So recently I have had several people (and by "several" I mean "more than one") ask me if we still have a blog. And yes, technically, we DO.... but it is covered with cyber dust and spiderwebs. The fact that anyone asked and even expressed nostalgia over our blog prodded me to get out my cyber Raid and duster, and let our adoring public peek into our lives once again.
I've realized that since we have a private GroupMe with immediate family, that's how I primarily share updates from our lives. But obvs not everyone who reads this blog has access to that, and for some reason my brain didn't take that into account. Anyway that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Well, going back to the start of summer, this year we FINALLY made a long-overdue driving trip out to Minnesota and back. Our niece Bethany was getting married in June, and of course we HAD to be there, so that provided the perfect opportunity to make our usual long trip visitng friends-and-relations along the way!
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| It's beginning to look a lot like vacaaaaayshuuuun... |
I wish I'd got a picture of the back of the van all packed up. Truly a masterwork of Mad Tetris Skilz.
Also, the inclusion of Miriam in that picture is deceptive. She actually didn't join us for the first leg of the trip; she had to stay in Virginia in order to take a super important exam. So she and the cat got to batch it together for a few days before she flew out to MN.
The week before we left was so packed with Doing Of The Things that I didn't prepare for the actual car ride as well as I would have liked. I got some activity books to keep the boys occupied in the car, ...which ended up being a mistake b/c within two hours they had all made themselves carsick.
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| "Hey, Nicky, smile!" |
I attempted to circumvent the inevitable repeated question of "how far are we" by rigging a live indicator of our progress.
...It didn't work. If anything, it increased the amount of questions, now adding, "Is that clip where we REALLY are?"
Made it! First stop, Cleveland area, with Deluxxe Accommodations at Aunt Katie and Uncle Stephan's.
Lots of boy cousins to go around! They turned out all to love the same things: sports, Wii, Calvin & Hobbes, and Big Nate.
We went for a walk in a huge, lovely nature park. It never ceases to amaze me how restful it is just looking at massive amounts of green.
The boys went and got ice cream, while the girls all got smoothies.
Little baby James is such a cutie!
For our last night, Katie challenged Greg to a Mario Kart duel. He accepted. And then Stephan proceeded to crush them all.
We got to attend Divine Liturgy at Katie and Stephan's parish, St. Joseph's Ukrainian Cathedral. What a blessing to be able to experience the beauty of an Eastern Rite Liturgy. The music! (swoon) We had to do a certain amount of coaching of the boys, since some things were very different from what they're used to!
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| cousins! <3 |
On the road again! All the rest stops on the turnpike look the same. Nicky was utterly convinced we were driving in circles every time we stopped.
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| hmm, traffic and high gas prices -- must be in Illinois! |
Well, our usual Deluxxe Chicago accommodations were unavailable, since Dave & Katie were off on their own gallivanting trip, so we were forced to stay in this terrible hovel outside the city.
j.k. it was actually pretty nice. Free breakfast and a pool -- we have Standards.
As per tradition, when we have the pool to ourselves, we create The Great Whirlpool.
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| hotel tv's -- God's gift to parents who are trying to finish packing! |
So the weather during this first part was weird. It was too cool in Cleveland to go swimming with the cousins, but then on our drive to Minnesota a couple days later it was as hot as the surface of the sun.
I am not joking.
It was a relief when we finally arrived at our lake house in Minnesota!
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| a more perfect welcome mat there never was seen |
Who cares if it's 95 out? You have a whole lake to swim in!
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| ahhhh.... |
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