Deb and Joey cam for a visit in may. The kiddos had so much fun playing together - especially swimming at Mema's house and running at the splash pad. We also went to Chuckee Cheese's. Lizzy spent a lot of time "teaching" Joey how to play the games and ride the rides. Sam tended to play best solo.    
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All four of us packed our bags and flew to IL to visit Tim's family. This was the first time many of these family members got to meet Sammy. We had a nice time visiting family and participating in vacation activities (museums, parks, dining out, etc). Below are some highlights of the trip.  Posing for a picture at Grandma Sharon's house with Tim's sister Angie and her family. Back row: Tim, Chris, Angie & Shane Middle row: Lizzy, Sammy, Derek (almost 2) Front row: Blake (4) & Austin (7)   Lizzy's favorite part of the trip was probably a toss-up between our trip to the Niabi Zoo and her sleepover at Grandma Sharon's. At the zoo she was able to see giraffes and ride a train (both of which rank at the top of her "favorite" lists). The theme of the sleepover was "DORA" (another favorite). Above is a picture of Lizzy and Austin squeezing into the train seat with Grandma, and a shot of her special Dora bedding.  Tim, Papa Roger, and Sammy taknig a ride on one of Papa's tractors. Sammy LOVED riding the tractor, where as Lizzy was a bit scared of the entire process...    Sammy's favorite part of the trip was probably visiting the John Deere Pavillion. There we were able to sit inside various display tractors including hugh combines. When placed in the seat Sammy right away grabbed the wheel and tried to shift the machine into gear! It was so funny!  Sammy posing with Papa Roger outside our hotel.  Greatgrandma Pruis was so excited that all 13 greatgrandchildren were in town. We tried to get a picture, however between the screaming, tantrums, and camera fright this was the best we could get (i.e. way too close to nap time...).  Lizzy and Derek take a ride on their "horse."  Grandma Sharon posing with the kiddos on our last night there.
 It took us 5 days, but eventually Lizzy, Mema, and I made it from Kalmazoo, MI to Scottsdale, AZ. Each day we tried to stop and at least do one fun thing. On Sat we made it to Morrison, IL where were got together with Tim’s family at his sister Angie’s house. Lizzy spent most of the 4 hours playing with her cousins, Grandma Sharon, and Papa Roger. On Sun July 19, we drove through Iowa and Kansas and stopped at a nice park and an outlet mall. On Mon July 20 we drove through Kansas and Colorado stopping in Colorado Springs by 4 pm. That evening we toured the Air Force Academy Chapel and walked around the Garden of the Gods Park. On the morning of Tues July 21 we went to the Seven Falls Park and enjoyed the wonderful Colorado weather and views. We spent the rest of the day taking the scenic drive to Santa Fe, NM. The morning of Wed July 22 we spent some time shopping and relaxing (picture above) in historic Santa Fe, NM before driving the rest of the way back to Scottsdale.   The two above pictures show Lizzy enjoying herself at the Seven Springs Park.   The two pictures above show Lizzy and Mema enjoying the gorgeous views at the Garden of the Gods park.  Lizzy and Mema leaving the AFA Chapel.  Lizzy and Austin enjoy being pushed by both Grandma Sharon and Mema.
 While in IL (~ July 7 - 12) one of the highlights for Lizzy was spending so much time with her only three cousins (Tim's sister Angie's kids). There were a few rainy days while we were in Morrison, but most of the time the weather was perfect for the kids (and adults) to play outside.  Tim cuddles with his youngest nephew Derek (1 year). Lizzy loved following Derek around while he practiced walking - she would try to hold his hand, hug him, and give him kisses.  Lizzy and Blake hit it off right away. They spent much time playing together on the swing set and in the sand box.  Austin (6) loves trains. Here he and Lizzy play with the train set at the Family Museum in the Quad Cities.  It would appear there were some mechanical difficulties with the the boys' Grave Digger, so Austin and Blake check under the hood while Lizzy tests the ignition
EASTER: Grandma Sharon Visits! March 19 - 24  SPRING BREAK! March 9 - 15  More Family Comes to Town! March 3 - 7     |
