West Virginia

We just got back a couple weeks ago from our trip back east to visit Randy's grandma. It was a great trip. Randy wanted Jack to do all the things he remembered doing as a kid every summer...and I think we hit just about all of them! Here are the highlights:

*Snyders Cheese Puffs...you can only get these back there and they are a family favorite. Randy was trying to figure out how he could get a whole case of these shipped back home, that's how good they are.

*Pizza Subs: So there is this little shack across the street from Grandma's house that makes pizza subs (basically cheese, pepperoni, and pizza sauce toasted on bread). Randy and Tyler swear by them...

*Jack met a new friend Tyler. He lives with his grandparents next door to grandma. His dad was one of Uncle Tylers (Randy's brother) friends growing up, so when he had a son he named him after Tyler. I tried to explain to Jack that he was named after Uncle Tyler, but all he cared about was having a kid to play with.

*Throwing rocks off the bridge: Randy loved when his dad would take them to do this, and Jack was no different. Grandma Judi is scared of the bridge. We got her to walk out pretty far...and I was making fun of her until I got out there and decided bridges aren't my thing either. I always got scared every time we drove across the bridge too...but it was worth it to see the guy that works in the toll booth that murdered his wife years ago (true story).

*Rogers Swapmeet: basically rows and rows and more rows of junk...LOVED IT! Best deal of the day: 5 pounds of bananas for one dollar!!! Me and Jack got sunglasses, Randy got a hat, we split a cheesesteak sandwich and called it a day.

*Horse Track: we took Jack to his first horse races. They are so fun to watch. Randy and Jack looked over the book before the races trying to decide who to bet on. We bet on the first 3 races and lost all of them. If they would have asked for my opinion we would have won...Jim and his family met us at the track too...the kids all had fun.

*Baseball: We went to the park for a family reunion and played some ball. Daniel was batting, and he hit it to Jim, who handed the ball to Jack and said "get him", meaning tag him with it...but Jack threw it at Daniel while he was running to first base and nailed him right in the head. In his defense, he has never played a "real" baseball game and Uncle Jim did say "get him"...

*Swimming: in one of the dirtiest pools I've ever seen...which might have explained the rash Jack got...but kids don't care about that, they just see water and are in heaven! The boys all did some sweet jumps off the board...

*Paddle Boats: another one of Randy's childhood faves! Grandpa Earl came with us, which was good since he paddled the whole time while me and Randy took turns keeping kids in the boat.

*Spending time with Grandma Great, Grandma Judi and Grandpa Earl, and Jim's family was definately the best part of the trip (with the cheese puffs coming in at a close second!)