Hi Ellie,
I must tell you that this summer has certainly been a busy
one with visitors (friends and family) staying with us and also us staying with
friends and family! So much
so that I think it is important to blog
about it!
Final Thought: If you want to have a special
relationship with a specific person, or what I call a forever friendship, it
takes hard work and a strong commitment on both sides to secure its long-lasting.
Our summer as you know started off with a visit from Gram
Bubbles.
We had a delightful time
playing, touring and exploring with you and Will. She no sooner left when we had another visitor, Jim and
Carol Stigale, on two separate occasions because they were moving Taylor, your
cousin, into the dorm for Penn State’s summer session. Ellie, they no sooner left when we had
two very special visitors, Gram and Pop Russell, come home for a few
weeks. Just like with Gram
Bubbles, we had a lot of together playing, touring and exploring with you and
your brother. I think Gram
Russell’s favorite time with you two were when we went for ice cream! And of course Pop just loved to watch
you two play.
Right before it was
their time to return to Florida, we had another visit from some of our awesome
relatives. And that would be Aunt Phyllis, Missy, Marie, their
children, and of course their children’s children! Thirteen in all!
The best part of that weekend was that we ‘parked’ ourselves at your Mommy’s
house from 12 noon (their arrival time) until 9 pm that evening, and then again
the following day.
El, you were
absolutely in your glory playing with your cousins. I don’t know what you had more fun doing… playing with all the dress-up
clothes (including the ones in your closet that you have never even attempted
to wear) or playing outside. And actually
this timeframe brought on some of the day’s funnier moments because Annabelle
who insisted on wearing your poodle costume did so for hours even though it was
probably 3 sizes too small for her!
You also enjoyed playing outside on the Slip-n-Slde, where for the most
part you all waited your turn. I
giggled quite a bit though as little Richie somehow slid into the front of the
line every other turn!
It took
quite a few rounds before you girls figured that one out. We also had a short game of playing
baseball, which by the way we need to practice with you on the correct
direction to run bases. Sometimes
you went from home base to 3rd base to 1st baseball and
then double looped hitting 2nd base before heading home again.
Oh, and never once did you ‘touch’ any
of the bases! Sunday’s activities
included a trip to the Creamery where everyone had their favorite ice cream
flavor before heading home.
The next visit entailed you, Will, your Mommy and me
traveling to Green Bay to see family, friends and participate in your cousin
Stephanie’s wedding. This is the
trip we are currently in the midst of!
The plane ride getting there wasn’t too bad especially since we all had
to get up and start the day at 4:00 am although I was the one that got a
scolding from your mommy for giving you a candy bar at 6:00 am. Hmph. You were hungry and I wasn’t about to argue!
When we arrived in Green Bay we were
greeted at Gram’s house with Uncle Stevie who knew right away how to connect
with you. He got down on the floor
and showed you a unique way to play with the Potholder Loom Set…. No, he did
not weave it into a cute little square but rather showed you how to hang them
from your ears, nose, glasses and toes!
Aunt Sheri and all your cousins stopped by throughout the day to see you
and Will. Speaking of Will, he has
been a little stinker and quite the explorer. With Will we need multiple eyes… too bad we don’t have them
in the back of our heads! On
Tuesday your young cousin Samantha, your Mommy, Will and I took you to the Wild
Life Sanctuary to feed the thousands (and trust me I do mean thousands) of
ducks and geese. It is such a
wonderful place to visit and all it cost is $1.00 for a bag of corn!
Thankfully the geese do not have teeth
because one grabbed the kernels right out of your hand giving you quite a
startle and another just assumed Will’s big toe was a kernel of corn and went
ahead and give it a good nip! Yes,
Will was not a happy camper… his lower lip came out and then the tears came…
not because it hurt, but more because it startled him also! You also got to see some really cool
owls, hawks, turkey vultures and badgers.
If we can fit it in Ellie, I would also love to take you to the other
side of the pond where there is a nature trail with lots of interesting ‘stuff’
to see! Maybe on Thursday! Tuesday evening was a relaxing one
spent at Aunt Dawn’s and Uncle Stevie’s home where you and Will got to play
with their big Samoyed dog, Jade, and also their two cats!
Now we are at Wednesday. This morning my Godmother, Aunt Snuffy,
and Uncle Rollie came to visit along with one of Gram Bubbles very old friends
Ginny. I am so grateful that Gram
thought to call them for coffee and Danish as I rarely get to see them. Here again as you can see it takes work
and commitment to keep relationships long lasting! And then this afternoon your Mommy and I took you and your
brother to Bay Beach Park, which is an amusement park like no other! Ellie, they have every ride imaginable
for little ones to ride on in delight! (Big ones too!) And the best part is that each ticket
only costs 25cents. Will watched
from his stroller while you rode the Ferris Wheel, the Boats, the Ladybug, the
Planes, the Train and also the Ponies.
And you know what I loved hearing?
You saying, “Mimi, this is the best day ever!” My dear friend from high school, Julie, met us at Bay Beach
so that she could meet Will and see how much you have grown over the last 2
years. Catching up with her was
lots of fun too! But now it is
late into the evening and I think it is time for bed. You my little sleepy head girl are fighting closing those
eyes of yours so maybe I need to end my final thoughts here for this week. We can’t wait for cousin Stephanie’s
wedding on Saturday. What a
beautiful and exciting event it shall be and a wonderful time to connect with
family and friends.
Remember to cherish the relationships that hold a special
meaning to you and don’t ever let them slip away. When you are a tad bit older like me Ellie-bean, you will be
so thankful that you kept them close to your heart!
“To have a friend, you must be a friend.” Ralph Waldo
Emerson
I love you El!
Mimi
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