We hit the open road on August 6th - bright and early! We were pulling out of our driveway at 5 AM. There are many things I love about my husband, but one of them is his road trip mentality! He is on it - all I really have to do it pack for myself and the boys, and make a lot of honey-do lists;) He loves to drive too - I think I drove 3 hours the entire trip!
The boys were troopers! We had a basket between them with anything and everything they could have needed. We had a lot of snacks - some good, some not. You have to bend a little when you are going to be trapped in a small space for the better part of 2 days! We had our moments - all of us - but for the most part it was a blast and I am so blessed with my road trippin' family!
We made it all the way to Des Moines, IA that first day. We arrived about 4 PM and got ourselves a little room in the hotel across from the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The fair was gearing up for its' debut the following week. I wanted to find a way to stop in on our way back home, but it just wasn't doable. We ate dinner at a diner down the street from our hotel. The only requirement for our hotel stay was a pool. We swam before and after dinner, anything to tire the boys out! Casey and I didn't need any help in that department.
The next morning we were up and out by 8 AM. We felt good about how far we had made it, so we didn't feel the need to get on the road too early. The second day was a bit tougher on the boys. The newness had worn off and the lull of the open road wasn't as hypnotizing, but we made it! Fortunately, we had a lunch date in Madison with Maleah Moskoff and family. We ate at Graze, which was delicious from what I could tell. I spent most of my time chasing my "free" children throughout the joint. A HUGE thanks to everyone in there that day - everyone was so gracious. I knew why my kids were so out of control, but not everyone did. Thank you for not judging - or at least being subtle or silent about your judgment;)
We arrived at Mimi and Papa's late afternoon on Tuesday. It was so great to see them. The boys instantly felt at home, jumping on their bikes and pedaling down the street. It wasn't long before we moved to the back porch, where a silly scene unfolded...
Mike mentioned something about the number of flies and Doug started to smell something. It wasn't long before it was discovered. The "it" was a huge dead raccoon under my in-laws' porch. Needless to say, it was like a dream come true for Ian. So many questions, so little time. He didn't miss a beat. We were all sad for Ricky the Raccoon, but know he will RIP in Mimi and Papa's backyard. Ha! We were exhausted, so it was dinner and bed before we knew it. It felt good to be back in Wisconsin!
Mimi + I took the boys to Sunset Park while Daddy and Papa went golfing. It is a short walk from my in-laws' house. It was a little cloudy, but warm - even the water was warm! The park had changed a lot since I lived there, so it was cool to see the changes. And to see that some things didn't change, like the vintage playground equipment:)
We went to the Coast Guard canal one day - great waves! Actually, the picture of our name in the sand above had to be taken 3 times because it would get washed away every other time. Ha! We brought a snack and enjoyed watching the Coast Guard boats come and go. On our way back home, Daddy spotted a turtle on the side of the road. We pulled over to check him out. The boys wanted to keep it, but were quickly shot down.
Baby Kitty and Milo became great pals on this trip. Baby Kitty isn't a snuggler, but when it came to Milo she was nothing but! She loves that boy and man does he love her. It was the sweetest thing to watch.
Zach, Pete, and Casey
Friday night was our first date night of the trip! We headed to Green Bay for the wedding of Casey's childhood friend, Pete Williams. The timing of everything worked out perfectly and we were so glad we could attend. We also got to see Zach and his family - we finally got to meet his youngest daughter, Anisa. It was wonderful to catch up with old friends!
Saturday we took the boys to Peninsula State Park to climb the tower. It was pretty cool! It was neat to see Ian's reaction to everything. Every moment is an adventure and I love that. The tower is 75 feet tall. The view from the top was amazing. It was busy, so it took awhile to get to the top and even longer to get back down. Thankfully Milo loves to be in the backpack!
Halfway down and they still seem pretty small...
Before heading back to Sturgeon Bay, we stopped off at Not Licked Yet for frozen custard. Yummy! I really wanted to get a picture of the boys in the gnome cut out, but Milo was not willing to cooperate. Ha! Not only was he not willing to cooperate, he is actually behind the cut out having a hell of a temper tantrum. Which in some way is even funnier to me.
Casey's 20 year high school reunion was later that night. We weren't sure what to expect, but it ended up being a nice time. I even knew someone from when I worked for the county. Ha!
Believe it or not, I experienced my first fish boil. I lived in Door County for almost 5 years and I never attended a fish boil. I had to take a picture to show Ian:) I had no idea about the anticipation that is built over time. The story about how the fish boils came to be and then the crowd had questions. I just wanted a damn picture to show my kid, but at least now I know what all the hype is about.
Sunday we met up with Kyle and his family. His little girl, Addie, is so stinkin' cute. We took the kids to The Farm, a local favorite. We took Ian a couple of years ago, but this was Milo's first time. It was so much fun! Feeding the baby goats with bottles, holding the kittens and baby chicks, feeding the cows with corn, playing in the garden, and the tractors, oh my the tractors! If we lived there, Ian would totally get a job there. It was his happy place for sure!
Monday we hosted a party at Casey's parents house. We thought it was the best way to be able to see the most people, but still be able to have a family vacation and spend time with family. We ran into friends throughout the week, but it was nice to have everyone together. We were able to catch up with a lot of people and it was awesome. There were several kids there and it was fun watching everyone play together. We are truly blessed!
Tuesday was a BIG day - Mimi and Papa took us to Bay Beach. Another first for me! This place is awesome. Each ride is 1 or 2 tickets, each ticket is 25 cents. What?! That is fabulous. The best part was Mike was given several tickets, so we didn't have to pay for much at all. Yay for cheap!
Ian LOVED this ride. Hands down his favorite. He rode it at least 4 times I think. He obliged his brother and went on the boats with him, but only if Milo would ride the battleships with him after the boats. A win-win! Milo was able to go on a majority of the rides too, but Casey or I had to be with him. Interesting at times - ha!
I rode on the swings - my all-time favorite! The closest to flying I will ever be...
One of our favorite things to do when we visit with Casey's parents is to go out to dinner kid-free. Molly offered to watch the boys for us + we weren't going to pass up an adults only dinner. This year they took us to the Bluefront Cafe. I enjoyed a blood orange mimosa cocktail (delicious and available at the wine store downtown, what?!) and this vegetable lasagna. I have to admit, I was a little blown away by it. I mean, it's a vegetable lasagna...how hard can that be? But it was so delicious.
Casey and I decided to walk home after dinner. We stopped in at the candy store and found this sucker for Ian (it is a scorpion). This was the picture Casey sent me the following day when he gave it to Ian. Love it! He dove right in and couldn't wait to get to the scorpion. I asked him what it tasted like and he replied, "Like candy."
A funny little story to share...so one night I made dinner for the boys. Casey and I decided we were going to get take out after they went to bed:) They asked for some of Papa's "gourmet salt",for their green beans so I figured why not. I just grabbed the first one I saw and didn't think much about it. I notice Milo keeps sticking out his tongue and saying what I think is "hot", but why would he be saying hot...it's salt. Then Ian chimes in and starts chucking his Yo-J. So I look at the package and realize I have sprinkled ghost pepper sea salt on their green beans. Oh no! Needless to say, they got a free pass on their veggies that night.
Every year they have "Sturgeons Around the Bay", local artists design a sturgeon and they are raffled off at the end of the season. It is pretty cool to see what people come up with. No doubt that this one was Ian's favorite! He has good taste. You could move the gears around too. I would totally buy this one if I could.
We were able to have a quiet end to our vacation. We had a wonderful trip and can't wait for our next road trip. I am thinking Door County over the 4th next year! We left on Friday morning and stayed in Lincoln, NE that night. We made it home on the 18th - my Mom's birthday and my niece's birthday. We had a family dinner at our place that night and then it was an early bedtime for all. My parents left the next day. Fortunately, it wasn't until the evening so we could spend some time together.
We had a week to get back into the swing of things - Casey work, me looking for work and adjust to being a part-time stay at home Mom. Before we knew it, it was Ian's first day of school! He is attending 4 year pre-K at the same school as last year. He had a new teacher and several new classmates, there is actually only one kid from his class last year.
What a happy boy! He loves school (he calls it "work") - he picked out his own outfit and was up, ready, and dressed by 9 AM Monday morning. How fun. He only went for an hour on his first day, so Milo and I dropped him off then went to get a treat. A little Mommy and Milo time was just what I needed. He really missed Ian though and kept asking where he was. He was trooper considering his nap had to be postponed by an hour due to the one hour school day.
Last week I had the pleasure of watching my niece, Peyton. We had a picnic at the park. The boys loved playing with their cousin. Everyone played well together and had a lot of fun. Peyton and Milo napped at the same time, so that was helpful. Managing 3 kids for a couple of days was enough for me though, I am good with the two I have. I don't know how people do it with 3 kids - or more!
We almost missed out on the tractor festival this year. Since I am not working at the moment, I don't drive past the museum anymore so I wasn't reminded of it. Our friends mentioned it to us and we had to make sure and take the boys. We went on Sunday, which was a much better day to go. We have always gone on Saturdays in the past and it is just crazy. There weren't as many people there on Sunday, so they were able to do the tractor parade. Super cool!
The above tractor was our favorite (the best part was watching these two guys drive it!) and you can see Ian showing the tractor love! My boys are all boy and I love it.
It is hard to believe it is September already. 2013 is closer than I care to think about. My favorite time of year is rapidly approaching though. I can't wait for sweaters and boots, hot chocolate, pumpkins and holiday mania. I am psyched!
