It's been a week already since the kids and I were on our mini-vacation to Illinois to visit family. Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Great-Grandmas, Great-Grandpas...and most exciting...our brand-new nephew/cousin, Nicholas!! We packed in fun with both my Mom's side of the family AND my Dad's side of the family. The kids didn't nap for 5 days (that part wasn't so fun) and many adventures were had while fond memories were created.

I loved taking my kids to the farm. Letting them walk up the gravel lane, climb the fence to look at cows, run free and loud without the worry of disturbing neighbors or the danger of traffic....it was nostalgic and relaxing. I'm not cut out for farm life full-time anymore, but I do appreciate the beauty and simplicity of living in the country. Someday I'd like a weekend/vacation home in the country. I'd like to say the farm girl in me could hack it full-time...but I know better. I hate mice (inevitable when surrounded by fields), flies drive me nuts (where there's cows, there's cow poop...and where there's cow poop...there's flies), and I sure as heck couldn't live an hour from the nearest Target. Puh-leeeeeze! That almost makes me hyperventilate just thinking about it!

But I tell you...it only takes a minute in that farming area of Northern Illinois to see what an incredible slice of heaven it is. Absolutely the gorgeous landscape that only God could create. (Sigh)....relaxes me just thinking about it.

The favorite part of the trip was meeting Nicholas though. What a perfectly sweet baby! He's beautiful AND sweet-tempered. He's so perfect! After a couple days of holding and rocking him... I'm hooked. The bummer is....he lives in Chicago. A good 5-hr drive from here to a land where parking and hotel accommodations are pricey. My brother's even farther away...I can't even remember how farm Lexington, KY is from us...10 hours? anyway - too far to drive in a weekend with kids in-tow and too close/too small for decent air fare. I'm really starting to envy the families that live near each other. And when I returned to the farm it brought back all of those memories of family birthday parties where all of the aunts/uncles/cousins/grandparents gathered. I remembered exploring the farm with my cousins, fishing, playing outside all day. I remember aunts and uncles and grandparents coming to my school activities and how exciting that felt. I won't be able to do that for my nieces and nephews. (note: I don't actually have nieces...just 4 nephews...so someone needs to get on that). And I tell you....that sucks....big-time.

Sure, we have cell phones, e-mail, instant messaging and even Skype....but nothing is as good as being able to actually hug your nephews....babysit them so your brother and his wife can get a much-deserved night away......cheer them on at a tee-ball game....go to his birthday party. Ugh...i'm sad.

Alright...enough of the pity party. More pictures of our trip coming up soon!

Happy Birthday to my Mom! She turned 60 (the new 40) on Saturday. I can't believe my Mom is 60! I mean...she looks great, but how can she be 60 when I'm still 25? (ok...so I FEEL like I should be 25). Anyway - to celebrate we took her to her favorite restaurant
The kids were well-behaved (don't worry, they absolutely made up for that the next day) and we all had a wonderful time celebrating the best Mom/Mother-in-Law/Grandma on the planet. No one...I mean NO ONE loves my kids like this woman. She can sew better than anyone I know, is so creative when it comes to painting and creating, taught me the value of sticking up for yourself when you've been wronged and how to shop the clearance racks! She's a gem...and I'm so lucky she's my Mom. Happy Birthday!!!

Here she is with her birthday balloon and dessert, which she shared with all of us (except she told the kids no one could touch her whipped cream - ha!)
Here she is with the man of her dreamsAnd with Granddaughter #2:Here's Grandma and Lauren with the present Lauren chose/bought with her own money at a garage sale. She was soooo proud! Her first choice was a navy blue/marroon bathroom garbage can, but we steered her to a different table at the sale. =-)Me (who needs to apply powder and get a haircut) and my boy (who also needs a haircut) These eyes have NOT been photoshopped...this is the real deal....HUGE baby blues and long lashes...how DO you say no to those?

Who is that nearly-an-adult beautiful girl at my table? Yikes! Here I am with daughter #1 and my little guy:

And my good-lookin' man w/his little girl:Beauty and the beast...oh..wait...that was the next day. This is Beauty and the big boy:

As they say, "A Good Time Was Had By All!"