Family Time--- Reunion Included

I never got so far as to post this yesterday, although I had good intentions of doing so. It was just one of those weekends, followed by one of those Mondays where the end of your to-do list is never quite in sight. So we'll start Tuesday by finishing Monday's list. How's that?

Friday, Joshua and I had the pleasure of a vehicle repair in Lewistown. The vehicle repair wasn't so much the fun part, but moreso the visit we got to have with Nana and Pap, and Aunt Libby, Uncle Zig and Brooke AND Pappy Ray AND Uncle Jerry and Aunt Carol from Massachusetts. It's very infrequently that we get to see Jerry and Carol, so when their visit just happened to coincide with the availability of the ordered part we were waiting for for the Highlander, we jumped on the chance to go to Lewistown.

It was a yucky, rainy day in Lewistown, so we were confined to the great indoors. Libby and I decided that we'd take the kids to Walmart to cure some cabin fever and give Nana some time to roll out the home made pot pie she was preparing for all of us for dinner. It took just about all of my car seat installation know-how to get two kids' seats correctly placed in the backseat of a car. My mom's was the best fit, so that's what we did. I got soaking wet in the process and Joshua fell down on the slippery garage floor which ended in tears. All to go to Walmart. But we had fun. He came home with a talking, siren-blowing fireman's hat that he just loves.

My mom's pot pie was worth the trip in and of itself. Pot pie was a Grandma Mary specialty, and I haven't had it since the last time she made it for us. I have very distinct memories of watching her drop her home made noodles into the boiling broth to let them cook while I got the cole slaw or cucumber and onion salad ready. It has to have been 10 years ago that I last had that experience. But it tasted JUST like Gram's on Friday night. It was almost like she was there with us at the dinner table, to be honest. I know she would have been so proud of Mom's work. We actually have a running joke in our family that I always miss pot pie when mom makes it. I usually find out about it on a phone call with Libby when she says, "We're going to Mom and Dad's for supper tonight. Mom's making.......um.......supper." And I always know it's pot pie. But this time, I got to join in on the fun.

Saturday was the Richard Reunion at the church pavillion. Joshua had a blast riding his gator and digging in the stones. There also happened to be a huge digger in the parking lot that I believe he showed to every single person at the picnic. When he started to show signs of getting tired, we headed home and...lucky for me, he slept the entire way home. Sometimes I can catch a lucky break.

Sunday was a catch up day at home including cleaning, cooking, running to Wal-Mart, laundry....and everything else that I normally spread over two days but had to squeeze into one this week. Add to that that Joshua refused to nap on Sunday afternoon and we were crunched for time to say the least. But we managed. I just employed him as a helper on all of my jobs, and he did excellent work. He's great at dusting the lower things now that bending over and stooping down are getting to be an issue for me.

This week continues to be busy with one staff member at the office on vacation and a big United Way event that I'm chairing tonight at the park in Lewisburg. I'll actually be anxious for the weekend to get here, just so it marks the beginning of a "normal busy" week next week when we're back at full complement at the office.