Grand and Glorious

My grandma continues to live in relative good health in St. Catherines, ON. I cannot miss an opportunity to see her! Bizarrely, our contract with Enterprise forbade us to bring the car across the border. But Dad was somehow able to rent a car in NY which was allowed to cross the border. Go figure!

Grandma was quite sharp and we had a lovely visit. She and Miles in particular hit it off. Adele still struggles with being in the nursing home, but Miles has really taken a liking to Grandma Dorothy.

He read all of The Tawny Scrawny Lion to her. I had a pang, because I wish I lived close enough to read to her regularly. We'd both enjoy it, and it'd be good for her. At least we did get to have this visit, and these memories. I'm grateful.

You can see in their comparative faces how my children conducted themselves during the visit.

Best buddies

As we were leaving, the therapy dog was making the rounds! I'm glad Granny's in such a positive place.

The day before we left Rochester, we found time for one more tradition. It was our third cousin trip to Seabreeze!

As usual, the kids broke into their pairs.

5 year olds...

...And 8 year olds.

As usual, poor Adele was enough shorter than everyone else that she was in her own ride category. But we did as many together as we could.

It was about 72 degrees, but once again, the kids showed no reluctance to get wet. *I* was shivering and missing Pueblo's sunny dry heat, but Adele dove in.

This year, for the first time, we had a new cousin to initiate! Mariel was an angel, watching everything and everyone with big eyes, happily accepting any adult who held her. I got to rock her to sleep for a second time, which is a joy to me. I'm so grateful to have had the time with my darling godbaby.

Meanwhile, the eight year olds were getting adventurous! This was the first year they were tall enough to ride roller coasters. They took full advantage! Miles and Abby went on the Bobsleds twice, the WhirlWind once,

...and the Jack Rabbit three times!

They even condescended to enjoy the carousel along with the five year olds.

I love that, of all the places we have lived and visited, Seabreeze in Rochester is the one amusement park in my kids' lives. They don't know to ask to go to any other park. I give us one more year of getting away with this!

With my other half. I will keep making her stand in yearly pictures with me for the rest of her life. <3 br="">

Leah and I are 35. I love knowing that I don't have to turn any new age alone; she and I will always be linked.

The cousins are fonder of each other than ever.

Despite the joy of being at Seabreeze with them, there was a pang. At our last visit, in 2015, I was thinking we might be coming back again for Labor Day because we might be moving to Rochester. I had visions of these kids growing up together the way their mother and I did. I'm not sure why life brought us to Pueblo. But I know it's giving us a lot that we had been longing for while we're here.

Thursday night gave us one more night on Dad's porch, letting Koopa tear around in the yard while the kids and Agnes read bedtime stories. That week in Rochester just sparkled.