Labor Day and the End of Summer

Nearly 3 months has passed since I last blogged. Much has happened during that time…some events have been sad, mostly happy, and some have changed our lives in bittersweet ways. You may have wondered why I stopped blogging. The main reason is time, or rather the lack of it. Summer is a busy time of year for us. Days spent outdoors, playing in the pool, family field trips, enjoying life. Another reason is one that no longer seems important. However, nothing in the world is as important to me as family. Blogging about our grandchildren is the highlight of my day. I’ll make no apologies for the relationship I/we have with my daughter and her family. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Labor Day signals the end of summer. Days become shorter, nights are cooler, and kids are back in school. We had no specific plans for the holiday weekend but it exceeded my expectations in the fun factor. Saturday morning started with a family breakfast at Waffle House and a dose of friendly abuse between Pete and our favorite waitress, LD. You know you have “arrived” when your photo is displayed on the WH bulletin board. Yes, we’re weekend regulars and proud of it.

We and the entire Payne clan – Jamie, Jason, Ayden, Jameson, Ava – attended Powers Crossroads Arts and Crafts Festival. It has become a Labor Day tradition; however, we probably won’t attend next year. Sadly attendance and crafters have diminished in numbers over recent years. My only purchase was lovely handmade clothing for Ava and suckers for Ayden and Jameson. Click the photo below to view a slideshow of our day at Powers Crossroads Arts and Crafts Festival.



After meeting the Payne’s for dinner, we enjoyed an impromptu overnight sleepover with the boys. They rode their battery-powered RazR on the cart path followed by a bath and movie. Ayden loves playing games on the computer and he thoroughly enjoyed the one-on-one attention from Bumpa on Sunday morning. Jameson snuck into a corner to hide…and fill his pants. Ewwwww!!! Click the photo below to view a slideshow of the boy's sleepover.



Being too old for naps, Ayden was allowed to come for a swim after church while his siblings stayed with Mommy. We literally wore him out! We babysat the kids in the evening so that Jamie and Jason could enjoy date night at the movies. None of the kids lasted long before going to sleep. Even Ayden didn’t put up much of a fuss when he was helped into bed. I think he was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, with Jameson soon after.

While it was a fairly uneventful weekend, we spent a lot of quality time with the kids. They are such fun to be around and Ayden amazes me with how grown-up he has become. Sometimes naughty, mostly good, always unpredictable – they mean the world to me!