A few weeks ago the Nelsons & Matthews flew to Mississippi to visit our family there. The Matthews hadn't been in a few years & we hadn't been in over 20 years! We had more fun than I think any of us thought we would! We ate, we laughed, we swatted mosquitos, we ate & laughed some more! In the midst of all those we spent time with the Westerfields & Wynns (my grandfather's sisters & nephew's family). Here's some of my favorite parts of the trip--
Lee & I at our first eating stop--The Airport Grocery! We were a bit skeptical about this restaurant--Yelp & the gal at the front desk recommended it but it wasn't until a 2 hour waiting list tuned into a 90 second wait and then it turned out that our waiter knew our family, it became one of our favorite Cleveland hangouts.
Bonnie, Lee & I with our Great Aunt Nell. She taught music at Cleveland State College for 42 years and traveled all over the world on her summer vacations. She tells the best stories!
Probably my favorite picture--My Great Aunt Shirley with my mom & Libby. Shirley, like Nell, tells great stories & remembers so much about my grandparents. It was so fun to talk to them & listen to all their stories!
Possibly the funniest pic--when I was 4 (the last time I was in Merigold), Nell cut a branch off her holly tree in her yard & gave it to me. I thought it was SO cool--a plant with my same name! My mom wouldn't let me bring it back on the airplane with me & it made me so sad! I told Andrew (my mom's cousin) that that was one of the few things I remembered about that trip & later that day he gave me a branch from the SAME tree! I did bring it home & am trying to get it to grow roots to plant it in my yard, but no luck so far. But it did make me super happy!
One of my other favorites--Wynne St was named after my Great Grandfather. It's the shortest street in Merigold & I think it's where the first integrated school in Merigold was.
Even though I came home with 19 mosquito bites, it was a great trip! I can't believe how this summer is flying by! I'm heading to the Dominican Republic on Friday. And when I come back...it's my BIRTHDAY! :)
