Here am I and my sweet "little" baby, at my sister's house in FL.  He has great hair.  Mine needed to go.

So, while I was in FL, it went.  10" off to Locks of Love.  (Enjoy!)  Nathan was sad, but he still loves me.  The kids don't like it, but I do.  I win.  My very honest aunt said, "I like it. You don't look so tired and drawn out."

Okay, now that that's out of the way....

Nathan survived his trip to Chicago.  He brought the boys home each a Chicago man lego kit.  Mary received the knowledge that her Daddy loves her--he went into a mall, a very, very large mall and searched through several stores trying to locate her a green ring box.  He came away empty handed and with a headache only to later hear her exclaim, "Not green, pink!"  Pink he'd found, but he thought she wanted green.  Oh, well.

Anyway, when he came home, G'pa and Stacy were already here.  They spent their first night here at the house, but the bathroom being upstairs proved a big problem for G'pa's knees.  Plus, they seemed to need a bit more quiet (mostly G'pa) than my house could ever afford.  So, they found a hotel not too far away, came with a pool and breakfast. (The morning after their arrival he was up early but couldn't find the toaster--it was under the counter--or the microwave--we don't have one.  He fried a piece of bread, but the butter was frozen solid and the jam he found in the fridge contained only about 1/4 tsp.  Oops. (I found him more.)  Plus, he "accused" me of trying to freeze him to death during the night--conveniently forgetting that I offered to close the window before I retired to bed and he refused.  He enjoyed our delicious bread, however, and had a wonderful conversation with Joseph--"I think I'm beginning to understand your language kiddo.")

Friday Sara came over.  She's known "G'pa E" all her life, he even went to her beach wedding in Nausau last year.  She and Stacy hadn't seen each other in something like 16 years.  So, we took Sara on her first T trip into Boston.  What fun we had!!  He treated us all to lunch at The Union Oyster House.  Oh, the chowdah!

We totally, TOTALLY, wore Joseph out.  He was zonked for 2 hours.

Saturday was a hotel, swimming day.  G'pa encountered way too many stairs in Boston.  (Note to self:  Government Station is not good for bad knees!  Actually, neither is the third floor of a restaurant.)  So we did little that day, but it was nice to visit.  Stacy and I and the babies hit JoAnn Fabrics while everyone else was at the pool.  She laughed at the idea of coming all the way up to Boston and only buying anything at a fabric store!

Sunday, after church, we went over to the hotel to pick them up.  It required some maneuvering to get us all in the van, but we managed (and discovered a new and better way home!)  We had a delicious lunch of ice cream (really!) and then took some pictures.  (I think the pic of G'pa and Hannah was actually a different day, but it doesn't matter and you really don't care either way, right?)

Sunday was their last day and after a very long trip, they were home again.  G'pa spent a few days recovering from his visit:  he was exhausted, his knees swollen and painful, and he had a head cold.  He commented to Nathan, "I shouldn't have gone into Boston.  No, wait, I'm glad I did."  When my mom asked him if the trip was worth it, he answered, "Every step."  What made it so good?  The chowdah.  Oh, and us, too.  :)

My daughter had several of her famous gems for her O'pa:

After studying him for some time after he first arrived she said, "O'pa, did you know when you get old, your ears keep growing?"  I asked her about it later and she said, "Well, I didn't want to be rude and tell him he had big ears!"

Before he left for the airport she asked him how old he was.  "81!  You're almost 100!"

While staying with them that first night in their hotel she said, "You have more hair than last time I saw you."  He asked, smiling, if she was calling him bald.  "Well, not now!"  she defended herself.

She drew him a picture and when he asked what it was, she said, "It's you.  I made sure to put the extra skin under your neck."  G'pa turned to Stacy and said, "Out of the mouth of babes..."

And to end... here is our Charlie-Bob. (Known at church as "the chunky baby with the crazy hair.")  We bought this wonderful contraption on Craigslist a few weeks ago.  He loves to be upright and has lately started reaching for the toys.  But, the other day, I popped him in it with a binky so I could make dinner.  I guess I took too long...