Our New Hampshire Visit Oct 2009

We had so much fun in New Hampshire. Steph and the kids picked us up at the airport. We then drove to the beach. BURRRRRRRRR, we were freezing, but the kids were in empty beach heaven. The whole place to ourselves and the seagulls. They couldn't wait to strip down to their swimsuits. Dave and I never took off our jackets, but the kids....they're not going to be slowed down by a little wind (heavy wind, enough to blow sand at our backs). They had a blast. The seagulls wouldn't leave them alone, so we fed them right out of our hands. They dug trenches in the sand and walked along the shore, picking up seashells and dead crabs (ICK, and smelly). Sounds like boys huh???? Yeah!!!!

We then went to the Shaker Village in Enfield. We've driven by it for years, but never stopped to see what it was all about. It wasn't what I expected, but interesting. We took a tour through the main home and the woodworking shop. The kids had fun playing football with Grandpa and loved playing on an old Shaker swing. The hillsides were full of color. We then headed home for dinner and an evening together. What a great first day, thanks Steph.

The following day just happened to be Grandparents Day at the boy's school. It was so fun to see them at school and hear about what projects they were doing. We were able to go to each class and watch the kids in action. In Carter's class we learned about graphing. Jordan's class was learning about homophones, and making up jokes using them. Jordan was loving it. Tyler's teacher divided the class into interviewing groups. Tyler interviewed Grandpa. It was fun for him to learn new things about Grandpa. He did a great job.

Steph planned an apple picking trip after school. The apples were so good. There's nothing like eating a fresh apple right off the tree. The colors around us were so beautiful. It had been raining on and off all day, but quit long enough for us to get several bags full of apples. Thanks Steph for another great day.

Jason started his vacation on Saturday(yeah, we get to spend more time with him now) so they planned an excursion to the Polar Caves. The drive was spectacular. The caves were formed by glaciers melting, leaving granite boulders along it's path. I don't know how many steps we climbed (quite a hike for me), seemed like hundreds. The weather was good, at least not raining, and the trees trimmed in their autumn colors. We had a great time.

Because Sunday was our 35th anniversary, Dave made plans with Jason and Steph to go out to dinner Sat night. It was a wonderful surprise. We went to Jesse's, a steak house. The food and company were great. Thanks guys.

We had such a wonderful time. Thanks Steph for being such a great hostess and for planning so many fun activities. We played, played and played more. Dave was in heaven with his grandkids. Me too. Being a grandparent is the best. We wouldn't trade it for anything. We love you guys.

Flaming Gorge July 2009

We had a great trip to Flaming Gorge this year. The weather wasn't always great, but a little rain never gets in our way, and it's beautiful after the storms. Here are some favorite pictures to share. We saw more eagles than we've seen in the past. The water was high so their nests were closer. Some areas we usually kayak to were under water. We love Flaming Gorge.