family visits

on our last couple of days in west virginia, we made our way around to visit various family members. justin's grandmother has been in a nursing home for a couple of years now with advanced alzheimer's disease. we took davis to see her, hoping that seeing a little toddler could wake her up a bit. 

it was lunchtime, and eating did seem to help her stay awake more and bring back some of her energy. her sister also stopped by and was helping us give her lunch. 

we were working against davis's schedule, though, as it was naptime and he was interested in eating, too. he did incredibly well and i think the other nurses and some of the other residents were happy to see him.

and we got a picture of four generations of family together. in the end, i think that was the most important thing.

we also stopped by his uncle steven's house and visited for a bit. davis LOVED the "tractors" and getting to sit up in the seats.

every little boy's dream!

we drove out to see the cabin, which is a work in progress. davis enjoyed the long grasses and climbing up and down the porch stairs.

the west virginia fields agreed with him!

he was pretty content in the grass--we were just warned to check him for ticks later that night (no worries, he was tick-free)

here's justin, davis, his cousin scott and his uncle steven--so great to spend time with them!

you could tell it was getting late...we just had one more stop to make.

the cabin sits back on a hill with a gorgeous view and a great breeze that comes across the valley.

they plan on using the cabin for hunting trips and family gatherings--such a beautiful area.

at the bottom of the hill is a new family graveyard, with justin's grandfather buried there. they had just put out flags for memorial day. (justin's grandfather was in the army in WWII.)

the stone they used for the grave marker was one of the foundation stones used in the family farmhouse built many years ago. it was a wonderful way to incorporate the history of the land and the family together. (i loved this photo and sent justin's dad a copy.)

finally, we got to have a cook out on memorial day with justin's stepsister, her son and boyfriend. this was when some of the water sliding took place :) davis also got his first taste of a popsicle!

it was really funny as he tried to figure out how to eat it. he was taking these small little licks and making the funniest sounds!

we're so thankful we got to see all of the extended family during our trip!