THANKSGIVING

The whole gang was able to make it for Thanksgiving this year, not a small task.  Amy and Sophia (friends of Jenna's) were able to join us and we had a wonderful time.  Very thankful for family, friends and good weather that day.  Five children under the age of 8 ( Celia turned 8 two days later).
And never forget the very special moment when we shared what we are thankful for, a.k.a. Jonn L.

                                It is a rare treat to have all of the grandchildren together and
                                     we love it when we can get them to sit still with us!!

                    And I just adore my yearly photo. How can so much love exist in one place?

Family gathering

We started the tradition of a family gathering in the fall.  This year we missed a few major players, Will, Harrison and the Livingston family but still had fun and took a few great shots.  We also enjoyed the addition of a back porch to our Travelers Rest home.  What a great space to hang out the the people that you love.  What a handsome crowd!!

Nantucket

The invitation came in early January and we accepted without question.  Our reservations for a flight to Nantucket for a week in August were made. And we have arrived at the house Jane rents for a month in the summer, 16 Flintlock, Nantucket, MA.  The view from the Widow's Walk shows the thick vegetation tightly surrounding each home with the ocean in the distance.  It is a land of opulence and mystery.

 

 

Our first adventure was a tour of homes in downtown Nantucket.  We saw stately homes restored to their original style, all mostly built in the early 1800's and often passed down from one generation to the next.  I didn't take alot of pictures, you can't do it justice, but these flower arrangements caught my eye. Simply beautiful!

                                We got a picture of Jane and I touring one of the flower gardens.

                                                     Our next adventure was dinner!!!

NHA Whaling Museum started with an impressive skeleton of a whale and a wonderfully narrated video of the history of Nantucket.

The view from the top of the museum gave us a vivid perspective of transportation to and from the island, as a ferry was unloading.

While in Nantucket we were fortunate enough to be able to attend a performance on the island of the Boston Pops.  Katie Couric was the host with Matthew Morrison (from Glee) performing.  Stellar!!

We had a simply wonderful week and are so fortunate to have Jane, such a very dear friend!!

Summertime visits

I am always grateful for a summer visit......but this year held a different challenge.  Lily accidently fell into a campfire while camping and got a bad burn on her forearm  After two weeks of careful treatment and doctor visits she was released to swim for the first time.  Two little happy faces.

 Dinner with Jenna, Jonn and the boys was a treat.  Wild Aces has great pizza and it was fun to have all the kids together.

Time at the pool - aren't they adorable

Time with the girls

Finally, we made it to Pinehurst to visit the Popes.  I say finally because when we return from Florida I am antsy to see the kids and sometimes it takes a while to make the rounds.  Memorial Day weekend and time for the Gymnastics meet for both Celia and Lily.  Lily's meet was more informal and we were able to be down on the floor and follow her through her routine and see her accomplishments up close and personal.

Celia demonstrated her skills with her class and boy has she learned alot this year. 

 I just love that grin!!

In between meets we went to a nearby park for a picnic lunch and time on the playground.  Guess they got tired quickly, but  Celia didn't get tired of was hearing stories about herself when she was a "little" girl.  I do love to make that child laugh.

The last night we were there, the girls put together a GOODNIGHT presentation as they went to bed.  I remember so vividly when Krista, Elissa and Jenna put on plays, skits, shows for us.  What great family memories!  Goodnight sweet girls, sweet dreams!!

Blue Ridge Fest

Blue Ridge Fest is a big deal, only in the fact that there are so many classic care enthusiasts that show up for this one day event and the entertainers are classics themselves.  I tried to get a photo that shows the scope of participation, but that was impossible.  There are hundreds and hundreds  of classic cars on display.   This was our first time to attend and it was cool to be an exhibitor too.  We enjoyed the entertainment, which included The Drifters.  Classics are simply classics!!

 

 

 

Life with boys

 I have been looking forward to keeping the boys for the weekend for several weeks.  They turn life upside down in a way that nothing else does, and I just love it.  I am glad that we took some time to play outside the evening that they arrived because it rained the rest of the weekend.  No playground time for us.  So the inside activities included shucking corn for dinner, food, food and more food, plenty of TV time, self portraits photography and wrestling with papa.  John is going to have to stay in shape to keep up with this!!  I just love these guys.