Here at our place we have some purple irises showing off right now.
We had another fabulous weekend. Last Thursday was Anthony and Lori's 15th wedding anniversary. This is a picture of them and all their attendants, including all our boys and Lisa's husband George and Destiny. I just love it!
Since Thursday was a school night and also choir practice for Dick and me, we waited until Friday evening to babysit so they could go out on their anniversary date. We took Austin and Hunter up over their mountain to Doan's Bones BBQ, one of our most favorite places. We were all just there a few weeks ago and I really believe Hunter remembered, because as we drove into their parking lot he started giggling excitedly. I told him that's how we feel about it too! It was so cute! We had a great time.
Waiting for our food.
"No selfies with me, Grandma!"
So I bribed him with ice cream!
Hunter decided that the windowsill was a good place to sit!
When we left there we drove to nearby Whipple Dam.
The sand was new and clean and wonderful.
Then we took them home and put them in the tub. They're allowed to bath together on Friday evenings and they had so much fun. Every little thing Austin did just cracked Hunter up. Of course he was tired and silly, and it was so funny. Lori and Anthony came home soon afterward, and we soon headed to our home. We had a big day ahead.
While Dick mowed our grass on Saturday morning I went to Sam's Club for some things and found some really nice indoor/outdoor pillows for my new porch rockers. I was sure Sammy would approve!
Around 10:30 AM we left to make the trip to Sam and Jenn's to pick up the kids. She had been planning to take them to her parents' place above Harrisburg, which shortens our drive time considerably, but disaster had struck at Sam and Jenn's place and she needed to stay home to deal with it while Sam was at work. Their plumbing was backed up and not going anywhere! A horrible circumstance on a holiday weekend!
The weather was perfect for opening day at the pool, so the kids looked forward to that the whole trip to State College. We went by Anthony and Lori's place first to pick up Austin.
Pure delight!
Austin brought some big water guns along that the boys had so much fun with.
Bianca got hungry after while, so I took her to our table and gave her some snacks. She was sharing her snacks with the troll on her swim suit. Silly girl!
Anthony and Lori came by on their way home from Lowes and picked Austin up, and the rest of us went home to our house. Sure enough, Sammy's first comment upon walking up our porch steps was how much he loved those pillows on the rockers!
We had pulled chicken sandwiches when we got home, and then it was bath time. They decided they wanted to fill the tub and turn the jets on, so that's what we did.
They went to sleep easily and slept all night. We had laid out their "church clothes," and on Sunday morning when Sammy woke up he jumped right out of bed and got dressed. Bianca, however, needed her extra ten minutes. She cracks me up.
They did so great at church, Sammy playing his lovely soft prelude music as the people gathered. He was bothered that everyone was talking so loudly they probably couldn't hear him! The kids stood up with the choir as they sang God Bless America. They even held a choir book! But I don't think they sang, because the song was not familiar.
Prayer time with Pastor Calvin after his children's story. Melt my heart!
During children's church they made patriotic hats and got flags. Sammy's hat had flashing lights! Are they not just the cutest???
After we left there we went to Calvary. I wasn't sure if Bianca would be okay with going to a different classroom than Sammy, but she had no problem at all. They both had a great time. Of course Hunter and Austin were there too, but each in different classes. We had fun hanging out all together after the service.
We went home for lunch and for Grandma's nap (!!). It was cooler and rainy. The kids watched a movie. Of course Bianca had to be queen of the couch!
They also did some puzzles and Legos.
I took a nap in our bedroom while Grandpa supervised the troops. For some reason I had woken up at 3 AM and had not been able to go back to sleep! I didn't nap very well either. Sigh...
We loaded up around 3:30 and went to Discovery Space. Lori brought Austin too. Hunter was still napping.
Austin was content to work at the Lego table the entire time we were there.
Giving Al Roker competition!
When they closed at 5 we went to Anthony and Lori's place. The sun had come out and it was warming up again. Anthony started making a fire, and Dick and I took the kids down to the pond.
What a great time we had! Dick and the boys tried to catch fish and frogs and newts with the nets.
Hunter and Bianca played in the stones by the little stream. He would pick them up by the handful and throw them in. She picked stones up one by one, gathered them into a nice pile, then she carefully threw them into the stream one by one!
After a while we went up the hill to the patio and had some hot dogs and ice cream. I guess we were all too busy eating to take any pictures of that.
Then the kids got into the hot tub with Lori. They had such a blast!
Amid protests we got Sammy and Bianca out so we could go home. I got this shot of Anthony and Lori and the boys before we left.
On Monday morning Grandpa made chocolate chip pancakes and we all ate together at our little kitchen table. Sammy told me I should post this picture on FB and say it's a pancake morning! So I did. It was funny how many people commented that they too had had pancakes for breakfast!
When we left there we drove to Manheim and picked up Dick's parents. We took them to Kountry Kitchen for lunch. I told them that when I go there to eat I always get chicken croquets served with mashed potatoes and gravy. That's something I can't get in any restaurant up here. Dad thought that sounded good so he ordered the same thing. Arlene ordered beef vegetable soup and Dick ordered a wrap. We had a really good time together as we ate.
We took them home then and talked for a while. At one point we went up to the attic to look at the things that are up there. We took a few things with us and then said our goodbyes. We are all realizing that their time at that house may be needing to come to a close in the next year. It feels very sad. Dick's parents built that house the year Anthony was born. In fact, I remember having a hot dog roast in the woods (no house yet) the evening before Anthony was born. Dick's mother lovingly planned and decorated that house with a lot of her own artwork and only got to live there less than five years before cancer took her from us. Thankfully God brought Arlene to Dad and to our family and to that house.
Dick and I were hoping to see other family while we were in the area, but nothing was working out, so we headed for home. We were tired and happy. The funniest thing happened on the way home. We stopped at our favorite Sheetz and sat outside to eat. A woman stopped at our table and introduced herself. It was my sister Barb's husband's sister Ruthie from Ohio! I knew her in high school and of course have sort of kept up with her through Barb. But I probably have not seen her since Barb and John's wedding in 1978! She had been in Lancaster County over the weekend to attend to some needs her parents were having and was now on her way back to Ohio! We had such fun catching up quickly, and I had to get this picture for Barb!
Well, if this is going to be a Tuesday update, I need to get this posted before midnight!
