Kasey's Baby Shower!

I was not going to be able to go back to West Virginia for Kasey's baby shower, so I took McKinley's presents with me and we had our own personal baby shower while I was in Cleveland. We spent an evening opening presents and Matthew modeled them for us. I had made some blankets and bought some cute clothes. Gary had purchased some darling little shoes.

When I was pregnant with Matthew, I had purchased a cute little white dress for the blessing if he was going to be a girl. Well, surprise! Back in those days, we didn't know what we were going to have beforehand, so I just kept the dress all of these years. It is simple, but very beautiful. It is hand stitched and embroidered. It looks antique, but not just because it is old! I knew that Matthew and Kasey had been looking at antique shops for a dress, but didn't purchase one because it didn't have any special meaning to them. I always felt that I wanted to give the dress to Matthew if he ever had a little girl. They were so surprised and just loved it!! I didn't want them to feel obligated to use it, but they couldn't have been more thrilled. Matthew had no idea that I had the dress, let alone kept it all of these years. I can't wait to see McKinley in it! She will be precious.

Visiting Matthew and Kasey

After Carson's baptism, I drove up to Cleveland with Matthew and Kasey and stayed for several days. Matthew had some time off, so they invited me to come and have some fun.

Our week was filled with lots of activities. We walked the Metro Parks several times, took rides and day trips, picked blackberries and raspberries and Matthew made some frozen custard with our berries. One day while Matthew and Kasey were working, I rented a car and drove to Kirtland and the John Johnson farm in Hiram. I picked up some tomatoes and corn at a road side farm. When I toured the temple, I was the only there, so that made it extra special. Of course, I took lots of pictures.

Everyday, we did something exciting. When Kasey had a day off, we wrote down to a little town that was an Amish village. We saw many buggies and horses. All of the stores had Amish people in them. We went to really neat Country Store and bought some goodies. We also stopped by a huge farm. We saw some Amish riding in vans and pick-ups instead of their buggies. We didn't think they were supposed to do that. Matthew commented that they must be "Jack-Amish"!

There was never a dull moment or any lack of activities or good food and hospitality. Thanks for showing me a great time, Matt and Kasey!

Carson's Baptism

Carson was baptized on August 27th by his father. It was a simple, very beautiful baptism and we were so glad that we could be there. Uncle Matthew and Aunt Kasey came down, along with Jen's mom and Heather's children. Carson looked like an angel and we were so proud of him. He is such a sensitive, caring boy and we could tell that he was feeling something very special that day. I was able to give the talk on "Baptism" and Jen's mom talked on the "Holy Ghost". Afterwards, Jen fixed a huge spread for all that attended. We were so grateful to be a part of Carson's very special day. That is what makes it all worth while for "Grandparents"!

Putting on a Show!!

Uncle Matthew and Aunt Kasey saw this lion Halloween costume and couldn't resist. They bought it for Cameron. We put it on him to try it out and then we all sat around for half an hour and watched as Cameron put on a show and entertained us! It was hilarious. The costume fit perfectly and he looked adorable. It has cute lion feet for shoes and a long tail with a red ribbon on it - like the lion from "Wizard of Oz". We laughed and laughed until our sides ached. The more we laughed, the more he showed off!!

Apple Picking!

Gary and I flew back to Pittsburgh for a few days. It was the beginning of apple season, so we took the boys to our favorite farm to pick some. Last year, we went to Simmon's Farm later in the season to pick pumpkins and have a hay ride, but it was too early and the only thing they had available now were apples. We were the only ones there, so it made it extra nice. A ladder was available to us, so we took advantage! Even Cameron tried to get up on it. Each boy has his own bag and filled it to the brim. They let us borrow a wagon because we had to walk a ways, so Connor and Cameron climbed in and Carson pulled! What a good older brother! Since it was the beginning of the season, we got the best pickins' and there were bites taken out of several of them (Connor and Cameron!). We purchased some fresh peaches and a few tomatoes and of course got treats and a drink afterwards(thanks, Grandpa)! We had a great time!

Elizabeth is in Town! (Marc & Laura, too)

Marc, Laura and Elizabeth were able to come into town for a visit. It was very short, but we enjoyed every minute of it. Elizabeth is getting so big and changing so much! We loved holding her and playing with her. Erik, Emily and their family came over and they took turns playing with her. The girls loved it. Elizabeth is such a good baby and she doesn't mind at all playing with her cousins. We were so glad that we had that time with all of them, even though it wasn't long!

Performing at Granddad's Care Center

Rachel, Amy and Kate joined a performing group during the summer that sang Broadway tunes. When the ladies in charge of the group heard that the girls had performed for Granddad, they wanted the whole group to come. A date was arranged and they came and sang for about 1/2 hour. It was great. There were about 30 kids. All the songs they did were familiar old Broadway tunes, so the residence really enjoyed hearing them. The girls had several solos and did a wonderful job. We were so proud of them!