July's Flying By!

Grammy Lisa and PaPaPa came for a visit this past week, and we had a lovely and eventful time.  Grammy Lisa, Anna and I went to Holiday World where Anna was tall enough to ride the Watube.  So we rode it three times and then other slides like 30 times.

We celebrated Anna's birthday with ice cream cake, streamers, balloons and presents.  One of her gifts was a dress- fabric and stitch made by women in Africa.

Jack loves his blankie.

We went to the Newport Aquarium and watched a diver in the shark tank.  We saw sea turtles,  Kentucky fish, saltwater and river fish, eels, jellyfish, alligators, sting rays, two ray sharks and penguins. 

The aquarium boasts tunnels you can walk through and see the sharks and fish all around you, even above you, like this sand tiger shark above our heads. 

The appropriate tourist picture :)

Jack loved the aquarium.  He walked quickly from tank to tank, pointing and saying, "Ish!" I will post a video of that soon.  The thing he seemed to enjoy the most were the penguins.  We went into the gift shop and there to greet us were two long rows of penguin stuffed animals.  Jack started laughing with glee.  I offered him one and he laughed more but didn't take it just yet.  I think he thought it was alive.  So then when he finally held it, he walked around smiling and laughing through the whole store, saying, "Nain Nain"! (for penguin). 

Here he is with his nain-nain.

Anna chose a shark to love.

Jellies.

And here are just some sweet photos of everyone outside playing.

Grammy Lisa and Anna took bike rides around the neighborhood.  They packed snacks and stuffed animals so they could take a picnic when they were tired and hungry. 

We were fortunate to have a family of wrens in our mailbox this spring, and this is one of their babies finally coming out to see the world.

I just love this picture of the big tall tree and the little tiny baby bird on the front right corner of the porch step.

Unfortunately, a mailman didn't read our sign about the birds in the mailbox  and put a big package in and killed the other three babies.  We were very sad for them, so we buried them here in our front garden.

Grammy Retta, Grammy Lisa, myself and Anna

Papa J, PaPaPa, Grammy Lisa, Grammy Retta, Jack and Anna

Papa  J, PaPaPa, Mike and Jack

And then today was the annual Jane Austen Festival at Locust Grove.  We found there the cutest hand-sewn dress that fit her perfectly.  She said she looked like Marianne from Sense and Sensibility.  Love it!!