there is no place like home but family is the next best thing

being away from home is always a little hard.
but being with your family feels so good.
my vacation is over but the time i got to spend with
my family and friends is forever etched in my memory.



a little bragging is about to ensue so i have fairly warned you.


my daughter esther has always loved every living creature.
so when a baby goat on her farm was rejected by it's mother
it was only natural for her to adopt it and bottle feed it.
now "ariel" the baby pygmy goat thinks she belongs to the family.
this goat follows them around wherever they go.


it is the cutest thing.




along with being an animal lover, esther is a wonderful wife and mother.
her little girl, grace, my blue-eyed grand is as charming as she is beautiful.
grace is an articulate 2 year old with manners that emily post would be proud of.
she was very excited to have her marmee with her.

we had a grand time being together...there was lots of laughing, singing,
playing the piano, pretending, reading, and of course snuggling.

esther also has quite the eye for doing things with a flare.
her home is very inviting and she has captured the essence of
her unique sense of style. she made this table top for grace
at christmas, it is so adorable.

i love you esther. thank you for your warm welcome into your
home and letting me spend time with your family. i loved being with grace.
she was a riot that first night together and she is so much like her mother,
in all the right ways. i love that sweet little grace that she is abundant with.

when she put her arms around my neck and said," i just love
you so much marmee." i could have melted.

then i got to spend some time with two ladies that have
meant so much in my life. mrs. brooks and carol.
there isn't enough room to even begin to write what that means.
carol and i were best friends in jr and high school and have remained friends
through college and between us, 9 babies.
she is a very accomplished woman and a very involved mother.
it was great to see you after so many years of just christmas
card photos. i really enjoyed catching up.
mrs. brooks has been so instrumental in my spiritual development and just all
around being a better person from her wonderful example of being an exemplary
woman of strength and courage. you are one of the few of my role models.
thank you for your love and support of me and my family all these years.
it was so great to spend some time with you on this last trip.

my mom, gigi and esther(taking the picture) lunched with us in the
outdoor eatery, grill smith. we all had a lot of catching up to do.







gigi had everyone over for dinner on sunday evening.
my mom is an excellent cook.
she made a chicken tortilla soup with all the fixings.
it was so good to have her yummy homemade food.
there is no place like home.
we played games with the family and laughed.



thanks mom and chuck for having such a nice gathering at your home.
unfortunately i didn't have my camera so no pictures.

meems and marmee saying good bye on the last morning.
i had a wonderful time meems at your home. you made me
feel welcomed and i got to relax and be treated special.
you are good at that. thanks for everything...the room to myself,
the trips to the beach, starbucks, your incredible cooking...

...having the family over multiple times...

sharing your precious family with me.

making each day so nice.

i had a very happy, relaxing, tasty, warm, welcoming vacation.

thank you esther, gigi and meems!

i love you all!