Andrew has been enjoying his first fall season visiting 2 pumpkin patches, the first with my best friend in Virginia, the second with my best friend in Maryland! We also made a trip to Blacksburg/Christiansburg and down to Elk Creek to visit with his Great-Grandparents. This was their first time meeting Andrew! Again, we are still having website difficulties, so if you know where we are hiding the new pictures, go there… if not and you would like a link, email myself or Matt. Check back within the next week and hopefully I will have his Halloween pictures up!

In case you never heard, our son Andrew James Learn was born on July 16th! I know, it seems as though we have neglected our website since Andrew came along… Actually, we’ve had some web hosting issues that take Matt’s time to be resolved, and with his business workload picking up AND Andrew, it’s something he hasn’t gotten around to fixing. Soon, I promise. For those of you who do check here for pictures, please email either Matt or myself and we will send you the link where we’ve been hiding them We actually don’t post there frequently either, mainly because the free time we do have we’d rather spend playing with Andrew!

I have been back at work since Sept 2nd (early, I know…) but have been taking every Friday off, until January! This has been a God-send, being able to spend quality time with him while he’s growing instead of taking another whole week off when he was 7 weeks old and then not being able to spend more than busy weekends with him since. He does “sleep through the night” occasionally, which is pretty much 10:30pm-5am since I have to get up for work then anyway.

Andrew is 3 months old now and has discovered he can put his feet in his mouth! He giggled purposefully like a little boy yesterday, and he can reach, grab, and manipulate objects. He has successfully managed to get the pacifier back into his mouth - but only if it is turned in the right direction

Since the baby is due anyday, we decided to stay near home for the July 4th weekend. Matt’s parents and sister’s family are camping at Elk Neck State Park, which is less than 30 minutes from our house and is near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. We are joining them during the day for the festivities and coming home to our comfy bed at night For Friday’s fun, my friend Meg, her husband Jim, Meg’s Dad and brother and their two basset puppies joined us for boating and dinner. Meg’s brother is a culinary student, so he made sure we had some great gourmet barbecue food!

Christine planned an awesome “Safari Animal” themed baby shower!! It was originally supposed to be a surprise, but I ended up learning of the date, most of the invited guests, and accidentally seeing at least the front of the invitation Christine went way over and above any previous invitation designs and used springs and 3D animals to lure people to the big event. Around 30 people attended, participating in games like “name that baby food”, “identify the song with the word ‘baby’ in the tune”, diaper changing contest, and for the men without children - a bottle race! We are truly blessed to have such generous and thoughtful friends and family, and I’m pretty sure our registry is wiped out… Thank you all for coming and/or for sending your congratulations our way! Oh yeah, and the cake was not only adorable but delicious, thanks Papa!!!

The 68th Learn Reunion will be held on Saturday, August 9th, 2008 at its usual scenic location of Mountain View Park in Tannersville, Pennsylvania. This year’s reunion will be catered by Everybody’s Cafe & Caterers of Stroudsburg, Pa., As you know we collected $5.00 from each person at last years reunion and for those that did not pay they may send $5.00 for each person in a check or money order to John Learn, 304 General Hancock Blvd., North Wales, Pa. 19454. Anyone having historical information or news of new family members please bring it with you and see Eric & Nancy Storck so we may add it to our records Also, please feel free to bring a friend.

I am asking everyone in the family to contact as many family members as possible to get them to come out and enjoy the day with us our clan has been dwindling down in recent years so let’s see if we can build it back up. If you have any suggestions please contact me or better yet SEE me there.

The fun will begin at 10:30Am. Mountain View Park has playgrounds, tennis courts, volleyball / badminton nets, and restrooms available for our use. There will be a door prize and some guessing games as well. If all goes well we will have a group picture taken and if there is someone you care to have your picture taken with we’ll do that too, they will be available for purchase before you leave. I am only asking this to cover the paper and ink. This year we will hold a White Elephant auction with the money to go in our fund so please bring something you think someone else would bid on. and save up to bid for something you may like to have.

Directions

From Interstate 80, take exit # 299 (Tannersville Exit). Turn right at the stop sign at the bottom of the exit ramp. Turn left at the first light onto Sullivan Trail. There will be a cemetery and the outlet mall (The Crossings) on your right. Continue on the Sullivan Trail, staying left where an entrance to route 80 branches off to the right. You should pass a brewery and a slight “Y”. Stay to the right at this Y. The entrance to Mountain View Park will be ahead on your right so look for our family signs to point the way..

If you have any questions, you may contact me by phone (610) 929-2447 H, (610)-914-1518 C or Email me at FangT@Comcast.net, Fax 610-927-6726.
Hope to see you there!
Have a great day!
Ed Crist Sr.

Agenda
10:00 —– My computer gets set up
We start to arrive
10:30 —– Sign in, mingle and pictures
11:00 —– games, more pictures, History/ family info gathering
11:30 - 11:45 —- caterers setup
Menu—- Farmer’s Tossed salad, Ranch & Italian dressing, Mac salad, Pa Duch Pot salad, Roast Chicken w/Pan Gravy, Brown Sugar Glazed Virginia Ham, Macaroni & Cheese, Roasted Parsley Pot, Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots, Fresh Fruit Platter
12:00 —– Dinner is served
1:30 —– Door prizes and White Elephant Auction
2:00 —– Family Business
3:00 —– Family Port rate $5.00 (covers high gloss paper and ink)
Small pcs $3.00
3:15 - 5:00 —– Portrate ready, cleanup, mingle and goodbyes
Have A Great day and God Speed !!