We're Home!

Wow, what a whirlwind and fabulous trip. It is amazing to me how I feel after going on these trips. I love seeing my family but after a trip like this (especially one this long) I feel so homesick for a while. It is even more pronounced now that I have Abigail. I really wish that we lived closer! Anyway, I don't want to dwell on that since I don't want to keep crying so I'll write a post telling all the fun things we did!

Giving Grandpa (Pappy) a "goodbye" kiss! :( So sad.

We wanted Abigail to spend lots of time with her grandparents, great grandparents, aunt and uncle, and uncle. So, we did spend quite a bit of time on the farm, which I loved! Abigail enjoyed feeding the cats almost every morning with her Grandpa Kurt, we took tractor rides, she got lots of wagon rides, and she had lots of fun playing catch with all members of the family.

Abigail and Grandma before bed. Isn't my mom pretty? She doesn't look old enough to be a Grandma! :)

She learned lots of new words when we were in Kansas. We think she is starting to be able to say her numbers. My mom would say "one" and she'd continue on with "two". I think she is saying "kitty" and can definitely say the word "up". She can say that so clearly and does it over and over. Also on our trip she learned how to sign "drink" and now calls almost everything she eats "cheese".

Encouraging Abigail to "snuggle" with Uncle Brett.

Abigail was a bit of a momma's girl while we were out there. I'd like to think that she is always a momma's girl but it was even more pronounced while we were there. However, by the middle of the week she had warmed up to everyone. She even started to cry when my parents would leave the room or the house. That was nice (not the crying part but the warming up part).

Having supper with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa. They fed Abigail and she loved it!

My parents watched Abigail for us on Friday so that Andrew and I could have a "date lunch". Our anniversary was on Monday, May 25th (6 years!) and Andrew was gone that night to visit a friend. This friend was only in town for a few hours on Monday night, so I guess that was excusable. I suppose the honeymoon is over, folks! :)

We also spent most late mornings (after Abigail's nap) at my Grandparents house. One of Abigail's favorite things to do there was to ride in my dads old wagon (inside). My grandpa (Abigail's great grandpa) was a good enough sport to pull her around and around inside. Also my parents and grandparents have my old play house back again (after loaning it to a friend) and Abigail loved it. I can still stand up inside it so it is pretty substantial in size. She'll have fun playing with that when we visit Kansas (or we'll figure out a way to get it here).

A "slap happy" Abigail is wrestling and cuddling with her daddy.

Of course, one of my favorite things about traveling (which is why I don't care where we go) is that I get uninterrupted time with my own little family. I have to leave Abigail four days a week and feel like I see Andrew even less with his busy work schedule so this travel time is very very precious to me! Even the 14+ hours in the car are precious!

Great Grandpa Keith reading a book to Abigail.

Abigail also spent lots of time meeting new people! :) My dad, who is always the basketball coach, is coaching a summer team and wanted Abigail to come into practice to be shown off to people. She LOVED (and I do mean LOVED) running up and down those long hallways. She also, actually, loved watching the junior high boys practice. She was facinated by the basketball flying by. We stayed longer than I anticpated because she enjoyed it so much.

My mom visits a friend at the rest home in St. John and has been showing her pictures of Abigail from time to time so we visited her. It went very well. I thought Abigail would be a bit more clingy but she got right down from my lap and everyone enjoyed watching her play with her ball. We also saw a former church member there and that was neat as well.

She is starting to "fake" smile for pictures. It is so cute!

The family, minus Aunt Jenny and Uncle Luke. They had to leave on Wednesday.

Aunt Jean (my great aunt) and Uncle Joe brought us pizza for supper on Tuesday. It is my favorite pizza on this planet! Aunt Jean is giving Abigail a few tickles here! I have fond members of Aunt Jean "tickling" my neck in church. It always felt so good!

Well, I think that is about all for now. Abigail certainly is happy to be back and sleeping in her own crib. She "asked" to be put down for a nap twice today and so that is very nice.

We have quite a "to do" list now that we're back. Thankfully we did laundry in Kansas (thanks, Mom for spoiling us and folding our clothes!!!!!) so I don't have that to worry about. I still need to grocery shop, lots of cleaning to do, weeding the garden, the yard needs mowed, the front bed of our house needs to be landscaped before too long (I was planning on doing that today but now I don't think I'll get to it), finances done for May (I'm so behind), and there is always the pesky matter of having to work tomorrow!

Andrew is teaching his first class at Indiana Wesleyan next week so he is busy preparing for that. That means for 5 weeks I'll be doing supper and bedtime alone. Andrew is cutting back to 4 days at week at his current job because his side jobs have picked up so much. I'm very glad. He was working every spare moment so hopefully this will free up a little evening and weekend time.

Well, I'm off to do something else on that "to-do" list!