Grandma and Grandpa come to Maryland

Inside Dunker Church at Antietam National Battlefield

Yvonne's parents, Merv and Leahmae Erickson, made their first trip east of the Mississippi to visit us earlier this month. They spent two weeks with us, and it flew by.

The kids really enjoyed having their grandparents around. For much of the two weeks they were here we had rainy fall weather, so we spent lots of time inside talking, showing off school projects, watching sports on television (plus some shows the boys had never heard of -- Little House on the Prarie?), and staying up late almost every night.

The boys even got patches sewn on their Scout uniforms (finally), thanks to Grandma, so they looked sharp at September's Court of Honor -- extra nice since Carson and Colin both received rank advancements, and Carson received an award for his leadership in the troop. 

We took a few drives in the rain to show off the area's scenery and history. They seemed to especially enjoy the rolling cornfields, and the dense green forests that made even the highways seem claustrophobic.

When it wasn't raining, it was gorgeous. Maryland does do fall really well. It was good baseball weather, and the grandparents caught their fill of games to see Colin and Carson play.

At Colin's game in Emmitsburg, Md.

We also were able to take them on our two favorite day trips.

The first day trip was to Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg, Md., site of the bloodiest single day on American soil (in September 17, 1862, a battle that resulted in more than 23,000 casualties) -- and then to historic Harpers Ferry, W.Va. We walked them through Antietam's Dunker Church and other significant areas of the battlefield, ending at Sunken Road -- site of the infamous "Bloody Lane."

Overlooking Sunken Road -- "Bloody Lane" -- at Antietam National Battlefield.

Levi had photo duties for Grandma at several locations.

We got to Harpers Ferry around dusk -- a great time to experience the historic town when it was mostly empty. We hiked up the Appalachian Trail to Jefferson Rock -- so named because Thomas Jefferson used to like to go there to think -- and we got there just in time to watch the sun set over the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers.

Our second day trip was to Washington, D.C., for a driving tour of the monuments, and then a visit to our favorite museum, the Newseum and its fifth-story balcony with a great view of the U.S. Capitol. We ended that day with a visit to Five Guy's burgers -- a D.C. original that is now everywhere.

Yvonne and her parents at the Newseum, high above Pennsylvania Ave. in D.C.

We were sad to see them go home. It was great to have them around, whether we were just hanging out, watching baseball, or viewing the sites. We're hoping they find themselves in the East again soon.

Three boys, three birthdays

For us September, like most families with kids, is a crazy, busy month that ushers in a new school year, seasons starting to change, fall baseball, and all the other events that happen during the normal course of life.

To make our Septembers a bit more difficult, we add three birthdays -- Carson on the 5th (he turned 13), Colin on the 21st (14), and Levi on the 24th (6). Let's just say we had lots of cake this month, a few presents, and a really cool birthday party for Levi (although if you look at the photo of him and his friends, it's hard to tell that they had any fun).

As for Dylan...he gets November all to himself.

Brothers, Nine Years Later

Jason writes:

Colin, Carson, and I (and some others from our ward) went hiking yesterday, to Old Rag Peak, along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. It was a gorgeous day -- and a tough climb. Overall, it was a lot of fun.

Our climb to the ridge rewarded us with spectacular views of Shenandoah National Park and rural Virginia. At one point, I had Colin and Carson stand together for a photo. As I did, my mind suddenly rushed back to more than nine years ago, May of 2001, when I took a similar photo on a trail near Mt. Charleston, outside of Las Vegas. So I positioned the boys for a shot reminiscent of earlier days...