Spoiled

Grandma spoiled us!  So did Aunt Sara and Uncle Mike.  Grandma met us at a Cracker Barrel on our way to Chester New Hampshire and treated us to lunch.  Then we followed her along the twisty, windy roads to Aunt Sara and Uncle Mike’s house where we were going to try to driveway surf.  The driveway was long but mostly straight so I was able to get Ava in a good spot to spend the weekend.  First order of business though was to fix Ava’s leg which wasn’t too hard but took longer than I’d hoped.
Grandma wanted to take us all out for dinner so I took a shower really quick then we went out for Italian.  I had a wood fired rustic pizza that was really good.  It was great to catch up with family and enjoy some yummy eats.  Brielle totally loved hanging out with cousin Skyler who had given her a bunch of clothes and then insisted on taking her to the mall to shop.  Well, if Brielle doesn’t have enough stuffed animals Skyler thought Brielle should experience Build-a-Bear…although they built a rabbit.  Brielle was in heaven!!  Back at home we were pretty tired so hit the hay to a chorus of frogs down at the pond (they are quite loud but did not detract from my sleep).

The next day was a lazy day.  Well, I worked and Steph did laundry but she was able to do it right there at the house which was super convenient!  I also tried washing the roof of Ava.  The trees at Wompatuk had left some nasty sap on her head so I shampooed her up and washed her off the best I could….its still pretty nasty.

Grandma decided that Caden, Dacen and Brielle needed ice cream so she took them out for what sounded like giant ice cream cones.  Aunt Sara grilled up burgers and steaks for dinner then the kids and I watched the movie Sand Lot while the adults watched some other movie.

Sunday we went to church at Bedford Presbyterian Church where Grandma and Aunt Sara sing in the choir.   It was great to worship with some good old hymns.

Afterwards we all walked to the cemetery where they did a short little dedication and prayer for Memorial Day and had a 21 gun salute.  Back at the church we all gathered in fellowship hall for pastries and coffee.  Next we dropped Grandma, Uncle Mike and cousin Kyle off for the Bedford Memorial Day parade while the rest of us got set up on the route to watch.  It was a good parade and was fun to know people in a parade even when we were thousands of miles from home!

After the parade we went to an awards presentation for a deceased Korean War veteran whos family was present to accept the awards.  This was followed by a concert band that played some old show tunes, some marches and other fun songs.  Grandma treated us to a feast at the Olive Garden for late lunch/early dinner and then it was back to the house where Uncle Mike, the boys and I got hooked on a Myth Busters marathon before we called it a day.

Monday was Memorial Day and it started out pretty dreary and rainy.  I stayed home to work while Grandma, Kyle, Steph and the kids all went on a little trip up to Maine for lunch then over to a place called Strawberry Banke.  It sounded like a lot of fun and I’m hoping they do a post to tell us about their time there.  Back home Aunt Sara cooked up another great dinner before we said our goodbyes (they leave for school earlier than we wake up) and went to bed.

The next morning we had breakfast at the house with Grandma before we packed up to head to Vermont.  We had such a great time in Chester.  It felt good to be with family and be able to “camp” right next to a house we had full access to including the great wifi!  Thank you Grandma, Aunt Sara, Uncle Mike, Kyle and Skyler for spoiling us and spending time with us as we journeyed through your neck of the woods.  We had a fantastic time and the kids are already planning a return trip to see you again!