Family Visit

We were so lucky this fall.  We had Grandma and Grandpa visiting for 2 full weeks and Uncle Paul here for several days as well, and we had an amazing time.  I won't talk about the Rugged (again) but focus on other highlights of the visit.  Paul, Mom, the kids and I went to King Richard's fair, which was a ton of fun.  I hadn't been in probably 8 or 9 years and it was surprisingly...the exact same.  It's pretty amazing how many people really get into the Renaissance time period, visitors in full garb and dialect. 

Dad got in several flying trips and Mom got her visit to the Norman Rockwell museum which I think was enjoyed by Dad too.  Mom gave Sam his very first haircut (it's tradition after all, Superman cape and all) and he was an excellent little customer.  Caroline wanted to get her ears pierced but in the end she chickened out and Loretta got hers done.  One of the funnier moments was asking Sam to point out all of grandpa's facial parts (lips, nose, eyes, eyebrows) and then when I asked him "where is Grandpa's hair?" him looking on top of his head and craning all the way around until he found hair on his back, "Der it is!".  For some reason Loretta decided it was funny to call grandpa an "old hag" the entire time, which of course was completely encouraged by us all. 

Each night after I picked up the kids from daycare we would be driving home and a few houses before ours Sam would start cheering "Yea Grandpa's home!".  And for their entire visit, each night at bed time, after goodnight kisses downstairs, the kids and I would head upstairs for teeth and night nights and Sam (as is his habit) calls out each person before he kisses them... Daddy, Mommy, Loretta, Caroline.....and GRANDPA! then I would say, "no silly, you already kissed Grandpa", then he would yell out GRANDMA!  This little scenario played out every single night for weeks after Mom and Dad went home. 

I'm pretty sad I won't be seeing everyone over the holidays this year, especially Chris, Trish and Jordan because it feels like eons since I did, but there is a possibility we'll all get together in March and I'm clinging onto that little life raft.  This will be the first holiday ever, if I'm remembering correctly, that I haven't been home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas.  I'm pretty sure if I hadn't just had this fall visit with Mom, Dad and Paul I would be a complete basket case by Christmas Eve.

a few pictures...