May 21-25 Allegheny Vacation

"The memories we make with our family are everything" -Candace Cameron Bure

Memorial Day can still be cold at the lake so this year we decided to do something a little different. There are so many beautiful and interesting places in Pennsylvania to explore, so we decided to stay closer to home. Nice weather is always a plus but warm weather isn’t needed to hike and explore.

We chose to spend the long weekend in the Allegheny Mountains near a town named Austin. The property we chose had 93 acres of private trails and ponds. Located in an area of Pennsylvania that is absent of light pollution making it great for stargazing. Unfortunately the weather didn't give us many opportunities to see the stars. But it was a perfect place for exploring, hiking, painting, cooking, fishing, playing baseball and relaxing.

The house and yard

The drive up to the house.

One of the lakes on the property.

The girls loved fishing with Poppy.

The living room

The kitchen and dining room.

The bedrooms

The theater room downstairs. It was a great place to watch movies when it was raining.

The porches

The view from the porch.

Campfires are one of our favorite things to do in the evening.

Watching the kids run, play and be silly is very entertaining.

The property had a star barn and plenty of open fields to look at the night sky.

We only had one evening that was clear and we enjoyed seeing the stars, but the large moon made seeing the Milky Way a little hard. None of us wanted to get up in the middle of the night after the moon set to see the sky.

We had fun with a family baseball game.

The girls had fun making a fairy house in the tree next to the house.

The girls painted a few rocks but Brytanie and I practiced our watercoloring skills.

Some of our artwork.

Cora and Graham like to cook and we like eating their creations. Graham made s'mores nachos and Cora made brownies and a rhubarb strawberry tart.

Even though the weather was a bit cool and wet we still got to do a little hiking. It was nice that we could just walk outside to begin our hikes.

Looking back at the house.

We enjoy doing puzzles and this one was a challenge. Bryt and I did most of it...with a little help from everyone else.

Winter Updates

"Grandparent [gran-pair-uh nt] one who breaks most of the rules and loves every second of it." –Unknown 

Our winter in Rockport was relaxing and full of warm comfortable days. Besides our trip to Belize at Christmas it was pretty low key. Just the way we like it. We truly like spending time with our Texas family and we love the restaurants in town. 

We decided to head home to Lewisburg on March 3rd. A bit earlier than the past few years, but we had grandparent duties and we missed our house. It was still cold in Pennsylvania but our yard was beginning to come alive. Watching spring arrive in the north is a lot of fun and a bit unbelievable. Changes appear over night and you feel like you can see the plants growing. 

Our life in Lewisburg isn’t very exciting but it’s full of time spent with family, great shopping opportunities and when the weather warms up there will be a lot of new places to explore. 

One of our favorite places to spend time on Texas Pearl is on the top deck. There is nowhere else in Rockport with a better view.

Our last few days in Texas were full sunshine, friends and good food.

Good bye Rockport. We left Texas Pearl on March 3.

On the road again. Beginning our 16th summer on The Pearl.

We spent our first night on the road with friends in College Station. It wasn't actually on our way but it was fun to visit with them and leaving from CS let us skip going through Houston and Louisiana. Which was very nice. 

After dinner we spent a little time in their hot tub.

Our first weekend home we spent time with family. Hattie decided she wanted to get her ears pierced. So we went to a little shop in Sunbury called Body Mods. On our way to the shop Brytanie and I decided to get a second piercing. I'd been wanting to do it for years. The shop was like a little museum of oddities.

We were all happy with our earring selection.

Having cute little grandchildren is fun, but once they grow up a little they can fix you breakfast. You can't beat that.

The kids love to come to our house to play in the yard, ride skates, bikes and scooters. They also love to have ice cream at Sweet Frog.

"Blessed with a grandson—God's perfect gift wrapped in giggles"

Easter weekend was beautiful...the perfect time to celebrate with family with a cookout and plenty of time to play in the yard.

We didn't miss all the winter weather. It snowed a few days in March but both times the snow melted by the end of the day.

I took this photo the first Monday we were home. Compare it to the photo below I took four weeks later. Things grow so fast you can almost see differences each day. It really is fun to see how things just return year after year.

A few of our early blooms...our yard is full of daffodils, tulips and hyacinths now.

What It Means to Be a Grandparent

To be a grandparent is to love all over again. But softer this time. Slower. Wiser. With eyes that know how fast it all goes.

It’s holding tiny hands with fingers that once zipped coats and wiped tears from the faces of their parents.

It’s retelling the same story for the fiftieth time because the way their eyes light up is worth every word.

It’s snacks in your purse, just in case.

It’s showing up early to sit in the front row of a game you still don’t understand, but you know how to clap the loudest.

It’s saying yes to one more cookie, one more book, one more minute before bed because now you know how precious one more truly is.

It’s watching your child become a parent and silently praying over them the way you once did at 2 am when their fever wouldn’t break.

It’s a second chance at the slow mornings you once rushed through. At the giggles you were too tired to chase. At the magic you now refuse to miss.

To be a grandparent is to carry history in your hands and plant wonder in theirs. It’s a bridge between where they come from and where they’re going.

It’s not just love, it’s legacy wrapped in lullabies. And it’s the greatest honor of all.