Thank You

Dear Nana and Papa Wuff & Nana Honey and Papa Bear:

Thank you so much for the great times we had at your houses two weeks ago.  We left a snowy NY for fairer weather.

Despite out delayed and severely late fight, the remainder of our trip to Spring Hill was great. 

Waiting and waiting in Newburgh

Our first morning was so good and yummy, we duplicated it every morning we were there.  Hand-squeezed orange juice!

Thanks also go out to Papa Wuff for bringing us out for a different kind of delicious treat- ice cream!

Thomas' favorite: da-vil-wa (vanilla)

Thomas got a new tennis racquet and had lots of practice honing his skills.  Thanks to all the people who played with him, including Nan's women's group!

Paying with Papa

Cousin Sara visited and played with Thomas

Get ready!  Here it comes!

Can you spot the Rock Star among Nan's tennis friends?

Thanks also for all the fun rides in the golf cart.  That is a perennial favorite at both sets of grandparents' houses.

Like the shirt says, everything IS better at Grandma's house...except for poor Ryan's unruly hair.

Thank you Nana Honey and Papa Bear for continuing our wonderful adventure at The Villages.

Fortunately, the visit to the firehouse was a social one

We are thankful for the opportunity and weather to continue our country club-like experience with Papa Bear.  Thomas, once he warmed up to the idea and the pro, loved his golf lesson with Craig.

What a swing!

Tennis on beautiful clay courts at Nan and Papa Wuff's, golf lessons shielded from the elements at Papa Bear's.  All that work, we needed to cool off in the pool!  Thanks for turning the heat up for us, especially Ryan in his maiden voyage swimming in a pool!

Making good progress with swimming!

Dad enjoyed every precious minute of his short trip

Thank you, Papa Bear, for thinking to pay a visit to the fire station.  It was one of Thomas' favorite things that we did.  Even though Ryan stayed at home with Nana Honey, Thomas always comes home and tells him about the things he missed and tries to include him.

Thomas let Ryan try on his fire hat

Thank you, Nana Honey for taking such good care of Ryan so that Thomas and I could go about The Villages without having to worry about catering to Ryan's feeding and nap schedules.

Thomas and I escaped and played bocce, tennis and shuffleboard for a sweet little Valentine's date. 

One round, he legitimately beat me at shuffleboard!

Thanks for entertaining the idea of bringing Thomas to play his first round of mini golf.  We will practice so that next time, hopefully, he will grasp the idea that you only hit your ball toward the hole.

A humongous thanks to all four grandparents.  You made two boys, a mom and a dad very happy!

Love,
Us

How to Plant a Tree

Papa Wuff loves freshly squeezed orange juice.  Probably as much as Mama does.  Thomas and Papa picked oranges each day and squeezed us fresh OJ every morning.  What a treat!  Papa has two orange trees in his yard in Florida and decided to add to his "orchard" while we were at his house this week.  Of course, he enlisted Thomas' help in planting the new tree.   Thomas loves to put things in order or group them.  For example, this is how Thomas tells the story of planting the tree (there may be other steps, so don't try this at home):

"First, you have to get a shovel and dig a hole."

"Then take the grass out and the dirt out."

 "And then you get sweaty."

(and go inside for water)

(then get distracted by a worm)

"Then water it."

Mama: "What about putting the tree in the hole?"
Thomas: "Yeah."
That's a pretty important part, huh?

Yum.  We'll be back next year to reap the fruits of the Valencia orange tree!

Few Words

As my tennis friend Joanne is quick to point out, if something can be expressed in five words, I will take five paragraphs to say the same thing.  I got a forward from our Proud (Great) Uncle Chet today with pictures that had only one word which captured its essence.  I highly doubt I can do that, but I will try my best at keeping it brief while accurately relaying a moment's essence.  Here we go!

Jack of All Sports: 
Latest Addition-Downhill Skiing

 
"I can help you, Mama."

"Let's have us match."

The Naked King

A Labor of Love

Pick,

Squeeze,

Cheers!

'Nuff said.