Grandma Yvonne

Last weekend my beloved Grandma Yvonne came out to visit. She and I oversaw a fun tee-ball game with my brothers and sons, in which Grandma became Michael's heroine for keeping him warm and everyone else's for finding a lost baseball (and ending the 15-minute search for it!).

Later we played games, talked about our latest travels, and played with the boys. 

Now if you've read my previous post, you'll know that last weekend we went with the Brinton visitors to Old Ellicott City. Obviously I didn't get my fill, because yesterday I suggested that we go again with Grandma Yvonne! The place has so many different things to see that we were able to have a completely different experience there. Of course, we walked Main Street again (witness my taking advantage of having Grandma and Grandpa along!),

took a look at the Historical Society Museum

(where they let me play the 100-year-old, 700-pipe organ!),

and enjoyed each other's company.

Oh how I miss my grandma! This year has been the first time that I've lived away from her since I graduated from high school and went to BYU. I loved walking in beautiful Ellicott with my parents and grandma. I feel like I'm gearing up for summer, when we'll be off to Wisconsin on our own. Will anyone still visit me even if I don't live in a beautiful town with a picturesque downtown district? My grandma said that she would.

P.S. The pipe organ was (of course) originally built with a manually-powered bellows. The curator allowed me to crawl under the organ and see the bellows and the concealed pipes. Also, when the "Swell to Great" was pulled, the swell keys would actually depress when the corresponding great keys were played. I have never played such an instrument--what fun!