So Much Going On...

Hi Grandson,

I know it's been a few days since I've written. We've been really busy here. Work has been crazy and Grandpa is working on getting the upstairs of my office finished. The upstairs of my office will be "Grandma's Room." I want to keep all my books in there and I am going to have my Wii set up in there so I can work out to Dance Revolution and Wii Fit.

Your Aunt Stacey and Uncle Ryan are coming up next week so Grandma is working on getting everything ready for them. They will be sleeping in the cabin next door - which is so neat! The bed is so comfy and when you open the windows, you can fall asleep listening to the running creek.

Grandma spent this past weekend turning one of your daddy's high school football videos into a DVD. Everyone thought I was nuts because while it was copying, I was screaming at the monitor, "Go Bo!!!!" when your dad was going for touchdowns! I will give the DVD to your Aunt Stacey so she can give it to you when she gets back home. I'm also giving your Aunt Stacey your daddy's baby book and one of your daddy's yearbooks to take back.

I will write more soon Grandson. I love you!

Grandma

Uncle Brett's New Diggs

Hi Grandson,

Grandma woke up very stiff and sore this morning. I helped your Uncle Brett move in to his new place yesterday. It's beautiful!

He is renting from the CEO of a drink called "Neuro Fuel." The CEO's name is Joe and he's only 25 years old. While he was a student at the University of Tennessee, he created the drink. What is funny is that before Uncle Brett even talked to this guy about renting from him, Uncle Brett was drinking Neuro Fuel and had told us how great it was.

Uncle Brett lives in Knoxville, which is about 40 minutes from Grandma's house. Knoxville and the surrounding area is a really nice area. There are lakes all over and beautiful mountain views. Grandma and Grandpa have a boat on Watts Bar Lake, which isn't too far from where Uncle Brett lives, at a place called Euchee Marina. You would love it there! There is a beach with a shoot slide, a playground, pavilions, house boats, a nice big restaurant and another smaller restaurant. It would be great to take you there someday!

Grandma Loves You!

Ramps & Wild Onions

Hi Grandson,

In April in this part of Tennessee, Ramps (also known as Wild Leeks) grow in certain areas of our property. Ramps are native to the Appalachian mountain region in eastern North America. Ramps can be found growing in patches in rich, moist, deciduous forests as far north as Canada, west to Missouri and Minnesota, and south to North Carolina and Tennessee. As one of the first plants to emerge in the spring, ramps were traditionally consumed as the seasons first “greens.” They were considered a tonic because they provided necessary vitamins and minerals following long winter months without access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Ramps are pleasant to eat and taste like spring onions with a strong garlic-like aroma. They are often prepared by frying in butter or animal fat with sliced potatoes or scrambled eggs. They are also used as an ingredient in other dishes such as soup, pancakes, and hamburgers.

Grandpa and I went out yesterday morning and picked several ramps and a few wild onions (the first picture above) and then Grandma cooked them up with scrambled eggs. They taste really good!

Ramps are so popular here, that there is a big "Ramp Festival" in Cosby every April. People get together, listen to blue-grass music, visit the vendors who set up and sell things, and eat ramps.

Grandma Loves You!

Navy Ships in Norfolk, Virginia

Hi Grandson,

Today is Monday, April 13th. We got home from vacation last night. On our way home, we drove through the Naval Base at Norfolk, Virginia. The Naval Base at Norfolk is the biggest Naval Base in the country. My first visit there was in 1971 - when I was 9 years old. Grandpa Wheelan took us there because my brother, your Uncle Ralph, Jr., was in the Navy back then. I will try and find a picture of my visit back in 1971 and add it to this post. I just remember not believing how huge the ships were!

Grandpa Ernest was in the Navy for 20 years. He retired from the Navy 2 years ago tomorrow. A few years ago, we all went on vacation to Virginia and we went on a tour of one of the big ships. Grandma took a picture of two ships for you. The first one is a cruiser and the second one is a destroyer:

Yesterday was Easter and I'll bet you went on an Easter Egg Hunt. Well, I have to get ready and go up to my office now. I hope that someday I can take you on vacation with us!

Love,

Grandma

Staying a Couple More Nights in Virginia Beach

Hi My Beautiful Grandson,

We decided to stay a couple more nights in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The weather is really nice here and we moved to a better hotel. We have a view of the Atlantic Ocean and I have the sliding glass doors open and can hear the waves and Grandma is loving it. It's just now starting to get dark. So relaxing and peaceful.

Grandpa and Uncle E.J. went out to find something to do. Grandma is a home-body type person. I am happy to be here in the room, listening to the waves and watching FOX news on TV and writing to you. I'm also IM'ing with Aunt Stacey. I love my kids and I love spending time with them - even when it's on the computer. My kids and my husband and my dogs are my world. I am happy when my family is happy. I started working really hard in my life when I was young to be able to take care of my parents and to make sure all people I love can be taken care of. That is what drives Grandma. I work hard because I never want to say "I can't help" when someone I love needs help.

Set your goals high because there isn't anything you cannot accomplish, if that is what you want for yourself. My dad used to tell me all the time that I was "smarter than a show dog".. lol. I didn't really know what a "show dog" was... but he made me believe I was very intelligent. Your Great-Grandpa Wheelan was an amazing man. I will tell you more about him someday. Your Great-Grandma Wheelan was also amazing.

I took a video for you today of the beach we are staying on. Here it is:

I Love You,

Grandma

Jumbo Crabs at Crab Alley

Hi Grandson,

Yesterday, before we left Ocean City, Maryland, we looked for a good place for blue crabs and found Crab Alley. The crabs there were amazing! Uncle E.J. and I ordered the "jumbo crabs" which are about 8 inches in diameter. These are hard to find this time of year!

It took us a couple of hours to eat our 7 crabs each, but it was well worth the time! After we finished, we drove to Virginia Beach, Virginia and that is where we woke up this morning. We are staying on the Atlantic Ocean again and I'm sitting here at the desk in the hotel room writing to you and looking out at the water. Grandpa and Uncle E.J. are still sleeping. It's supposed to be warm here today so we will probably find something fun to do for awhile and then start heading towards home. We will probably break up the trip home and spend the night around Greensboro, North Carolina. Here is a map of the route we will take home:

I hope someday we will be able to take you on trips with us! I love you and miss you!

Love,
Grandma

Waking Up in Ocean City, Maryland

Hi Grandson! This morning we woke up in Ocean City, Maryland. The photo is the view from our condo that we saw when we got up. The water you see is the Atlantic Ocean. This being early April, the water is really cold! When the weather gets warmer, swimming in the Atlantic here is awesome. The water temperature in the summer is perfect. It's salt water, of course, so the only drawback is the feeling of salt all over you - but it's not that bad.

This morning, Grandpa Ernest dared Uncle E.J. to go down to the beach and run and jump into the ocean. Uncle E.J. did jump in - but when he didn't dive in and get his head wet, Grandpa went down to the beach and ran and jumped into the ocean. Grandpa said it was cold! Here is a video I took:

We are leaving now to go eat Maryland Blue Crabs at a place called Crab Alley here in Ocean City. We are going to Virginia Beach, Virginia tonight.

Grandma Loves You!

Ryan is 4 Years Old Today!

Happy Birthday Grandson! I can't believe you are 4 years old already! That is amazing. It seems like only yesterday that Grandma held you in her arms as a newborn baby!

Your Aunt Stacey sent Grandma the video above. Your dad took you someplace in Fort Wayne, Indiana and when he asked you where you were, you said, "I'm right here." Ha Ha. Grandma loves this video! This was taken sometime in March 2009 I believe so this is you near your 4th birthday. I can't believe how much you look like your dad when he was 4 years old!

I hope you have a great time on your birthday. I love you and miss you!

Love,

Grandma

Captain Enoch Osborne

Hi Grandson,

We left Tennessee headed for Maryland on Saturday. Since Grandpa and I had been working on our family history on ancestry.com, we chose to go through Grayson County, VA on our way. You see.. a part of my biological ancestors settled in that part of the country, in Independence, VA. My great, great, great, great grandfather was Captain Enoch Osborne. He was a captain in the revolutionary war. He would be your great, great, great, great, great, great grandpa. He was a very famous and good man. Not only did he have his own militia in the Revolutionary War, he was also a Methodist preacher and a majestrate of the Grayson County court. He hung out with Davy Crockett among other famous people from long ago.

On our way through Grayson County, looking to find Fort Osborne, where Captain Enoch Osborne and his family was buried, we found a store called "Osborne's Family Market." We stopped in. After talking to the guy behind the counter for awhile, we learned that he was the owner of the store, and was an Osborne and that his great, great, great, great grandfather was also Enoch Osborne. We were distant cousins - and this was so neat! Grandpa took a picture of us in front of the store.

We went on and found Fort Osborne - on a beautiful hill in front of the New River, beside a barn on Battlefield Road. It was amazing. You could not read most of the writing on the tombstones, but there was a huge brick monument in front of the gravesite explaining who was buried there. It was so awesome!

Just so that you know, this branch of your family, the Osborne's.. ultimately came from Warwickshire, England. Another branch came from France and another from Sweden. You are quite a mix my dear!

We spent the night in Virginia Saturday night and then drove to Maryland on Sunday. Sunday night we stayed at Grandpa's mom's house. Today is Monday - and today, our truck broke down. We had to have a tow truck come get it and we had to rent a car. We spent dinner and the evening with good friends of Grandpa's and had a really good time. We are hoping the truck can be fixed by tomorrow.

Your birthday is in 2 days! You will be 4 years old! I love you and miss you Ryan!

Love,
Grandma

Leaving Today for Maryland

Hi Grandson,

Grandpa Ernest's mom (Helen) has been at our house all week and we are leaving today to take her back to Maryland. Most of Grandpa's family lives in Maryland so we will be spending some time visiting them while we are there.

While we are in Maryland... I am going to have my Number One Favorite Food!! which is Maryland Blue Crabs! I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's takes a long time to eat them because there is a certain way to crack them open and get all of the meat from them - but it is well worth the time!

The picture that you see above is what your table looks like when they bring the crabs out to you. The table is usually covered with newspaper and there is lots of butter and Old Bay seasoning. Most restaurants will have a bib for you to wear because things can get really messy. I love sitting at a restaurant on the water, listening to Jimmy Buffet music, and spending hours eating blue crabs! I hope one day I can take you to eat blue crabs too!

Four more days until you turn 4!

I Love You!

Grandma

Raleigh, North Carolina

Hi Grandson,

Grandpa and I spent the last couple days on the road. We had to go to a Job Fair convention in Raleigh, NC on Tuesday, March 31st for Grandma's business (Medical Billing Course.com). We left last Sunday and got home today. The neat thing about the whole trip had mostly to do with what I have learned about my ancestry in the past week and a half. The Job Fair was boring, but from what I learned about our ancestors, we had a famous revolutionary war captain (Enoch Osborne) who lived and battled on the border of North Carolina and Virginia in Grayson County. I am going to write much more about him later. He is my great, great, great, great grandfather. We were close to where he lived on our way out to Raleigh.

The photo is of our booth at the Job Fair. I have so much more to tell you about Enoch Osborne as well as what happened at home while we were gone.

You will be 4 years old soon. I won't be there, wish I could be - but I will be thinking about you. I love you very much Ryan! I dream about holding you and hugging you. Someday I will.

Love,

Grandma