Incomplete Normal

We took my mom to the train station to head home (she left her old car that we drove out here with Aubrey) on Tuesday evening.  TEN minutes before her train was due to arrive she lamented to Logan, "I wish I could take you with me!"  The next thing I knew he was at the ticket counter asking how much it would cost to go with her and I was being asked permission to send him.  I quickly called Jim to be sure he was okay with it, she bought the ticket, and we headed out to the platform.  Logan's only luggage were three books and his booster seat for the car.  He was so excited that he only gave me a quick half hug before boarding the train.  We watched the train pull away, and I was left feeling like I'd just cut off my right arm and put it on a train.  It was crazy how incomplete I felt driving away without one of my kids.  He is having a great experience though. 

From conversations with him and with my mom, it sounds like he loved every minute of the train ride, and has been having great one on one time with my family in Colorado.

Meanwhile I've been enjoying a few days of 'normal' even though I'm missing my oldest kid.  It has been nice to be home and quiet this week.  

In other news, Abby has decided that she needs to be more independent.  She started walking a couple of weeks ago, and now she will NOT let me feed her anything anymore.  I suppose it really is time to let her handle her own spoon.  We've had some very messy meals!

 

Sweet Corn Harvest

During my mom's last couple of days here we went to a sweet corn festival and also picked our own sweet corn.

The only enjoyable parts about the festival were the bean bag toss they had set up and the bounce houses (which my mom paid for the kids to each have a turn in).  Otherwise, there were only vendors.  To be fair, I heard that there were kids activities earlier in the day, but we were too late for those.

Abby really enjoyed climbing on the bean bag toss while her siblings jumped in the bounce houses.

Since the festival was so short lived we went for ice cream at McDonald's.  At the next table we met some people and their stuffed cats.  Apparently, they've been taking these cats with them everywhere for almost 20 years.

One of our final activities with my mom was picking sweet corn.  A lovely family we know lets all of their friends pick as much as they want for free every year at harvest time.  This was our first time picking corn, so I didn't know how much I really wanted.  We brought home a wheelbarrow full.  Next year I think we take more.

Picking the corn was really quite fun.  The weather was nice and it felt great being outside.  The kids loved it!

Once home, we set to work husking the corn.  This was also an enjoyable part to the activity.  The kids helped until it was done.

After the kids were in bed my mom and I cut all the corn of the cobs then washed, bagged, and froze it.  Yay for corn in the freezer!  I sure appreciate the kindness of our friends who let us have it.

Home Again, Home Again

My mom drove home with us from Detroit, so we continued having a fun visit with her.  We went shopping, swimming, and just enjoyed visiting a lot.

The Burger King crowns survived the road trip.  Abby was hilarious putting one on and off one evening.

After a shopping trip, we played with hair and tried on new outfits.  This new hairstyle was a winner.  It stayed in for four days, and I only took it out so I could FINALLY wash her hair.

Here's another not-so-successful hairstyle complete with a fake pouty face.

Posing in her new outfit.  

Abby is just cute and funny.

My mom also bought matching girl and doll pajamas for Annie.

The boys chose matching shirts and matching jammies.  I'm glad they love each other so much.

Logan set this pose up himself.

After a few days at home, Kayla came to visit with her boys.  We had a campfire with s'mores, lots of visiting while the kids ran around, went to the children's museum, went swimming, and had a girls' morning out while Jim watched kids.  Fun fun!

These are the only pictures I have from Kayla's visit.  :(

(At the children's museum.)

On The Road Again

We enjoyed a few days at home with my mom (during which time I can't remember much of what we did) and then we headed to Detroit to visit my sister, Danielle, and her kids.  Jim wasn't able to go on this trip unfortunately. 

We stopped for lunch at Burger King on the way down.  The kids thought those crowns were great. 

We arrived at 2am Thursday night/ Friday morning and crashed.  Then on Friday Danielle had to work, so we had fun with all the kids.  We went bowling, out for ice cream, and hung out a lot.  That evening the more 'girly' part of the group went to the mall while I napped with Abby, and the other kids went to the park across the street. 

Mariah has a nice camera, so she took some neat pictures at the park.

This was such a great shot.

Bryce has always been such a ham.

I can't believe how grown up these girls have become!  Aubrey is now a sophomore!

Mariah is a freshman!  It seems like they were little girls just yesterday.

On Saturday Danielle took us to a beach where the kids swam, played on the playground, and even tried out someone's remote control boat.  After relaxing on the beach for a few hours we packed up and went geo-caching for a while. 

On Sunday we had a photo shoot behind Danielle's house, again with Mariah's camera.

Abby was being a stinker, so this is the only cousin shot we successfully had her in.

I wish Jim could have been in this picture.

 My mom was so happy to have all her grandkids around her.