GigaBall

 Being a big kid himself, Uncle Justin gives my boys the coolest presents! This Christmas he gave them a Gigaball!!  What is that, you ask?  A gigantic, inflatable hamster ball that you can crawl into and play. 

 It's been raining here so much there hasn't been a lot of opportunity to play outside.  Mother Nature finally gave us some days of mild temperatures and no rain! 

(pay no attention to the multiple piles of leaves and stacked wood, by next fall we'll have that all cleared away just in time for more leaves to come!) 

 Harrison was the lucky one to get to go first!

In like a hamster you go...and then roll, roll, roll!

 Gavin was lighter and bounced around a little more going down the clearing on our small hill.

 Love the static hair!

 There are some perks to being the height of your average ten year-old boy--I, too, was able to partake in the fun!  Meeting the height and weight requirements did not clear me of the recommended age and after only one trip down the hill I was just as nauseated as my fellow thirty-something-year-old.

Thanks, Uncle Justin, for bringing us much needed outdoor fun on a Sunday afternoon!

Cannon- 7 Months Old

My little man, Cannon, is seven months old!

As Quincy, from 'Little Einsteins', says, "I cannot believe it!" 

You babble and da-da-da-ba-ba all day long!

 If you look close you can see two little bottom teeth popping through!  They are not a lot of bark but bring a lot of bite! He thinks it's cute to bite his food source.  "Don't bite the hand, Cannon, don't bite the hand!"                                   

 Go on with your bad self!  Standing up and looking proud!

First Visitor

We had our first visitor! We were so excited to have a friendly face show up at our front door.

My dad drove all night to spend the weekend with us.

 

Oh, don't be alarmed by the gun (or weapon as my military father calls it) it was a Harrison Christmas gift from my Dad.  Isn't a bb gun the coolest gift for a six year-old?  How about a one year-old? Because that's how old Harrison was when my dad gave this to him! With Harrison finally reaching a somewhat appropriate age to shoot a gun, he asked my dad to help him shoot it for the first time. Grandad happily obliged, but only after a thorough gun safety lesson. 

It was a test of patience for a 50-something year-old and a 6 year-old alike!  Harrison was d-y-i-n-g to shoot the 'weapon' but that was not happening before he understood the basic training basics of weaponry. 

Steve set up a couple targets in the backyard. Surprisingly, he hit a some of the them!  

Day two was spent cooking dinner with Grandad.  Growing up my Dad taught me a lot about cooking.  It was special to watch him pass the lessons onto my kids. 

Gavin helped make the sauce while Harrison prepped and cooked the shrimp.

Buffalo shrimp, Aunt Evelyn's homemade bread (that took me two attempts to get right!), and fruit salad.

No visit with Grandad would be complete without a good wrestling match.  Both the boys were introduced to a wedgie!  It was a relaxing visit that, as usual, ended too soon. 

Family and friends, come one, come all! We need company!

Indoor Swimming Pool

 Gavin didn't let winter or pouring down rain deter his desire to go swimming.  He donned a swimming suit, strapped one on Leopard, too, made a pool on the ground of pillows, and got to swimming!

 When I asked if Leopard knew how to swim Gavin told me, "ya, I showed him, and he's not scared at all!"

 No fears!  A belly flop into the 'swimming pool.'

 Frolicking in the water!

Gav trying to get the ladies to come swim with him by showing off his muscles.  Get in line, girls. 

Handy Manny Meet Handy Stevey

My Dearest Steve,

         My mother loves to tell the story of long ago when you and I were first dating. My mom asked you to  hang a mirror for her.  Of course, wanting to show off your mad-manly skills you said, "yes, I can do that!"

        I wasn't there for the now-infamous mirror hanging so I can neither confirm nor deny the events. But, as Mom tells the story, you started your handy-man services around the time 'Friends' came on t.v.  Friends ended....another sitcom had begun....the drilling continued....she finally opened the bedroom door and found your drill in one hand, screws in the other, shrapnel-like holes on the wall where multiple screws had been both drilled and removed, pencil lines connecting the holes like a dot-to-dot puzzle, a level thrown to the side (along with screws, nails, and several tape measures), sweat pouring down your face, AND the mirror still leaning against the bed. (You deny all of this, except for the sweating part, you said it was hot as hell and Polly wouldn't turn on the air conditioning.) The mirror did eventually make it to the wall, although I think it required the intervention of Mom.

Steve, my love, you've come a long way, baby.  You single-handedly turned  multi-painted, and weathered floors into their original beautiful condition.  I'm so impressed with your crazy, mad skills!  You make living in a remodel a total pleasure (sarcastic font inserted here.)  Almost married nine years and our favorite show has gone from The Sopranos to This Old House. 

     I'll continue remodeling you and you continue remodeling houses.  Deal?  Deal.  By the time we're done with our adventures where I live and who I live with will both be transformed! 

                                                            Love,
                                                              Gretch

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