We sure did enjoy ourselves while down at “home.” We daily made trips outside to check on Grandpa’s garden and always came back with something…cucumbers, green beans, okra, onions, broccoli, zucchini, peppers, etc. Marie also had lots of fun looking for and finding watermelon. We also watered flowers, checked on Sprit (the dog), went down the slide and swung, played in the sand table, and filled the bird feeders.
Marie was particularly excited about getting a fishing lesson from Grandpa. Much to her surprise (and Grandpa’s too!) her line got a bite as soon as Grandpa helped her put it in the water. She had caught (with a little help from Mom) a good-sized catfish. It might have been better had she caught a smaller fish first because she was a little scared after that. She was soon ready to go back in the house. However, she perked up quite a bit when Grandpa offered to let her help feed the fish (without a hook and line) and go on a “boat” ride. After that she enjoyed heading out to the pond much more and decided she wanted to go back out the next evening. This time she caught another, somewhat smaller bass and wasn’t quite as nervous about it. All in all, she’s caught something every time she’s gone, which is more than I can say about my fishing endeavors.
Another fun outing we had was to the farm where Grandpa grew up. Cousins Allison and Ryan met us there and cousins Pat and Libby (who now live there) gave us a grand tour. Marie was at first pretty shy and didn’t want to get anywhere close to the cows, even the calves. She liked to keep her distance. She did get to stand on the ladder and peek into the big tank to see all the fresh milk. She enjoyed seeing the pigs, but especially liked driving the tractors in the barn. Finally, Ryan took her back to the big pile of cotton seed (an additive to promote milk production…I think). This was a huge hit. Marie could’ve climbed up and slid down that pile until dark. By the time we left, I think she was okay with the idea of coming back some other time.
On Thursday, we took a trip to town to run a couple of errands and get some groceries. We even got to meet Grandpa for lunch, a fond memory of mine from growing up. On Friday, we had a quick visit from Great Aunt Karen and Cousin Nancy. Aunt Karen is again working hard on making us look beautiful, now for Mark’s wedding. She has finished alterations for my dress and will be making another dress for Marie. We have no idea what we would do without her.
On Friday night, Mark, Sarah, and Jon made their way back down to Illinois. The week went fast, but the kids and I were sure glad to see Jon.
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