Catching up IV... Jan 30-Feb 29

January 30th...

Aaron was in the mood to give "kisses" so I tried to catch it on video.  Here's the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZU6wAJxolw

Later the same day we went to my Bartel Grandparent's house for a visit.  Grandpa took Luke outside and the two of them cleaned all the weeds and grass out of the sandbox while Grandma and Aaron and I took a walk around the land.  They have a huge place, and it was so nice just to walk around and talk together.  I know that my grandparents won't live here forever and I want to soak in as many memories of this place as I can.  I know that the place is just a place and that it is the people who have made all these good memories so special, but I can't help loving this place as well.  It is where my parents got married almost 35 yrs ago and where Greg and I got married nearly 10 yrs ago. It is evidence of the love my grandparents have for their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Their huge garden where they grow so much food each year only to give most of it away, the big dining room and family spaces where they have always shared so many meals and even more love, the spaces where they have made or kept toys or things for the kids, both outside and inside, so that we would enjoy our time with them.  They are givers and they have given me soooo much over the years.  When I think about a time when I will hopefully be a grandma I can't imagine being able to do everything they have done for me.  I love them so much.

These next few pics are from Feb 13th.  There was a snow storm and I knew it wasn't going to last so I got Luke and I all bundled up and we went outside to make Luke's first snowman!!!  

I know, it's a pretty ugly snow man, almost as many leaves as there is snow, but we worked hard on it and Luke loved it!

After we were done making the snow man I interviewed him and caught this on tape, cracks me up even now listening back to it.  Here is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BXptOVw2js

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The next pic is from the day after Valentine's Day.  We got a great package in the mail from Mimi and Papa!

Here is a link to a video we took to thank Mimi and Papa!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcohKuFdLiI

Kissing again!  He is an aggressive kisser with teeth, good thing he doesn't bite down!  Aaron now has 7 teeth, 4 on top, 3 on bottom.

One day Luke and I were in the bathroom while I was getting ready for work and Luke said, "Mommy, do I have a car?"  I said yeah, he had lots of cars.  He said, "but what kind of cars do I have, Mommy?"  I was confused and said, "I don't know, you have all kinds of cars Luke.  What do you mean?  Are you talking about big cars or about your toy cars?"  He said, "No, I mean a car!  Like Harry Potter has on his forehead!"  "Oh!" , I laughed,  "You mean a SCAR!"  Yes, you do have one scar on your forehead like Harry Potter!"  Then he told me he was sad because his scar wasn't a lightning scar like Harry Potter's and he wanted to know if I could give him a lightning scar like Harry Potter's!  I told him no and when he asked why I could barely stop laughing and told him it would hurt him and I didn't want to hurt him.  He thinks such funny thoughts!

Catching up III... Becca home!

Becca was in Kansas for only a very short time but we made the most of every minute.  Most of it was just hanging out together at Mom and Dad's but she spent time with most of us away from Mom and Dad's too and we got to have some really good sister time too.  I took hardly any pictures while she was here, you can't capture a good conversation with a picture, but here are the few that I or Luke did take while she was here.

Mom had surgery just before Becca got home so she relaxed and Becca got to help take care of here, it was really good timing.

Above one of Luke's favorite games to play at Gammy's house, below one of my favorite pics form while Becca was home.

Making food together in the kitchen is always something fun when we are all home.

Aaron started crawling from room to room about this time instead of just being content to stay in one room...  here is another little video clip.

http://youtu.be/4FzLOS7FCmI

One of Luke's other favorite activities at Gammy's house or at home is art work and especially painting...

He gets very involved in what he is doing, here is a video clip...

http://youtu.be/jvW3M2gzvc0

We celebrated our Christmas together with Chip Dip of course.

These pics are significant because until that day I didn't ever get to hold Charlie for more than a minute or two, and finally it was my turn.  Before that either one of my boys was always sick or there were other people visiting who needed to get in time with him before going back home again, but that night I got a turn!!!  What a little sweetie!  He reminds me yet again that we are all so unique and so fearfully and wonderfully made.  The differences between him and either of my boys are night and day in personality and likes and dislikes.  I can't wait to see the person he grows up to be, but for now I am enjoying the sweet baby that he will be for such a short time.  Already he is growing up soooo fast!

Catching up continued... Indiana Christmas

On December 30th right after I got done working a 12 hour night shift we picked up our rental car, threw everything we needed in the back and took off for the long drive to Indiana,  It was very cramped because we only got a mid size car and with 2 car seats and me all in the back it got pretty claustrophobic.  The drive went mercifully well though, Aaron is a much better traveler than Luke was at his age, and we made great time.  That was important because the very next day was the 90th birthday party for Greg's Grandma Eva.

Dawn, Greg's sister, made 2 amazing cakes with all kinds of stuff on it that reminded her the kids and grandkids of Grandma Myers.  The cakes themselves were made by someone else but Dawn made all the decorations by hand, including all the playing cards, out of fondant and sugar and special food coloring, etc.  

Kathy, I think almost all the pics I have of her this trip are with Aaron in her arms!  (-:

The blur... I mean Luke.

Grandma and the grandkids (minus spouses).

Grandma and her children (minus spouses).

Aaron, Clara and Carter.  If you look back to our summer trip you will see smaller versions of these cuties together.  (-;

Boys!!!  On the ends are Greg's cousins' kids, Will and Grant, in the middle are Luke, Isaac and Easton (1st cousins)

Grandma and the grandkids and great grandkids (again minus spouses).

4 generations

The next day we got together again less formally at Glenda's house.  Luke was fast buddies with Will and Grant and so we took a quick pic before they headed back home to Texas.

Luke and Easton were inseparable. 

Tici and Dave with their boys.

This was their "house" and so of course they needed to eat in their house.

The women gathered around the table while the men watched football.  We also got in a game or two of hand and foot, the game that was represented on one of Grandma's cakes.

Next day we opened presents at Mimi and Papa's house!

We did have some relaxed down time while we were there!

Celebrating Dennis and Anita's 65th birthdays (since this was the only time close to their b-days that we would all be together).

Luke and Easton were like twins and had such a blast together the whole time we were there.  They LOVED each other!  But they also got into a ton of trouble.  Every time we turned around they were into something else.  One time they dumped laundry detergent all over themselves and the other kids, another time they went to the basement and got into the deep freezer and helped themselves to some ice cream.  There were a lot of messes to clean up wherever they went, but they had so much fun we couldn't be mad at them.

Dawn is expecting their 3rd baby!  Can't wait to find out if we have a new niece or nephew!

Mimi trying valiantly to read stories to the kids one evening to calm them down for bed.

Luke and Aaron have both always really liked bath time but I think this was the first time that I saw them having this much fun together in the tub!

Here is a link to a video I took of them together...   http://youtu.be/RlY7sscp23I

One last family picture before taking off for Indianapolis and then home...

We always like to stop in Indianapolis if at all possible to visit our good friends there.  This trip happened to be perfectly timed to coincide with contrabowl, a game night at our friend's Kevin and Jen's house.  We got there early and planned to spend the night at Tom and Dori's house so the next few pictures are there.

Tom is from Malaysia and he took Dori there to see where he grew up and spend time with his family over Christmas.  I am holding some fruit snacks they brought back with them and gave to Luke, and the scarf around my neck was a present from Dori that she got there.

One of Tom's other claims to fame is his fresh key lime pie, and he made 8 of them for contrabowl!  I think only 2 got eaten there was so much good food there, so a lot of people volunteered to take home the leftovers.

Greg and I started eating Sushi when we met this group of friends while still living in Goshen, and now when we go to see them is one of the few times that I get to splurge and get some more!  This was really excellent sushi, and so worth the long wait (Greg and Tom left to get groceries and took the keys to my car which was parked in front of Dori's car so we were stuck until they got home).

By the time Dori and I got to eat Aaron was tired so Tom picked him up and he was out in a matter of minutes!  Go Tom!!!

Dori's little garden!

Time for Contrabowl and the kids had a blast playing together.  Nolan is Kevin and Jen's little boy, soon to be a big brother himself!

Luke got a hold of the camera and ran around yelling for people to say "cheese" so a lot of these pics are ones he took.

It was way too short of a visit, but my sister was already waiting for us in Kansas so we just couldn't stay any longer.  We all ate breakfast together the next morning and headed on home.  The drive back was good and quick which was nice, but Luke was very sad when we took the silver car back to the rental company.  The next day he told me, "Mommy, I think we need to go get that silver car, it is super fast!"