Day 5

Slept in just a little after our late night with Aunt Marilyn. Got up and moving finally and then Uncle Steve came home from work and we all had breakfast together. YUM!! It was the first real food we’d had in days, and homemade, too! We hung out just a little while longer and Katie messed with Aunt Marilyn’s computer. Around noon we finally packed up, said our goodbyes and headed out. After a minor incident at the Aurora Mall gas station, we hit the road with a full tank (and then some, apparently), some more snacks, and 25 bags of microwave popcorn. At this point, there is so little room that Katie took the popcorn out of the box and literally wedged it in any open cracks she could find between and under the seats. Sad.At this point in the trip, Katie and I had traveled into and out of 3.5 states (not counting the Four Corners) in 3 days. Day 5 left us with 3 more in just one day – our longest and, by far, most boring day of the trip. Let’s just say that Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana PALE in comparison to California, Arizona and Colorado, as far as scenery goes. With the exception of a few food stops, gas fill-ups, a hotel tour (future Thanksgiving reunion destination) and quick visits at two different Younkers stores (in search of a GORGEOUS sweater, which I could not find), we drove FAST & STRAIGHT for about 14 hours. Seriously. Straight. Like, “set the cruise control and take a nap” kind of straight. See for yourself – just look at I-80 on the map. Yawn.

The only real excitement of the day came 27 miles into Illinois when Katie and I met Officer Handsome (Katie's name for him - a "Friends" reference). 78 in a 65 and a written warning. Very personable man. Most pleasant traffic stop I’ve ever experienced, that’s for sure, and I’ve experienced my fair share, to say the least. Katie and I came very close to losing our minds during the last leg of the trip. I’d say that, out of the more than 2400 miles we drove, the last 50 were definitely the hardest. Almost had to pull the car over and give up. Yes, it was that bad.

Overall, it was a great trip. Mission accomplished – Katie’s home. We managed it without any accidents or vehicular mishaps of any kind, without getting a ticket (close doesn’t count), and without killing each other. So, for those of you who put money on only one of us returning, alive and in one piece, HA! Leave it to two very stubborn and competitive redheads to prove ya’ll wrong!!

Day 4

We waited for the sun to come up before hitting the road because of all the warning signs we were seeing last night. We packed into the car in the 11 degree cold of Colorado and started off toward Canon City to see the Royal Gorge Bridge. Once we got on the road, it became clear that we made a VERY good choice by stopping last night when we did. We weren’t just in the mountains. We were ON a mountain, and climbing higher, and then dipping lower, with every passing minute. Shortly after we began, we came to “Wolf’s Pass”. You might be thinking, “Interesting name…sounds kind of cool, wonder what that’s about?” Well, let me tell you. Have you ever seen a commercial or movie with one of those steep, wind-y mountain roads? The kind where it looks like the car, and the people in it, could plummet to their deaths on the rocks in the canyon below with the slightest wrong move. Yeah, it was like that. Only with a 3” icepack on the roads, and 5 feet of snow on either side of the road. Katie’s 2WD Jeep Compass with wimpy little California street tires didn’t take too well to that. We went about 2.5-3 hours at about 25-40MPH. Ouch.

Once we got out of the mountains, things cleared up pretty well and we started making much better time. Got to the Gorge and enjoyed the view from a scenic viewpoint in the parking lot – it’s $23 PER PERSON to go into the “Amusement Park” that they’ve built around the bridge. I would have loved to see the bridge a little closer, and maybe even drive across it, although, I’m not sure I really could have done it. I’m not afraid of driving over bridges, or heights, but I can’t express to you how high up in the air that bridge is. Not to mention the fact that the bottom of the bridge is wood planks that make noise as cars drive over it. Hmmm…. Yeah, not sure about that. I wonder if they have a team of people on staff who are on “Rescue” for those people who get part-way out and can’t finish, or who get to the other side, but can’t make themselves do it again to come back. I’m thinking that would be a good idea.

After the Gorge, we drove Northeast toward Colorado Springs. We had plans to stop in to Steve’s “sister” Harley Davidson, but found out a little too late that it’s actually in Pueblo and not actually in Colorado Springs. Bummer. So, from that point on, we blazed a fast-paced trail to Aurora, Nebraska – home of Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Steve. Got here right about 10pm, and then kept Marilyn up talking until about 1:30am. Good times. Slept on the most comfortable bed I’ve ever felt. Thank you, Gus’s. Home tomorrow!

Day 3

Slept in ‘til about 8-ish. Packed up and grabbed some breakfast at Starbucks, finally hitting the road by 9:30. We left Flagstaff, heading North toward the Grand Canyon. The drive was long, but gorgeous. It was chilly, but not as bad as we thought it would be. It was pretty windy, though – otherwise it would have been pretty nice. We stopped at a couple of scenic stops along the way, including the Little Colorado River Gorge – VERY cool, especially because it feels like you get a lot closer to the gorge than you do at the Grand Canyon. It was beautiful, and SO worth the stop.

From the Grand Canyon, we headed East toward the Four Corners (where Arizona, Utah, Colorado & New Mexico meet). That was an interesting experience because we spent hours driving there, which was a little out of the way from where we really needed to go, and when we got there, the sign read that the monument closes at 5pm. It was 4:54. As we drove in, the Native American couple that apparently runs the place was driving out. As they passed, they informed us that they were closing. We could not persuade them to let us go and just take a picture, so we drove forward to turn around and drove straight up to the monument. Well, we were too close to just turn around, so we pulled a “Chinese Firedrill” – scrambled from the car and VERY quickly took turns taking a picture of each other on the Four Corners. Then we dove back in the car and tore out of there. The couple was waiting at the gate to lock up, so we handed her the $6 that we were supposed to pay to go in, and we took off. Mission accomplished.

From there we headed East into New Mexico and then North into Colorado. Our plan was to make it to Colorado Springs, but because of our leisurely pace it just didn’t look like we could make it there before 1am. On top of that, we’re driving through the mountains of Colorado, in the dark, with the occasional ice patch, and random ELK standing alongside the road. When we finally found civilization in the town of Pagosa Springs, we made the decision to call it a night and find the nearest Best Western (pet friendly) so we could crash for the night. I feel better about traveling icy roads in daylight, and we’ll be able to actually SEE the mountains through which we’re driving. So, after a 12 hour day, we’re crashing and preparing for an early morning. Big plans for tomorrow! More pictures here...

Day 2

Left Aunt Eileen's at about 9:30am PST - right on schedule. Started heading East and eventually found the desert. Spent some time there. Found a cool outlet mall. Lots of mountains, cacti, and mile markers. Incredible sunset. Got to Grandma Barnhart's around 6:30 and hung out with her and Aunt Barb and Uncle Jon. It was good to see Grandma after so long - sure wish she was closer! She's never met Abby, and only met Jacob when he was a baby. I wish they could know her, and I know she would LOVE them. After about 3 hours of catching up, Katie and I hit the road again, heading north to Flagstaff. About 30 minutes out we ran into our first snow of the trip. None on the roads, just on the ground on all sides. The stars were INCREDIBLE. Glad to get to the hotel - I need some more sleep! Check out some more pictures here.

Day 1

Things started off a little rough. Went to bed about 1:30am. Set the alarm for 5:45am. Woke up at 7:10am. Flight takes off at 7:10am. That's a problem.

Called NWA to see what in the world a person should do if they actually SLEEP THROUGH their flight... They encouraged me to get to the airport ASAP because the counter crew can transfer me to another flight. So, to the airport we went.

Got on a 10:15am flight to Detroit - took off about 20 minutes late, which meant we got into Detroit a little late, which meant that I got to RUN to the opposite side of the airport to catch my next flight. Ahhh...Good times. About 4 hours later I landed in L.A.

After an extended visit with the 405, we got to Aunt Eileen's in Huntington Beach. We talked with her and waited for our cousins to get there to go out for dinner. Ate the best fish I've ever had in my life at King's (thanks Mark, Wendy & John!) and laughed HARD with those guys - they are HYSTERICAL!! After hanging out with those guys, we drove down to Katie's apartment and loaded up the rest of her stuff in the back of the Jeep. Not a pretty sight.

We crashed HARD when we got back to Aunt Eileen's, then got up this morning to re-pack the car and get ready to go.

Abby's 7

We celebrated Abby's 7th birthday on Monday with a SNOW DAY (for no good reason, except it being Abby's birthday), lunch at China One, a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Albright, and then some time with the McMullens. But, the actual celebration started with a "small group" party on Saturday night with the McMullens, Ruths and Verduins. Then we had an "all GIRL" birthday party on Sunday with 7 of Abby's friends at Pages In Time (where else??). It was our first experience with a real classmate party, where kids are dropped off and left for a period of time under my, and (fortunately for all of us) Tammy's supervision. Um, wow. That was a wake-up call. Eight squeeling, giggling, running, dancing 6 & 7 year olds... At least it's only once a year! We started with taking pictures of each of the girls, then they got to make a door hanger craft using some shimmery fun paper and stickers, along with their pictures. The girls seemed to have a good time, and Abby was happy, so it was all worth it. It's safe to say, though, that I wouldn't have survived it without Tammy's help!!

Some memorable things about Abby's 7th year: She lost more teeth, grew some more back (confirming her future need for braces...), took ice skating lessons, played soccer, took swimming lessons and ballet, finished Kindergarten and started 1st grade, visited Shedd Aquarium, the Apple Festival and the pumpkin patch, traveled to Kenosha, Iowa and "Up North" Wisconsin, learned to ride a two-wheeler, got her first American Girl doll, and that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Abby has grown SO much this last year - not just in height, but in academics, maturity and personality. She's reading chapter books now and her favorite subject in school is MATH! She loves her teacher, Mrs. Kuc, and gets along so well with her friends. Her very best friends in the world, after Jacob and her cousin Kaitlyn, are Allison and Rachel, with whom she still spends a lot of time. Not nearly as much as this time last year - we're not doing childcare with the McMullen's every day like we did last school year. Abby is "a very happy girl" (confirmed by her teacher), VERY social, and as *free-spirited* as they come. She's a cuddler in every sense of the word. Grandma has affectionately nicknamed her "Velcro" as she is quick to attach herself to you in a very close, personal-space-out-the-window kind of way. I love, love that about her (unless I'm sleeping - but even then, after the fact, it's so adorable, in a slightly annoying, stay-OUT-of-my-bed kind of way).

Abby and Jacob are still super close, which THRILLS me beyond words. They get along well, rarely arguing. When they do, it's usually because they're playing too rough and Jacob gets hurt. (She's a little less careful and a little less concerned with the consequences than our first born) Just recently I "caught" them reading together in his room - Jacob listening to her read, and vice versa. It brought tears to my eyes, and I pray that they remain that close - or at least find their way back after whatever adolescence brings their way.

I continue to marvel at what Abby has brought into our lives and God's perfect plan and timing. Left up to me, we never would have had another baby so soon. I was scared, overwhelmed and unprepared. Or so I thought. But God knew better, and it wasn't about me anyway. Our family NEEDED her - Jacob, Adam and I were all lacking something. I could never have fully understood it then, but with each passing day, month and year it becomes more obvious. She brings light and joy and nearly constant entertainment, intermixed with the occasional frustration over a lack of "focus" or concern for time constraints... But what's parenting without perpetual lessons in patience, right?

Abby, I am so proud of you, and I am honored to have been entrusted with your care for as long as God sees fit. My prayer is that you will seek after Him with your whole heart, while remaining fully aware of and passionate for those around you who don't know Him yet. You have such a soft and compassionate heart, and I can't wait to see what God has planned for your life. You have such tremendous potential - I know you are going to do great things, and I am so excited to see what kind of woman you will become. But there is absolutely no rush. PLEASE, if not for me then for you...SLOW DOWN.

"It means a lot to me that you were His child long before you were ever mine. I love you with all the power of my being and He loves you more than that. Don't forget it."

-Mom

counting down the days...

So, I fly out on the 15th and arrive in Orange County, California before noon. We'll spend the afternoon and evening with Aunt Eileen before heading out on Sunday morning. From there it'll go something like this:

• Sunday - Drive to Phoenix and spend some time with Grandma (Holt) Barnhart, Aunt Barb, Uncle Jon, and anyone else we can dig up in that town. We'll drive up to Prescott, Az. to spend Sunday night.
• Monday - Hopefully a drive-by of the Grand Canyon, a quick stop-over at the Royal Gorge Bridge (I've always wanted to see that!), and then on to Colorado Springs, Co. for the night.
• Tuesday - Check out whatever there is to see in Colorado Springs (anyone have any suggestions for me??) and the head out for Aurora, Ne. We'll hang out with the Nebraska fam - The Gustafson's: Aunt Marilyn, Uncle Steve, and again, anyone else we can dig up... We'll spend the night with the Gus's, and then the REALLY interesting part of the trip begins!!
  
• Wednesday - Nebraska to Indiana. The most boring drive in the history of, well... driving.

Should be home, theoretically speaking, by Wednesday night. That would be ideal since it would give me one day to recover before heading back to work on Friday. Of course, this is highly contingent on WEATHER, and all other things travel related. If we know in advance that the weather will be bad in the mountainous wonderland of Colorado, we'll head East out of Arizona and go the more Southern route. Katie says it's not as pretty that way, and I think it takes a little longer, so let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Wish us luck! (we're probably going to need it...)

Thanksgiving Tradition

Tomorrow morning we'll be piling into the car for a quick and scenic drive (sarcasm) to Iowa for our long-standing Thanksgiving tradition of meeting at a hotel for the holiday weekend. We meet our Nebraska family half way (or close to it) near Iowa City and just camp out, relaxing and catching up. We've been doing something like this, every other year or so, my entire life.

Most often we've gone to the Canterbury Inn in Coralville. We made a lot of great memories while staying at that place. Of course, after the Dateline expose about the "peepholes" behind two-way mirrors in some of the rooms, I never really looked at the place the same way again... eew.

One of the trips that stands out most in my memory is the year we stayed at the Adventureland Inn. There was a blow-up alligator involved. My dad and uncles were trying (and failing miserably) to land, after a running start, on the alligator that was floating in the pool. I left Iowa with a cracked rib and an entirely new view of my dad and uncles... Another trip involved multiple cans of silly string and nearly being evicted from the hotel. Good times.

These are the kind of memories I want my kids to have of these trips someday. They're EXTREMELY excited about seeing their cousins, grandparents and aunts & uncles - and about swimming all weekend. They're packing all of their worldly belongings as I type. I love that. I remember my dad making me choose one bag worth of toys that I could bring with, just like I'll do with my kids a few minutes from now.

We'll be back on Sunday with loads of pictures and even more new memories of another great weekend with family that we don't see often enough.

Katie's coming HOME!!

That's right - it's official! She quit her job at Apple, got a job here with Pixel Creek, and she's packing up and heading home. She's been editing a film, so she's got to finish that up first. So, I've always kind of wondered what it would be like to drive across the country (well, most of the way, anyway) sand now's my chance. I'm going to fly out to Orange County and then drive home for 4 or 5 days. I'm really looking forward to the first couple of days - not so much to the Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois parts... but, what can you do? Hopefully Kate and I will have a lot of fun while being bored out of our skulls and stuck in the car for 2200 miles...with Katie's Golden Retriever. I fly out there on the 15th of December, and we'll be back by the 20th. Wish us luck!

Keith Urban

Adam put together a little surprise getaway for me last week with an overnight in downtown Indy and the KEITH URBAN concert! I absolutely LOVED the concert when Tammy took me for my birthday - we had a BLAST hanging out together and watching the best singer and performer I have EVER seen! Unfortunately, she and I thought we wouldn't be allowed to bring cameras to the concert, so we didn't. Wrong! I was SO bummed that I could have had pictures but didn't... So, this time around, you better believe I had my camera with me!

Adam and I left for Indy on Thursday morning after getting the kids off to school and throwing some stuff into an overnight bag. We had a great drive down, just being together and listening to Keith (had to get in the zone!). When we got to town, we checked in to the Hampton Downtown and just relaxed for a while. After that we walked a block over to Circle Center Mall to kill some time before dinner. Fun place. I don't think I've been to downtown Indy since high school.

About 5:00 we headed over to our dinner destination: Ruth's Chris! We had never been to one before, so it was a totally new experience. When we were packing for the trip, I was a little freaked out about what to wear to such a place, so I checked their website. They recommend "smart casual" attire. Hmmm.... Not sure that I own anything in that category. So I tried to put something together that I thought would get me in the door. Once there, I felt completely comfortable in my jeans and sweater, and Adam and I had a few laughs over other people's apparent takes on "smart casual" - I remember hearing "dumb casual" and a few other remarks come out of Adam's mouth throughout dinner. TOO funny. We also enjoyed the older couple sitting in the booth next to ours as they requested steak sauce (SERIOUSLY??) and then proceeded to send BOTH of their steaks back to be charred a little more (I was honestly embarrassed for them). Other memorable moments included the "feeling of the bread", the "OH $@&%" look on the lobster that walked by, and the server offering to cut a woman's steak for her like she was a 3 year old... Good times. Good times. Oh, and the food was AMAZING!
After dinner we walked a couple of blocks over to Conseco Fieldhouse for the concert. The photos tell the story better than I can, but I will say that KEITH URBAN ROCKS!! Serious skills. He's so fun to watch, in so many ways! ;) This concert was almost identical to the one in Moline, and every bit as enjoyable. I would go again tomorrow if I had the chance. And again the night after that. Seriously. If you're tempted to write off my review for the simple fact that I'm mildly infatuated, think again! My wonderful husband recently started blogging (mostly about his work world, but occasionally hitting on personal life) and he had quite a bit to say about the concert too. And he's not as prone to exaggeration as I am. Adam and I had a great time relaxing, hanging out, laughing, and just being together. How did I get so lucky??

American Girl Extravaganza!

A trip to American Girl for Abby's and Ally's 7th birthdays has been in the works for quite some time now, and the day finally came yesterday! Tam and I decided to split the difference between their birthdays and take them right in between, so Abby won't actually be 7 for a few more weeks. After dropping Adam and Jacob off at the Museum of Science & Industry for a father/son day, Mom, Tammy, Allison, Abby and I headed downtown to N. Michigan and a parking garage that wasn't built for Suburbans. FUN!

We walked over to the American Girl store with two giddy girls skipping along side us the whole way. It was CHAOS in there!! I think every mother and daughter in the entire Chicagoland area was in that store - talk about claustrophobic! We couldn't move without close personal contact with complete strangers. Ick. But we made it upstairs to put our names on the waiting list for lunch in the cafe (tried for a reservation beforehand, but they were booked solid) and then to the "Just Like You" room. That's where the girls found the dolls they had picked out from the catalog months ago. Abby chose GT24 (light skin with freckles, wavy blond hair, brown eyes) and Ally picked GT25 (light skin, black/brown hair, brown eyes) - and the likeness between each girl and her doll is pretty amazing!


We were almost ready to start shopping for "accessories" - but the girls noticed that practically every other girl in the room was CARRYING a doll while they shopped, so it then became necessary to immediately purchase the dolls and get them out of the boxes. Fine by me - it's all a part of the experience, right? Once that was done, the search was on! Each girl had a set amount of spending money with which to shop, so there was some serious decision making going on in there. Adam told me before we left that his boss, Butch, said something like, "Good luck getting out of there spending under $500!" Well, that was not even close to an option for us, but I can certainly understand now just how it could be done - VERY easily!!

They narrowed their choices down to under budget, which meant doing a LOT of deep thinking and mind-changing, leaving many items behind - but at least Christmases and Birthdays should be pretty easy for Adam and me from this point on! We made our purchases and then found a spot with some breathing room and a bench where the girls could immediately change their dolls into one of their new outfits. Then Tammy braided their hair just like the pros in the salon around the corner (and for FAR less than what they were charging!). Just as she was finishing up, it was time to check on our standing on the waiting list for lunch - we were 2nd, so it seemed that our chances were pretty good. We waited, along with about 10 other groups, to "win the lottery" and get called to the podium... and we were!

They ushered us into a dining room like no other - black, white and hot pink EVERYTHING - including the silk flower lamp shades and high backed chairs. They provided the girls with chairs for their dolls that hook right onto the table, allowing their new friends to dine right along with them. Lunch started with appetizers of hot cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit kabobs and a veggie plate. Abby chose chicken tenders and Ally had pizza, but their minds were elsewhere as the server (a nice man in a hot pink apron) told them that they would be receiving a surprise since we were there to celebrate the girls' birthday. They spent most of lunch dreaming up what the surprise would be - talk about anticipation! The surprise turned out to be birthday candles in their dessert, which consisted of a piece of cake, chocolate mousse AND a pink "glittery" cookie! Can you say SUGAR RUSH???

That concluded our visit to American Girl. From there we walked to Garrett's for a bag of the best popcorn IN THE WORLD (Chicago Mix). The girls were enthralled with the street performers out front - a drummer and a tap dancer. I think they could have sat there for hours! But we dragged them away and across the street, back to Watertower and the oh-so-fun parking garage. Then to the Museum to pick up Adam and Jacob before heading back home. Overall a great day!! That is, until Abby fell out of a tree and then threw up on me later in the evening, but that's a story for another time!

Callender Photos

I've updated our family photos on our Flickr account, so you can "keep up with the Callenders", as it were. Check them out here!

Trick or Treat!

The costumes:

The haul:

Not a bad night...

It's just a reaction to the hot tub. Darn my sensitive skin!!

I KNEW it couldn't be chicken pox!

Katie's Visit

So, Katie got to come home for a visit last week. We picked her up from Midway on Saturday (the 20th) and then drove up to Gurnee to pick up Steve's girls for a week-long visit, too. It had been about 2 months since they were with us last (long story, but you can pray for Steve and his custody hearing in January) so we were all really excited to see them again. Jacob and Abby had been crying for a visit with Adia and Tori for quite a while. The don't really understand why they aren't living with their dad... How do you explain something like that?

Anyway, on Sunday Mom, Katie, Steve and I took the 4 kids to the pumpkin patch for a hay ride, some pedal cart races, a pumpkin hunt, and a ride in a cow train (don't ask). We all had a great time and Steve and Kate had a little time for some deep thinking...

We got to have Tori and Adia over for a little while on Tuesday and the kids had a BLAST! They really love hanging out with their cousins, and the girls LOVE Murphy! They like chasing around with him and giving him hugs. When he starts pushing them around and knocking them over, they just giggle like it's the funniest thing ever, so Murph was in his glory. Just what he needs is a couple more kids to beat up on.

On Thursday we went over to mom's, sat in the hot tub on a nice, crisp Fall afternoon, had chili for dinner, birthday cake for Adia (belated) and just hung out for a while. The kids ran around outside like crazy people and wore each other out completely. My kids crashed hard that night. Then on Friday morning, my kids got to go to Grandma's for a little while to hang out with the girls for a little while before they left for Wisconsin. Mom, Katie and the girls went up on Friday to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa Horton before Kate flew out on Saturday (back to the land of blazing wildfires).

Before she left, though, Katie left me a little present. She broke out in a rash on Thursday, and by Saturday afternoon I had it, too. I encouraged her to see a doctor about it (I mean, after all, it was HER rash to begin with!) so that I could get an idea of what I was dealing with, without having to go to the dr. myself! She called back today to inform me that her quack California dr. says that she has the "Adult Chickenpox." Seriously??!?

I go to Dr. Riley tomorrow at 3:15. Wish me luck.

The Pumpkin Patch

We packed the kids, the McMullens and the Ruths up and headed up to Coloma (I know - don't ask) to Jollay Farms for a fun day at the pumpkin patch on Sunday. By the time we got there it had started to rain, but it didn't seem to phase the kids at all! They were thrilled to run around on the playground, through the orchard, into the haunted house (umm, funny), to the "petting zoo", into the mud puddles and so on - they were all soaked by the time we were done! But the kids got their pumpkins picked out and we warmed up in the car on the way home, so it was all good!

Innovate

I had the pleasure this week of being a part of GCC's Innovate by doing a drama on Thursday morning just after Guy Kawasaki's keynote. It was a blast - as always. Love that they let me be on stage.

You can check out the drama by going to GCC's website and clicking on Media Player in the upper right corner. When the window opens, click on DRAMA in the top center - "Poison Therapy" is a handful down the list on the right. Click on it and it should start playing. The video is from when we did it in the weekend service, not from Innovate, but it's the same one. They did change Kyle's makeup, though, this last time and it was MUCH more disgusting. Fun.

Abby's Quote of the Day

"With great broccoli comes great responsibility!"
-Abby Callender 9/28/07 2:57pm

Soccer

Jacob and Abby are playing Upward Soccer this year for the first time and we are all LOVING it! It just started a couple of weeks ago and goes for 6 weeks with a game for each of the on Saturdays. Allison McMullen is also playing but on a different team from Abby, so last weekend they actually played AGAINST each other - hilarious! Abby got to try out being goalie, and Ally scored a goal during the game (fortunately not while Abby was guarding the net!). We are SO proud of both of them! Jacob's game was at the same time as Abby's, so Adam, mom and I found ourselves running back and forth between the two fields. Jacob also got to try out the goalie position, but he thought it was boring (fortunately for him, all of the action was on the other end of the field while he was in!).

This week they had their team pictures taken and then Jacob's game was at 9. It was COLD outside! At least for September it was cold, but I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. I love watching Jacob try his best, but also have fun in the process. He's still at the age, and early enough in the competitive sports process, where this is just fun. There were a few times I saw him laughing as he and other boys went for the ball at the same time, or when he'd try to kick and it didn't go just where he thought it would. That's refreshing to me - at least at this stage of the game. I know the day will probably come when his performance and that of the team will be what matters most, and I'll enjoy that too, but right now it's about the fun and he doesn't get down on himself or others if they don't have a perfect game. Yes, he was thrilled that they won yesterday, but when they "lost" the week before, he had the exact same smile on his face on the way home. I love that.

Abby played at 11:30 and she had a blast. The funniest thing about watching a team of girls, at least at that age, is that, unlike the boys in the same situation, when the girls who are on "the bench" are waiting for their turn to play, they naturally turn into cheerleaders. So you'll hear them attempting their own made-up cheers, and they jump and clap and sing - all while paying absolutely no attention to the game. HI-larious. Abby also takes that opportunity to chase bugs, twirl around, explore and otherwise entertain herself. Surprisingly, though, when she's on the field, she really seems to pay attention the majority of the time. In fact, during both games she's had the chance to be goalie (which terrifies me, for her sake - the pressure!), and both times she really stayed with the game and kept her eye on the ball. For those of you who know Abby, you can probably understand what I'm saying. She's very much MY daughter. :)

Then we all stayed and watched Ally play at 12:45, so we made a day of it. She's incredible - quite the natural soccer player (it's in her genes - hehe) and very much "in it" while she plays.

Overall it's been a great experience and I'm glad they're trying it out. For anyone who's interested in checking out the action, their games on Saturday are at 10:15 and 11:30 behind New Life Church.

A Houseguest

We stumbled upon a visitor the other night sitting on our welcome mat. I mean, short of knocking on the door, how else would he have announced his arrival? So it was a sign. He was shivering (I swear!) and unable to fly because it was so chilly outside after sunset, so (of course) he was invited in by our tenderhearted animal lover. I'm referring to Abby, or the butterfly whisperer, as we are now calling her. She really has a way with the little guy. And, as you can see, he seems to be quite attached to her. Abby has since been informed of the importance of his quick departure so that he can make it to Mexico before it starts to snow - I mean, imagine flying in that kind of weather! So, as soon as we have a nice, warm, sunny afternoon... off he goes! Maybe he'll send a postcard...

My brother's girls are in town for the week and we thought we'd take the opportunity to get them out and have their pictures taken together. We went to Portrait Innovations - the girls working there did a great job to get terrific results out of all the kids. They even got Jacob to smile!

School starts in just 2 short days... I'm DREADING it! I love having the kids at home with me, and the casual schedule instead of an alarm clock at 6:30am. I love being able to take advantage of the nice weather and late daylight - but starting Tuesday, kids have to be in bed by 8:30 or there are serious consequences for ALL of us the next day.

One thing we do have to look forward to this week is the big HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 Premier Party on Friday night! The kids are having friends over and we're going to have a BLAST watching the new movie. The kids already have the new soundtrack memorized!

It's been a while...

Yeah, yeah...I know. We've been radio silent for a while. Lots of highlights to share since school got out: we took the kids to the water park in Mishawaka, Abby took soccer "lessons" at Soccer Zone, Jacob went to Basketball Camp, the kids took swimming lessons, we went to Buckatabon for the 4th of July, I went to Chicago for work, GCC Staff Picnic, and much more!

For now you can check out the photo storyline on my Flickr account.

Kicking of the Summer Activities

Now that school's out (for a WHOLE 9 weeks - yeah, don't get me started!) we've jumped full-on into the summer activities. Abby started indoor soccer a couple of weeks ago and she really enjoys it. At least until the end of class when they actually scrimmage - then she suddenly becomes too tired to run and likes to play goalie. We're not sure, but my theory is that she doesn't really understand that the point is to make a goal by kicking the ball into the net...

Jacob did basketball camp this last week and had a real blast hanging out with the high school kids and Coach Foster. He does a great job of really trying his best and playing as a team - he tends to pass as much as he tries to shoot during their scrimmages. I love that about him - he wants to win, so he passes to kids that he knows have skills. In the meantime, we'll keep practicing and eventually he'll be shooting just as well as those boys who obviously have older brothers...

This week they start swimming lessons, which are always a huge hit. I probably enjoy watching them as much as they like the swimming! It's HI-larious!! Loads of fun, while actually learning a thing or two. Gotta love that.

Later this month, Adam and I actually get to have a little fun of our own with a little weekend trip to Indy for our 2nd annual John Mayer concert. Then the following week is the big camping trip to Buckatabon for the week of the 4th. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but our kids are the FOURTH generation to be going Up North (Wisconsin) for summer vacation. I went just a couple of months after I was born, as did Jacob and Abby. Ahhh, tradition.

After that, we have 2 more weeks of swimming lessons, a couple of weeks "off", a weekend of KEITH URBAN!!!! and then a long weekend in the Dells - yippee!! Less than two weeks after that, on the FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST, it's BACK TO SCHOOL (grumblings under my breath), with more than a month left of actual summer. Like I said, don't get me started. But Ryan Dvorak and Mitch Daniels, if I ever happen to pass you on the street, you're going to get an ear-full. Just warning you...

big week for Abby

Sometimes you can go weeks or even months without the reality of how fast a child is growing up hitting you... and then you have a week like this. Yesterday Abby learned to tie her shoes.

Sidebar: For all those educators and overzealous, overachieving parents (or grandparents, for that matter!) out there - YES, I realize that she's 6 years old and almost done with Kindergarten. I just don't see this as critical at this point in our lives. She has shoes. She can put on her shoes. They're elastic and don't need tying. It works well for all of us, including her school teachers, as we're not constantly stopping to tie shoes. Everyone knows that kids can't keep their shoes tied. It's about efficiency. I'm not really concerned that it's on the Kindergarten report card as a necessary fine motor skill - her fine motor is terrific. She can use scissors better than I can! However, when we received our 3rd notice of the year AND a wooden practice "shoe" with laces this week in Abby's backpack it occurred to me that maybe Mrs. Schindewolf thinks we don't OWN any shoes with laces and THAT is why Abby hasn't learned to tie. So, I gave in. We got out a shoe - a REAL one, and Abby learned to tie yesterday. She can now tie a shoe - of course, they're mine since she doesn't have any shoes with laces, but whatever. more photos here

Back to the issue at hand. I've been getting tired of watching Abby ride her training-wheeled bike around while the little neighbor girl down the street, a year and a half younger than Abby, goes tooling past on her 2-wheeler. So, after our triumph yesterday with the shoes, I decided that today was the day. She was a little hesitant, so she put on Jacob's skateboarding pads and we headed out. She got the hang of it pretty quickly - fortunately I didn't have to do TOO much running up and down the street keeping her balanced. I'm not in shape for that kind of physical activity. Before I knew it, she was pedaling herself down the street without any help at all. She didn't even have any real falls. By the end of the night we took a family bike ride around the block, and at times we had trouble keeping up with her!

Our little girl is growing up - between the reading, the teeth, the tying and the riding, she's a completely different kid from when she started Kindergarten only 9 short months ago. It's going WAY too fast...

for you Joy!

Well, it's been a while! No good reasons - loads of things I *could* be writing about, like the fact that Abby recently lost her SEVENTH tooth, and she's not even out of Kindergarten. Or that my sister is coming home over Memorial Day weekend. Or that I talked to my Grandma B last night for the first time in WAY too long. Or the ridiculously maddening season finale of Grey's... Soon. The urge to write will return and I will once again be boring you with the mundane details of my life.

For now, I'll show you some updated photos of the place where I've been spending a lot of my time lately. As most of you are probably aware, the store where I work, Pages In Time, moved recently from our old location to a BRAND NEW, stunningly beautiful, custom-designed, 10,200 sq.ft. store. It was no small task, but it is SO worth it - we're getting more positive feedback than I even imagined. And once the scrapbookers of the world realize that one of the very classiest, largest stores sits right here in Northern Indiana, we will begin to see pilgrimages on the scale of Mecca or the Mall of America.

I can't take any of the credit for this. It wasn't my idea to move. It wasn't my idea to build a brand new store. It wasn't my idea to paint the walls orange and aqua and green, or (in the case of the women's restroom, brown with big, beautiful aqua polka dots). The Turners did the work. They planned and prepared and built and painted and, most importantly, they pay the bills. I'm just proud to say that I get to play along. Afterall, if I've got to work, then I want to do something I enjoy. And if I work at a scrapbooking store, then I want to work at the coolest, biggest, funnest, most outrageous one there is. If I'm going to be on a team, I want to be on the winning team. So I do and I am.

Click on the picture and enjoy what you see.

I'm writing this here for no other reason than to help me remember... Jacob announced tonight in the car that if he ever has a daughter, he wants to name her Emma. And if he should have another daughter or twins, he would name the other girl Alyssa. But if he has a boy, he likes the names Peter or Michael. Apparently he's given this a little bit of thought, which blows my mind, but still makes me smile at the same time. He's going to be such a great dad.

Abby's contribution to the conversation was that she hopes that she doesn't get any babies. Jacob says, "Why?? Just cuz it hurts? But it's going to be worth it to have a baby, Abby." (Typical male perspective, I might add, as he will experience zero pain during the process) She then says, "Well, I like the name Samson." Hmmmm....

At long last...

Where have I been lately, you might be asking yourself? Well, you're not the only one. My kids and husband have been wondering the same thing! This week was "MOVE" week at work - we moved an entire 8,000 square foot retail store to a new 10,200 square foot location about two miles up the road. A handful of die-hards and I spent a ridiculous number of hours preparing, executing and now recovering from this overwhelming task (98+ hours for me alone!), and if you add our hours up and multiply them by pi to the 4th power, it still couldn't touch the number of hours that the Turners and their extended family have spent working to get the building ready for us to take over. Once ready, Julie and I did our best to plan out where everything would go in the new store - no pressure or anything! Imagine, all of those very "vocal" customers coming in, day after day, expressing their not-so-humble opinions of how the store looks, where things are located, how they would have done it differently... I don't always handle those kinds of comments very well. Fortunately, the feedback has been very positive since the doors opened on Wednesday morning. Here's the best part, though: I LOVE it. And I'm SO proud of the work we did together as a team. It was the most positive experience during the most difficult, physical work I've ever done in my life. Ouch. Adam says it looks like someone held me down and beat me with a baseball bat. I'm a little bruised and battered, but now on the road to recovery. Another 3 straight days of sleep and I should be all set! ;) (click on the picture for MORE)

Now for a weekend away with the girls - to Chicago for shopping and WICKED!!! to help me get back on my feet, and then I'll be ready and raring to go next week...

My first baby turned 8 years old today. Can I BE that old??!? But this isn't about me... For those of you who don't know this incredible kid, and even for those of you who do, I'd love to brag on my kid and tell you a little bit about the young man he's growing up to be. First, there's never been a more caring and sensitive boy. Sure, he has his very "boyish" moments when he's loaded with more energy than his body can contain, but he is primarily concerned with the thoughts and feelings of others. He's considerate and thoughtful, and a good friend. The mother of one of his classmates told me that very thing just yesterday - that Jacob is the first to stick up for this boy in his class when others aren't kind. That is my son, and there is nothing that could make me more proud. He's a problem solver - all I have to do is think of a situation that's causing me frustration or that requires resolution and he's all over it - just like his father. I'll never forget the night we were working on the kids' Derby cars this last fall when I said, "Abby, you're standing in my light and I can't see what I'm doing." Within 3 minutes I had two lamps on the kitchen table in front of me - one delivered by my husband and the other by my son, each without knowledge of what the other was doing. Unbelievable.

Jacob is affectionate and playful - he loves hugs and kisses, saying "I love you" and hanging out together as a family. He's a terrific big brother - sure, he and Abby have their typical brother/sister disagreements, but they're pretty few and far between. They really care for each other and treat each other respectfully most of the time. I know they'll probably have their rough patches, particularly through adolescence, but I really think they'll continue to be close as they grow up. Abby has never known life without Jacob, and Jacob doesn't remember his life without Abby. One of the benefits to having kids so close together! :)

I'm in no hurry for either of my kids to get any older, but as I look ahead, I can imagine the type of husband and father Jacob will be. I know every mother probably thinks this of their son, but in my case it is absolutely true - any girl would be truly blessed to have him. And something tells me that, with his glowing blue eyes and freckled nose, he'll have his pick!

My Uncle Mark has a sick sense of humor. He chooses a day when it's trying to snow, after a week of gorgeous weather, to send me this image. Now, I love my uncle. But this kind of stuff makes me want to drive down to his little Florida bungalow and ring his neck!

Things I'm Thankful For...

1. my family
2. a day off
3. hang-out time with friends
4. a large mocha from seattle's best
5. a clean, warm house
6. a car that works
7. "do anything for them" friends
8. a chance to sit at my desk and scrapbook
9. this new-to-me computer i'm typing on (yipee!!)
10. my church
11. abby's two missing front teeth
12. a new episode of grey's or lost
13. my washer and dryer, even if it means i have to fold the clothes and put them away
14. the first warm days of spring
15. roadtrips
16. date night
    
17. jacob's freckles
18. a good movie
19. a good book
20. late night chocolate and a glass of milk
    

Happy Birthday Mom!

I wish I had the words to tell you exactly what Mom means to me and my brother and sister. Her example is one of quiet strength and leadership for our family. She is the embodiment of support and encouragement to us, through good times and bad. She sacrifices daily to provide for us and has prayed us through some unbearably difficult times, and continues to do so. She puts up with persistent teasing and ridicule from my siblings and me and does so with a priceless sense of humor, and has even learned to dish it out in return. She loves and cares for us with everything she is and everything she has without hesitation. Aside from a strong dislike for cleaning, failing memories and tendencies toward disorganization, she and I have little in common - I am loud and opinionated, quick to speak, at times aggressive and insensitive, selfish and attention seeking - and she is none of these. My sincere prayers would be that I would become a little more like her every day, and that she would continue to put up with me, Katie and Steve (since they're a lot more like me than they are like her!) until God answers the first.

I love you Mom!! If I haven't said it before, THANK YOU for being the mother that you are to me and for everything that comes along with that. And I'm sorry that it took me so long to come to appreciate you.

It's happened again...

I had another birthday. They seem to come with surprising frequency anymore. I still remember when it felt like an eternity would pass before the big day rolled around again, with the plans and preparations, guest lists and activities... skating rink or sleepover? Man, those were the days!
In honor of the birthday, I'm posting my most recently completed layout. I didn't set out to create it because my birthday was coming up - it was actually just inspired by the giant clock. And I originally saw the focus as just how fast the kids are growing up, but I guess somewhere in my subconscious I was kicking around the idea that I am, in fact, getting older. Shut up Katie. ;) The journaling reads: "Where have these 34 years gone? High School was just yesterday! I barely remember college, it happened so fast. Is it even possible that Adam and I have been married almost 13 years?? or that I'm old enought to have kids in elementary school? Didn't I just get my braces off and go to summer camp??"

Ahhh, homeownership...

The bottom of the water heater fell out yesterday. That's right - fell out. Water everywhere. Toyroom and the toys therein, soggy. I had the extreme privilege of going to Lowe's after work and buying (as Adam walked me through, step by step, over the phone) a brand spanking new water heater! (yippee) Went with a 50 gallon electric Whirlpool. Then, once I got it home, Adam had the extreme privilege of taking out the old one and replacing it with this shiny new model. A few hours later, we had hot water once more! Thank God I married a man who can handle those kinds of things!! :)

Now for the furnace. Our ignitor is out, so Adam has been (gulp) hand-lighting the furnace whenever necessary. Our current system is to heat the house to about 90 degrees, at which point the furnace shuts off. It won't start back up again, so we let it drop down to the high 60's (unless we're not home when it shuts off, in which case it can get as low as 60-ish) before Adam goes down there with the lighter again. So we sweat for a while, then we shiver for a while, the we sweat again... Or, like this evening, the kids and I get home after a long day of the furnace being OFF and we bundle up like eskimos until Adam can get home to light it again. The joys of owning your own home, huh? Unfortunately Adam's got such a busy week, and he's had other more emergent situations arrise (see above), that he hasn't been able to get to the furnace yet. Poor guy - if it's not one thing, it's another. We've definitely been over-working him around here lately!


And in other new... it's my birthday on Saturday! In addition to a new water heater, I'd love gift certificates!! ;) Like from JA Ross, or my favorite restaurants, or (even better) PAGES IN TIME!

Finally, getting back to normal...

Adam's been working hard around here to get things working like normal again. He (and his buddies at GCC - thanks guys!!) have fixed my laptop - yeehaw! So, I'm back online. It's a wonderful feeling. He also fixed the frozen pipe and our water heater (at least temporarily - we'll need a new one sooner rather than later). He's a pretty handy guy to have around! I wouldn't be able to live "in style to which I have become accustom" without his skills. Lucky me! :)

So, now that I'm back online, I've added my last remaining California pictures - my computer went down while I was at Katie's, so I hadn't uploaded my photos of our last day in L.A. You can see those here.

I've also updated the store website, for the most part. Still have some class stuff and DT projects to add tomorrow. You can check that out here.

Finally, for those of you who haven't had the privilege to see my gorgeous daughter lately, her appearance has changed yet again:

That's right - she lost her other front tooth! This kid is just growing up WAY too fast. Neither we, nor the Tooth Fairy can keep up with her. The poor pixie may have to start moonlighting to supplement her income because of this kid! In fact, we've had to make a special shopping trip to help Abby get rid of all that cash that was burning a whole in her pockets. We went to Build-A-Bear for accessories for "Puppy", of course.

Jacob's also been busy this month - he's still coming off of his post-Science Fair high and is really soaring through 2nd grade. His reading has REALLY taken off - he's into chapter books now and is part of a literacy group at school, studying that parts of the book and having discussions about them. He's such a smarty, just like his dad! Jacob has recently determined that instead of a Scientist who studies liquids, he wants to be a Scientist who studies sharks when he grows up. Sounds to me like either of those pursuits will probably pay the bills.

Take the Quiz

"You're Kate. Like the show's heroine, you are an innovator. Brave, impulsive, and manipulative, you are someone who prefers to take action versus sitting back. You are resourceful and pragmatic. You also don’t fear danger, but willingly face it instead of hiding. In fact, you are always the first to volunteer for Jack’s missions into the jungle. Even though you’re willing to help, you also look out for number one; if something benefits you in the long run, you will think of any means to get what you need and want."

YIKES! Now you take the quiz, HERE.

Kick me while I'm down...

One of the element things in the water heater is going out and we can't get a full tub or shower's worth of hot water. And I'm a fast shower-er - I don't waste time in there. Do what I need to do and get out. Well, now I'm doing it even faster...

When it rains, it pours.

UNITED AIRLINES customer service STINKS!!

Ok, so things haven't been going as planned over the last week or so. First, my laptop broke. That stinks. As you may or may not know, I do a lot of stuff for work on my laptop - update the website, write our e-newsletters, type up our class schedules, email staff, monitor the message board, etc... the lack of computer is slowing me down in those areas. I'm taking this utter failure on the part of my PC as a sign that it's time to switch to Apple. I'm done with the crashing, the viruses, and everything that goes with it. Not only that, but you can do some pretty sweet, creative stuff on an Apple (yes, it appears that my sister is winning me over to the dark side). I'm ready.

2nd, my luggage that I use for work and for attending tradeshows was broken during the course of our flight. UNITED has not been very pleasant or accomodating throughout this situation. I arrived in South Bend at midnight, so there was no one with which to file a claim on the bag. A sign in the baggage area reads that all claims must be made within 24 hours of the arrival of your flight. I called United on Sunday afternoon to report the damage to my bag and they told me that it needed to be inspected by a United representative within 24 hours of my arrival, meaning that I'd have to drive BACK to the airport that day. Not happy. I pack the kids up and drive 30 minutes to the airport. I get to the counter, after having dragged the lopsided bag back inside, along with my children, in below-zero temperatures, from the car. They tell me I'll have to wait 15-20 minutes before someone will be available to speak to me. I wait. 20 minutes later, a woman comes over and asks to see my bag. I show her the damage and she immediately says, "It's missing a wheel? That's not covered - that's normal wear and tear." I'm sorry? No, it's not just a wheel - the entire section of the plate has been ripped off the bottom of the bag. Yes, the wheel happens to attach to that plate, but it's not just the wheel that's missing. And besides, who in the world considers a wheel being violently ripped off the bag "normal wear and tear"?!? We had words. She told me that I could come back for a 2nd opinion from the manager the following day. That's right - a third visit to the airport within 36 hours. So at this point, I've called United's 800 number, followed their directions to the letter, driven and hour back and forth, paid for airport parking and tolls...and they want me to do it again TOMORROW??? I immediately got on my cell and called the 800# again. Have a lovely 25 minute debate with an Indian gentleman (are we surprised that United's call center is located in INDIA??) that got me absolutely no where (unless you consider the scene I made in the airport, causing current United travelers to at least momentarily reconsider trusting those people with their bags). He actually REFUSED to allow me to speak with a supervisor. I had a very difficult time controlling my temper and language at that point. It's a good thing that my children were present to keep me in check.

Monday morning I called South Bend Airport to speak with the manager before making the trip back to the airport. Glad I did, as she wasn't available to see me that day. We made arrangements to meet in the morning before I went to work. Fun! Another trip to the airport, tolls, parking, dragging the bag...all before 8:30am!! Yippee!!!! Fortunately, Manager Melissa knew well enough to at least make me believe that she was going to help me out. She took the bag (did I mention that it's worth $250 and no longer manufactured?) and gave me the name of the man that does their repairs. He'll attempt to repair it, and if he's unable to do so, they'll attempt to find a replacement (good luck). Today is Thursday and I haven't heard from him. Wonder what that means...

Finally - back to Sunday. Adam was at work all day, and I began to clean up after my week away. In the process of unloading and reloading the dishwasher (and rinsing dirty dishes), it became apparent that the sink wasn't draining. Interesting. I look under the sink - water. Bad. I cleaned up the mess and put a jar under the drip and called Adam. A short time later, I left for the airport. When I got home, there was water dripping out of the cupboard doors onto the kitchen floor. I look in the cupboard - lots of water. Very bad. I clean up the mess and put a bucket under the leak. Turns out that the pipe leading out of the house that would normally carry this water out was FROZEN. FUN!!! By that time there was water in the basement - not cool at all. It took most of the day on Monday for Adam to get that situation under control, which I'm very happy he was able to do, as paying a plumber to fix it would have seriously hindered any computer buying plans I might have anytime in the future.

So, I went from Southern California and 75 degrees to the Midwest and -5 degrees, a broken computer, a ruined bag and a frozen pipe, all within 24 hours of each other. What else can I say?

Califonia

As many of you know, I've been in Southern California for CHA-Winter, the biggest scrapbooking tradeshow of the year. I come with a team from Pages In Time to shop for and buy all of the merchandise that will eventually fill our store - it's loads of fun, and very hard work all at the same time. If you are interested at all, you can check out pictures from the show here (warning: by clicking on this link, you will enter a world of scrapbooking to which you may regret having exposed yourself). We got here on Saturday, the show started with some receptions that night and then went full force until Wednesday afternoon. After the show ended, Jeri and I hitched a ride to Downtown Disney (Mark flew out earlier in the morning and Julie got picked up before lunch by her cousin, with whom she'll be staying until she leaves today).





Jeri and I walked thru the shops of Downtown Disney and ate at a little pizza place. We stumbled across a "Libby Lu" store. Can't say I've seen anything like that. I'm fascinated and frightened all at the same time. I can't imagine what happens in the life of a little girl who's exposed to this. On one hand it would be beyond fun and entertaining, but at what point does she begin to expect this kind of treatment?? YIKES! That would be a very scary day...
After that we hung out in the lobby of our hotel as we waited for Katie to get done with work and pick us up. We then spent a good deal of attempting to get all of our luggage, and ourselves, into Katie's Jeep Wrangler. We broke SEVERAL major traffic laws getting from there to Katie's house, including fitting 3 adults across the front seat of the jeep - I was the lucky one who sat on the console in between the bucket seats. THAT was an experience.


Yesterday we walked the beach behind the Montage in Laguna Beach, and the headed south to San Diego and La Jolla. Got to see the seals again and walked downtown through the shops, stopping for Haagen Daz for Jeri (not the first time this week, btw). Then we headed down to the beach again to check out the tide pools and wait for sunset. Unfortunately it didn't pan out too well because of the clouds, but it was still loads of fun. After driving back north to Katie's, we stopped at the mall in Mission Viejo for some dinner and shopping. Good day!

More pictures HERE

Newsflash!!

Abby just got off the bus looking like this:

I've been waiting 17 years to find a way to put these feelings into words...Leave it to Grey's Anatomy:


"There's a club. A Dead Dads club. You can't be in it til you're in it... I'm sorry you had to join the club."

"I don't know how to exist in a world where my dad doesn't."

"Yeah...that never really changes."

Friday

Got up early (7am is early when you only just when to bed at 2), but that's not when my day began. It actually began with Abby talking in my ear: "Mom, is it time to go yet?" Me: "HUH?? Honey, it's 5:00 in the morning. No, you need to go back to bed."

5:30: "Mom, is it time yet?" Me: "Sweetheart, no. Please go back to bed."

6:00: "Is grandma coming yet?" Me: "No, babe. Not yet."

6:30: "Are we going to be late? Shouldn't grandma be here, because I think it's time to go."

7:00: My alarm goes off and I get up and head toward the bathroom. I hear the TV on in the family room. I go down to check it out. I find Abby sitting the in the recliner, fully dressed in her blue butterfly shirt, jean skirt, pink and green tights and tennis shoes, with her camera purse draped over her shoulder. Me: "Abby, honey, what are you doing down here?" Abby: "Waiting for grandma." Me: "Ok, why don't we get you in the bath? And we're going to need to wear something a little warmer..."

Jacob rolled out of bed around 7:30, then showered and dressed. I was still scrambling to get ready when mom showed up at 8:15 (should have followed Abby's example...). We drove to the South Bend Regional Airport and jumped on the South Shore bound for downtown Chicago and the Shedd Aquarium. A ride, by the way, that takes about 2 and a half hours. Good to know. The kids really enjoyed the ride, but the newness wore out fast and they were ready to get there NOW. Arrived in Chicago and walked a couple of blocks to the Aquarium. Abby was not thrilled with the walking, but it was a beautiful day for January in Chicago - not a bad walk at all.

The first thing we did was watch the diver feed the fish, rays and sharks in the Caribbean Reef just inside - Jacob raised his hand and answered a question asked by the presenter - I was so proud! Jacob and my mom have been studying sharks for a science fair-type project for school, so he knew that the predators in the tank were the sharks! What a smarty!! From there we went directly to the Oceanarium for the dolpin presentation - what Abby had been waiting anxiously for (and losing sleep over) for days. She literally squeeled when the dolphins would jump out of the water - made the whole thing worth while. We grabbed a bite in the cafeteria and then headed for the Shark Reef downstairs where Jacob and grandma read and saw everything there was to know about sharks. Jacob even took out his project notebook and jotted down some notes of things he wanted to remember for his presentation. What a kid!! Finally we tracked down the seahorses and seadragons and the jellyfish before heading to the gift shop on our way out. Jacob got a book about sharks and a plastic shark model for his project - Abby got a little dolphin, a dolphin keychain for her backpack, and a book about sea creatures. They made out like bandits. Grandma is certainly an as-of-yet undetermined species of jellyfish herself.

We caught a cab - the kids very first taxi ride (actually, that's not entirely true...I just remembered that Jacob rode in a cab with me on his first birthday in Nashville, but anyway...) - to Michigan St. for a quick visit to the American Girl store and the Lego store (no purchases) with a quick stop at Garrett's for some carmel corn in between (YUM!!). Then it was a quick cab to the train station for our long, sleepy ride home. Abby was OUT the entire way. I dozed a little myself. Jacob, on the other hand, bounced off every surface he touched. Second wind, I guess. Then it was home, dinner and straight to bed.

Thanks for the awesome day Mom!!

more pictures here