We're Back!

Jeremy was on call again last weekend so the boys and I decided to hit the road. Our journey began on Wednesday when we headed to Aunt Kelly's to stay for a few days. We were there for a short visit for Mitchell's birthday party which made me only more eager to go back for a longer stay. Her kids hold such a soft spot in my heart. I loved swimming with the boys and enjoyed snuggle time with Maya.

Thursday Kelly packed a picnic lunch and took us to a great park. Ben and Owen had a blast running after Mason and Mitchell while Maya was sweet as could be in her stroller. At some point the boys decided to check out the sand box, which was very wet and muddy. They got in before we had a chance to talk them out of it. Owen LOVED it. I don't think he's had a chance to feel sand between his toes yet let alone between his fingers, in his hair and on his eyelashes. He was a total mess in a matter of minutes and I was fighting the urge to get him out of there and run for the first sink I could find. Being the sweetheart that she is, Kelly cleaned him up when it was time to go. We got a fresh outfit on him and he was as good as new. Ben was in the sand for about 5 seconds, got out, rinsed himself off and played in the water until it was time to go. I'm pretty sure he was cleaner when he left than when we got there. Thanks for the pictures Kelly!The rest of the day was spent in the pool. As always time went by too quickly and it was time to pack up for our next stop on Friday. We headed down to my parents' for a surprise visit. Ben and Owen had so much fun on the farm. We took them to Prairie Days in Bible Grove for the afternoon where they played for hours. Instead of the sand they played in corn and chased each other through a straw maze.

My brother John entered our Grandpa's tractor into the tractor pull. We weren't able to stay and watch since it was so chilly. Seriously, who would have thought I would have needed to pack pants and jackets in July?
Papa bought Ben a fishing pole and took him to the pond with cousin Rob. While Ben was busy catching fish, Owen and I were able to catch up with Cassie, (Rob's mom) who just happened to be visiting from Ohio. I can't believe that I didn't take any pictures, but Rob is now 15 and incredibly cute. His mom is a doll and love the time we get to spend together.

We headed home on Monday and arrived at the time Jeremy was getting home from work. I don't know who was more excited to see him, the boys or me.



Congrats Mom and Dad!

Today is my parent's, Art and Terri Uebinger's, 37th wedding anniversary. Aren't they adorable?!?



Fireflies, Frogs and the Utley's

Friday evening the boys and their cousins took a break from reducing the lightening bug population at Grandma and Grandpa Uebinger's to cheese it up for the camera.

We had a wonderful weekend at my parent's. We were there to attend Matt and April Utley's wedding on Saturday, which was absolutely beautiful.

During the reception, Hannah found a new "friend" which she proudly brought to our table. I'm pretty sure that Ben wouldn't have touched it with a ten foot pole. I would love to say once again that he gets that trait from me, but it's probably equal parts from Jeremy. Neither one of us have a great adoration for creepy crawlers (or hoppers in this case).Once the frog found a suitable home in a plastic cup, the fun on the dance floor began. Ben, Hannah,Wade and even Owen had a blast showing off their "moves".

Congratulations to Matt and April and thanks for letting us be a part of your big day.



Busy Bees

A big hug and thank you to my Mom and Aunt Doris for not only making the trip out to see us but for all that you did while you were here!!!

I sure wish that I had their energy. They arrived Saturday with milkshakes in hand and didn't sit still until they left on Tuesday morning. They played all kinds of fun games with the boys and showered them with hugs and kisses.
In between all this they managed to help organize and clean out our garage, mulch our landscaping and send Jeremy and I out for a date night. At one time Doris was making lunch (delicious potato soup) mom was vacuuming and I was mopping the floor. At that moment I seriously thought about holding them hostage. It is much easier to get things done with two extra set of hands!!!

Mom was able to see Ben's classroom at preschool when we dropped him off on Monday. When he got home from school, they planted a calla lilly plant that she had brought us. Ben had a blast playing in the potting soil and watering the plant.

Ben and Doris fetching a pail of water

It was sad to see them leave but each time I look at our sparkling clean garage and beautiful landscaping it's like getting a big hug from the both of them.



Round Trip

I packed the bags on Thursday to head to my parents after my six month dental appointment. I'm happy to report that I have very healthy gums and zero cavities. My obsession with flossing seems to be paying off. (Oral-B Satin floss is by far my favorite.) I'm sure that it is part of my CDO (just like OCD but the letters are in alphabetical order like they should be) but I like to think that my hygienist, Jessica, would be personally offended if I didn't heed her advice and continue to take care of my gums.

I arrived home with fluoride paste still painted on my pearly whites and finished loading up the car for our 6 hour family trip. When Ben is asked where my parents live his reply is almost always "in a cornfield". I have told him the exact location but it seems to be lost on him. During a quick potty break a couple of hours into the trip I realized that I had neglected to pack coats or jackets for the boys. I could only imagine what else was left behind.We were welcomed at 11:00 pm by two very eager grandparents who couldn't wait to get their hands on the boys. We stayed up way past our usual bedtime so that Ben and Owen could show Grandma Terri and Papa all their latest tricks. They hadn't yet seen Owen's new walking and talking skills in person and were thrilled to see him run around the living room calling me "DaDa". Since he started walking his favorite words are "DaDa" and Layla. I suppose that I would be more putt off if he were calling me by our dog's name.
Ben woke up early Friday morning to help Papa feed the cows and was met with another wonderful suprise. Beside the fact that I packed enough socks for a month long stay, I did not pack any underwear for Ben. My lack of preparation isn't really the surprise-just a sidenote about how completely unorganized and forgettful I am becoming. The real suprise was for the boys. My dad has spent the winter months crafting a train of sorts out of barrels to be pulled behind the four-wheeler. It was adorable and both boys absolutely loved it.
My brother Greg and his wife Steph came to visit that evening. I had been waiting since June to see their wedding video and decided that it was every bit worth the wait. I wound up misty eyed several times while watching it(and not only because my winter weight gain was suddenly obvious, geez it's not always about me.) I feel like I need to add a wedding picture just to commemorate the occasion. They were sweet and got me my very own copy so I can watch it over and over and over again like the stalker that I tend to be. Uncle Ryan and Aunt Julie brought their kids (and coats for my boys) on Saturday. Ryan took all them for a "train" ride later in the day. We decided that if it was warmer and we had enough gas, we wouldn't hear a peep out of the little ones the entire day. Unfortunately the temp was only in the 40s so we eventually went back inside where it was anything but quiet. Julie has undergone two rounds of chemo but will be getting a break until the end of April when her treatment will resume. She seems to be doing pretty good now that she has some strength back.Ben has always had a crush on Uncle John's girlfriend, Emily, but now it seems like she has worked her magic on Owen as well. His eyes got so big when she came into the room and he could not get to her fast enough. Soon he will be showing off for her just like his big brother.Our immediate family was joined by the extended Uebinger clan for dinner that evening. It has been an unfortunate health year for many of them so I was elated to see so many of my aunts, uncles and cousin, Tonya. Owen turned my Aunt Una's walker into a jungle gym and was disappointed when it was folded away. I was surprised to see my Aunt Jane looking so spry so soon after her recent surgery and am glad that she's on her way to recovery.After enjoying yummy cinnamon rolls (compliments of Aunt Doris) it was already time to start packing up for the trip back home on Sunday. Ben didn't want to leave and I'm pretty sure that he would have been OK with us leaving him behind. He already wants to know when we are going back and when Aunt Doris is going to come to our house to play. The trip back home was pretty uneventful. We landed on a classic rock station and the boys both were clapping and dancing to Queen's "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions". They also seemed to thoroughly enjoy my rendition of "I Love Rock and Roll" before pulling into the garage.



Uebinger Christmas

We were able to spend the weekend after Christmas at my parents. Everyone was able to make it, which lends itself for an evening of lively banter and of course euchre. Mom made prime rib for dinner which was a delicious gift itself! Presents were opened Saturday evening and in a matter of seconds we were buried under a mountain of tissue and wrapping paper.



Thanksgiving Part II

I'm not sure who said that sequels are never as good as the first but they are totally wrong in this instance. We celebrated Thanksgiving on Saturday with the Uebinger's. As usual, Mom made a delicious meal for all of us to enjoy. It was wonderful having my Grandma there with us. She is doing well after her first three (and hopefully last) rounds of radiation therapy.

Ben and Owen had such fun playing with their cousins, Hannah and Wade. Ben followed Miss Hannah everywhere and hated to let her out of his site. She had to ask Julie, her mom, to keep him out of the bathroom so she could potty. Owen showed Grandma and Papa that he doesn't need a gate up at the top of their stairs. Uncle Ryan kept his eyes closed the first time Owen climbed all the way down them on his belly. Ben and Hannah thought they should put pillows at the bottom, just in case.

As soon as the table was cleared and the ice shortage of Thanksgiving 2008 was resolved, (we were making bloody Mary's but had no ice...we sent the boys over to Vic's Tavern. After having a beer, they returned as our heroes with a bag of ice) the girls sat around the table and played euchre. The guys were downstairs watching football while the grown ups (Mom, Dad, Doris, Darold and Grandma Lu) played with the kids. Still in the holiday spirit I just want to say that I am extremely thankful that my brother's wives are so awesome. Emily, my youngest brother's girlfriend isn't an official wife but she is just as awesome as Julie and Stephanie and is totally a part of the family. It was like a girls night out without having to actually go anywhere. After the kiddos were in bed, the rest of the gang joined us for a few games of screw your neighbor. Jeremy and I didn't have any cash, so we played on my parents dime- in this case- quarters. It was nice that Dad won so that we don't feel indebted to them for the two dollars that they floated us.

The kids were up too early the next morning (especially for those that don't have kids)and none of us were ready to leave after lunch. We finally loaded all of our things up and got back home last night. I think that my body is going through some sort of withdrawal process from not having food stuffed into it every ten minutes.



Happy Birthday Grandma Terri!!!

Mom,
When I was growing up, I thought you were prettier than Miss America. (From the looks of this picture, I was probably right.) There was nothing that you couldn't fix with a kiss or a hug. When I was sick during the Kindergarten Christmas party, you came to pick me up and made me feel better about missing out on the fun. I still want my mommy when I don't feel my best. It was comforting just knowing that every day when we got off the school bus, you would be there with a snack and a glass of milk. Even now, after we are all grown up, you are still there for us when we need you.

I just want to say thank you for being so terrific and never giving up on me during the teenage years. You taught me to believe that I could do anything that I wanted (as long as it wasn't against the law) and to work hard to achieve my goals. Right now, my goal is to be as good as a mom to my boys as you are to me.

Happy Birthday!!!! We love you!!!!

(p.s. I promise to get your birthday card in the mail soon.)