Chowin’ down on some homebaked cookies. Is there any doubt that Koen is Grandma Dianne’s kin?

Koen and Grandpa Ivan, sharing a quiet moment near sunset.

Ecstatic Peoples of Planet Earth.

Choo! Choo! Here comes the Pearl St. Mall kiddo train. Koen had a fantastic time with his Grandma Debbie (Amber’s mom). Seems that all of his imaginary phone calls to her, he in Colorado and she in California, helped sustain their special bond.

Reading from “Eating the Alphabet”, Koen and Grandma Debbie whet their appetites for rutabaga, radicchio, and rhubarb. Koen points to an odd green vegetable - “Endive”, he proclaims. “And…kumquats.” “That’s a parsnip, and there’s jicama, and swiss chard…” I’ve sometimes wondered what it would feel like, having my son surpass me intellectually. Little did I know that I wouldn’t have to wait until he was heading off to college. Or even enrolling in grade school.

We drove out to the far Northeastern corner of California, for a rare family reunion on Amber’s Dad’s side of the family tree. Koen and I both came down with nasty belly bugs, and due to my incapacitation, this is the only photo I captured (depicting the first meeting of Koen and his cousin Trinity).

Koen shares some lovin’ with his mama and sister-to-be.