Morgantown.

This week I'm up in Morgantown visiting my grandparents and my other family. I'm spending the week here, which I'm really excited about. I used to spend a week up here with my grandparents every summer when I was growing up, but I haven't spent a solid week here since I was probably 17.

The big reason we came up this week is that Saturday was my cousin Rebecca's baby shower. Becca and I are exactly one year and one week apart, the daughters of my grandparents' only two daughters. We were really close growing up, and I really love and admire Rebecca. She is an awesome person who is one of the most hardworking people I have ever met.

A photo of Rebecca and me back in the day. Almost 30 years ago. Sheesh.

Becca and her husband Daniel are due to be the proud parents of a little boy named Sebastian (Bash! Well, at least that's what I'm calling him.) at the beginning of July. (Bec and I were also both born in July!) We had a really fun shower for them on Saturday. They are going to be wonderful parents!

Becca and Danny opening their gifts. Their son is a very, very lucky little fella to have them. How great does Becca look?

My mom came up for the weekend, and while she and I were both here we went to visit my great-grandmother's grave. My mother's mother's mother was named Anna Elizabeth, and my parents named me after her exactly. My mom loved her very, very much. Everyone called her Annie, which is what most of my family also calls me. She is also the person from whom I inherited the ring. She died when I was 9, but I really do remember her, which is so nice. We hadn't been to visit her grave in a while, so me, my mom, my grandmother and my other aunt went. It was nice to sit there and think about Grandma Annie for a while and visit my other family members that are all buried in the same area.

Anna E. Thomas who made me Anna E. Lafferre. Two Annies. I'm super fortunate her name wasn't Gertrude. :) 

I also realized that today is Grandma Annie's birthday. If she was still here, she'd be 109 years old. I just asked my grandmother, and she said for years Grandma Annie celebrated her birthday in May because she couldn't remember when her birthday actually was! It wasn't until her sisters found her birth certificate that they realized she was really born June 9.

Rebecca, Grandma Annie and me. Apparently Bec and I were obsessed with each other's outfits here! This picture is such a treasure.  

Obviously even if Grandma Annie hadn't died in 1993, she probably wouldn't have lived to be 109. But I do wonder sometimes what it would have been like for her to live longer than she did and to have known her as an adult person and not just as a kid. I know she was a great person, and my mom loved her so much, just like I love my grandmother so much. I'm very blessed to be named after such a great person. I have a lot to live up to.

I'm really looking forward to spending this week with my extended family!