Southern IL Part 2: Holiday World

The last time we were all home together, when the twins were just a few months old, we spent a couple of days at Holiday World. We did it again this year and it was so much fun!  This summer, all the big boys were tall enough to ride all the waterslides and ride most of the roller coasters. So in between the thunderstorms, that is what we did!

Here we go!

The twins loved the smaller slides and they were tall enough to ride one of the bigger slides. They are such a sweet little duo and adore each other.

Everyone took turns loving on Eliza throughout the day.

Once the water park closed, we hit the amusement park. Both days we had to take a couple hour break during the day due to thunderstorms, but we got right back in when the skies were clear...and the park was much less busy. The kids rode lots of rides, from spinning tops, to swings, gravity drops, roller coasters, and played games. The twins enjoyed the smaller kid rides, and we closed down the park both nights!

Grandpa and Eliza were the smart ones watching this crazy ride...

Lots of spinning, but the big boys loved it!

They spotted Holidog and the Eagle :) Good ole' America!

During the day, we would leave the park for lunch and went to the pavilion area. This usually coincided with a thunderstorm, so timing worked out generally well. One day the storm was really bad and Betty, Eliza, and I were at the cabins with the cars, so everyone apparently huddled together under the pavilion and waited the storm out.

We had two cabins at Lincoln Pines and they were great for our families. The grounds were really nice and we had a big common space outside, a lake with ducks to feed, and there was even a nice game room where we could play air hockey, fooseball, and some arcade games. 

Abraham Lincoln grew up just a few miles from here, and they had an old cabin moved to their grounds, that he spent the night in.

Lots of great cousin bonding time was had!

Nathan and the little girls ;).

We had a great time together, and I think it's officially a tradition now that we have done it twice. So, until next time when we are all home again in a few years!

Eliza Rose: Ten Months Old

The day after we arrived in IL, this sweet girl turned 10 months old! She is crawling everywhere and pulling up and cruising around on furniture, loves to wave hi and bye, makes her hands go open and close, and is smily and lovable.

Eliza is getting her top two front teeth, making a total of 4, eats about 5 times a day and is still a great nurser. She loves fruits and veggies and tried several new foods that she is enjoying, to include yogurt, cheese, melon, and eggs. Eliza wears size 3 diapers, 9 to 12 month clothes, and size 4 shoes. She is growing fast! Her brothers adore her and the feeling is mutual. We are so thankful for how the boys love their little sister. Happy 10 months, baby girl. We love you!

Southern IL: Part 1

Next, we started our road trip to IL. The boys were so excited to get there and they wanted to do the 10 hour drive in one day. Eliza was not quite as excited, but thankfully she had plenty of built entertainment with her two older brothers.

The twins arrived at Mark and Betty's shortly after we got there, and the bigger cousins were coming later that day. They were all so excited to see each other, and the twins were really happy to meet 'Baby Eliza.'

This was the first time that all the cousins were together at Grandpa and Grandma's house!

Abigail was such a good helper with Eliza. She wanted to help feed, diaper, and bath her, and she did a nice job! Abram liked to get in on the action too.

 She is such a sweet little girl.

Water fight!

Grandma Betty with her grand daughters.

Aunt Elizabeth got off work early one day and came for a visit. She is finishing a Masters of Midwifery program and their family was in the US for an extended visit so she could deliver 40 babies for her clinicals, graduate in September, and take her board exams. She has been working very hard on school remotely the past couple of years, and we are proud of her hard work and dedication.

Oldest and youngest cousins. 

The big boys enjoyed catching up with Uncle Nathan.

Benjamin had fun playing lots of frisbee and baseball with Uncle Hap.

 

They enjoyed each others company very much :).

Grandpa Mark building roads on the boys backs. They have loved doing this with him since they were little boys. Lots of roads were made on this trip.

We enjoyed as much pool time as we could! The boys loved jumping off the diving boards, swimming all over the pool, and this was the first summer they were tall enough to go on the mean green scream water slide. They measured themselves almost every day for weeks before we left Jordan, to see if they grew to 48'' so they could ride the slide at the pool and at Holiday World. They were just barely tall enough!

Our little daredevil Benjamin doing flips off the high dive!

Caleb cracked us up with his funny jumps!

We ate plenty of good Dairy Mart and Iuka ice cream on this trip. 

The first weekend in town, we went to Casey, IL to see Hap speak at a church. Afterwards, we went into the town, which famous for having 'the biggest x'...we saw the biggest pencil, rocking chair, wind chime, mailbox, book worm, and a number of other things. What I loved most about this town was that each attraction had a Bible verse inscribed on the large object, which was very nice to see!

Sweet girl with grandpa and grandma :).

Another day, Nathan's childhood friend, John Morgan, who now lives in Arizona, was visiting town and came by for a surprise visit.

And another day, the Minton's were in town and we met at Dairy Mart for ice cream and a quick meet up on their way through town.

We met up with the Hahs crew in the park one morning, and the kids quickly picked up where they left off last summer.

The cousins enjoyed lots of time playing outside together. Even Eliza got her own swing this year :).

Do you see the monkey in the tree?

I see three monkeys! 

These two love to play hard and create hard.

We got to meet up with the boys' teachers from last year. Caleb and Mrs. Richardson at his favorite place, Hawthorn Elementary Library :). It was really nice for the boys to see their teachers from the start of the school year.

And we met Mrs. Marcum at our other favorite place, Iuka ice cream corner. 

Mrs. Marcum and I had our babies about 7 weeks apart. Baby Emery and Baby Eliza meet :)

We were lucky to be in Salem for the 4th of July. This year, we watched the fireworks with Don and Suzanne at the school, and had a great view...and no crowds.

Grandma and the Purcell crew.

One of my favorite views in Salem are the beautiful sunsets from the back yard each night. 

Lots of great times and memories made at grandpa and grandma's house!