Road Trip!

Seems like it's been a while...since I posted, but also since we made the 500+ mile drive to visit our families in MS. We caught up on the latter over a long holiday weekend and had a wonderful time seeing all the grandparents, friends, and other family members we could squeeze in while we were there. There were lots of memorable moments on this trip. A big highlight was the celebration of 35 years of marriage of my parents, Jim and Martha, aka "PopPop and Gran." We enjoyed a special dinner with them and some of their friends and family, at which the girls made a brief appearance before their bedtimes (see picture). AG got her first "up close and personal" view of a real live turtle at their house, also, as well as seeing and hearing lots of trains, which she always enjoys. Fun was also had with "Nana and Grandpa": AG got to help pick tomatoes and squash in the garden, went to a big park with Nana and Grandpa, and went swimming twice with her Daddy...she seemed to enjoy having an audience of other family members and neighbors watch her as she kicked, blew bubbles, and jumped off the side of the pool at least 2 dozen times. She also had fun modeling some of her Nana's mother's earrings...her first time to wear "earmeens," as she likes to call them. Doesn't she look lovely? LL, who had discovered how to clap just a few days before our trip, got lots of practice by playing pat-a-cake with Nana. She also started to get the hang of eating her first finger food...sweet potato "puffs" which were worth all the effort to get them from her tray to her little fist to her mouth, as you can see in the picture. LL also got to show off her first two teeth! We returned with a little less sleep but alot more memories to cherish.