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Fred and Laura returned from Peru to Texas to be present at their daughter Jessica's wedding. I scheduled time off to attend, but the day before I was to leave (February 26), I came down with some malady I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I was bed-ridden four days, then (even though I was up and around) took another two as sick leave. Now, it's March 22, and I still have a lingering cough.
I prevailed on Laura to help me put the Woodruff Range (the cookbook that I like so well) on Grandmasweb. Mylinda also agreed to write code for me. Is there anyone else out the who would like to help? It really is simple--boring perhaps, but simple.
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Mylinda was going to ride back to Arizona with me, borrow a car from Ameilia and Wyatt, and spend three weeks re-visiting this part of the world. When I failed to implement my part of the plan, she decided to fly out and carry on without me.
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She has been here and yon, then back and gone, but we enjoyed visiting with her. Lauren is, of course, much different than the newborn that I last saw, and it was fun teasing her.
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Barbara has been having more trouble with her teeth (among other things), but she responded relatively well to Grand-baby therapy. (It's pretty bad when you have to have your dentist on speed-dial! Barbara)
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It's been quite awhile since we've had a rug-rat underfoot, but it was kind of fun. Lauren is almost ready to start walking, but is very mobile crawling. And, of course, nothing close to the floor is safe from her exploration.
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During their visit, Barbara captured slightly less than 400 photos. That's about the number of images a professional photographer might have taken on an important project during the era of film cameras. For the times, they are a changing...
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Sometimes I think my camera has a secret life of its own. I have no idea how images of Nathen's kids became intercalated in this particular photo set. (Unbeknownst to Alan, I took the camera to Brie's blessing and took the photos, but I ended up without any pictures of Brie in her blessing dress. Would anyone share some with us? Barbara)
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Barbara introduced many of our Grandchildren to the magical world of bubbles, but they like them no matter what shape of bottle they come from.
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Jerry Flick continues to work on his house next to Big Rock. It is huge, especially when you consider that he is now an "empty nester"...
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The outside is mostly finished, but the inside lacks most of the sheet-rock (as well as wiring, plumbing, etc.). The outside of houses seem to go up quickly, but the inside takes forever to finish, particularly if only one person is working on it part time. I really need to get up there and help him.
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Guess who enjoys seeing her offspring experience new taste sensations (even if they are messy...)? It was hard to tell which half of this mother/daughter duo derived the most enjoyment from the experiment. (By the way, it's a little "tub" of KFC BBQ Sauce. Barbara)
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Lauren likes bath-time, as do most small people, but no where near as much as Piper. I think that girl may be part fish!
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Mylinda tried her hand (or perhaps foot would be more appropriate) at riding the recumbent bicycle. She grasped the fundamentals of balance more quickly than I did at first, and after that, she made it look easy.
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She even rode down Timberline Road to the second Stop sign at Mt. Lemon Highway.
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Lauren isn't talking yet, but that does not mean She cannot communicate. She has perfected pointing and grunting to a fine art. Grandma learned the vocabulary very quickly.
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A few years ago there were a series of popular dolls that had hair that swept up into the shape of an ice cream cone. I believe they were called Kewpie dolls. Mylinda must have spent hours learning to mimic this hairdo.
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Mylinda is of the opinion that Lauren has long toes. (She refers to them as "fruit grabbers".) This may be somewhat of an unfair comparison, but it appears that Lauren's toes already rival Barbara's in length.
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It never fails to amaze me how quickly children learn to use a smile. Who could turn down this request?
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Even a "grouchy old Grandpa" tickled her ear occasionally.
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Mylinda carried Lauren around a lot, either on her hip, or strapped to her back in a carrier. She also complained that her neck and back hurt a lot. Could there be a connection?
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When the opportunity presents itself, I ride a bicycle during my lunch break. Recently, I took my skinny-tired road bike over a dirt trail from Reddington Road to the San Manuel High School. It was kind of a fun ride, except that I couldn't ride in sand, and it occurred to me that a mountain bike might enable me to explore some interesting routes. So... I resurrected an old bike that AJ left here. I think the frame is too small for me because my knees feel like they are going to hit my chest on each stroke, but I have taken a couple of rides in the "outback" around San Manuel. Even though I go down the hills like a "Fat Old Lady", and I have to push the bike up the steeper grades, it has been fun.
Barbara and I are planning a ride from Alpine to Clifton (circa 96 miles) one weekend in May (or possibly June). The elevation of Alpine is 8,050 feet, while Clifton is situated at 3,478 feet. I believe there are at least two significant up-hill stretches (of unknown magnitude) along this route. AJ has agreed to accompany me. (Would is surprise any of you to learn that he suggested we enlist Brittany to drive the support vehicle?) I project this to be a one day affair, and the support vehicle allows the option of giving up at any point. Is anyone else crazy enough to consider riding with us?
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Barbara enjoyed the visit so much that she is considering running off to visit some more grandkids this coming month. If we can just get her teeth fixed...
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