Fall Fun in Minnesota

At the end of September I enjoyed a wonderful visit with the Bergs in their inviting home. Their neighborhood has great parks within walking distance, and lakes very close by. Catherine makes the most of nice weather, and she knows how to have fun!





I got a preview of the kids Halloween costumes!
The Bergs' dear family friends live in the same neighborhood, so we walked Frederick's friend and classmate home.
We picked some strawberries in September!


Frederick attends kindergarten at the school where Catherine taught. I got a quick tour of Frederick's classroom.
Catherine planned an apple picking outing at a farm. We rode in a wagon to get to the orchards, which had abundant apples on low hanging branches, perfect for the kids.



Catherine also planned a sightseeing tour on Lake Minnetonka. It was very beautiful, and we caught glimpses of multimillion dollar estates dotting the shoreline. (It's prime real estate since downtown Minneapolis is a ten minute drive away.)

Thanks Catherine! Wish the fall weather lasted longer!!

Summer Fun with the Browns

The quintessential summer treat- Rita's Water Ice!

We had a great day at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. There is a magnificent restored carousel, over a hundred years old, that is now wheelchair accessible.

Monica makes music, not surprising considering her parents' talents!
This keyboard was so much fun I couldn't resist stepping on it too.

The child sized grocery store is a very popular place. The aisles were jammed with shoppers!

Monica turned two! She is an adventurous girl who does a great job of keeping up with her brothers.


It's fun to be a girl!



Monica displays her determination to get that pinata open! The group effort succeeded eventually and a good time was had by all.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

After the Phillies' amazing season and championship last year, we really wanted to see them in person. In December I bought four tickets at a pro-life fundraiser. When we arrived at Citizen's Bank Park on August 6, we were thrilled by our seats in a suite, where we had fine views from the third base line, and tasty food to munch on.
As it turned out, our recently acquired pitcher Cliff Lee was pitching his first home game.



It was a thrill to see Brad Lidge pitch the last two innings, and strike out several Colorado Rockies.
The Phillies won!!

We all Scream for Ice Cream!

Our house at the beach was very conveniently located two blocks from an ice cream store. During the long winter, Fred would daydream about sunny days on vacation, and trips to A La Mode for ice cream cones and sundaes. The first day of our vacation, Fred arrived at the ice cream shop right after they opened!






Fred proudly and patriotically devours the "Yankee Doodle Split", containing lots of fruit- bananas, strawberries, and blueberries! Who would have thought that a sundae could be so healthy?

Look Mom, I ate the whole thing!

Beach Memories

We are indebted to our friend Jackie for her generosity and skill in taking our family picture- no small feat since we're eighteen strong. She took many photos of our grandchildren that help to capture the magic of children and the beach. Thank you Jackie!