Visit from Grandma Terrie

My mom recently stayed with us for a couple weeks. We loved having her around. 

 These two are really into hugging in photos lately.

This little tram takes you down the slopes of Pipestem State Park, which is only about 15 minutes from our house. 

At the bottom of the tram. Gathering leaves for...

…leaf puppets. (If you look closely, you'll see some deer in the background.)

At the farmers market in Blacksburg VA. Simone wants to go to Blacksburg everyday. The fm here has some great eats. Simone especially loves the Brazilian sausages (it was love at first bite), fresh yam biscuits served with warm apple butter, and blackberry kombucha. Yeah, I want to go to Blacksburg everyday too.

Playing "run around." 

 We are apparently eager to post pictures of us eating out in Blacksburg VA, since Athens WV has only one restaurant, which isn't that great. Concord U's cafeteria (not pictured), however, is actually pretty good, so we count it as Athens' best restaurant.

 Inés' Chipotle meter had been getting pretty low.

Inés mimicking grandma. Don't worry, she can't really read yet.

Ok, the restaurant pictures are over, this is a picture of fake bear poo. Mom won't say "poo" or "poop," but she'll hold it.

 "Red light - green light," a pretty close contender to "run around."

Mountain Momma

 This is our new house. We downsized.

Actually, we live in a townhouse set in this purdy park across the main road from campus.

 Simone has picked up a new verb from her new friend. Now she likes to 'spy' animals. In our backyard there are two rabbits and eight deer that we spy almost every day. There are also blue jays, skunks, and frogs. We average one frog catch per week. Inés seems to keep the bear away. I took her on a little walk down a trail near here, and when I told her to watch out for bears, she started growling, so we never saw any. No sasquatches yet, either.

 Harrison's boots hike on. Thanks for breaking them in for Inés.

 Simone geared up for a hike.

 Inés geared down on a 'hike.'

 Hmmm, better take a canoe instead.

 The cheddar goldfish population increased by about five. And they're not organic.

Hi. 

 Hi.

 Hi-ho.

Hmmm, better take a skateboard.

See yinz later, hi ya'll.

This summer we had the opportunity to move to Athens, West Virginia. Our time in Pittsburgh, six great years, came to an end pretty abruptly. Many of our good friends had left before us, some are still there, and some other good friends even moved to Pittsburgh just before we left, and now they live in our house. We miss our yinzer friends and neighbors and our 100 year old 'haus' (Pittsburghese for 'house'). For all you sad suckers who never came to visit us there, here's a last glimpse of our now former digs… 

 Art credits go to Jill, Kelly, English, Noël, Brian. We love having pieces of (from) you in our house.

 Just about emptied out. 

 A little shout out to Tamra who masterminded this fence! And to Jon for putting down the sod. And all the missionaries who stained our fence and hauled huge rocks for measly popsicles.

 And a huge gracias to Bryan who whipped our kitchen into shape.

Thanks to all our great friends and neighbors who made our house and Morningside such a hard place to leave.