On 8/6/ 2012 we flew a red eye special to New York to go visit # 3 son, Jed, and his wife Kate to meet meet their new son, Green Hornet. We also planned to see #1 son, Luke, and his wife, Bethany and their three daughters, Strawberry, Apple and Mango when they joined us in New York for Green Hornet's blessing.
First thing Grandma did when we got to Jed and Kate's small flat overlooking a beautiful landscape of New York, was grab Green Hornet and begin the bonding process. Both cuddled their way into friendship over the several days we were together. Grandpa got to hold Green Hornet several times too, but he was always second in line behind Grandma.
Every part of Green Hornet's maintenance became a interactive sport for Grandma and sometimes, Grandpa. Grandchild # 12 and all the associated "firsts", we found is just as precious as 1-11!!!
We affectionately call Green Hornet, "Ol' Patchy" due to his need to wear a patch 2 hours a day to strengthen a lazy eye.
We left Portland, OR on the 6th, arriving in NY early in the AM of the 7th. Later in the day after we had spent time with Green Hornet and his parents, we were told that Jed and Kate had lots of errands to do and Ol' Patchy had an eye doctor's appointment. In order to accomplish all that, Jed had decided to rent a car so we all could participate. Wayne and Jed rode Jed's Vespa, "Gatsby" to New Jersey to accomplish that and then when we got back, Wayne was asked to haul all the suit cases of clothes, an "extra" porta-crib and several other items down to the car. Seems our errands included "donations to Good Will", "a trip to an IKEA store to get a new end table or something", and a Dr. appointment for Green Hornet. It sounded legit to this sleep deprived grandpa.
Many hours later, at the beginnings of Grandpa beginning to get frustrated with #3 son's lack of navigation skills and not being able to find the IKEA or Good Will, Ann, Jed and Kate confessed that we were really on our way to Pennsylvania to a rented house in the woods of the Poconos. There we would meet up with Luke and his family for 4 days of family gathering and Wayne's 60th birthday celebration
It had all been planned months earlier and it was all kept a secret from Wayne. Quite well done, I confess. But I will never believe another word out of Ann's Jed's or Kate's mouths!!!
Here is the house we rented.
The four family filled days were spent visiting, playing pool....
...playing darts...
...going for walks in the beautiful eastern broad leaf hardwoods forests....
....
attempting to go swimming at the "Members Only" beach at the nearby lake...
....cuddling with Green Hornet....
...playing with Luke and Bethany's daughters (Apple)....
....preparing delicious meals (Luke)...
...chilling together in the swing and telling "Grandpa Stories" (Mango, Apple and Grandpa)....
....cuddling with Green Hornet (Luke)...
...preparing more meals, this one on the beautiful deck overlooking the forest (Luke, #1 and Jed, #3)...
...setting for the meal (Jed and his wife Kate, aka Green Hornet's parents, and Grandpa)...
...enjoying great meals (Grandma and Apple)....
....still enjoying great meals (Strawberry, Jed and Kate).....
...having a birthday party for 60 year old Grandpa (Apple, Grandpa, Mango and Strawberry)...
...enjoying nightly sundaes and hourly ice cream sandwiches (Jed)....
...cuddling with Green Hornet (Strawberry and Green Hornet)...
...hot tubbing ( Apple, Strawberry and Uncle Jed)...
...watching the Olympics (Aunt Kate, Strawberry, Grandma Cowley, Apple, Mango and Uncle Luke)....
...more family eating together (clockwise starting at 6:00, Apple, Mango, Aunt Bethany, Uncle Luke, Grandma and Grandpa Cowley, Uncle Jed, Strawberry) while Green Hornet partook of his every two hour feeding with Mama Kate....
...watching more Olympics (Aunt Bethany, Strawberry, Aunt Kate, Mango, Daddy Luke, Daddy Jed and Green Hornet with Grandma Cowley)....
...more cuddling with Ol' Patchy (Daddy Jed and Green Hornet)....
...preparing more meals (Luke and Jed)....
...relaxing on the portion of the deck that was screened in (Apple, Aunt Kate, Grandma Cowley and Green Hornet)....
...more hot tubbing....
...receiving constructive counsel on the proper way to dice tomatoes (Kate and Jed)...
...dicing tomatoes correctly (Kate)....
...playing video games (Apple)....
....playing cards (Mango), actually could not get any of the family to play Canasta or Thousand Aces (bummer).....
...more Grandma cuddling of Green Hornet....
....napping....
...posing for family portraits festooned with some of the birthday presents Grandpa Cowley got from his grand daughters (L-R: Kate and Jed, Luke and Bethany with their three girls Apple, Strawberry and Autumn, Grandma with Green Hornet and Grandpa)....
....more cuddling with Green Hornet (Black Bartette and Festus).
After 4 days of grandma cuddling Green Hornet, lots of food and other
family relaxing activities, we packed up and left for New York, on Saturday. Here is the view of Luke and Bethany's tribe unloading their rig as seen from Jed and Kate's apartment, 9 floors up.
We spent Saturday afternoon playing in Central Park. It is an amazing piece of real estate right in the middle of New York and only a couple blocks from Jed and Kate's flat. Here Mango gets to swinging....
...with the assistance of Daddy.....
....while in another side of the park, Grandpa and Grandma Cowley monitored Apple....
...and Strawberry on the bigger kids playground. It was a relaxing time in the heart of New York.
On Sunday, 8/12, we all went to church and participated in the blessing of Green Hornet. Afterwards, we posed for a family portrait in front of the chapel and temple, http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/manhattan/ located on the corner of 65th and Broadway. (Luke, Bethany, Led, Kate and Green Hornet, Grandma and Grandpa Cowley, sleeping Mango, tired Apple and relaxed Strawberry).
Luke and crew left for home in Maryland Sunday afternoon and then we flew back to Portland and to Sean's house where we had left our rig.
And what did we find as soon as we landed at the airport in Portland????? The elusive IKEA that we never got to in New York. Here it is Jed and Kate!!!! And this one is not a warehouse!!!
Life is Good!!!!
My goodness, so did Peaches!!
Captain America and Peaches decide if they want to shave before they go camping with Grandpa and Grandma Cowley!
