I want a new drug

We had a birthday party last night!  Our nephew, Josh, and his girlfriend Carli came over with their dog, Blue.  It was his birthday last week.  

Meri and Shub came too.

We were right up to 10 people and no hugs.  

A lot of fun tho.

After dinner, Leon, Josh and Carli played with a tennis ball in the front yard and our tree is in bloom!!!  

I love this time of year!

Oh, yesterday earlier, Leon wanted to play a game that he calls, "Inject with a virus and then a cure".

I thought, "wow!  The games these kids of the quarn come up with!"

He made little vials of both things made of Legos and then pokes you with the sharp end.

and they HURT!

Much like a real inoculation...

You have to pretend to feel woozy within seconds and then like you're dying, slumping onto the couch.

Then he injects you with the cure and you start feeling better and can finish vacuuming.

He could be practicing for when he's an important doctor someday...

I played along as did most of the group last night and thought it was cute!

So I posted it on our family group and Ryan said that he'd been playing Resident Evil with Leon and that's where that came from.

oh.

Well, it's still cute.

I wish there was a real injection that could cure everyone...

The Worst Nightmare

When my brother's oldest son was about 3 years old, they got him all ready for trick or treat night.

He was dressed in just whatever he was wearing.  They put black paint on one side of his face and white on the other with no clear line down the middle.  I think some random blotches here or there.

When you asked what he was, he was instructed to say, "Your worse nightmare!"

And he truly was!  For just that night anyway.  Poor Thane...  lol!  What a great costume that was.

Fast forward to Leon's current costume box.

He keeps it in a special box... :)

Can you even guess what it is?  He wears it fairly often since it arrived, so it's all wadded up.  

He has created two totally different looks from just one costume and plans to use them both starting with a down town trick or treat night today.  

Tune in tomorrow!

Priorities and how to avoid them

 Friday night, we invited my nephew, Josh, up for dinner. SSSN (super secret steak night) and pizza from a local gas station that he and his sisters couldn't get enough of when attending the college nearby...  It takes both to entice him to come for dinner...

And a little au jus for dipping.  I was the only one who did that.  Meri ate before we did, as we were waiting on a couple people and she was chomping at the bit to get going on a road trip.  She was headed to Kansas City with a friend to spend the weekend with her aunt and family.  

Leon wasn't able to attend, so that was a bummer, but Josh enjoyed his marble cake.  The center of it dropped like a black hole and I tried to be creative on how to fill it.

How about a flower?

And he's 21 now, but I didn't have a two candle... Improvisation is key!

It took him a minute to understand it, then he laughed loud.

Part of our gift to him was a huge barrel of cheese balls from Sam's club.  Historically, he's always loved them when we have them at the house during Christmas.  And the last barrel I'd bought for him and dropped off at his house that he rents with several other boys was eaten by the several other boys before Josh got back from a trip...  

He didn't even know about it until he was telling them that he was going to his aunt and uncles for dinner and one of them said, "Is that the aunt that dropped off the cheese balls?"  "What cheese balls?..."

We sent the rest of the cake home with him for his dear roommates.

Not even laced with anything!  I suppose we're heaping coals of fire on them heads... :)

I attended a sewing meeting on Saturday morning and came away with 6 dress manequins for the grad party and a whole bag of fabric from the free table for future sewing.  Oh, and very energized to finish the prom dress and suit/jacket completely.  I did show them at the meeting anyway and got lots of encouragement.

Got Meri to try the dress on when she got back on Sunday and I've got lots of adjustments to make.  It'll happen.  I have CLEAR until Saturday night!!! But it's coming together.  

She and I got her graduation invites ready to mail also, placing the stamps on all of them during a visit with Ada.   Then we went home and made a pan full of mint candies that had been chilling since earlier in the week.  They'll be frozen soon and waiting for the party... If I don't eat them first.

And then, since Meri will be a master chef someday, she made us supper!  Flat Stanley helped out by not jumping into her pan.

Flat Stanley has to get some of his vacay pics printed out for his trip back later in the week.

When Leon got home, he rode his bike down to the corner and back for me, then ran to the corner and back for Grandpa.  He's training for any triathlon that might be coming up when he's older.  Can't wait for the pool to open so he can get his swimming training in!

The weather is beautiful now!  60s and 70s for the weekend and supposed to hit 70s again today!  It's got me geared up for outdoor work.

But I've got to get this dress done first...

But First and Jazzy Legos

On Friday, Meri's Jazz Band competed with lots of other schools in a town about an hour away.  Luckily I'm FB friends with her director's wife, and she posted what time they'd be performing.  I thought "What the heck?!  I'll surprise her!"  So I went.  Thinking I'd be late, I actually arrived just as the band was setting up on the stage.

She was surprised!

Here is one video of them.  They played four songs.  All JAZZY...

Afterwards, I needed to get back to work, but Meri wanted me to wait until after their critique was done.  So I did...  A half hour later and my phone is at 3.4 percent of 1 percent power left.  Yes, it shows fractions...  Luckily Meri remembered a cable in the trunk that would work for my phone and the charger that she had along.  Whew!  I worked, she drove.  

Got back JUST in time to see off Leon and Robb.  Then I took Meri into town to get her car from the school.    

One of my sisters and only three of her kids arrived late that afternoon and I made some homemade pizza for them.  We played one of Meri's board games until Melanie and I were about to fall asleep at the table.  There is only so much yawning a person can do before dropping off.

During the night, I was awakened by a dog howling from the laundry room.  We keep the dogs there if we have company.  Plus we had a spare dog in the house that night too.  I went downstairs and found the boys partially asleep on the couches and they didn't even have the blankets on them that I'd told them were behind the couch.  BURRR!  I pulled the blankets out and covered them up.

Then dealt with the dogs.  Put the guest dog outside, then while waiting for that one, heard Duke hurling in the laundry room.  OH UGGGG...  I put them out too and cleaned that up.  Brought them all back in put the chair barricades back up so our dogs wouldn't see the guest dog and went to bed.

THEN at 4am, we heard some scuffling in the kitchen.  Uh oh.  which dogs got out?!  I tried to ignore it but it sounded like the dogs were tap dancing and we DID have company!  So I went back down and found Reedus had broken down the laundry room gate to check out the guest dog.  He'd jumped over the chairs and was frantic, knowing he'd get in trouble and was trying to get back behind the chairs with no luck.

Sigh... I moved a chair and put him back.  So morning came too soon.  I just felt bad for the boys in the living room!  How can you sleep after a dog has ralphed?  ick.

Well, as I've proven, you can.  but it takes a while.

On Saturday, Melanie's youngest was involved in a Robotic Lego tourney at the local state college.  So I met them for a quick lunch and headed over to see him compete.  They did well, but the robot really flubbed up on the last test, so they won't go to Nationals this year.  Just as well.  Melanie was SO ready to just go home and not do these again!  I think Jacob was too.

The boy with his back to us in blue is Jacob.  and his older brother was mentoring him.  He's the one with glasses looking straight at us.  He competed in this several years ago.

They did a presentation on their interpretation of how to solve the water problems in California.  Pretty clever!

They picked up their sister, who was hanging with Meri all day, after everything was over and headed for home, a 3 hour drive.

It was so fun hanging out with them!  

OH!  And I got Meri's first pair of leggings done!  Well, as done as they can get without another trying on session.  As soon as we can confirm how much elastic, then I can do the finishing touches and start stitching on the 2nd pair.

I've got so many plans for cruise clothes that I'm going to be making for myself this year!!!

But first, too many "but first"s...

Plans and Babies

Hey!  Meet my newest grand niece, Elsie!  The first child of my nephew and his wife.  Adorables, huh?!

THIS is him single a few years back.  

He looks better with a baby.

Meri got home yesterday afternoon from a  3 day music camp, took a nap and then left for band camp at the high school for the evening.  I got to see her for all of 5 minutes while she ate supper on my bed while she watched Gossip Girls...  She paused it for that long. yay.  

I hope she gets caught up on sleep soon. and her binge watching...

Lately, Leon is hooked on Harry Potter.   He has been agonizing on what costume to wear for Halloween and I guess I'll be sewing both a Harry Potter costume AND a variety of dinosaur costumes that he's picked out.  I'll be busy...  

Anyone made a pterodactyl costume before?  Velociraptor?  No?  Wish me luck.

I'll be busy.

AND puzzled.

In the meanwhile, we're getting ready for school over here.  It doesn't start for two more weeks, but appointments need to be made/kept, clothes need to be purchased, supplies sought out.

I'll be lucky to get the dishes done today.

Happy Tuesday!

Sitting it out

Saturday's wedding.

Oh what a beautiful day and venue for a wedding!  There were bouncy houses for the kids but they got rained out after 20 minutes of bouncing following the ceremony.

The bride was beautiful and the couple adorable.

and the nephew and nieces squirrelly.

Not too different from the one last week SO far!

What is with the tongue??!  silly nephew.

Joel doesn't dance, so this was a big deal.

and the Father/Daughter dance was so sweet.  My camera died so I didn't catch him swirl her around like she was 4.  Her dress flew.

And us.  The representatives of our family.

I even got on the dance floor and cut a rug!  The nephew-in-law on the right is just an amazing dancer...

So there you go.  Second wedding in a week.  

I found that I sat more at this one.  

Taking what I'm getting

It was a long weekend, followed by a longer week.  I'm so glad it's Friday!!  So I can have a nice long weekend again.  Well, two days, but I'll take what I can get.

Last Friday night, we celebrated the birthday of my nephew, Josh.  He attends college nearby.  It was great that he actually remembered to come this year because last year he was in the middle of a huge project and up against a deadline and fell asleep in the campus library.  That year, we made a video of us singing to his cake and Leon blew out the candles.

This year he got to blow out his own!  Happy Birthday Josh!

Saturday is where the real fun began.  While we installed the new washer and then Maddy and I worked on the last projects before she had to head back to her last two weeks of student teaching, I happened to check my FB messages.  My siblings and I have a private message board that started when my dad fell off a train and broke his back two years ago.  It was meant to keep us all informed and since then it's been to just update us whenever anything momentous happens in our lives that we don't want to blurt to all the "friends" on FB.

So anyway, back to the message.  I found out that while my mom and dad were enjoying coffee that day at the nursing home, Mom started speaking gibberish and then collapsed, passing out.  Dad caught her and yelled for the nurses.  Mom was rushed to the ER where they found a mass in her colon.  There was a lot of speculation as to what it could be but we were praying for a miracle and trusted that God knew what needed to happen and we'd find out eventually.

I have two sisters and a brother back in my home town and they are awesome.  Taking turns they stayed with Mom and Dad at the hospital.  Saturday night we didn't know much, other than she was there and there was a mysterious mass.  

At church on Sunday, I didn't know that Robb had told our pastor and there was a prayer during the service for Mom.  *sob*  I had to go stock my purse with Kleenex during the next hymn as my hands weren't keeping up.  After church, we took the girls out to lunch and Maddy took off straight from the restaurant to head north again.  While working on the prom dress, I got word that the mass was most likely cancer and the options were bleak.  So Meri's prom dress, anyway, was worked on with blood, sweat and now tears.  I'm sure Maddy's wedding dress will too.  It already has some blood from a poked finger...  

A lot of prayers were silently spoken that night.  Even for Meri because she wanted to see her Grandma.  She begged me to let her go spend the night at the hospital with her.  She won.  She drove solo three hours, getting there around 9pm and stayed with Mom so Dad could go home and get some sleep.  I had to call the school the next morning to say she wouldn't be there.  After much blubbering, the secretary just said, "I'll tell the teachers that she's sick.  ok?"  

The next day, a colonoscopy got scheduled for Tuesday.  Melanie got so many conflicting answers from too many doctors.  The speculation for the mass ranged from cancer to a pool of hardened blood since Mom had lost more blood since arriving at the hospital.  We prayed harder that it was just hardened blood.  We had hope for that miracle and the day was easier to live through.  Robb and I planned a day trip for Tuesday.  During the drive there, we got a message that it was actually cancer and it was blocking her colon completely.  So the surgery was being planned for Thursday.

It was hard to seem upbeat and positive but with my gift of gab, Robb let me jabber away with Mom telling her everything about anything.  She just held my hand and thanked God with Dad that they'd had so many children that cared.  *sob*  Then Robb and I had to head home.  

The surgery was moved up to Wednesday around noon.  So after discussing with Robb, I planned to turn around the next morning and head back alone for a couple days.  He became Mr. Mom for the duration and as soon as Leon was on the early bus Wednesday, I headed out.  I tried to cry it all out during the trip so my face could clear up by the time I got there.  My mom and dad are so cute...

Unfortunately I had a couple phone conference calls to make and I'd told my boss I'd work from the hospital, so after I hugged Mom just before surgery, I went and settled with the laptop in the surgery waiting room and attended the calls.  I felt like I was more intimidating and emphatic than I'd ever been before in the meetings...  "We NEED you to DO this!"  I remember saying.  Well, they DO...  

During my calls, Dad and Melanie ran out got some lunches for us.  Then my dad had me message his sister to let her know what's going on.  She called him immediately.  We found out that her husband was having some major heart issues and they were flying him from Texas where they'd been snowbirds, back to town Thursday and will be arriving at the exact same hospital Mom was at.  How convenient is THAT?!

The surgery went well.  And after a couple hours, Mom came back to the new room that they'd moved us to during surgery.  She was miserable and confused.  With her dementia, she forgot anything that was told to her, thankfully but unfortunately.  We instructed the nurses to not mention the cancer around her.  As far as Mom was concerned, the mass they removed was infection and that's what made her have to come here.  You don't know my mom.   If she gets something like this in her head, she won't let go.  She'll fixate on it and worry over it non-stop.  Even with the forgetting, her brain will work on it behind the scenes making her anxious without her knowing why. 

An Illinois sister sent flowers that had (I repeat HAD) candy in the base.  YaY!

Whenever Mom moved, her incision would scream at her and she'd ask "What do you suppose is making me be in such pain right here?"  Well you had surgery today Mom.  "OH!  What for?!"  

and there we would be again.

I stayed with Mom Wednesday afternoon, night and until 5 on Thursday.  The night was pretty rough.  Mom has good hearing and the pullout couch makes a lot of crinkle noises.  

At 11pm, a visitor came in the room with a quick knock and flipping the light on.  He had two pizzas in his hands.  I sat up stunned and he pointed at Mom as he walked to the bed as if to say, "She ordered this!"  I said, "Can I help you?"  and he walked closer to the bed still pointing.  He realized he was in the wrong room as I told him the same thing and embarrassed, he left, turning the light off as he went.  yikes...  He could've left me a slice...

The nurses finally got her pain managed but when the meds wore off, you could sure tell.  

Morning came too quick.

 At lunchtime Thursday, my brother wanted to meet up with me for lunch.  My sister from Wisconsin and one of her daughters were supposed to arrive soon but Dad was with Mom so I left for a bit.  Visited quick with another sister who was helping with a Radiothon for the Children's Miracle Network downstairs in the hospital.  Her son was the preemie born 6 years ago and was their own little miracle.  He IS a poster child for their efforts!  

That's him.  

So I walked across the street to meet up with Mark.  While walking, I called my Wisc sister to see what their ETA was.  She said, "We're having a quick lunch across the street from the hospital before we go up and see Mom."  seriously???  I'm on my way THERE to have a quick lunch with our brother!  So the four of us had a great lunch over there then we came back to the hospital.  

My sister and Mom.

My niece.  She's a professional model and made me delete the photo where she looked like she was half asleep... ;)

After visiting for a bit, my dad, niece and I went down to see Kristin again and to enter some raffle tickets, then headed to the elevators.  

At the elevator, I was explaining to my niece why Brae was on the poster and how his mom had gotten so involved in the Miracle network.  A few nurses were waiting with us and got on the same elevator as we did.  They must have overheard because they exclaimed, "WE know Braedon!"  you do?  "We work in the NICU! Of course we know him!"  Wow!  I pointed to each of us, "aunt, grandpa and cousin"  

small world!  But big hospital!  What were the odds?

Brae is a rock star...

As of Thursday, Mom was coming back to her old self, JUST a little.  But was dying for something to drink.  Up to this point she'd only gotten the little pink sponge sticks to roll around her mouth.  The nurse in training had stopped in to see Mom and schooled us on what NPO means. NOTHING BY MOUTH.  Then proceeded to sweetly ask "Miss Connie" if she would like a dinner tray.  I suppose so she could yell "WELL YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE!!"   Mom did get a little juice that day... :)

I left around five on Thursday and headed home.  Mom was in good hands and getting better with each minute.  I think you can tell by how snippy she was starting to get with the nurses.  In her mind, she is READY to go home.  

With the dementia, the family has decided to forgo chemo or radiation treatments as they'll just be too hard on Mom and give the dementia a kick every time.  

So the cancer will grow again.  How quickly, we don't know.  

But Thanks be to God, we've got more time now with this wonderful lady and I'll take whatever time we get.

S'now Problem.

Had a fun talk with Leon on the way to Bible study last night.  Robb sat with him in the car while I ran into the store for a few things and when I came out, Leon was out.  Then we met Meri for supper at Noodles & Company.  The place where you pay 24 times what you could make it for at home.  But it's still yummy...  While we ate, Leon slept on my lap.  I carried him back out to the car and he and I just went back home.  What was the point in staying down there for a nap?  And of course he woke up as soon as we got in the door at home.

A girl that had gone to preschool with Meri, came by with her Sweetheart dress for me to make alterations.  She's taller now. Since I was home a lot earlier than I was expecting, it worked out better for her and her mom to come by.  I need to de-sleezify the dress.  Tonight is the night for that!  Leon was enthralled with the mom and daughter and showed off all his Grossery Gang toys.  

Showing off in front of girls...  It's hereditary I suppose, his dad was the same way.

And do you trust a kid that you've JUST put down for bed when he comes into your room (literally 4 minutes later) to say he had a bad dream, can he PUHLEEZE sleep with you?!  GO BACK TO BED!  Two more tries and his cot in the corner of our room finally stuck.  

Then he woke up at 4:30am and climbed into bed with us.  Well, Robb was awake by that time, but I'm sure I fell back asleep for a little bit.  Leon is a pillow hogger.

Anyway, I'm sure you didn't pop over here to hear the on-going saga of the life of Leon.

Here is the weather update.  We got snow.  Four inches by yesterday noon and then another half inch over night from blowing.  Leon had a blast playing in the snow before he got on the bus yesterday.  I showed him how to make a snowman huge ball and after he made more sections of the snowman, he then destroyed it.  He wants to make a snow fort today with his dad.

Since I haven't taken any photos lately, I stole these from my sister off FB...  This is my nephew having fun in the snow.

I can't find our snow brick maker, so Leon will probably do what Brae did and make snow bricks out of buckets or an ice cream bucket I've saved.

Be safe out there folks!!!

Zipping Through Birthdays

This is Gabriel, (aka Basketball Jones).  

One of my 44 nieces and nephews.  And apparently my favorite...  Years ago, a sister had given all of us a poster that contained everyone's birthdays, anniversaries, etc on it so everyone would know all the birthdays if we cared.  I plugged them all into bluemountain.com where I had an account at the time.  It's great!  I get an email two weeks ahead of the date, then a week ahead, then even on the day so if I never got a card in the mail, I could call!

So it's two weeks before his birthday and I got an email reminder. WOOHOO!  I was sending each niece and nephew a $5 check at that time.  That habit has long since gone by the way side as I never have stamps on hand and got bombarded some months due to very loving months nine months before.  

So I got the reminder and sent him a card with a check.  

A week later, I got the "week before" reminder and as a creature of habit for that year, I dropped another card and check in the mail.

On the day OF his birthday, I called my sister to wish him a Happy Birthday because I hadn't gotten a card off to him.  She seemed surprised!  She asked, "Ummmm... I was going to call and see if the second check was a mistake or if he could cash it..."  

Yikes!!!  If she'd never told me he'd be a rich rich boy!!!  Well, I let him cash it and the habit of sending birthday greetings kind of went away.  

Most of them are on FB anyway, so I can post an embarrassing photo of them as a young child and wish them Happy Birthday in my own "crazy aunt"ish way.

Oh, you're probably wondering why he has a broken arm.  

Yeah, he obeyed his shirt while on a zip line in Wisconsin...

EEEWWWEEEEE!!!!!!

I can't even look....

Terrestrial Sightings

Leon has discovered E.T....  The movie that kept, at least, one particular theater in my home town active for more than 2 years.  Can you imagine playing the same movie night after night for so long??  That would drive me nuts...

Well, Leon knows why it was so popular!  He loves it.  I guess I'll have to find him some Reeces Pieces.

After work, we all took my nephew out to eat to celebrate his birthday.  It's not actually until Friday, but he's going home for the weekend.

This was one of his gifts.  Every Christmas we always had to have a barrel of cheese balls around the house for when he came.  He grew up thinking EVERYONE ate these just at Christmas-time.  It is kind of seasonal at Sam's Club...  At least the barrels of them are.  He had a couple other items to open as well.

So anyway, Happy Birthday Josh!

He's more fun than E.T..

SUUURREE!!!!

On Friday, I got a text from a niece that asked if she and her boyfriend could stop by as they would be in Iowa for the weekend.  She lives in Minnesota and wanted us to meet him.  

We were a bit apprehensive...  In the past, when we met a new boyfriend OR girlfriend of a relative, they broke up soon after.  Once on the drive away from our house...  

We feel like we jinx them.  

MAYBE we better just wait and meet him at the wedding....

But instead, we said SUUURRE!  We'd love to!!  and invited them for pizza night.

In addition, I invited her brother, who is attending college close by.  When I texted him that his sister and her boyfriend would be by for dinner, he asked which sister.

I do realize she has a twin, but her twin has a husband now, NOT a boyfriend.  So after clarification, he said SUURRE!

For the record, it was his sister's purse...

Leon was thrilled that Josh was coming too!  He used to call him his best friend, but as of Friday, changed the status to "cousin".

Before they came and while I was preparing the pizzas, Leon moseyed into the kitchen and nonchalantly said "When I grow up, I want to be a murderer."

?????  

"Um, no you don't." 

 "Yes I do!!!"

  "No"

 "YES!"  

"Why?"

"Because a murderer gets to live!"

He does have a point there...

He was so frustrated with us for not going along with his plan.

For me, he just argued.  But when Grandpa said a stern no, Leon threw himself on the ground and started crying as if we'd snatched all hope for his future away from him.

We're so mean...

So Robb got him on his lap and explained that a murderer is a bad guy.  Leon responded through his tears, "But I'd be a NICE murderer!!!"

Just then, Ryan came in and I quickly , quietly and through some chuckling, explained to him what had transpired.  

Ryan said flatly, "He said Immortal."  

Like we should have known that.

"No he didn't!  He SAID Murderer!"

"He MEANT Immortal because we were just talking about that earlier with his video game. 

Leon!  Did you mean you wanted to be Immortal?"

"YES!!!!" with the biggest smile laced with tears that you've ever seen.

FINALLY someone who understood him and OOPS, that was the wrong word, wasn't it?

So now I have to find out how to make him immortal...

I'm just glad we'll be able to sleep without having to lock our bedroom door.

We told the gang over dinner, AFTER Leon had left the room briefly and got a healthy chuckle out of that.

What did he THINK we would say to his request? 

SUUUURRE!!!!

???

REALLY... say nothing at all

A song came on during the wedding dance that Meri and I love. 
We actually love the UK version better, but we sang along with this.

From behind us, we hear my nephew say loudly, "This song sucks!"

So he got a "How DARE you!!"  and a mug shot PLUS a place of shame in my blog. 
He doesn't know I blog...
I don't think...

Here is the UK version.  I think Ronan is a lot cuter than Allison.  PLUS I loved this version because I've heard it on LiveIreland.com's contemporary station so many times AND it was on the movie Notting Hill.  Enjoy!

Miracles happen every day!

I've been listening all morning to some online crazy 80s music on an old home radio station trying to hear a clip of my sister, Kristin, giving an interview.  

Today is the Children's Miracle Network radioathon back there, raising money to help preemies like Kristin's little Brae.  Remember him from a few years ago?  He was born 2 lbs 15 oz , premature by several weeks. 

  

He can do ANYTHING!!!  

For example, here is he moving mountains... of hay.

He is truly a miracle!!

The witching hour on eagle power

Friday night: Took the kids to see Mr. Peabody & Sherman.  FUN movie!  Leon really liked it.  Especially because they were giving away free movie posters afterwards..

Saturday: lots.  Then that evening, we headed to Des Moines to see my nephew get his Eagle Scout award.  We got there early enough to visit with family that were coming in from out of town too.  So while we waited, we hung out in the nursery and Leon decided to rearrange the baby toys.  

 

I think he thought he was being timed and raced back and forth, cleaning out the baby toys in about 5 minutes flat.  

We then gave him orders to move it back and he did it with as much enthusiasm as the first 5 minutes!  Why can't they clean like this at home??

 These are my two nephews, brothers, both now have their Eagle Scout awards!  I think Noah was giving his sister the eye...  He WAS actually very happy!

My girls and all their girl cousins on their Daddy's side!

The newest Eagle with his Scout buds.

Got home around 10:30 or so and finally crashed close to 11.  Robb said, "We really shouldn't stay up until midnight on church nights..."  ????huh?  It's only 11! 

And that's when he reminded me we have to changed the clocks ahead by an hour.  

Dang.  

Sunday was a long day!

The Hotel Was Swimming With Relatives

We got to the hotel in the Chicago-land area on Friday afternoon, just in time to watch the kids swim a little before supper.  A few of my siblings besides Robb and I were in charge of the minions while the ones who were involved with the wedding went to the rehearsal and dinner.  

We had a million pizzas delivered for my billions of nieces and nephews and we all ate in the hotel lobby/cafeteria.  Warrenville has an awesome Hyatt, just saying...  The desk people there were really helpful and let us dirty up the place and use all their dishes!  They did not pay or tell me to say that, but one rule you must abide by... WEAR YOUR SHOES!

A few of the kids and myself played some travel Monopoly that we brought along, until dinner arrived.  I hadn't realized the cards were going to be so tiny!!  I had to dig out my reading glasses to find Reading Railroad.  And the one with his feet up is a cheater!  As far as I know.  He was the banker and in my experience, the bankers usually tuck some of the $500 bills or more under something until the last 15 minutes of the game then win.  I've been the banker, I know!  As soon as dinner arrived, the game was abandoned.  We'll assume I won.

After supper, we (meaning my girls, Leon & some of their cousins) went swimming.  Love the water droplets around him in this picture!

I know he didn't seem too pleased in this shot, but I think I'd just missed the CHEESE comment or he just swallowed some water.  My niece Elizabeth is off on the right.

I had my camera set to sports setting and caught my nephew Michael in about 20 stages of jumping in and throwing his ball.  He loved watching himself in slow-motion later.

Meri took turns with Maddy pulling Leon all around the pool.  She hadn't brought her swim suit, so good thing I had a plethora of relatives in the hotel!  We just borrowed one from someone.

All four sets of legs are from one family, the one with 14 kids.  All of them were staying at the hotel, but not all in the pool.  And wouldn't you know it, someone decided they had to walk past while I'm doing the sports setting photo?...  I picked the one that has the less of her and more of their legs.  

I'm still a week behind in my posting!  This all happened LAST Friday night!  I'll do the wedding on Monday.  And just so you know...  I don't take pictures EVERY day!  We'll be up to date soon.

Have a super weekend!