Where is Gavin going?

To meet Gramma Nana and Grampa Guido in Iowa at a hotel with a water park, of course! We got to stay at a great hotel in the Amana Colonies. And swim and play we did!

Here is Grampa Guido performing his very own musical number (not really, but it sure looks like it):






Seth was very brave and tried out both of the big water slides. Gavin even went down them a few times. The boys played and played. Sandi and I went shopping - there were some really great little shops. My favorite was the quilting fabric store. :o) We got back to the hotel to the boys all napping, except for Seth. He was really worried, "Mommy, did you spend ALL of Daddy's money?" Yes, baby, I did! :o)

Photo Shoot with Nana and Guido.

Over labor day we visited Andrew's family in MN. We tried to get a photo with all the cousins and Nana and Guido. We took a couple hundred photos between Angie and I. There was not a great picture in the bunch (there were some good ones, but it seemed there was a funny expression on someone's face in every. single. one.)! It was pretty funny! Here is a sampling:

Summer visit to OH.

We got to see everyone except Greg this summer. We gathered at my parents' house in Ohio to celebrate my Gramma's life. We also had some great cousin time. All 10 of them. Here are some of my favorite photos.
Audrey:Anna:
Hannah and Aunt Janelley:
Ben:

Katie and Leah:
Hannah and Audrey:
Papa Buzz and a couple of his girls:
And of course we introduced Uncle David and Aunt Ruth to Young's Dairy.

Beth, Seth, Isaac:


Gavin:




Uncle Pete and Uncle David:
Aunt Ruth, Pookie, Rachel:
Pookie reading:
It was so good to be together. We enjoyed Ben's birthday adventure party, playing volleyball and badminton together, playing games.

Cousin Camp

The theme for Cousin Camp this year was China. We took advantage of Aunt Rachel being there, and came up with some great activties. We learned to use chopsticks to pick up cotton balls and marshmallows.
We did a puzzle of China.
We made fans.
We toured the house and looked at all the Chinese things that Pookie has hidden all over her home. We watched some Chinese videos, tried some Chinese snacks, went out for Chinese food, and played badminton. It was really great fun. It took one adult for all the older kids or half the older kids, and one adult per child for the youngest three. :o)

I have great friends.

Happy Birthday, Corine! A little late - :o) We ended up celebrating her birthday at the last minute (her husband has been gone a LOT this year, so it was nice to have her for dinner and birthday cake.)

It is time.

Andrew and I went on a date yesterday. He treated me to a hot stone massage. It was pretty much awesome. After we went out to a tea shop, and I we talked about what the future may hold for his career. He will probably have some really intense jobs in the future (70-80 hour a week or remote assignment) and it may get crazy. I told him again, that I am with him for whatever God calls our family to. BUT we are gonna need to work on dealing with stress better. I can't be having my body putz out on me and get sick for extended periods of time. He can't clam up and distance himself from the family when things get tough. So we are gonna work on it.

I have been thinking about this for a while. I have set myself a goal.

RAGBRAI. Last week in July I bike across Iowa. I am going somewhere - from the Missouri to the Mississippi. With 10,000 other people. Started today. Biked 6.08 miles at the gym in half an hour. Oh, that is right, my amazing husband also got me a gym membership for Christmas, so the boys will be in childcare while I lose the babyweight - FINALLY - and work towards my goal. I am super excited about this and hoping I can find a couple other people to do this with me so I don't have to camp by myself. I am so thankful to have this opportunity. So very thankful. Hopefully I will make the cut (they have to do a lottery for slots.)

Merry Christmas!

Pics tomorrow. We just got in from driving to the middle of Iowa and back to meet Andrew's family for Christmas. Wanted to post this link to my lovely friend Melissa's blog about her Christmas. We got to go the African Children's choir with their family and another, and also do Christmas with my big kids yesterday. She has a few photos of the choir and yesterday, so check it out if you want. And her girls are ador-a-ble! (Yesterday, M. her little one walks up to Seth with a ball in one arm, smiles sweetly and asks for the ball he is holding and scoops it out of his hands and walks off. Seth didn't even know what hit him. Too funny!)