Home Again II

Got home Wednesday from 10 glorious days with Tiff, Shaun & JIMMY. Had a wonderful time. The fall colors were really very pretty this year and the weather was good except for a few days of rain.

Jimmy and Oma had their first solo adventure. We went to lunch with a cousin of mine in Williamsburg & then went to the Yankee Candle Factory. They have a real fun set up. Toy store, Christmas room with real snow and a Santa, train that runs around the top of the room, indoor fountain etc. etc. Fun stuff for a 17 month old boy. We chased him around and around and he got to see everything. It was a Thursday and they were really not very busy so all the clerks and even Santa knew Jimmy's name and greeted him on each pass. It was really fun!!! Then Tiff and I went back on Sunday and they even had a petting zoo and he got to pet a miniature horse and pygmy goats and bunnies and a llama and sheep. The horse whinnied and scared him out of his wits. He was trying to run but his feet just kept going up and down so he was just running in place. Mom was standing right beside him, so this only lasted a second before she scooped him up in her arms and made him safe. Isn't that the greatest feeling, to be able to make them feel safe just by holding them in your arms. It passes so quickly. Anyway, on the way out one of the clerks from Thursday saw him and greeted him by name and his Mom was very surprised.

Even though these were fun times, mostly I just cherish the opportunity to be with him and establish a relationship. We watched his favorite video (Elmo in Grouchland) lots of times and I learned the songs he loves and watched him try to sing along. We played silly games and rough housed and just enjoyed time together. It's so important to be able to be with him and see what he is seeing, what he likes, what he doesn't like, what scares him, what makes him smile.

We went shopping for a Halloween costume for him. We were sure Elmo would be a big hit, but he picked out Tigger. He saw it, pointed it out and fussed until we got it for him. We bought an Elmo one too, just in case he changed his mind. Then we put them away at the house for several days, hoping he would forget about the Tigger and accept the Elmo. . . silly us. He looked at the Elmo costume, said "Tigger" got down and began to search for the Tigger costume. Wouldn't put on the Elmo one at all, donned the Tigger and ran around the house just as pleased as punch. I'm pretty sure he's going to be Tigger for Halloween :)

Home Again (for a little while)

Well I've been home since Sunday afternoon and am leaving again Sunday morning. This time it's to Virginia and Shaun, Tiff and JIMMY. Can't wait.

However here's a quick update on the Arizona trip. Had a great time. The reunion was lots of fun and then we took several days to come home. Did a little sight seeing. Went through the Big Bend country. It's really pretty, especially after some rain that has made the grass green and high. Had lunch at Alpine at the Holland Hotel in the Edelwiess restaurant. The hotel is an old one that has been redone and the restaurant is also a brewery with stacks of bags of hops etc. all over the place, really fun. Went to Barksdale and saw Aunts and Uncle and Cousins. Then up to Fredricksburg for lunch and a little shopping. It was Octoberfest so town was really crowded and we moved on to Johnston City. Ate at the most wonderful Silver K restaurant in the old lumberyard. Wonderful!! (Thought of you, Jane) Went to Enchanted Rock (you really should see it, it's worth the trip) and then on to Llano for BBQ at Cooper's, also an experience you shouldn't miss. Much fun and great food. Drove through the lakes around Buchanan Dam, really pretty!! Then spent the night in Giddings and came home the next day. All around, a great time.

One quick story before I gotta go and get this day started, I've got lots to do to be ready to go tomorrow morning and I have a Sunrider conference this afternoon. Looking forward to both.

Anyway, the story: On Monday we were all going on an excursion and Grandma Miller, her sister Aunt G (both in their 80's) were in the car with Carrol Ann, Amanda and I. Jim and TJ were going to get my purse and meet us at the gate. Well I decided I'd better wait and make sure Jim could find my purse, as it was under some things and definitely out of sight. I explained this little delay to my passengers by saying "you know how sometimes men can't find things" and Grandma said "Yes, my Aunt used to say "they can only find one thing and that's because they have one hand on it all the time"!!!!!!!!!!! DO YOU LOVE IT??? We had such a good laugh. Just goes to show, the more things change. . . the more they stay the same :)

So with that little story I say goodbye for now.