~Family, A Look Back in Time, Minimal Amounts of Crafting and WINE~

WE'RE BACK from a great visit to my sister's house! We had a wonderful time this week.... but before I begin, let me introduce you to her...... This is Patti......the best sister, best friend anyone could ask for! Patti has just now created a blog of her very own - -if you have a free minute, maybe you could pop over to say hi and welcome her to the wonderful world of bloggers! Next, I would like to introduce you to my "furry nephew" Fenway an incredibly loveable Bernese Mountain Dog with a HUGE personality!. On Thursday, Patti, my two incredibly handsome nephews, the two girlsand I went to Ellis Island and Liberty Island. What a trip! We spent the majority of our time at Ellis Island. Walking through there, it sometimes seems as though you can hear the echo of the people that passed through - I found myself contemplating the enormity of what my grandparents, and all the others, must have felt coming here. My grandmother was a mere 17 years old and alone coming from Italy - I can't imagine the courage it took to undertake such a long voyage and come to a land where you didn't speak the language and make a life for yourself. I find that the respect I have always had for them grew in leaps and bounds! Seeing the rooms they walked through,the luggage the different travelers carried, the belongings that they brought with them, the medical procedures they endured - was, to say the least, overwhelming at times. A trip worth taking, and taking more than once. We took the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty (the statue itself was closed to visitors), but what an impressive site she is and how powerful a vision she must have been to those weary, frightened and excited people coming to their new country! . We took a picture of THE bridge as the kids refer to it and of the city. We had intended to come home on Friday, but decided to hang out another day - time seems to go by so quickly when we are together and the kids are all so busy with their activities that it gets harder the older they all get. We hung out, drank a good amount of wine (shhhhhhhh), laughed, watched movies and did a minimal amount of crafting. I finished another pair of baby socks in white - just like the blue ones I showed you last week and worked a wee bit on the Honeycomb blanket. We made an attempt to check out a new yarn store, but found it to be closed due to the holidays. It poured all the way home, which mirrored our mood at leaving them behind. Em and Lyss played a game of softball in the rain and then reality kicked in - - - - Off to the grocery store I went and the laundry and unpacking began. I DID come home to something to be excited about - dh has been refinishing our kitchen cabinets and made great strides while we were gone. I will show you those pictures next time - I'm off to check the laundry and visit with my little Beau!