ND Vacation - July 08

We spent much of our visit enjoying the quiet peaceful afternoons and evenings on the porch.
Dad, a.k.a. "Papa", got some bonding time with both kids. I have a feeling at this moment JD must have gotten into something, so Papa was helping to keep him out of trouble. JD has a knack for finding the smallest items. . .
As you can see, high chairs and doors are no match for him.
One of my favorite kid moments of our visit was the evening A came out onto the porch and asked Mom, a.k.a. "Grandma", if she could wear "the hats." She gave us quite the fashion show! At the time, I didn't think the spaghetti on her face was too noticeable. Apparently, I thought wrong! At one point, she was very concerned with the mess she was making with all of the hats, and she told Grandma about the mess she was making. But Grandma assured her it was okay. :)
A and JD enjoyed visiting Great Grandma and Great Grandpa while we were in ND. They played catch together, shot baskets, played puzzles, played the organ, saw wild turkeys and bunnies, and ate snacks. Good time had by all!
One of A's highlights of the trip was her truck that Papa put together. Here they are before she had any idea that it actually moved!
I guess A couldn't resit a good swing!
One morning, we all gathered in the library for some down time. I don't think Papa had any idea that his down time involved some good old fashioned wrestling. I think Papa has been a wrestling magnet since we were little. In fact, our childhood pictures look pretty much the same, don't you think?
JD loved being outdoors on the porch, although we didn't have a moment's rest. Flower petals, loose wicker, water, and the stairs were constant amusements for him.
A enjoyed eating lunch with Great Grandpa and Great Grandma one day at The Rose!



I love this video, because Papa did his very best to explain the rules of the road to a toddler. (Unfortunately, they were testing the emergency broadcast system at the same time. Sorry about the extra noise.) Maybe it was the extra noise that distracted her?

And, here is the result of Papa's well-intentioned explanation of how to drive the truck.

Thanks for a great three weeks, Mom and Dad. We had a wonderful time!