Welcome Home Uncle Bud!

August started out with a BANG with the arrival of Uncle Bud (Mathias) from Sweden. Oh how I have missed my brother! It always feel like he has never left and we can pick up right where we left off. I miss him when he is not here . My mom commented how we sound just like we did when we were in high school - bantering back and forth, joking around, just that brother-sister stuff that I only have when Bud is around.

Grady, Finley, Ya Ya and I went to the airport to pick Mathias. We had a sign, American Flags and Grady was wearing his Swedish Viking hat (a gift from the last visit). Fan fare that only a true American deserves! The only plans we had for the visit was Mathias' Class of 89 reunion and Thanksgiving Dinner.

We had such a great time. It went by too quickly. We did some shopping and just spent as much time as we could catching up. We are counting the days until he comes back!

Thanksgiving in August

Thanksgiving is one of the things that Mathias misses the most when he is in Sweden, so every time that he visits, we have to have Thanksgiving. This year the Howies and Pendells joined us for a wonderful dinner made by Ya Ya.

Bubba the Viking Slayer!

The last night that Mathias was here, Ya Ya was busy wrapping gifts to send back to Sweden and someone gave Grady an empty wrapping paper tube.

What ensued was 15 minutes of shrills from Grady as the beat Uncle Bud with the tube. I laughed so hard that my cheeks hurt! It's amazing how much fun a little boy can have with a cardboard tube!

This One's For Uncle Bud!

Uncle Bud is Mathias.  He was my family's foreign exchange student while I was in high school.  He came in August of 1987 and left on July 4th, 1988.  It's alarming that it has been 20 years!  And while we lost contact for a few years, we are happily back in touch.  Uncle Bud's last visit was in May, when he came for a week to meet his little American nephew.

Mathias LOVES Thanksgiving.  He told us that he dreams of this meal, so every time he visits we have a traditional Thanksgiving meal-regardless if it May, September or November.  

Well Bud... I am pleased to report that Grady shares your love of turkey!  We miss you!