August

After Michigan the kids and I took a Midwest road trip home with my mom and dad.  Our first stop was Essenhaus Restaurant in Middlebury where ate our dinner inside an Amish buggy (one of my favorite childhood memories).  It was here that both kids discovered that they love lima beans of all things!  They cheer every time I make them at home now.

We went to a lovely cook-out, pool get together with my good college friends Mandy, Lisa, and Tara and their families.

We then drove on to Wooster, Ohio to see my 95-year-old Grandma Yoder, Aunt Rachel, and Uncle Mel.  We also made an overnight stop in Chelsea, Michigan to see Aunt Char and Uncle Burdette but I somehow didn't get any pictures there. 

Next was Indianapolis where I spent an afternoon with 2 good friends from nursing school, Sarah and Jill.

Sasha and Jack loved swimming in Jill's pool and playing with the other kids.

We spent the night with Teresa, Joe and the boys who had just moved to Carmel a week before.  It was here that Jack picked up hand, foot, mouth disease which we carried unknowingly back to New Mexico.  I'm not sure how many friends and relatives we were able to connect with on this trip but it seemed like a lot! 

We spent two 12-hour days in the car driving home from Indianapolis.  One small detour was to the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead in Mansfield, Missouri.  The kids did amazingly well for such a long trip.  It was also such a gift to get to spend that much quality time with my mom.

Sasha before her first day of first grade.

Jack missed the first 3 days of school due to the aforementioned hand, foot, mouth disease which was a week of agony for the poor little thing.  He couldn't eat or drink due to the multiple blisters coating the inside of his lips and tongue.  This was his first day of school.

Sasha made these delicious chocolate chip muffins for her soccer team when it was her turn to provide snack.

Pre-concert smile.