Except for Annie's one-year-old birthday cake incident, this was the messiest meal I have ever seen Annie eat. It was Grandma's fabulous lasagna, . . . and it was actually smeared all over the wall and the floor when Annie was done. I warned both Brian and Leia that Annie would probably be a messy eater. Boy, was I RIGHT! : )
There was no doubt as to what was Leia's favorite activity this time: going into the "secret room" above the sunporch.
Here we are playing "cheetahs."
And more specifically, "cheetahs in the jungle." : )
And here was the highlight of Brian's trip: the Nintendo Wii. Alan and Cassie brought their game system for us to try. It's just so amazing in that it really gets you moving and exercising with the games. The controllers are so incredibly sensitive! Really cool! We played lots of bowling, tennis, boxing, and golf. We are definitely considering this system for when the kids get older. It's so family friendly! (No solitary hours in front of a TV alone.) It's a blast for a family to do together! That is the key.
At one point we went downtown because Bergens (the local men's store) was going out of business and was having a huge sale. Here's Leia having fun playing in the tie rack. And while she was playing, she found something she just HAD to get for Papa (and I agreed) . . .
. . . a sunflower tie!!! We're going to send this so that Papa can wear it to his retirement party on Thursday!
On our trip downtown, Leia Rose spotted a really beautiful tree with bright yellow leaves that had fallen. 
Time to stop and enjoy the last leaves of autumn.
Here are Leia Rose and Grandma in front of the beautiful Newberry Opra House.
I just thought this shot would be fitting. The marker Brian is sitting on proclaims a Newberry time capsule from 1976 (when Brian was one year old). Now his daughter is exactly one.
It's yet another big tradition to light a great big fire when it's cold and we're at Grandpa's house. When we visit in the fall or winter Grandpa always jokes, "Bring a sweater." Come to think of it, that's not a joke. Grandpa likes to keep his home colder in the winter. And now that we don't have tiny children anymore, its time to start respecting wishes. : ) Grandpa's philosophy is that, instead of wasting money on more heat, people should just use the clothes they already have. A bit different than my wear-long-sleeves-and-long-pants-and-socks-but-then-make-the-house-comfortable type of attitude. It doesn't help that I'm more cold-natured as well. In fact, Grandpa has this story about staying at his Grandma's house as a kid and snuggling under a blanket/quilt/comforter, waking up in the morning and finding that his water glass had frozen solid. I have a secret theory that he'd like to build those same memories for us. : )
And here's the family playing the Wii yet again when the Downs came over. Everyone is cheering and jeering. So much fun! And it was so great to see Cindy, who is really hanging in there through her chemotherapy and radiation treatments in order to whip breast cancer. She looked great! Go Cindy!!!
"Annie, give me one!"
Let me just insert here that you'll probably see lots of pics with Dad's leg propped up. He really hurt his leg running. I think the Orthopedist said he had a ruptured bursa cyst (?) that drained into the rest of his leg. His entire leg is so swollen he can hardly get his pants/socks on. And with out Alleve, Grandpa limps a bit. Poor Grandpa! Now if he can just stay off of it, he'll heal quicker. (That's a tall order for poor Grandpa. He likes to keep on the move.) The whole incident reminds me of when I hurt my leg running. I wonder if I had the same thing.
Here was one of Annie's favorite things to do this time: spinning the talking photo frame with pictures of Leia when she was little.
Now this is really sad (and yet I thank God for these DVD's every time I do this). Whenever I had to dress or even change Annie on our trip, I used our portable DVD player for a minute or so, . . . just so I could change/dress Annie in peace. As bad as this is, I still consider it a Godsend.
One of Leia's favorite things to do with Grandpa is to collect pecans from the neighbor's yard.
And here they are cracking those same pecans.
This is Leia's nut-cracking face.
If Brian could title this picture, he'd title it "Meat from the Bone!" (from the Lord of the Rings). This is because Leia Rose never eats more than when there's some fresh fried chicken to be had. : )
Another nostalgic outing for Brian was for the family to go to Tom Summer's Restaurant. It's a tiny hole in the wall that has been there since Brian was born "and has not changed one iota." It serves the greasiest and best burgers and fries in town, and still does a huge business! The owners know the us personally, of course.
Annie downed almost a full serving of fries. Looks like Annie share's her Daddy's love for this place. (Did you really have to look at a menu, Brian?)
While we were away, Leia Rose and I finished Pinocchio. Here we are watching the movie. Leia Rose kept saying, "Aw! He talks so cute!" And she, of course, fell in love with the kitty named Figaro. : ) (By the way, she wasn't scared at all of the whale named Monstro, as she feared she would be.)
We also went over to visit Dr. Bob & Kathy McCartha at their home. They were all decked out in front of the really cool HD TV ready to watch the Carolina ball game (which they lost by only a couple points in the very last second). For some reason, Leia Rose took it upon herself to lean heavily on the weak hinges of their coffee table antique and comment on the fragrance of the home. I spent at least a small part of the evening being mortified about that. Annie, however just made me laugh and laugh. She was so happy to get in on the conversation. She even laughed when everyone else laughed. And both girls enjoyed looking at the dogs . . .
Here was one of Annie's favorite things to do this time: spinning the talking photo frame with pictures of Leia when she was little.
Now this is really sad (and yet I thank God for these DVD's every time I do this). Whenever I had to dress or even change Annie on our trip, I used our portable DVD player for a minute or so, . . . just so I could change/dress Annie in peace. As bad as this is, I still consider it a Godsend.
One of Leia's favorite things to do with Grandpa is to collect pecans from the neighbor's yard.
And here they are cracking those same pecans.
This is Leia's nut-cracking face.
If Brian could title this picture, he'd title it "Meat from the Bone!" (from the Lord of the Rings). This is because Leia Rose never eats more than when there's some fresh fried chicken to be had. : )
Another nostalgic outing for Brian was for the family to go to Tom Summer's Restaurant. It's a tiny hole in the wall that has been there since Brian was born "and has not changed one iota." It serves the greasiest and best burgers and fries in town, and still does a huge business! The owners know the us personally, of course.
Annie downed almost a full serving of fries. Looks like Annie share's her Daddy's love for this place. (Did you really have to look at a menu, Brian?)
While we were away, Leia Rose and I finished Pinocchio. Here we are watching the movie. Leia Rose kept saying, "Aw! He talks so cute!" And she, of course, fell in love with the kitty named Figaro. : ) (By the way, she wasn't scared at all of the whale named Monstro, as she feared she would be.)
We also went over to visit Dr. Bob & Kathy McCartha at their home. They were all decked out in front of the really cool HD TV ready to watch the Carolina ball game (which they lost by only a couple points in the very last second). For some reason, Leia Rose took it upon herself to lean heavily on the weak hinges of their coffee table antique and comment on the fragrance of the home. I spent at least a small part of the evening being mortified about that. Annie, however just made me laugh and laugh. She was so happy to get in on the conversation. She even laughed when everyone else laughed. And both girls enjoyed looking at the dogs . . .
And finally, I just had to include a shot of Annie's favorite toy while were were there: this drug freebie magnifying glass and play remote control (that's just made of foam). I have NO idea why she liked these things, but it doesn't matter. Grandma and Grandpa have a way of finding things to bring the girls joy. Thanks for a fabulous visit, Mom and D!
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