a wet weekend to meet Ethan

I promised a post on our latest travels, but the past week filled right up. So here goes.

We drove east two weeks ago, pulling in at our son Mark and wife Jill's place late Wednesday afternoon. A light rain fell, just the beginning of a very wet weekend.

Since Mark and Jill live very close to the National Mall, we would have made a trip to see a monument, museum or the like .... however the government shut-down nixed that completely. Crazy timing. We went to a mall on Saturday, but a not-quite-two-year-old will have only so much shopping, ya know. (Playground under construction!)

 

So we read lots of books.

 

 

And colored. Lily's a whiz with flash cards, too!

 

 

This was our first time to see Ethan, born September 8.

So special! He's a super sweet, calm little guy.

Ethan also likes to hang his head back and stare up or out.

I'm sad I didn't get better photos of him.

Rain/darkness/naps worked against me. )-:

 

 

 

 

The rain kept us in much of the weekend, but

on Saturday we did get to a little pumpkin market

which Lily enjoyed.

 

 

 

 

Found it!

 

 

After church, lunch and a brief nap for Lily on Sunday,

we walked down to a small playground with Lily.

She just loves it and I love to see her play.

Mark snapped this!

 

 

And Lily snapped this!

Way to go, Lily - a budding photographer?

 

 

Swinging with "Dada."

 

 

A favorite ... what an angel.

 

 

Headed home!

 

 

Sometimes I still can't believe we have five grandchildren under age 4!

Thank you, Lord, for these sweet blessings and for my kids

who are amazing parents!

 

In the years to come, Ethan's birthday week will be a reminder of losing my dad, who died just 5 days after Ethan's birth. God gave me an incredible mix of hard loss of Dad and sweet gain of precious Ethan.

"He gives and takes away."