WV Family Fun

We had the pleasure of visiting with some family of mine - The Bells and The Sharps. I consider them family because they've been a part of my life since I was 13!! (almost 20 yrs now) I definately consider Lee Ann to be like a sister to me, I really think we look alike too!! Lee Ann Sharp with Max & Me

We're very excited because Lee Ann & her hubby John are pregnant which means I get to be an AUNT!!!
The Sharp Family with Max

Max and Tara (their dog) mesmerized by John's antics

Lee Ann & Max with Mick Bell (Lee Ann's Dad)

check out the Harley

Max loved looking at the motorcycle and waved bye bye to Mick as he pulled out

I think he likes the noise

The Bells: Lisa & Mick with Max

Lisa makes the best homemade pizza I have ever had in my life

We only get it once a year but let me tell you - I've never had better

Cute Max Pics

Max riding the 4 wheeler with Pawpaw Stowers
Max mowing grass with Pawpaw Stowers

Max with Nana on her birthday

Max just chillin'

Bathtime Max - in the kitchen sink

Max driving Pawpaw's truck

Crazy hair Max

Max camping with Pawpaw

Pawpaw's Bon Fire

Max got to enjoy his first bon fire that Pawpaw Stowers made

It's so nice to enjoy a little cool weather in the WV evening Pawpaw and Max looking at the fire

Pawpaw is showing Max the stones that make up the fire pit

They were in the house of Paul's Pawpaw!!

Max and Mommy checking out the fire

Check out his camo jacket

Very WV, wearing camo and sitting by the fire

FIRE



Pawpaw and Max

FIRE pit time

Where's the smores?

Mountaineer Madness

Max went to his 1st WVU game on Sat

We played ECU and won

Nap Time

Little Man cheered himself out

Max and Mommy after the game

He's saying, "Where did everyone go?"

We stayed after to get some pics and listen to the band

The Stowers Family at Mountaineer Field



Daddy and Max - post game



Lunch Time at the game
Notice his hand, he just couldn't stop cheering

Let's GOOOO Mountaineers

cheering during the game

Max and Mommy cheering

Max cheering

I swear I didn't put beer in his bottle

He looks a little dazed though

Morgantown Friends

Max had a lot of fun in Morgantown getting to visit with all of his WV friends!!Max and the Paulys: David and Patti

Chris used to work with Patti in Kingwood when we lived in WV

She makes the best homemade cheesecake I have ever had

I like to call them Patticakes

Max and Devon (Tuna)

Son of one of Chris' friends from where he used to work

He spent a lot of time with us in WV when we lived there going to games with us and hanging out at our house (the dogs love him)

Tammy, one of Chris' friends from where he used to work

She is one of Max's surrogate Grandmothers

Max is very fortunate to have so many people that love him

Here we are with some of my best and oldest friends

Renee and Angie are nurses I used to work with at WVU hospital

Our friendship has stood the test of time & distance

I look forward to seeing them each year

Renee is in the middle and Angie is on the side holding her 6mo old son Tyler

The Kingans

Angie, her husband Brandon and son Tyler (6mos)





Renee with Max having a blast
Max loves to bounce and he had Renee cracking up by bouncing on the table





Max and Tyler
I wish I knew what they were saying to each other
Max kept babbling away to him



Paula Hatten and daughter Lydia Rose with Max (she's 2.5yrs old)
They came to visit us in April in FL
Paula is the wife of Chris' oldest and best friend Mark
We've become such good friends over the years
I consider Paula one of my closest friends too!




Chris and Mark with their kids, future Mountaineers
Max and Lydia posing with their Dads
Note Lydia is patting Max on the head
She absolutely loves "taking care" of him, she's always patting him



The Hatten Family with Max
Mark and Paula holding Max
Wish I would've gotten one of them holding Max and Lydia but alas - next year




Ryan and his girlfriend Sara with Max
They drove down from Shepherdstown to meet us at Los Mariachis for lunch
Ryan is one of my oldest friends from college
We were in the Young Democrats together

New River Gorge

We had to stop at the New River Gorge Bridge on the way up to Morgantown. It's one of my most favorite places in WV and I always know I'm home when we drive over the bridge. I used to be a white water rafting guide on the New River (seen in the pic behind me) and I think this area is one of the prettiest in the state. Max and Mommy at the overlook

Max and Daddy at the overlook
(I didn't use the flash and should've, the pic came out too dark)

The Stowers Family

(nice stranger took the pic for us)

Mills Family Fun

We met some of the Mills Family (Mom's side) at Gino's in Crab OrchardMy Cousin Alisha and her son Caleb with Max and me

Sadly, Alisha and I hadn't seen each other in about 15yrs!!

We will have to do better about keeping in touch

When we were little, we played together all the time

We're only 6 mos apart so we were very close as kids

Max and my Aunt Shirley

She's my Mom's sister

My Mom is the youngest and Shirley is just about 1 yr older than Mom
I have some great memories as a child of my Aunt Shirley laughing

She has a loud and unique laugh that is infectious, I love to hear it

Max and my Cousin Alisha
Alisha is a pediatric nurse and a single Mom

I'm so proud of her and what she has accomplished

Max with his 2nd Cousin Caleb

This was the first time I had ever gotten to meet him

I'd only seen a few pics of him after he was born

He was so polite and very kind to Max

Stewart Family Visiting

We drove to Princeton, WV to meet some of my family on the Stewart (Dad's) side. Max and my Uncle Jim

My Dad has 2 brothers, Dad is the youngest

Jim is the middle brother

Sadly, their oldest brother Bob just recently passed away

Max with his 2nd cousins - my Cousin Timmy's kids: Alana and Seth
Fortunately we got to see them last year too

I can't believe how much they've grown over the past year

Timmy's good at posting pics of them on Facebook so I get to keep up with them that way, but I still couldn't believe the difference

Last year Alan was just learning to walk and now she's everywhere! (2yrs old)

Seth plays football and is about 8yrs old

Max and my Cousin Timmy

Out of all of my cousins, Timmy and I have stayed the closest over the years

Maybe because we're both only children, maybe because we both put in the effort

We became close once we both got into college and our grandparents had both passed away

Timmy and I realize that if we don't keep in touch, then there isn't a "Stewart Family"

I know Granny and Grandpa Stewart would be so proud of him and his kids

Max and my Aunt Linda

Over my life, I've been very close to my Aunt Linda

She's very special to me

We've done good over the past few years to make sure each year when we come in to WV to get together if for only a few hours

Max Laughing

Here is Max having an absolute blast with Nana & Papaw Stowers. He was just cracking up and we had to get this on video.

Stowers Family Reunion

We went to Chris' Aunt Heather's house for a Stowers' Family Reunion of sorts.

Here's 4 generations of Stowers in this picture: Me, Chris, Ruby (Paul's Mom) holding Max, Paul and Kathy.



Great Grandma Ruby Stowers and Max