Hollis meets his Pennsyvania family

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What an incredible journey!  Hollis and I flew across the country and spent three weeks with our family.  Uncle Frankie and Aunt Amanda picked us up from the airport.  We went straight to Gpa Franks and spent the afternoon planning our surprise attack and eating Philly Cheesesteaks and drinking only the finest birch beer.   
 

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When Frank got home from work, he wasn't surprised and rather he surprised us!

Hollis warmed up to his family immediately, he was tossed from Gpa to Uncle, from Uncle to Aunt.  From Aunt to Grammie, and back around. Next stop Mimi and Pappy Carl's

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At Mimi's it was a whole lot of watermelon, bathtime and singing stuff animals. 

Every morning Mimi would wake up put you in the high chair and stuff you full of your favorite foods.  It was on this trip and at this time that your diet became much more than the usual whole fruits and veggies with rice cereal.   On this trip you ate everything, from hamburger to chicken wings.  Tasty cakes to birthday cakes.

Next stop Aunt Brenda and Uncle Garys.  They live just a couple miles from where they grew up, where Mimi grew up and where I too grew up.  They are trying to sell there house and move to the same street that I spent most of my childhood.  The town is called Seizholtsville, and it is small rural town, relatively unchanged since I had last visited.  Stone houses, red barns and decidious trees mark the hilly skyline, and the roads are smooth and windy.  

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We had a couple of visits with my dear friend from school, Becky.  We have been close friends since the 8th grade when my family moved from Kutztown to Emmaus.  I spent a good amount of time going over to Becky's house when I was young, sitting on beds talking and of course., getting recipes from her mother.  She has two kids.  Maya (3) and Jaden (6).
 

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It wasn't long before we made our way over to Huffs Church and Landis Store, near Seizholtzville. This is the area where my Dad grew up and his mom and dad still live there, so do many of his uncles and aunts and his Grandmother, your Great Great Grandmother Helen.  She is 90 years old and an incredible woman.  She made a big feast to celebrate your visit.

We had PA Dutch chicken, mash potatoes, quinoa salad and oh my the yummies cheese cake.  You Gr Gr Grammie is great cook!  

This was an  especially great visit because we were lucky enough to catch Aunt Lorene, from Tahoe!  She was visiting too.

We had a great visit talking over great food.  Everyone loved holding you!

We were busy on this trip Hollis.  Let me tell you everyday we were traveling around.  It was so much fun.  You got to meet people for the first time ever and it had been almost 7 years since I had last seen most of my family.

One day while traveling through Seizholtzville we got to visit Uncle Danny.  That is the son of your namesake Leon, after my Pappy Arthur Leon Litschke, who died while you were in utero. Fun Fact:  He has his Pappy's namesake for his middle name: Foster.