Austin Visitors on a Gourd-eous Weekend

Our friend Shelly and her daughter Ellie from Austin paid us a quick visit while they were up in PA for a family reunion. Ellie and Andrew were born one week apart so it was a mini-reunion of sorts.


May 2006 (2 months old)


October 2007 (19 months old)


It looks like they're nonverbally challenging each other, but really they were leaning in to give each other a kiss, which was encouraged by the parents.


Beautiful Shelly and her beautiful daughter Ellie


The November birthday Moms with their March birthday kiddos


Andrew showing Ellie his cat Kitty



Later in the day, we headed to Ashcombe Farms to enjoy some Fall festivities.




Pint-sized gourds for our own half-pint




He posed nicely for this shot b/c we bribed him with kettle corn. From his first taste of the seasonal treat, he was hooked.








It reminds us a little of the Santa slide in the movie "The Christmas Story".

LSU from AUS to PSU

Jack, Chip and Byron (LSU grads) from Austin and Aaron (PSU grad) from Virginia paid us a visit this weekend. Steve took them to State College, PA for the Penn State homecoming game, which PSU won. Despite LSU losing its game that same weekend, the Austin guys were good "sports" and bought some Nittany Lion garb. Steve also created hand-painted Penn State logo-ed t-shirts for all of them.


Byron, Aaron, Chip, Jack, Steve and the Nittany Lion


Andrew, Steve, Byron, Jack and Chip
(Andrew is actually saying, "Cheeeese!" in this picture.)

Parties, Progress and Potato-picking in September

Trying out a brand new toy at a friend's birthday party. Good thing they're not in the "MINE, MINE, MINE!" stage yet.


We've made lots of progress on the new room, but we still have a ways to go. Steve took what was once a weird, unreachable and unusable space inside the closet and turned it into a fun little cubby. Hide-and-Seek just got more fun at the Kretzing house.


Picking potatoes out of Grandpop Kretzing's garden