Drew was able to get a week of vacation around Labor Day. He has a relative in Tennessee. So he and Katelyn drove through the night on Wednesday, August 28th, to get to Tennessee. This relative watched the girls so that Drew and Katelyn could have a little time in Nashville by themselves.
Then Friday afternoon they drove to Sadieville. They arrived in the evening. The kids needed a little wiggle time after being in the car for a while. Raelyn was happy to entertain us with singing her ABC's and playing with the hula hoop. She remembered our home from her last visit and went straight to the basement with me in tow to check out the toy closet. Love it when they are this comfortable in our home. That is the kind of home Claude and I have always tried to create. We purchased Raelyn a sleeping bag for this visit. She was over joyed when she learned she had one and was even more overjoyed when she actually slid into it.
Little Emelia is just the happiest little thing. She loves to smile and make noises for you. And she loves her sister. Raelyn loves Emelia too.
After a bit of playing and catching up, we were all off to bed for a good night's sleep.
Saturday morning I was grateful for a good night's rest. Raelyn loves to be outside. On Friday my fall allergies kicked in big time. Tree pollen is especially bad for me this time of year. But I only had a few days with the precious great granddaughter and I wanted to pack them with memories. So outside I went with our little one. Raelyn is also very active. She bounces from one thing to another trying to take everything in as much as she can. I unlocked the basement door and the front door so we could go and come as we pleased. Watch in these pictures how we moved from inside to outside to upstairs to downstairs. I was getting a lot of steps in this day for sure.
This one cracked me up. She found Claude's little stack of extra bricks along the side of the house. She paused and looked at it for a minute. Then she hopped up on top of them. Then she paused for a brief bit and looked at me. Then she recited "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall!" I was in stitches she put all that together with the stack of bricks.
Jake bought this hat in California when he was on a trip with the Weber State University choir. It has been a great toy for the grandmonsters ever since. Now the great grandmonsters can enjoy it also. I sent this picture to Jake so he could see how much value has been gotten from the big sombrero.
We did find a butterfly on the sidewalk. It had a broken wing. Almost looked like it came out of the chrysalis wrong. Raelyn carefully carried it inside, then back outside, then to a flower pot, then under the tree, and finally to show Claude before it rested in the flower box on the front porch. This butterfly fulfilled the measure of its creation I tell you. Raelyn was one happy girl to have such a fun little friend.
Getting the mail with great grampa. She calls him Grampa Christian. So cute. With five generations and several marriages, she has a lot of grampa and gramma's to keep straight. She calls Nissa and Todd Ma and Pa. Sometimes we are referred to as Great Pa and Great Ma. I like that also. Really, I'm just happy they remember and want to be with us.
I also sent this picture to her Uncle Jake. He loves Star Wars.
This is Emelia watching the Michigan game. This picture went to Todd, her grampa.
Gramma Nissa arrived in the afternoon. She came just so we could take 5-generation pictures with Papa. Emelia was very, very happy to be in her Gramma's arms.
Claude fixed our African dishes to share with this part of our family. He made a chicken stew they make that we loved and he made PAP (polenta) with Sheba Sauce over it. It was yummy. He got it just right. Then...the evening and the morning were the first day and we rested!!
Sunday morning we woke up to this happy face. Sweet Emelia. Her little face in the second picture particularly reminds me of Katelyn as a baby.
Katelyn and I would go to Church. I play the organ (piano now because the organ is broken). Then we would stop at the nursing home and bring Papa out for the afternoon. He needed to meet this newest great grandmonster and we needed 5-generation pictures. Emelia and Papa's first encounter was sweet and tender. Nissa sat and let him enjoy this little child for a good while.
Then we got the 5-generation pictures while everyone was happy. First Emelia's picture. (Katelyn, Sandi, Papa, Emelia and Nissa)
Next we got Raelyn. (Katelyn, Sandi, Papa, Nissa & Raelyn)
Before Raelyn's picture was taken, I caught Raelyn sizing up Papa.
Then we took a picture of Andie and her kids with Papa. This would be a 4-generation picture. (Hayden, Sandi, Papa, Andie and Bailey)
I was very happy to have the Marx family arrive. The Mini's would be reinforcements for me in the outside travels with Raelyn and my allergies were really kicking up. Second, it was fun to watch Hayden and Bailey connect with Raelyn and build family ties. Hayden is very good with babies and really loves them. Bailey and Raelyn have a ton in common. They are both full of boundless energy and lots of imagination. Andie truly enjoyed her role as great aunt to these little ones. She loved Katelyn so much as a little one and that love now continues for Katelyn's children. So the afternoon was full of fun family building time. Claude topped it off with smoked brisket. Everyone is happy when Claude smokes a brisket.
Katelyn asked for help holding Emelia while she gave her a little shower. Hayden was there to help. We pulled out a laundry basket and put it in the tub. Hayden stood behind and held up Emelia while Katelyn showered her down. It was fun to watch this process.
Harry Potter for Bailey and Claude in the evening. While sports were on in the living room.
I told Hayden that Emelia really loves it when you make the sounds she is trying to form with her mouth. He listened to her for a bit. Then he set his phone to play Chewbacca making sounds and put it by Emelia. She loved it and made the same sound back at Chewbacca. Oh my!! The next Star Wars generation begins!
And the evening and the morning were the second full day...except for this. Andie is a first grade teacher. Her class is raising a caterpillar to observe it turning into a butterfly. She brought the caterpillar home with her for the long weekend. Sunday night the caterpillar started to make the J-hook. This means it is ready to become a cocoon. Monday morning we woke up to a cocoon. Wow!!
Remember the bench from a previous post. It was time to paint that bench. Nissa left early in the morning. The Marx family would leave mid-day. So. the morning was the time from a sun standpoint and from people leaving standpoint to get the bench painted.
Old t-shirts were found for those who would paint. Claude covered the patio in plastic and I brought out all my paints and the painting began. Claude's one request was that at least a hand print of each grand and great grandmonster be on the bench.
This was a great family project. Claude and I are very happy this happened. Thank him for making the bench and everyone for participating. It will now sit on the deck on the back of our home.
A little more time for the Marx family to say good-bye to the Ropers. Then they were off to La Grange.
For dinner Claude grilled burgers. We enjoyed sitting on the deck. Raelyn talked her dad, Drew, into rolling down the hill with her. I managed to get one video clip of this. We assured them they would both need a shower after rolling on the itchy grass.
And the evening and the morning were the third full day.
Tuesday the Ropers would say goodbye. They would travel to Columbus to visit Debbie and Ray, another set of grandparent figures. Claude and I enjoyed last minute snuggles with Emelia.
We will miss this little family. We are so very grateful Drew and Katelyn choose to come visit us. This is a blessing for Claude and me. How fun to build these family ties.
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