New life blossoms in the fall of our lives….

We celebrated the first day of autumn by basking in the joy of our littlest grandchildren as they played at the river….life is beautiful—the cycle of life is renewed in the young.

Children are a gift from the Lord;

they are a reward from him.  (Psalm 127:3)

God please protect and bless our children….they are so young, fragile, and innocent.

Good morning, sweet little Coues deer!

We were given a special treat as we hiked on Strawberry Mountain as the sun rising over the Mogollon Rim.  Look closely and you can see the precious tiny deer that live in the pine forests that surround our home in Pine Arizona.

Smiles and love sent to us from Aryana and Easton….

 These two little grandchildren of ours had a super fun summer….

In October Aryana will be seven and Easton five.  These precious little children grow up much too fast. 

But we are so pleased that all of our 15 grandchildren have been provided with childhoods that are filled with fun, freedom, and so very much love!

Our 7th Labor Day weekend at Unicoi State Park….a family tradition

 ….with Sean and Emily and our dear grandsons, Soren and Sebastian!

We have many traditions when we vacation at Unicoi Lodge and State Park.  One of these traditions is to spend hours together on our cabin deck—eating, playing games, talking, and laughing together.

2018 on the deck….our first trip to Unicoi together.

2022….all of us together on the cabin deck!

Every year Sean honors Labor Day by putting up an American flag…..thank you Sean!

Proud Mother with her sons….

Sean and Emily always host us by planning and cooking delicious meals. 

Another tradition is to celebrate Emily’s October birthday at Unicoi during Labor Day weekend.  This year we brought some of our homemade white chocolate fudge for her….which she very generously shared with all of us.

A highlight of our Unicoi vacation is visiting the Bavarian themed town of Helen where Betty’s is nestled.  This is our very favorite little grocery store!

And, of course, every year we always head out to the lake for a boating adventure!

The pirate captain of Grandpa and my paddle boat….

Sean spends hours creating amazing dinners which we all thoroughly enjoy.

The hike around Unicoi Lake is one of our favorite activities.

We added a new tradition this year—Woodruff Monopoly….based on the Scout camp in Georgia where Soren has worked for the last two summers.  The “boys” played a vicious game, with Soren as the winner.  Grandpa wiped out first Sebastian, then Sean when Grandpa “mistakenly” overcharged Sean for a stay at his lodge.  Soren had the final revenge and bankrupted Grandpa, when Grandpa landed on the Trading Post that Soren owned.

A trip to Fred’s Famous Peanuts is another favorite tradition of ours.

More Fred’s…..

Soren in 2018 at Fred’s….

And more fun at Fred’s this year….

2025….

2024….

Soren and Sebastian in 2022….

Another tradition that we started a few years ago is to visit Cabbage Patch  Hospital!

Where the Cabbage Patch babies are born….Grandma and Grandpa in 2023.

Sebastian adopting a Cabbage Patch baby in 2023….

Emily and Sebastian getting Christmas outfits for their Cabbage Patch kids in 2024….

Soren as the Cabbage Patch Kids King in 2024….

On our way back to civilization here’s our last Unicoi tradition—stopping at the Mountain Fresh Creamery and eating a boatload of homemade ice cream!

Look at Sebastian at the Creamery in 2024.  Looks how much he has grown compared to the above photo taken this year.  It’s pretty obvious that a ton of ice cream is good for a growing teenager!

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to Soren, as the weekend was over, and he headed back to college….

Soren drove to the airport.  He is a great driver!

Sean said goodbye to his son….and so did we.  

Sebastian took a break from his homework the night before we had to leave this lovely family….we’re so happy to see that Sebastian is still a little kid at heart.

This morning, we said goodbye to Sebastian as he waited for his school bus….luckily, he is spending his fall school break with us, so we’ll see him in just a few weeks!

We planned an afternoon flight, so we could squeeze out just a tiny bit more time with this special family that we love so very much.

We went on a morning walk with Emily and the “puppies” (Daisy and Lucy) around the most beautiful neighborhood where they live….homes nestled beneath towering trees and surrounded by lush grass and abundant flowers!

As Dad Graybill always said when we left, “I wish you had never come.” That is because it is so hard to leave those that you love.  We know how he felt.  We are sad that we live so far apart.  

We love you Emily, Sean, Soren, and Sebastian very much.  Thank you for a most lovely week….see you for Christmas!