Spring Break Fun in 2011!

This year we spent our spring break traveling to a few different cities all with in Indiana. Last year we went to Michigan, then to my mom's in Ohio. This year we started off Spring Break with Landon bowling in the Kids State Bowling Tournament in Ft. Wayne. He did great and we all had a great time. My dad's Bowling ally was up in Ft. Wayne bowling the tournament the same time we were so the kids got to play with there cousins also. So we did some bowling, shopping, swimming and of course eating. It was a great way to start off Spring Break.



So after the weekend of bowling Ariel went home with my dad and me and the boys headed home. Monday the boys went over to a friends house to play all day while i went over to my Gram's to make blankets for my nieces. Then Tuesday we went to chuck E Cheese with some more friends of ours. We were there for four hours. Time went by fast, but the boys all had a great time.



Then Wednesday me and the boys headed down to my dads. James had to stay home to go to work. So we hung around at my dads and had some of Grandma Julie's yummy breakfasts and lunch. Played with the cousins and saw Uncle Ryan and Aunt Miranda. Plus of course they bowled.

K.C. Nissley's

In March we had the K.C. Nissley's stay with us. So that made 11 of us all together. We always love when we can spend time with them.The week went by way to fast. So we had 7 guys and 4 ladies in the house. Unfortunately Sonja was not able to come because of work, but Allison brought a friend named Tori along. So the girls were way out numbered. But even though there were more boys then girls and the K.C. Nissley kids are all older then our kids, they all get along and we all had fun. We are planning to go out and visit them this summer.
Zane got to spend the most time with them since he was home, while the other 2 were in school.
But we did let them stay home from school on Wednesday so that they could spend the last full day with them before they had to take off for there next destination. We went to the Rec. Center and went swimming and had fun there, then came home and the kids played outside.
It was sad to see them go, but we look forward to seeing them this summer:)

Life is full of surprises especially when you turn 40!

James turned 40 yesterday. A big milestone in his life. We celebrated it with a surprise party on Saturday for him. He was completely surprised. We had lots of fun with about 50-56 of our family and friends here at the house. It was packed, but tons of fun. He got some funny cards and gifts too.Some people gave him gifts that related to him getting hurt so much the week before his party.
The week before the big day,he ended up getting a black eye from a stuck skid, then a couple days later it was a cut on the bridge of his nose from a slip of a tool,then a few days after that he ended up at workman's comp. Dr.'s office when a tub fell off a stack and hit him in the face causing him to have 3 cuts to his lip. One on the outside and 2 on the inside which then made him have a a swollen lip. He also had 2 cuts under his chin which required 4 stitches. I asked him if he was not handling turning 40 very well. I just got a fake laugh and eye rolling from him.lol
But so far he has taken turning 40 well and has not had any more accidents. I hope that i take turning 40 as well as he did. Well that is minus all the accidents. But i do have a few years before i get to the big 40, as i keep reminding him:)

Chicago Day 3:

Our last day in Chicago, we decided that we wanted to take the kids up in the Willis(Sears)Tower. So we went and got our ticket for the" L" and rode that over to the Tower. The kids had a lot of fun riding on different modes of transportation that weekend.
Once we got there it took us riding in 4 elevators till we finally reached the 103rd floor. The kids loved being up so high and looking at all the Sky Scrappers and trying to find different things out each of the windows. Besides the name changing at the Tower. Other things have changed too,since me and James had been there 12 years ago. You now go up 4 floors higher and they have the glass ledge's where you can walk out and look down and all around you. I thought i wouldn't have problem with it, but i soon found out i was wrong. Once i looked down and tried to take that first step, it was not happening. Zane on the other hand had no problem, just like his easy, happy go lucky, self he walked right out there and was walking and looking around on it. James was the next one out there and he was having a little difficulty to with that first step.But nothing like me,Landon and Ariel. I did how ever decided that i needed to buck up and go out there. So i turned around and backed out onto it. I did not look down or around or anything. I just looked straight at the camera and nothing else. I did manage to get Landon out there and he did the same thing as me. However Ariel was different she just sat there playing with Tori her American girl doll and was not having anything to do with it. It was fun and excitingly scary all at one time.
But as we were getting ready to end our time there, i first had to make a quick restroom run before we left. When i got back I saw the boys,but no James or Ariel. So i was just getting ready to ask the boys where they were. when i noticed James with the camera over by one of the ledges. Wouldn't you know it. There Ariel was with Tori sitting down on the Ledge. So even though in all the excitement we did not get a family picture out on one of the Ledges, we did manage all to over come our fear and go out onto them. We did get some pictures just not the family one. Who knows maybe next time i might even look down.
So after our exhilarating ride to the top of the Tower we decided to catch a Tac-ski as Zane calls it and go down to our final stop before home The Museum of Science and Industry. We had a great time there brief but great we are thinking that we may go back up for the day just to go to the Museum and then come back home.Because of not spending a lot of time there. But the kids did like what they saw and were able to do.
After the fun there we went down and grabbed some subs from subway and went and waited at the train station for our ride back to the airport. When the train finally came we ended up standing for most of the trip home, the kids were troopers though and Zane ended up sitting and falling asleep on the floor. He was just plum tuckered out:) But we finally made it back to the airport and to our car and we then made our way back home. The kids are already asking when we can go back. It was a great time spent as a family and it was just nice to get away.

Chicago Day 2:

So we are on day two of our Valentines getaway. The kids woke up early, and were ready to start the day. After a great breakfast at the hotel we were off to Navy Pier, to go to the Children's Museum. The kids had fun Building there own Skyscraper, digging for Dinosaur bones, putting out fires,putting on puppet shows and doing much, much more. After playing for awhile we were all getting hungry so we decided to try out Bubba Gumps. While we were waiting for our table to be ready we watched a magic show for a little while.
Then we finally got to eat and it was great food and a great experience. They have these License plates that say run Bubba run or stop Bubba stop and that is how you get your server's attention that you need something. It was great.
From there went down to Build a Bear where the kids used there gift certificates and had fun picking out an animal and then picking out what outfit they wanted for there new friends. Ariel picked out a dye dyed Teddy bear that she named Carly, Landon got a camouflaged Teddy bear which he named Fire, then Zane picked out an animal which i think is very fitting to his character a Monkey which he named OOH-OOH AHH-AHH. He then picked out a funky outfit that says video champ on the shirt. So fitting for him.
Then because of my keen eye for deals. I noticed some coupons where if you spent so much you can get a free drawstring back pack for you and your animal. So it happened to work out that the kids gift certificates were for that amount. So instead of getting the regular card board boxes to put there animals in they decided to just keep them in there backpacks. Which it made it easier for our travels.
After that we headed out to the park to look at some of the snow sculptures people have made with the snow. We then headed back to the hotel, we were all tired and needed to rest.
So then later that night we went to the Water Tower Place. I thought that we would make it without ever getting an American Girl Doll. But nope as soon as we walked towards the Water Tower. Ariel saw the store and she was all gung-ho about going in. So we went in for a little bit and we were not in there long when Landon asked"Mom can the boys go downstairs for a little bit."lol Ariel kept looking at the dolls and we knew what her next question would be. She wanted a doll. So we told her that she could use her Christmas money and birthday money to get one if she wanted too.But she would also need a little help from us, so she was to not ask for anything else during the rest of the weekend. So she asked to walk around for a little bit so we did. Then she came to a decision that she wanted the doll. So we went back and she got the one she wanted. So now i guess now we are into American Girl Dolls.lol
After that we walked down to Gino's Pizza, where we had to wait in line with a very impatient Landon. He was extremely tired from getting up so early. So after we got a seat and ordered our pizza and appetizer, he ended up falling asleep. So we just asked for them to put it in a box and we got a cab and went back to the hotel. Where everyone ate a little and then headed for bed. It was a long day. We needed our rest for day 3, our final day in Chicago:)