We're In Charge!

After a week of hanging out near Kansas City to re-acquaint with our granddaughter, the time came for the real reason for this visit. Her parents left for a trip to celebrate their fifth anniversary, and we are in charge!

Our son and daughter-in-law love the national parks almost as much as we do, so they flew to California for five days in the beauty of Yosemite National Park.

Meanwhile, back in Kansas, we are enjoying more time with Carter.

We had great fall weather to spend time outdoors with our granddaughter. She is quite the talker, and she entertained us with her animated stories. We are also happy to report that she can now say "Gram" and "Granddad" surprisingly well for a 17-month-old.

She's also a great eater, even though the food in the spoon doesn't always make it into her mouth. For some meals it's easier just to take off her blouse and plan to head straight to the bath after she eats.

Car rides mean that Gram sits in the back seat with Miss Carter. We sing all the way to our destinations, as we try to remember more and more songs that toddlers enjoy. Then we go home and play the piano and sing some more. Gram is obviously enjoying this music time!

One of those road trips included a visit to Mark's cousins' house about thirty minutes away. We knew that Carter liked chickens from our earlier time at the pumpkin patch. But here we got to see them without the chicken wire in the way. 

Our extra time in the Kansas City area has afforded us the luxury of seeing some relatives that we don't get to see often. 

We took a walk each day, and we have noticed that the fall foliage in the Kansas City area is beginning to put on quite a show since we arrived.

One of those stroller rides took us to a gravel trail in one of the city parks. That brings us to our wildlife picture of the day--a snake on the trail.

It's been a while since we have been responsible for a toddler 24 hours a day. Now we remember that having a little one to "help" means that normal tasks take three times longer than it would normally. But she certainly is a cute little helper.

It is such an honor to get to be grandparents! We cherish the time to spend with this little person as she learns new things every day.

Our son and daughter-in-law returned from their anniversary trip to find that Carter was a little spoiled. But they also found that she is incredibly loved. We'll be leaving in the morning, and we're already looking forward to the next time we get to see this sweet little family.