Bonus Visit

We had a bonus visit from Jim and Trenton yesterday! Jim ran the trail at Round Valley Reservoir (until he fell and sprained an ankle) while John and Jason walked. Trenton and I played and played and played. We were smashing pumpkins for the deer while a hungry one waited nearby.
This morning Trenton was anxious to get outside and play in the wet snow.

Greatgrandma made these adorable centerpieces for Sheryl and me. Aren't they a clever idea?

Jason has a new hobby - learning to play his new guitar. It sounds great!

Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving here this year with a gathering of 15 ranging in age from less than one month old to folks in their eighties!
Greatgrandma and Oliver

Now that's what I call a feast!

A view of the table from each direction.

Oliver and Trenton enjoyed the day.

He's less than a month old but already so alert and so chubby.

Thanks for coming, everybody, glad we could all be together.

After his bath and before departure, Trenton reads a book with Grampack.

Girlfriends

Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver, and the other gold. That's how we toasted our mini 40th high school reunion on Friday evening. Robin drove to NJ from MA and I met her at Mom's in Mountain Lakes. After a nice lunch and chat with Mom we drove all around town. Robin's house had been torn down and another house built on the lot. That's happening a lot in Mtn. Lakes. Wendie met us at Mom's and we followed her to her hideaway in the woods of Sussex County. There are no outdoor pics due to rainy weather. They have 2.5 wooded, hilly acres, just idyllic. On Saturday morning Wendie took us to the State Fair Grounds where she has her business - growing hydroponic greens in the greenhouse. She's a division of NORWESCAP and employs the handicapped. It was a fascinating tour. That's Wendie on the left above and Robin on the right.

Robin's showing you what the small plants look like. They are transplanted and spread out to develop into full-sized heads of lettuce.

These are the starter trays, a mix of clay and potato starch. After the seeds sprout they are tansferred to the long tubes seen above.

It was fascinating to see the topiaries being stored in the greenhouse. They are from Duke Gardens.

Wendie and Brian's home is decorated with their artwork. They are both gifted artists.

Wendie and Brian with Izzy, a delightful dalmation. She enjoyed having Robin and me there so much that she pushed the door to our bedroom open 4 times in the night!

Saturday evening we met up with Lynn and Sue at The Boat House, an excellent restaurant. We talked from 7 PM until they shut the lights out at 11 PM! Let's do this again sometime, girls!

Trenton's Fall Visit

Trenton really enjoyed playing outside during this fall visit. Grampack made a big pile of leaves for us to play in.

Then we played "tag, you're it"

Trenton dances along with the Wiggles.

He loves to watch Wiggles videos (they're on youtube.com).

This was the first time we allowed him to see the uncovered pool table. He rolled the balls, smacked one into the other and occasionally into a finger.

Way to go, Grampack! One in each slot!

This is a fun game, Grampack.

He's king of the rock. Trenton has an excellent imagnation, an excellent memory and excellent verbal skills, making him quite the fun playmate. He amazes me with his knowledge and the things he says. In the grocery store last week we were looking in the frozen organic section and he told me a frozen dinner was "spit out food." He also told me that the Halloween decorations worked by having a "sensor." I muttered to myself , "why's it beeping?" when Sheryl's car beeped after I inserted the key and he told me, "Grandma, you have to put on your seatbelt." When we found a piece of straw in the bag of corn we were feeding the squirrels yesterday, he told me "that's what's in a scarecrow." I pointed out the rocks along route 29 to him and he told me, "those are cliffs." When the CD didn't play correctly he told me, "It's skipping because it's scratched." Last but not least, and maybe one of the cutest: after his bath here the other night he got agitated and said, "Grandma, where are the man rocks? I want the man rocks!" I asked him what he was talking about and he pointed to the sunset photograph on the wall. His entire life he's seen the Mt. Rushmore picture there but I changed it last month! He wants the man rocks picture back. I'll put it up in his room here. Who would have even thought that he noticed which picture hung on the bathroom wall!!

Oliver Allen Konopack

We are thrilled to announce the birth of Oliver Allen Konopack. He was born at midnight on Friday, October 31, 2008. He weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz. Sheryl's delivery went quickly and naturally. You can see lots more baby pics and learn the entire story on Sheryl's new blog (the link is in the upper right corner). We arrived on Monday and I was able to stay until Friday morning! It was a time of bonding with Oliver and enjoying Trenton to the fullest. I brought some of my homemade meals which were enjoyed by all.
Three Konopack generations.

Trenton is a warm, caring and affectionate big brother. The Boppy (blue pillow) is a useful item.

Trenton is opening a gift from us. It's a photo album with pictures of many of the good times he's had with Grampack and Grandma. He can remember so many of them, it's amazing. Look how well Sheryl looks after less than a week!

Now that's what I call a cutie pie. When he's awake he's so alert and attentive to all that's going on around him, especially to Trenton's voice. But he can sleep in the midst of all the commotion, too.

Precious angel.

Oliver looks a lot like Trenton did at this age.

The hard-working daddy after work: he can hold a sleeping son and amuse another one :-)

Oliver listens intently to Trenton.

This picture is too dark without the flash but it's a good one anyway.

A Tribute to a Special Man

Look alike cousins - Irene Wilson Althaus and Margie Wilson Willard.
Having the same haircut makes them look even more alike.

Look alike cousins - Emily Wilson McCrea and Helen Wilson Kearney

Carolyn, Irene, Aunt Jinny, Marianne, Mom, Helen

The Wellborn United Methodist Church

The Lyman Wilson Family was well represented.

Mother and 4 daughters, in birth order of course.

We gathered in Wellborn, Florida on November 1, 2008 to pay tribute to a great man - George Jack Wilson. You can read his obituary at harrisfuneralhomeinc.net. He will be greatly missed.