Welcome to the 8th Annual Grandma Hewitt Wiener Roast
Another year has flown by! And, here we are, back for another wiener roast! Notice the snazzy shirts. Pretty neat, huh? Do you suppose this will become a tradition, too? Here's our littlest camper!

And, here he is with his favorite people! No wiener roast is complete without the famous bubble machine!

Or, without wieners!

And, after the food, we all had a good time sitting around the fire. The activities don't really change from one year to the next, but it is fun to have everyone enjoying the time together!

Popcorn was a new item on the menu this year. I'm afraid it wasn't entirely successful! Unless you like your popcorn burnt! (Actually, mine turned out okay, but David and Doug weren't as successful!)

The weather was perfect - in the 50's and clear. The mosquitoes were non-existent - because of all the smoke from the fire, I guess. And, the company was superb.

A good time was had by all, I think. I know I had a great time! See you, again, next September! Perhaps we can get a full turnout next year. Okay, Andy, Bob/Janet, Wes, and Ted/family? Thanks to one and all for the memories!
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Happy Grandparents' Day!Frankly, I don't even know where Grandparents' Day came from. I probably just didn't notice because I wasn't a grandparent. I'm sure it is a Hallmark event - meant to sell cards or something. But, this year, it had a whole new meaning - Grandpa and I were invited to Grant's daycare (along with every other child's grandparent) to enjoy snacktime with the kids.Grant wouldn't eat his snack unless I was sitting right next to him - I tried to move out of the way, but he would cry. So, being Grandma, I stayed right where he wanted me. No pictures of Grandpa, I'm afraid. Grant only had eyes for me for some reason, so Grandpa took pictures.
But, lest we forget, Grant is Grandpa's boy, too. After all, who else would teach him the touchdown dance??

This Grandparent gig is the best!

Thanks to Matt and Whitney for sharing!

Thanks to Grant for being such a joy to spend time with!

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Matt's First Birthday Revisited I've been trying to upload these photos off and on for the last couple weeks and couldn't get Blogger to cooperate with me. I have a feeling it is because of my slow connection. Anyway - I dug out a few photos of Matt to see how Matt compared with Grant at age 1.
That is one ugly cake, isn't it?? Is that mustard-yellow frosting? Who wouldn't want to eat that, I ask you! But, it is a good picture of Ma with Matt!
I don't see much resemblance between Matt and Grant in the photos. But, in real life, I can see Matt in some of Grant's expressions. How about those nifty young parents?? See? Gary used to have hair!
Matt may not be Grant, but he sure was cute. Hard to believe it has been 28 years since these photos were taken. And, even harder to believe that I still have the same kitchen tile - only with a lot more wear and tear!! Definitely time for a kitchen update!

Hope you enjoyed the trip down Memory Lane.

Happy First Birthday, Grant!

(And, Happy 31st Birthday, Chip!)Our little "Super G" turned one-year-old on Saturday, 9 August!
What a difference a year makes, huh??
He was remarkably neat with his cake (homemade carrot cake cupcakes). Given the opportunity to make as much a mess as possible, he opted to stay fairly clean. :) Fairly clean or not, after the cake came the bath - which he loved regardless of the cold water. He didn't want to get out.

He (and his mother) opened mounds of presents. At times he preferred the wrapping to the gift, just like any normal, healthy child would. :D
A good time was had by all. Matt and Whitney had badminton, bocci and corn hole set up in the back yard, so there was plenty of entertainment. They served hotdogs, brats, pasta salad, fruit and a number of dips and chips. It was a very nice party and a great way to celebrate the big 1!

Happy Birthday, Grant!

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This past weekend . . .

Ted, Jodi, Chris, Andra and Danielle visted from Virginia. It has been a year and a half since Ted, Jodi and Chris were here last. This is the first chance we've had to meet Andra and Danielle, Ted's girls from his first marriage. It was so terrific to meet them. They are beautiful - in looks and actions. I know Ted is proud of them. I just wish Ma was here to see them. She wanted things to work out for Ted and his girls so badly. Well, I'm sure she knows and is smiling.


It was a whirlwind visit, but everyone had a good time. Perhaps they will get here a little more often now that they live closer. But, I know it is difficult to get away when schedules are so busy. They will be welcome whenever they can get here. As for the girls, they are going back to their mother this month, but we are all hoping they will return next summer for another visit. Now that we've had the chance to get to know them, we sure hope we will see them more often!

August, 2008 Vacation is over, but as we return to our routines, birthday season is in full swing. Gary turned 55 on the day we returned from our trip and Matt turned 29 one week later.
Hard to believe I'm the mother of a 29-year-old!
Three days after Matt's birthday, the family patriarch turned 85! He had a bumpy spring, but aside from the occasional ache and pain, he is doing well now.
We are blessed with a wonderful family and all of us can thank Dad/Grandpa for what he and Ma started. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATT & GRANDPA!

One Last Look . . . .After we packed our belongings, I took some shots of the condo. It was a great place for a family vacation.


The condo wasn't very large, but it was perfect for us. I hope we get to visit there again someday!
The final elevator ride down. Gotta wonder what Grant is thinking! :)

Parting Shots The beach was gorgeous on Saturday! Unfortunately, we were on the way out.
Whitney and I walked 2 miles every morning, but on Saturday we limited ourselves to a mile. Had to take a self-photo to document. :)
When Matt, Gary, Grant and I went down to say goodbye to the gulf, a sunbather pointed us to a shark (or half of a shark). She said it washed up on shore and she was not too thrilled about getting in the water because whatever ate the back half was still out there. Hmmmmm - and I was in the water several times. So were Gary, Matt and Grant! Oh well - all's well that ends well.
Too pretty to leave, huh?
Our customary good-bye photo!