Apples

It's apple season here in the Northeast. Much to Wayne and Cole's delight, Grammie has several apple trees around her yard.


Most of the good apples seemed to be up high, out of reach, but Wayne, resourceful as he is, always finds a way. This kept him busy for quite a while after school yesterday.

A growing pile of snacking apples.


Cole finds one too.



Nothing to do with apples, but Peter and Lizzy brought over this basketball hoop last weekend. Lots of fun for us.

I think that one went in.


Lastly, Cole was pretty lonely when Wayne went back to school, so we had Fintan (or Tintan, as Heather calls him) over for a play date.

First Day

After moving and unpacking we were all very tired. Everyone slept very well that night. Even Cole, who kept saying, "I wuved our owd house. I still want to wiv there." Even Heather slept well, which was a great relief, becaue you never know with Heather.

On our first full day here, we were just kind of trying to relax and get our bearings. Wayne was starting first grade the next day, so I had to make sure all his school clothes and supplies made it out of the storage room and into his bureaus. We continue to unpack a little each day, at a leisurely, need by need pace. I need to investigate some yard sales for some book shelves for all of our books, dvds and cds.

Anyway, the kids (even Cole) had a great time playing and starting to feel at home here. They continue to play with The Superhero Starter Kit that Laura had brought them. It contains a cape, masks, wrist bands, and emblem stickers to wear on the front of a shirt.
Heather has to get in on everything her big brothers do.
The Masked Marvel eats lunch on the porch.

In the afternoon, the superheros take a break from saving the world to hunt for frogs over at the pond. They did catch two frogs which they put in this little plastic tank (also from Laura) and then set them free again later.

Monday was Wayne's first day of school. Cole and I decided to make cookies as a surprise treat for him when he got home from his first day of first grade.

And again, we enjoy the porch so much, supper on a warm summer evening, enjoying the view.
It may surprise you to learn that I've set the computer up in the pantry. As I type this, I can look out the window, through the porch and out to the back field where three dear have ventured cautiously out of the woods to graze in the quiet field before W,C,H wake up and create a raucous when they play outside.

I'm Back!

We're back on line and I've got lots of pictures to show you. I'll have to to it in installments, because I can't upload them all today.

First of all, many heartfelt thanks to Edwin, Cedric, Tyler, Peter, Martha, Chris, Mary, Laura, and Joanie who were here helping with this big move. It was a long day of heavey work, and we greatly appreciate every one's help.

Let's start with moving day. It was exciting when the day finally arrived. We'd been thinking about it and planning for it for months. It was funny to see some of this furniture that had come from Grammie's house go back to Grammie's house.

Martha and Joanie show off their muscles.

The couch goes for a ride in Tyler's truck.

Joanie and Laura help keep the kids out of trouble. They both brought games, puzzles, and other activities to keep the kids busy and out of the way.

What a job to dismantle the playground...

and move it. I wish I had gotten a picture of Peter driving this precariously down the field, but I missed it. What a sight!

A break for lunch on the porch.


After lunch, it was back to the business of putting this thing back together. It was no sooner assembled, than the kids were out there on it.

Then came more furniture. Heather's crib in the "sewing room."



Wayne and Cole's bunk beds in Julie's old room.

Check in within the next couple of days for more moving day pictures and scenes from our first week in our new home!

Moving Day

The big moving day is amost here and there's lots of last minute things to do, so this will just be a quick little blog post to say we might be in "blog blackout" for a few days until we get our computer set up and running again in our new home.

This is where we've been for the past 10 years - the first home that we enjoyed as a family of five. Lots of memories here. It's been a good house, but Martha offered us an opportunity we couldn't pass up. Good bye Drew Place. I hope some other nice family with kids moves in to sleep in your bedrooms, play games in your living room, and run around your big yard.

Hello Elijah's Place. This house, although we haven't even moved in yet, is also filled with memories. Most of them are happy, some are sad, and a few, bittersweet. Looks quite stately right now, doesn't it? Soon the driveway will be strewn with bikes, and Tonka trucks. There will be a swing set out back. There will be bunk beds, dolls, tractors, games, music, dancing, birthday parties, superheros, snowmen, snow forts, and sliding. Get ready, Elijah's Place. We're coming.

More Maine

Actually, let's start with New Hamshire.

Remember several weeks ago when I took Cole and Heather to Maine, I showed you some pictures of the playground in Gorham where we take a break, and across the road is an old train that has been turned into a museum by the Gorham historical society? Well, this time, when Wayne, Heather, and I were passing through, the train cars were open and we got a chance to see some of the exhibits inside.

The kindly gentleman who was in charge let Wayne ring this old steam engine bell. It was very loud. Good thing Cole wasn't with us. Wayne really enjoyed ringing this bell. He did it over and over. The whole town of Gorham was probably wondering what was going on.

Look at this old smoke stack, tall as Wayne, that fell off a train during a terrible derailment accident between Gorham and Berlin back in the early 1900's.

This is a miniature model train that runs through a model of Gorham. It's been painstakingly had crafted by train buffs and historical society memebers over the course of 20 years and they still add, change, tweak, and maintain as time goes by.

And a trip to maine would not be complete without a visit to one of its rocky beaches.

Grandchildren, Great-grandchildren, Cousins

Thanks to my sister-in-law, Christine, we didn't go hungry at Mom and Dad's 60th anniversary. I wish I had gotten a picture of all the crock pots full of delicious things she had made, not to mention salads, sandwiches, chips, veggies and dip. She did it all. All I brought was the paper products. My defense is that a 6 hour drive from Vermont would have spoiled any food that I might have tried to bring.



Also what I didn't get a picture of was the cake my sister, Diane brought. What was wrong with me that day? I usually take pictures of everything.



Heather is the first granddaughter to come along for my parents. However, they did have a few great-granddaughters to prepare them for her arrival.

Here she discovers her long, lost twin in her 2nd cousin, Ava Marie (first cousin once removed? I don't know.) I tried and tried to get a picture of them together, but they were extremely uncooperative,as you can see. Ava is 5 weeks older than Heather.

See the family resemblance?



Also thanks to my sister-in-law, Christine, we had some nice shade from this canopy so we could sit out on the lawn.



Here's Elizabeth (Christine and David's granddaughter) with Ava.

More great-granddaughters, Kiana who will be going into 4th grade, and her younger sister Anastasia, who will starting kindergarten very soon.

I did get a few pictures of some grown-ups, but they told me they'd kill me if I put them on the blog. So you'll just have to make due with these cute kids.

Stay tuned one of these days of Wayne and Heather at the shore.

60 Years

Sixty years ago today, on the very day she turned 18, Harriet Sarah Feeney said, "I do," and became Mrs. Linwood Oxton.

This is them then:

Here they are now. How many of us will make to that 60 year mark? Unbelievable.

What Life Was Like In 1948:

Average Cost of new house $7,700.00

Average wages per year $2,950.00

Cost of a gallon of Gas 16 cents

Average Cost of a new car $1,250.00

Loaf of Bread 14 cents

Movie Ticket 60 Cents

World SeriesCleveland d. Boston Braves (4-2)

Kentucky Derby Champion: Citation

The 1948 winter Olympics were held in Switzerland and the summer Olympics were in London

Edwin Land (US) invents the Polaroid Land camera

and Far Away Places by Dinah Shore was one of the most popular songs of the year.

Happy Anniversay Mom and Dad.

Happy Birthday Mom.

We love you.

Grammie's Birthday

Lisa and Dan hosted a birthday barbecue for Grammie at Stuart and Emile's camp on Shadow Lake. They've rented it for the week. The weather has been questionable, but today, in honor of Grammie's birthday, it was clear, breezy, and beautiful.

Cole enjoys gazing at the sweet frosting as Lisa covers the cake.

Elijah is almost 9 months old. Look at those adorable curls on the top of his head. Does he just get cuter every time you see him or what?

Dan did a magnificent job cooking hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill.

Here she is, the guest of honor. Martha Alexander - 77 today and going strong!



Elijah devours a plate of food.

Wayne takes a break from tadpole hunting to refuel.

Cole enjoys the burger and fruit salad but keeps asking about the cake.

Wayne goes back to tadpole hunting.

His persistence pays off. A bullfrog tadpole.



How many people does it take to light 77 candles on a breezy day?



Well, she didn't have to worry about being able to blow out all those candles. Mother Nature did it for her.


Uncle Cedric tries in vain to convince Cole that the happy Birthday song is not terrifying.



Poor Joanie can't catch a break with W,C,H around!



And they keep Lizzy pretty busy too. Luck for me to have Joanie and Lizzy around.


Happy Birthday Grammie! We enjoyed honoring your 77 years. Here's to many more.