our PA excursion

my grandma, Lucy McLane, passed away last week and is now feasting in Paradise with her Savior. she was the sweetest woman i have ever met. she was kind, thoughtful, joyful, and always thought of others before herself. she was a woman who loved the Lord and it was evident in everything she did and said. she was married to pap-pap for almost 70 years! she will be dearly missed.

jesse and the kids and i travelled to pittsburgh for the weekend to attend the funeral service and we also had time to squeeze in some much-needed family visits.

our niece, Jezze Grace, was born on july 8, 2010, and jesse and i were anxiously awaiting a chance to meet her. we were able to spend an entire day of our trip visiting with josh and heidi and jezze in clarion, pa. she is more adorable than her pictures and has the cutest little ears and legs!


we spent time holding her and changing diapers and trying to get a good cousin picture for memories' sake. let's just say, jezze behaved the best, jacob did great doing the job he was given (sit there very still and hold jezze...do NOT drop her), and kate was a busy little beaver and would not sit still or look at the camera. typical.


friday night was the family visitation for grandma's funeral, and saturday afternoon was the service. it was good to see the mclane family, and also some old friends who came to visit. jesse was asked to be a pall bearer for grandma's casket, which presented him the opportunity to purchase his first suit jacket. yes, almost 31 years old and just now owning his first suit jacket. a monumental occasion, if you ask me. jesse seemed neither happy or sad. men!

sunday afternoon we spent at aunt brianne and uncle kevin's new pool. the kids loved it. we all had an enjoyable, restful afternoon.


uncle kevin offered tractor rides to the kids, which kate was happy to oblige, and jacob was quick to turn down. still waiting for him to get over this fear of tractors with their engine on. he much prefers tractors when they are turned off and sitting still.


monday we hung out with gammie. we took the kids to trinity christian school to play on the playground. not only is this the school where my mom and dale work, but it's also where jesse and i first met, and later started dating (on my 17th birthday, to be exact). it was weird to be on that playground and back in the school hallways (to see the new exercise facility).


the afternoon was spent playing in the pool and relaxing at pappy and gammie's house.