Getting Started

Well, I'm finally posting my first blog entry... 5 months after I began creating it!  Better late than never tho :D  And, I suppose January is a good time to begin, being a new year and all.

This feels kind of awkward and even, difficult.  I think it's because I tend to look at everything with that "right or wrong" perspective instead of just to explore and have fun.  Maybe this will be something to help me with that : )

Ah... Monday morning.  Not my favorite day of the week.  After enjoying Pete home from work for two days, it's always a little difficult to be all by myself again.  This Monday is a little harder than most, in that we just got back home last night from a wonderful visit with Nichole, Adam, Austin and Grace.  It will get better though!

With Susan and John living in Jefferson City now, and Nichole and Adam in their new home in Pontiac, things felt really different.  The weekend before last, we stayed with Susan and celebrated Christmas and her birthday.  It is such a blessing to be able to have such quality time with our kids when we are together for a visit.  It isn't as often as we'd like, but it is good and we are thankful to God for it, and for their generous hospitality : )  We got the chance to meet a couple of Brighton's new friends, Tyler and Logan (I believe it was), while we were there.  They came over and played with Brighton for a while.  He was excited to show them the new highway I helped him build out of duct tape on the concrete floor in their storeroom.  We made it especially for his new Optimus Prime!  We even made a tunnel, an overpass and a garage for it out of cardboard boxes!  Brighton thought it was pretty cool : )  Unfortunately, we didn't remember to take any pictures : (  On Saturday, New Year's Eve, we took Susan, John and Brighton out to eat.  We were going to go to Red Lobster, but the lines were way too long, so we went to a Hibachi grill instead.  The lines there ended up being long too, but the experience was well worth the wait!  Brighton just loved it!!  He was cheering the chef on the whole time... it was so cute.  At one point, the chef dropped the egg he was supposed to catch in his hat, but Brighton said something to me like...  "that's ok, he's still doing really good, ha Grandma?!"  : )  Soooo sweet!  Then, on our way out, Brighton asked if he could give the man his own $5 bill from his pocket as a tip!  It was adorable.

We got on the road at 8:15 am last Wednesday, stopped off at Susan's to pick up my blowdryer (that I forgot to pack when we left), and still arrived at Nichole's house by about 5:30 that evening.  Of all the places Susan and John could have ended up living in, they are pretty much right on our route to IL  That is such a blessing and we're very thankful about that!

Our time with the Akre family was wonderful.  Their new home is beautiful and very comfortable, and gives them so much more room.  As is Susan and John's : )  Austin is getting so tall and has thinned out, making him seem more like a 12-year old rather than a 9-year old!  We got him a tent for his bed for Christmas, but it was made out of what felt like plastic, which would have been very uncomfortable.  So, we took him shopping for something different, and he got an Air Hog helicopter instead.  He loved playing with that!  And he was really good at it too!!  He is such a fun (and funny boy)!  And a great big brother!!  Grace is amazing.  Haha!!  She is so smart and beautiful.  She loved the toys we got her : )  And she loved showing us her little people farm!  Her favorites were the puppy and kitty that came with it.  She was talking up a storm!  Puppy... kitty... baby... and her all time favorite... "yeah"!  At one point, Grandpa said to her, "I see you", and she said right back to him, "I see you too!"  We all heard it, plain as day!  Well, to our ears anyway : )  It was great!!

Nichole, and Susan too for that matter, is quite the cook!  And baker... oh my!!!  The first night there she made chicken parmesan with homemade french bread!  It was soooo good!!  She really spoiled us!  Adam took the rest of the week off from work to be home while we were there too, which was very nice : )  And unusual... how many son-in-laws would do that!  : )

Nichole was kind enough to invite the family to come over on Saturday afternoon for chili and cornbread.  LaRae, Sharee, Cynthia, Kim and Scooter all came.  We had a good time.  It was nice to be able to hang out with them for a while and laugh our butts off at some of the funny Photoshop pictures Nichole has taken!  The day before, we drove in to Morris and visited with Mom, Heidi and Stacie.  The weather was just beautiful (sunny and around 60 degrees)!  We were able to sit outside on Mom's front porch and enjoy it.  She was doing well.  It was so good to see her.  Stacie and Adam take good care of her.  She seems content and happy these days and I'm very thankful for that.

On our way home, we stopped by Kathie and John's restaurant and had lunch.  I think Kathie was very glad we did that : )  It was nice!  And delicious!!  We both had "John's famous hot beef" with homemade mashed potatoes... yum!!  And then she sent us home with an order of "Kathie's famous chicken strips".  They were so good!!  Homemade crispy batter... yum!!  Made a good snack later, even cold!

Well, I can't imagine anyone else wanting to read this blog but me, but they are welcome : )  I feel like I've just rambled on and on without a specific theme or point!  But, I simply don't have the writing skills of some I know (my precious friend Lisa for one)!   Well, Pete will be home for lunch soon and I have run out of energy now, so I am going to quit :D