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