A family whirlwind weekend!

Echo and Jake loving on Piper

Cody and I went to Illinois last weekend and had an awesome time! We got to visit a lot of family, a lot more than are usually in Illinois when we go home.

We drove Friday right after work. We got stuck in the bridge detour/rush hour traffic which was a bummer, and added time onto our drive, but it was okay.
When we finally got there, we went straight to Carterville (Cody's hometown and where his grandparents, Nani and Pop, still live). Staying at Nani and Pop's house for several weeks were Cody's Mom, brother, sister, Aunt, and 6 cousins. So, in this house (with one bathroom, mind you) were 4 adults and 8 kids! What fun! I love walking into this! Hugs and kisses abound- scampering feet running to greet us, kids being picked up and squeezed and Piper was running around it all, having never been around so much excitement before!

After hanging out some there Friday night, we went back to my parents' house in Johnston City, my hometown. We ate Mom's delicious Apple Cake and headed to bed.
Saturday morning, my mom made us one of her famous, awesome meals. That morning it was super good french toast and sausage-apple balls. My grandma Pat came to eat with us and we got to visit with her for a few hours.
Then we headed out to be with Cody's fam for the day. (note, his mom, siblings, aunt and cousins live in northern Wisconsin and we only see them about twice a year- so this weekend visit was extra special!) We played frisbee and other games and then had a taco lunch (big kids eat first, clean off the table, then little kids, then moms and grandparents! Three rounds around the table!) After ice cream cake to celebrate two birthdays, we went to Castle Park.

Cody with his brother exploring the Castle

Castle Park is this amazing wooden castle-playground that a man built in memory of his son. It is filled with swinging bridges and ladders, dark crawl-through-only tunnels and throne rooms, turrets and dungeons. Its really amazing and a favorite for this group of kids. They go to it a few times with each visit to Nani and Pops.

Echo and I in a tower at the Castle

So we went on this gorgeous Saturday afternoon- and so did everyone else in Southern Illinois! There were HUNDREDS of people there- birthday parties, the whole shebang. Usually, the park is empty, and the castle makes for a terrific game of hide and seek or tag, especially with 10 kids (counting me and Cody). But today we had to use the buddy system, one big kid to each of the little ones (Daniel-4, Jake-6, David-6, Echo-8). It wasn't nearly as fun being crammed in all these mysterious passageways with 15 other grimy kids. So we didn't stick around long.

Whole group picture at Castle Park

Saturday afternoon- brief shopping trip with my mom, I got dropped back off at Nani and Pop's. The afternoon consisted of homerun derby, frisbee, watching the little boys catch bugs, chatting with Cody's Mom and Aunt, and ended with spaghetti dinner, all the kids getting something from an ice cream truck (it was his lucky day!), and watching "Megamind".

Cody batting during "homerun derby" with cousins, Abraham and Gideon

Sunday= church, chicken and dumplings at Nani and Pop's for lunch, playing with kids, talking with cousins, reading with Echo (my sister-in-law), and getting enough hugs and kisses to last until the next wonderful time we see them all.

Jake and Daniel looking at their bugs

After leaving Carterville, we had another awesome meal by my momma and got on the road to Louisville. We stopped at my other grandma's nursing home on the way out of town, but she was already asleep. We woke her up to talk but she was so tired she couldn't keep her eyes open! It was good to see her anyway.

Drove back, listened to music, sang Christmas songs, Piper and I napped, and made it to Louisville at midnight. Cody and I counted- since last August, 2010, this makes our 18th trip out of Louisville! 18 trips, 14 months, some as close as Indianapolis, some as far at London, all wonderful memories!