Nicholas and Megan cleaning out the big maple tree, getting ready for another season of playing when they visit.
It seems as if Easter Sunday was a long long time ago rather than five days ago. Easter Monday we attend the funeral of my 97-year-old aunt Esther Anna Wendlandt Opitz. Of the possible 29 cousins there were 15 of us there to celebrate Esther’s life and become reacquainted with family that get together too seldom and then usually due to a funeral. Within a half hour of getting home daughter Carrie arrived with Megan and Nicholas for them to spend time with Dennis and me. They had not been at our home for an extended time since prior to school starting in the fall of 2012. It was a whirlwind of activity as the possibility of any dust bunny escaping was slime to none. There were birdhouses painted as well as sleeves that seemed to get in the way of the creative styles. Favorite photos of themselves were chosen by Megan and Nick that soon were converted into coloring pages thanks to a tip from Uncle Kevin via Crayola. It was fun to watch the kids stuff their own pillows as we then created colorful pillowcases complete their their own photos that had been printed out and sewn on the tops for that personal touch. Even the thought of spending a total of two hours going to and from Fairfax for a visit to see Kevin, Kersten, Bell and Sophie did not dim their enthusiasm. They came home after getting puppy kisses and a little shedding puppy hair but didn’t mind one bit as they knew they would be able to each have as much bathtub time as they wanted later on. Grandpa had put them off for three days when they begged to have the stepladder put under our Maple Tree so they could check out the huge hollow that fits two grandchildren perfectly. Today, mud or not, they wore boots, mittens and stocking caps as they used a rake to clean out the hollow for more fun the next time they visit. I was in my robe by six this evening as the house almost echoed from their exit earlier this afternoon. Life can make one weary but I would not want to miss out on a single moment of it. Life is really sweet. Catch ya later.