Jenna's GRADUATION

At the beginning of the year Jenna started a new much more demanding position with Greenville Health System  while  continuing  a two year program for an MBA from Southern Wesleyan University.  In October she finished and, although there was no formal graduation because it was an online program,   we celebrated….a surprise visit from Elissa, chocolate ganache cake, a singing telegram by the one and only Brooke Johnston (thanks to Krista) and John and I “just happened” to drop in to help celebrate.  Life has to be celebrated!!  Again, so proud of her!!

HIGHLIGHTS!!!!

Sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself because I can't believe how lucky we are.  We get to participate in our grandchildren's lives in such a big way. 

August visit and First day of school

(we got to drop them off on their first day - 3rd grade and 5th grade)

Grandparent's day

                                          Denver Downs

Halloween

Birthdays with grandkiddos!

This year I accidentally came up with the idea of spending their day with each grandchild.   Sam was having a hard time with the summer camp schedule so I suggested that he and I spend the day together, just the two of us, the next day which just happened to be his birthday.  We had a great time and he had a GREAT day!  And that planted the seed to do just that with each kiddo.
 
Sam has the first birthday of the year starting things off on July 22nd.  He and I spent the whole day doing Sam things  bicycling around the neighborhood,  lunch at Chick Fil A, and then a trip to Toys R Us to shop for his birthday present.    "Nana we can't go to Toys R Us shopping for my gift because it has to be a surprise."  Somehow he was able to make it work.....

 

 Lily was next on August 18th, I was in town for her party which included a pool and a  hammock full of giggly girls. The next day she and I went shopping and out for frozen yogurt.  "I just love going shopping with you Nana"!!

 

 Jack came next on October 18th.  He requested McDonalds after we picked him up from school, milkshake included.   Then we went on an 11 mile bike ride  on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. He was determined to find a place to go trail riding on his new bike and he did. I am always grateful when John and I are able to keep up with a 9 year old on a bike.

Celia finished out the year with her 11th birthday on November 30th. John and I drove in from Florida.  I picked her up from school and we enjoyed lunch at her favorite restaurant, Crazy Fire. Next we painted ceramics as a remembrance of our day together , then on to a manicure and shopping.  It wouldn't be a day with a granddaughter without shopping!!

                                   I am one lucky Nana!!

Charleston SC

A trip to Charleston has been on MY radar for a while now, but life has gotten in the way and it had to be postponed.  This year I really wanted to make it happen, and we did.  Jonn, Jenna, Jack and Sam joined us for the first part of the trip and we had a great time.  Lots of biking, paddleboats and campfire with smores.  The weather was perfect and James Island Campground is perfect for the kids.  Take a look at this Superkid...

 

 

 

 The Livingstons were with us for the weekend and then it was our time.  We enjoyed the marketplace in Charleston, several lovely seafood meals, the pineapple fountain downtown, a carriage tour of the city and on the harbor tour I got a great shot of the beautiful new bridge to Mt. Pleasant.We took a picture of Rainbow Row and accidentally found the Dock Street Theater,  But in the last picture taken on Folly Beach you can see that a storm is a coming.  This trip, even though it was cut short,  was exactly what I was looking forward to and as it turned out our last trip in the Lance.  We sold it when we got home and set our sights of something a little larger, with central air conditioning.

................And then Hurricane Matthew began to bear down on Charleston and we had to evacuate. We cut the trip short by a day but we really enjoyed our time there.  After a couple of hours to pack up and fill up with gas we pulled out of James Island at 10 pm and got home at 3:30 am.  A typically 3 1/2 hour trip had taken 5 1/2 hours but we were very grateful to be safely home.  So long James Island, we hope to see you again very soon!

Celia and Lily (almost) go camping!!

It was our summer week with the girls and we were going camping!!  Maggie Valley is a beautiful area and there are lots of things to do.  Swimming pool, bikes, craft projects, lots of adventures planned and a fever that simply wouldn't go away.  Celia was sick and we just couldn't kick it.  We had a good time but it was not the trip that we had planned.  Maybe next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GTO highlights, dear friends and time with a special lady

John and I have discovered that one of the especially fun things to do in the GTO is take friends out for a ride.  Usually they either have memories of owning a classic, know someone who had one or they just have an appreciation of times gone by. ....... And it is fun to be out in it on a good day because this baby gets a lot of attention.


 
Tris and Tom came into town just a few months before their wedding.  A tour of downtown on a beautiful day with these two lovebirds was lots of fun!!

TJ and Meaghan were finally able to schedule a visit including barbecue at Hubba Hubba in Flat Rock. Little did WE know that they would soon be announcing that a baby is on the way!!!!!

Mike and Marianne are so much fun!  We made the sacrifice (just kidding) and went our for some great mexican food at Papas and Beer in Hendersonville.  Marianne's hair is so much fun in the wind!

Don and JoAnn came up for a quick weekend visit and while they were here we set the date and  started making plans for our May 2017 trip together to Hawaii.  

And this trip didn't include the GTO but I thoroughly enjoyed a long overdue visit to Valdese to see my cousin Marilee and her husband Ken.  She has known me all of my life and it warms my heart to hear the good old family stories. 

Jack and Sam go camping!!!

John and I got to have them for the week.....and it started with rain at StoneBridge Campground in Maggie Valley, NC.  So we delayed our trip for one day and went to Jones Gap State Park instead..... lots and lots of rocks to climb and trout to feed!  This is clearly a boys idea of a good day!!

The next day we are off on an adventure and did we get lucky!!!! The weather was perfect plus the campground was all that we had hoped it would be and more, we all had a WONDERFUL time. 
Ladder ball, lots of pool time, a new friend named Dakota, Chicken Fluffer and Noodle Face, games and more games, lots and lots and lots of bicycling, .....we are such a lucky Nana and Papa!

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Time flies much too quickly!!!

When you are young you think you have all of the time in the world!!  And then 50 years pass and you wonder where all of that time did go.  Well about 50 years has passed since the Hunter family became a part of our family.  And then there were camping trips and weddings and babies and relocations and divorces and deaths and weddings and babies and life goes on and on.  And if you are lucky you survive and celebrate the fact that we are still family and enjoy an occasion to remember the journey together.  This year Jane blessed us in a big way by inviting us to get together at the farm.  We have all heard stories of the farm and I have been lucky enough to visit her there many times but this year everyone got to spend a lazy couple of days there.  Will and his son Reid joined us and took folks on ATVs to tour the property.  It was a wonderful time of good food, good stories and great new memories.