Retirement Travel and a Weird Mix of Other Stuff
A while back, we’d planned for the parents to come up for a visit. At the last minute, Amy needed a place for Joey to go because it was Gaige’s 6th birthday weekend and the party would have been too much for the little guy.
I’ve got lots of pics to share, but I am pooped. So I’ll have to share those pics tomorrow. Or the next day. And maybe even the day after that.
I did say I have lots of pics to share, right?
This is his first year in school. He’s in kindergarten.
The picture at left is the most recent one I have of him. It was taken the same day that I took THIS PICTURE, which is my favorite shot of all three grandkids.
It’s not the best picture I have of Gaige, though.
I think the picture posted below is the best picture I have of Gaige. If not the best, it’s definitely one of my favorites.
He’s one of those kids that is just really photogenic.
He’s also one of those kids that likes to make faces when you take his picture. Like this one…
But he sure is cute, isn’t he?
Happy Birthday, Gaige!
But every now and then I capture that one image that makes all the trial and error worthwhile.
The girls and I stayed home from WV this weekend. I figured since I was home, I’d go see the grandkids.
Of course I had to ask them to line up for a picture. They complied nicely and I got this image.
Technically speaking, it’s not a great shot. I mean, it’s okay. They look cute and all, but don’t they always? The flash fired, too, so I’m not crazy about the light.
I asked Brianna to step forward a bit then clicked a few more times. That’s when I got this…
Is that priceless or what? I didn’t tell them to act goofy or anything. They just decided to ham it up for me. And I am so glad. I absolutely love this picture.
Amy doesn’t think they look normal in the second shot. I disagree. I think the second shot is way cuter than the first. It shows their personalities. The lighting was perfect, too, which always helps. Natural light is so much better than flash.
So that’s my one sweet shot of the day.
As a side note… a big thanks to those of you who admitted to following me. I’m still hopeful more will jump on the bandwagon soon. Seven followers is better than three, but I know there are more of you out there. Learn how to become a follower here.
He’s come quite a long way in a year…
…but this image from his first birthday still cracks me up.
This is my second-favorite shot of the day. Joey and his cousin playing with bubbles.
Of course, I can’t resist sharing this picture of my handsome Hubby, a very proud, glowing Pop.
Remember yesterday I told you that Brianna won an essay contest? She was recognized for that accomplishment at an Orioles baseball game.
Here’s the link, finally, to the news piece…
Go watch it. You know you want to.
I really think she’ll have more than 15 seconds of fame in her lifetime. This one is destined for great things.
We got to spend the day with grandson, Joey, who will be two in July. His big sister, Brianna (age 8), won an essay contest. She was asked to write about what it means to be part of a military family. One of her prizes was tickets to the Orioles’ baseball game for the family. She was interviewed for the local news and everything!
Joey is a bit young to sit through a ball game, so he spent the afternoon with us.
Here he is eating lunch with his proud Pop.
After lunch, he spent a good bit of time riding this train around the house.
Boy, does that train bring back memories. It is actually Eric’s train. Though he hasn’t used it for a while (he’ll be 20 this year), he sure did love riding that thing. It’s quite a hit with Joey, too.
In between trips around the house, he used his G (that’s me!) as a jungle gym…
We also watched the baseball game on TV, hoping for a glimpse of Brianna’s television debut. Every time Joey saw a man in uniform, he would say, “My Daddy!”
Joey got to snack a bit, too. On Cheez-its. Meg was quite interested in sharing. Belle was too interested in plotting the capture of the squirrels in our backyard to care.
Joey did eventually crash out on Pop’s lap.
When Pop had to make a potty run, I got to hold Joey.
There’s just something about having this cute, little, apple-juice-smelling baby asleep on my lap that made me want to grab a few winks while I could, too!
All in all, it was a pleasant day. It almost makes having to ease back into the reality of everyday life and work worthwhile.