on, other times he just played with some of the bath toys and made up imaginary stories.  It brought back memories of the fun Destiny used to have in the tub.  

Dick usually works Saturday mornings, but not this week due to the holiday weekend.  So later he and Austin went out to his shed.   It was very, very chilly, as you can see by the way he was dressed.  Dick let him try using the drill.

They also played a game of tic tac toe on a piece of wood.

Then they came inside and played with the trains.  Once again I had so much fun listening to the stories he was making up as he played.

Lunch and nap time came early (before 12).  Grandpa read a few books to him and he was out in no time.  

I was doing food prep all morning, because we were eagerly awaiting Sam, Jenn, and Sammy's arrival. They got here while Austin was napping, so we hung out here first.  When Austin woke up we went to  the nearby airport park.  It was a terribly windy day, and the park is on a hill, but the sun was bright and warm.

Look at those curls!  I guess we really didn't get to see them in full force because we had cool, non-humid weather while they were here.  But she said last week with the humidity and heat we had, his curls were crazy!  I love it!

And he still loves to sing and dance.  As soon as this swing started going, he started singing, haha!

Grandpa and the boys.

We had brought Austin's bike, thus the helmet.  It was funny - he preferred doing all the things Sammy was doing!  It reminded me of when he was a baby and Destiny would say, "I wish I was still a baby." I guess instead of sibling rivalry it's a bit of cousin rivalry.  

We came back to the house for a while.  Sammy devoured a yogurt.  I caught this thoughtful pose.  

Later we headed to Circleville Park for a hot dog roast.  Grandpa built a good fire and Sammy was taking lessons.

Sam had brought a frisbee and was very impressed with Austin's throwing skills.  I said he's been practicing his skills ever since he was a year old, starting with plastic lids!

Sam taught him how to catch a frisbee.  It was so fun to watch them.

Anthony and Lori got back from DC and joined us.  They roasted our hot dogs.

It was crazy windy and getting cooler, so we were glad to sit in the bright sunshine to eat.

When we were getting ready to leave we realized that Sam and Jenn had never been to Penn State's Berkey Creamery, so that was our next stop.  Their WPSU Coffee Break is the best flavor in my opinion.  

Sam said they laughed when I posted this picture on FB last evening.  Apparently I have a real knack for taking pictures just as Jenn is feeding her face, haha!!  He said they could make a whole album of them.  I promise - I do not do that on purpose!!!

Sam and Jenn went out later and Sammy was heart broken at first.  He's in a strong attachment phase right now, which really is a good thing.  But he was very sleepy and in no time at all he was asleep.  I just love this boy so much.

This morning we went to church then had chili and fixin's (Mexican Pile-up) for lunch.  Anthony, Lori, and Austin joined us too.  I have no idea why,  but I took no pictures today.  Sam, Jenn, and Sammy left around 2:00.  They had a cousin's birthday party to attend near Harrisburg.  

Austin took his nap here.  He and I both slept for over two hours.  Later Lori came to pick him up, and now things are all quiet here.  And I'm feeling sad that our fun time is over already.  

But stay tuned.  There are more fun times coming a week from now!

Walking and shoes and loving summer!

So far this week we are really having summer weather.  I love it!  But they say it will change tomorrow and our daytime temps will dip into the 50's and 60's.  But even that is okay compared to winter. I've been conscientiously getting back to a daily walking routine.  A few months ago I felt unable to go around the block, but I'm now back to my two-mile route.  

One thing I've been dealing with is finding shoes again.  Three years ago, just when I was ready to really get into longs walks with Austin in the stroller,  I had a second plantar fasciitis injury.  That was when I found the amazing Saucony Omni 9's that felt like miracle shoes.  I've been wearing them ever since!  I realized they didn't feel quite as great as they used to, so I assumed I could just go back to the amazing Rapid Transit Sports in State College and get me another pair.  Wrong!  Silly me!  Didn't I realize that these shoe companies keep making new and improved versions of each shoe every year?  Except that the reviews for the Omni 11's were really, really bad.  People were begging for the Omni 9's to come back.  Oh dear!!  I thoroughly browsed Amazon and Ebay and every website that even mentioned Saucony ProGrid Omni 9's to see if anyone, ANYONE, had my size.  One did, and I was so excited as I started to fill out my information to order them.  But alas!!  It was a sports store in Australia, and they do not ship internationally.  Rats!

So to Rapid Transit I went.... and went and went. Bless their hearts, they took so much time with me, trying to find shoes that felt good.  I bought a pair of Brooks, took them back a few days later for a half size larger, and took them back also a few days later. Walking in them made my plantar fasciitis kick up worse than it had in three years!  GRRR.  That time they let me take two pairs home to try.  I gave each of them an honest try, but after a week took them both back.  I was starting to be afraid the guys  thought I was a pathetic old woman who just needed to feel doted over, hahaha!!  That time I tried a lot more Sauconys, and eventually settled on the Saucony Hurricane 15's.  He put gel insoles into them.  I'm definitely keeping these.  But, I confess, my old ones still feel better.  

This week at Houserville there was MORE activity.  The church is a voting location, and Tuesday was election day.  The church has a Vote and Go Cafe.  Free coffee all day.  Lots of goodies.  Fresh-off-the-grill sausages and hot dogs.  And the BEST homemade mac and cheese ever!  My contribution was my peanut butter chocolate chip rice krispie treats.  

This is what the sanctuary looks like, set up for voting.  

The goodies.

Hanging out, shooting the breeze, having fun, working on cutting tags for the Mommy Shoppe. 

This morning was warm right at the start, and I enjoyed my coffee on the porch looking at my GREEN mountains.  Oh, Summer, can you please stay a long, long time?????

From cold to sublime

This week started out COLD!!  There were two mornings that we actually had frost warnings.  I think it was Monday afternoon that I checked the temp around 4:30 and it was only 49 degrees.  In the middle of May!!  About the only thing I could find to laugh about was this cartoon on Facebook, haha!  

As the week progressed the weather got warmer and sunnier and so did my mood!  One morning I woke up at 5:30 and was delighted to see this amazing sunrise.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE  these long days!

Some days when I walked, the beauty was almost breath-taking.

A huge  highlight of the week was my sister Rose's college graduation from Kennesaw State University, Georgia on Thursday.  She gave us the live link, and I was able to sit at my desk and watch and listen to the whole thing just like I was right there.  As they got to the W's in the education majors, I got my phone ready to take a picture.  And there she goes - Rosalie F. Wichterman! 

I was just bursting with tears of pride and joy.  Here she is afterward with Bob and three of their children - Katie (next to Rose), Maribeth (blonde hair), and Olivia.  Katie graduated from Kennesaw two years ago and got married a week later!  Maribeth just finished her freshman year at Kennesaw.  Their son Matt is a student at a college in Savannah, and daughters Julia and Christy  are in middle and high school.   I think Olivia just finished fourth grade.  Somehow in the midst of all that Rose has managed to complete four years of college and graduate with honors.  AMAZING!!  She home schooled their children for years, until she became a student herself.  Now she'll be an amazing early elementary teacher.  Her students will be very blessed to have her.

On Thursday evening I helped in our church's Mommy Shoppe as they got things ready for Saturday.  I've been learning how to use a tagging gun for the first time ever.  That thing gives me fits sometimes!  On Saturday they were open for shopping, and once again I helped out.  The ministry is really flourishing as word has gotten out into the community about it in the last year.  Moms can come in and get a bagful of clothes free for each of their children each month.  If they get more than that, things can be bought at yard sale prices.  We  had a busy four hours.  We also have a corner for the kids to play while the moms shop.  I hung out there sometimes.

Last evening we had an unplanned hot dog and s'mores roast in Anthony and Lori's back yard.  Dick had been doing some work at their place, I had been downtown and called him and found out Anthony was building a fire.  So it was on.  There was just a bit of a chill in the air, and it was perfect for sitting around a fire.  We had such a good time and hope to do it much more often.

Today Austin came here for his nap.  I napped too.  Later we met up with Anthony and Lori at Applebees.  Houserville was participating in a fundraiser there again today.  With Houserville's coupon, 15% of the meal price goes to the church.  I got the Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad again.  Soooo good!

And that about wraps up the third week of May!
 

Mother's Day 2013

As I looked ahead to Mother's Day this year, I wasn't sure what to expect.  Anthony, Lori, and Austin are away on an extended weekend trip in Atlanta, so being with them was not an option.  Nobody had plans to come to our place in State College, but I had my Sunday morning responsibilities at church, so going anywhere for the weekend was not an option either.  I was just about to feel sorry for myself, that I, the mother of seven and grandmother of eight, would possibly spend Mother's Day without any of them.  Then I found out Sam, Jenn, and Sammy would be at her parents near Harrisburg for the day, and that Destiny would not be going to to her mom's for the weekend as I had assumed, so we planned a little day trip, which turned out to be a very fun day.

As soon as church was over at Houserville, we hit the road toward Harrisburg.  I just couldn't wait to see Sammy, and he did not disappoint!  He was sitting on a porch chair, not expecting to see us, and his reaction when he did was priceless.  I just love that he knows who we are.  And his hair is starting to curl! (Sorry, the curls do not show up on these pics.)  I could have just eaten him up!  So I sat down beside him as we examined the flowers from Sam.

He hammed it up the whole time we were there, but we couldn't get one of his big smiles for the camera.

We stayed for maybe 45 minutes, then we headed for Pottsville.  Frank had told me he would cook me a meal for Mother's Day, even asked me if I had any requests.  Because I knew he makes the best pork and Puerto Rican rice and beans, that's what I requested.  But he already knew I would, and had those things already on the menu.

While he cooked and Dick napped, Destiny and I had some girl time.  We headed to the mall and straight to her favorite store - the pet store.  She went crazy with my camera!  Here are three of the best shots.  

She had permission from Frank to get a hamster, so she picked one out.  Here's "Little Guy".   He's actually Little Guy II.  A few years ago she had a hamster by that name.  We had an absolutely hilarious time in the car when she got him out of his little box.  She just couldn't wait to hold him, but oh my!!  He was nervous and dropping little turds non-stop!  She had shorts on and they were dropping on her bare legs, freaking her out.  Thankfully I had wipes in the glove compartment.  We were just screaming laughing.   

He was much happier at home in his little nest!

Here's a pic of my personal Mother's Day chef!

And the incredibly scrumptious food he cooked.  He also made apple crisp served with vanilla ice cream for dessert!

 Is she taller than me now, or is it just that top knot?

How do these kids grow up so darn fast??? 

Last week I started going through a box of old photos that I've never really dealt with.  Most are duplicates of ones I have in my photo albums, but I found one that must have been given to me from someone else, taken just before Destiny's third birthday.  It just cracked me up.  We used to say she looked like the little girl in the Monsters INC movie with her pig tails!

I heard from all our children throughout the day in one way or another, even Miki in Sweden.  On our way home from Pottsville last evening I got the sweetest wishes of all via this video.

This bouquet is a combination of the flowers from Sam and from Frank.

The bouquet on the left was from Lori before they left for Atlanta.  And the lilacs were from Dick.  He bought a ladder on Saturday in response to a Craigslist ad, and the lady offered him lilacs from her bush as well!  I just love lilacs and have strong, nostalgic feelings about them from my childhood. 

It was a very good day indeed.