While I was away I got my daughter a little gift.  She told me to and Sue and Dawn helped me look.  They actually found it.  We couldn't pass it up once they spotted it.

For those two of you who don't know, we adopted Michelle from the Philippines when she was 6 1/2 years old.  So anything that says "Philippines" on it is very appealing.  Plus, we found it at St Vinnys.  Such a deal!  That was the same place where I found my $2.50 robe and slippers set.  New.

She likes it.  That's what counts.  Plus she knew I was thinking of her.  Sam, Dave and Ken were all OK with not getting anything.  They're guys.

Michelle and Kaden are intensely coloring.  Fun times.

While Skyler burps.  He'd better burb.  Michelle took him in today and he now weighs 10 pounds!  That's 3/4 pounds a week!  What a chunk!  He's 4 weeks old today.  Can you believe it?

At dinner tonight we taped Kaden pulling some of his shenanigans.  Great grandma at least will enjoy this.

 

I'm back!  Rested and relaxed and revitalized.

So, pictures.

My boys last Saturday, the day before we left.  This is how I saw them - no wake time at all!  I'm hoping to see them either later tonight or tomorrow.

So I left Early Sunday morning.  After I dropped Dave off at the airport at 5:00 a.m. I went home and packed.  I left by 8:00 a.m. and drove to Midway.  I waited in the Cell Phone lot until Dawn called to let me know where to pick her up.  That sure beats driving around, arguing with the Nazi ladies who patrol the airport arrival lanes these days.  Dawn and I drove up to Wisconsin to meet Sue.  First stop on the trip:  A scrapbook store!

 Next stop:  mimiwi's!

Isn't this bucolic?

You want good food and lots of it?  Great company and conversation?  We highly recommend Nancy and Ken's.

Then we arrived at the cottage. 

This looks like a Monet.  But with bugs.  This is the only lake picture you get because I am a bug magnet.  Sue and Dawn didn't seem to be bothered, but they lite on me like I'm their long lost Dutch uncle.

I was really tired that night.  In fact I caught a short nap at Nancy's.  I thought I was unobserved behind my sunglasses, but they tell me that they knew I was asleep because I was way too quiet.  LOL.

Monday we drove to Marinette, Wi and spent the day shopping and eating.

Our favorite coffee shop, Dew Hills.  Sue has just about filled up her coffee card there.  One more punch and she gets a free cup!

Then a wonderful broasted chicken dinner - 1/4 chicken with all the fixin's for $6.  Can't beat that with a stick - esp since it was some of the best broasted chicken I've ever eaten.  This was at a restaurant with a train themed name, which escapes me.  Hopefully Sue will comment and fill in the name.

Monday night we scrapbooked.

Here Sue and I are in our robes - I had just purchased mine, new, for $2.50 at the St Vinny resale shop.  It even included slippers.  I donated both to the cabin, for future cold guests to enjoy.

Tuesday was our Crivitz day.  We found some great new shops.

 

Most shopkeepers are happy to take our pictures when we ask.  You need to blow this one up so you can see our reading glasses.  Dawn and Sue's were new purchases from that shop but mine are prescription due to my monovision.  It was pretty sad and funny, every time we read a menu or a label, out whipped the reading glasses.  I think I miss my eyes even more than my mind!

Dinner was at Soup-to-Nuts, one of our must-stops.  Jerry wasn't there this time, but we enjoyed a nice chat with Cindy, his put-upon wife and got the other side of the story!

Wednesday was our Mennomonee, Michigan day, just over the river in the UP.  This town has got to be one of my favorites, anywhere.  If they had a college I'd be tempted to retire there.  That's a criteria that Dave has - wherever we retire has to have a college that he can still play in the lab at.  I know.  Sad, isn't it?  LOL.

We didn't get to eat on the porch because we came at lunch instead of dinner.  It's a lot busier then!  The food is still yummy.

This our our day to get home early.  We made a salad supper that, I have to say, was good enough to serve at any of the restaurants we ate at.

Come join us for an embelleshed deli-chicken salad meal with sparkling fruit punch to drink.  (We're not drinkers, in case you haven't figured that out in the past 4 years that I've been here on xanga.)

A toast to us.  I had the camera propped up and timed, so I look a bit strange here.  Sue and Dawn look allright.

Thursday was our bonus day.  This was the first year we drove up on Sunday rather than Monday.  That was really great.  I got a lot more done on my scrapbooks and we took in a lot more shops and restuarants!

So we visited Yupper Country (the upper pennisula of Michigan) and the town of Escanaba.  Very nice.

We were on a mission to find the only scrapbook store listed in the phonebook.  I had to call for directions once we hit the town it was in.  Turns out, it had gone out of business, but she was willing to sell us supplies on sale since she was there. The shop was on her land, just next to her house.  She also has a sewing shop there - a really nice lady.

Don't you love that name, Scrapbooking gone Wild? 

Dinner was at the Landing, a delicious place on the lake.  We are all wearing new-this-week outfits.

We left there on Friday.  Dawn's husband picked her up and they headed on over to Macanaw Island.  Sue and I headed back to her place, where I spent the night.  I hate driving through Chicago on Friday.  It adds hours to the trip.  As it was, there was an accident just on the south end of Milwaukee that blocked 2/3 lanes and delayed me almost an hour.  Sigh.  But I'm home and happy.

Everything looked fine at home.  Ken did a good job.   Dave got home yesterday so they were both here to greet me and help bring in my luggage.

Just letting all of you know I will be away from my computer all week, going on my annual girlfriend week in upper Wisconsin with coolmom56.  On the way I'll be picking up Sue's former neighbor at Midway, then, once we pick up Sue, we'll enjoy what I'm sure will be a wonderful meal prepared by mimiwi, who is now part of our tradition.  Then we'll spend the rest of the week scrapbooking, shopping, watching videos and going out to eat.  Can you say FUN!  I will miss my little boys.  My hubby will also be away, but the home will not be deserted.  Ken will handle the cats, the lawnmowing, the mail, the paper, the whatever else needs to be done.  Michelle, Kaden, and Skyler will make appearances periodically, mostly so Kaden can play with the neighbor kids.

I hope you all have an enjoyable week.  I am going to bed since Dave's plane leaves at 5:30 a.m. and he expects me to drive him to the airport.  At 4:30 a.m.  Sigh.  The things we do for love.  But I'll be able to get in a two hour nap before heading off to Midway to pick up Dawn at 9:15 CT.

Later - stay out of trouble while I'm away.

What a fabulous day.  Mom, we are taking a day in September and visiting some of these gardens.  I won't make you go to all 12 gardens and 11 murals, but we will see some of the best!

Mu friend Cindy and I in front of the first mural at the visitors center.

The quilt it was based on.

Elkart City Center quilt garden.

The garden at Das Essenhaus - definately one of our favorites.

Menno-hof - another fav.

Elkhart County fair blue ribbon quilt.

All three of us - this took some doing since no one was around to snap our picture for us.  This garden (at Amish Acres) had a viewing stand that I was able to prop the camera on a use time delay.  The only problem were the stairs leaving the viewing stand - so there are a bunch of pictures of me at the edge of the picture, just making it in time for the snap.  Amy had the bright idea of pushing the shutter from the ground and, Bob's your uncle, it worked!

Our favorite mural, in downtown Wakarusa.

And, the last garden of the day, at the Farmer's market in Elkhart.

We meet at a local parking lot at 9 this morning and car pooled.  There were 3 of us.  We got home at 7:30.  Whew!  Long day, but very fun.

If you're in northern Indiana, definately plan on visiting the gardens - this will be an every summer event from now on.

We just got back from a family reunion on a small lake in Michigan.  There were at least 30 people there - I'd have to count in my mind and I'm too lazy right now to do that!

Dave's mom's siblings and all their offspring - we try to do this every summer.  Next summer it's our turn to host - mom has 3 siblings, so the 4 branches take their turn every 4th year.  It used to be the 4 of them who would take turns, now it's the kids.  Kids like me, in our 50's or 40's!

It was an overcast day - it rained the whole trip up.  The rain stopped just before most of the people arrived, so we were able to eat outside on Sue's deck.  The sun came out at around 4 p.m., after almost everyone had gone home!

Ken and Kaden were checking out the dock.

Then Kaden got into the water and splashed around with his second cousin.

I think Noah is 4.

Peak!

Then a wave hit and threatened to upturn him, so he and his dad had to towel dry.

So he found a docked boat.

A took babop for a spin.

Then had some lap time with gee gee.

While Skyler slept.  Some of my foundest memories of Ken at this age are just like this - sleeping with his squeezable cheeks and the mouth all kissable.

Then we got a photo of all four of them.  Notice the boys matching rompers?

Then Kaden had to talk to the birdie.

 

And finally, best cuz Sandy and I pose for a picture.

No paddle boat so we couldn't make our annual escape for 2 hours.  We surely missed that!  It's our yearly time of solitude and conversation.

 

Instead of posting a picture of growing boys, I'm posting one of pretty plants.

This is one of my hydrangeas.  I think it may be endless summer.  It has flowers of many colors, all on one bush.

The blooms are large too!

We are settling into a routine.  I'm fairly exhausted.  I get to their apartment before 9 in the morning, take care of Kaden, giving him breakfast, playing with him, doing small chores around the small apartment while Michelle takes care of herself and Skyler.  As soon as everyone is ready, we all get into my car and head to my house, where we spend the rest of the day.  Sam comes here after work and we all eat together.  They leave to go home and I unwind until I have to do it again tomorrow.

She did get an Amish moms helper (one of the relatives, I think Rachel is 12 or so) so stay with her on Tuesday so I could go to bible study in the morning and get my shots and go to my stampin up workshop in the afternoon.  We'll do that again next Tuesday and then again next Wednesday, when I go on a trip with my garden club to see the quilt gardens in Elkhart County.

http://www.amishcountry.org/quiltgardens/

This weekend we have a family reunion, 3 hours north of here in Michigan.  The doctor cleared Michelle so she can go too.  We'll try to get all 6 of us (minus Ken - he already had plans for the weekend in Illinois) into our minivan - all the baby paraphenalia, all the food, the lawn chairs, the overnight bags - I think Beverly Hillbilly sets the scene well.  It should be fun.

And the week after next I'm heading up to Wisconsin for my annual girls escape week with Sue.  Say it with me, "I can't wait!"

 

 

You can check out Skyler's birth announcement at my mom's site.

josaju

This is one of the thank-you notes that I did for Michelle to send out.

It's a pull-up insert card.  Fun to make.

Kaden was very happy to see his babop on Friday.

He had a birthday party and Dave possed with his favorite present - Skyler!

Then Kaden helped him blow out candles.

Skyler's changing already.

Barney climbed a tree today.

Kaden tried to call him down.

After church Kaden discovered the playground the church pre-school uses.  That was fun!

I get a free night, then pick up Michelle and the boys first thing in the morning.  They'll be spending most days here since she can't lift Kaden and also can't drive.

Hugs to all.

Michelle spent her 72 hours in the hospital after the c-sect so I picked her up in the late afternoon.  After a day of running around.  She wanted some more outfits for the hospital pics (which she then didn't use), Kaden had an appointment at the doctors because his pnemonia sounding cough is back and we had to check that out, that then required a trip to the radiologist for x-rays (the doctor doesn't really think he has pnemonia again, just bad post nasal drip, but she has to be sure), then more driving back and forth - I feel like an unpaid taxi driver.  But they are all here tonight - Michelle in the main floor bedroom with Skyler, Sam and Kaden sharing a bed upstairs, Grandma great sleeping in one of Ken's twin beds (Ken's in Illinois), and Wilma and I are sharing the master bedroom.  Today is my husband's 53rd birthday but he's still in New Hampshire.  He's coming home to see his new grandson tomorrow.  I'll make a birthday cake for him for tomorrow's dinner.

God bless my mil.  She cooked her heart out today - made pot roast, like only she can make.  Honestly, I've tried to make it her way and it just doesn't turn out half as good.  She has the magic touch.  Then she made sloppy joes for Michelle and Sam to have this weekend.  Tomorrow she's making them baked spaghetti, mac and cheese and I'll make bbq chicken for Dave's dinner.   My kitchen is getting a workout.  Oh yeah - she also did my laundry.  She wanted to come and help and did she ever!

Grandma great (aka my mil) and Skyler, her 4th great grandson.  No girls yet.

Michelle heading out of the hospital with Skyler.  She can't drive for at least 2 weeks and can't lift anything heavier than Skyler.  This is frustrating Kaden - poor little tyke.  He really doesn't understand this at all.

She had to have the csect because the baby's head wasn't right for delivery and he was stressing with each contraction.  The OBGyn said he was all twisted and Michelle would have needed a birth canal the size of the Holland Tunnel in order for him to fit through the way he was situated. 

Another move Michelle can't do and I was demonstrating for her - can you all guess what I'm acting out?

Prize goes out to the correct guesser!

Our very own Bob-the-builder.

They both take care of their babies.  Did I tell you that Kaden's baby is a boy?  Um, it's anatomically correct.  Made in France.  I should read toy labels better.  Who knew?

I'm tired.  Dave is supposed to call at 11:30 p.m. since I was at the doctors when he called at 2:30.  So I may as well stay up and talk to you guys even though I'm falling down tired!

I think the happy family is going to sleep at their house tomorrow.  We'll see.

Hugs.

Today Kaden got to meet his little brother.

I got to hold him again.

So did grandma Katie.

And Uncle Ken.

Kaden and his mommy shared a "opscicle"

Sam and Kaden take care of Kaden's baby.

Still tired, even with 10 hours of sleep last night.

I may not have mentioned that Dave is in New Hampshire for the week.  Fortunately, Ken was around and took care of Kaden all day yesterday.  Bless his heart.  He leaves for Illinois tomorrow to meet with his friend Nathan, who is on leave from the army.  Nathan's brother is joining the Navy and they are having a high-school graduation party for him on Saturday.  Dave and I can't go since that's Dave's 35th high school reunion in Michigan.

If it's not one thing it's 59 others.

My mil in hoping to come tomorrow afternoon.  My mom would be here too if she could!

Thanks for all the well-wishes.

Here's a totally adorable video of the boys.

 

 

Welcome to the big, beautiful world Skyler David!

 

July 7, 2008

7 lbs 6 oz

10 all around apcar

 

Could be because of the unexpected c-section?

Both mom and baby are doing fine.

GiGi is exhausted!

Kaden put himself to bed tonight, bless his little heart.

Kaden got a doll when he went to visit his parents and Skyler.  Skyler wasn't in the room because they had him in the nursery, doing those things they do to newborns.  So pictures of the two of them will appear tomorrow.

Michelle worked the hardest, but I'm exhausted too!

Good night!

Skyler                                                                      Kaden

Yes, they look alike!