WARNING:  STORY SPOLIER IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE POST BELOW THIS ONE!

Dave & I left on Friday the 21st for Illinois to spend Thanksgiving with my side of the family.  Friday’s drive was sooooooo long.  We hit snow in the PA mountains and then eastern OH.  So that added 2 hours to our drive that day.  Saturday’s drive was extended an extra hour because of heavy traffic.  Finally, we got there around 4:30.  Corralling my parents in one room after we arrived to tell them our news (see post below) proved really hard.  My mother flits around like a hummingbird sometimes and then once we got mom in the room, my dad took off.  So finally we got to tell them and they were extremely excited.  It was funny though because my mom seemed like she expected it.  She said that she was hoping we’d have baby news this trip.

I got to see my 7 month old niece!!  Oh, she’s beautiful.  It was so wonderful to get to see her and hold her finally.  And she’s got spectacular parents!  Her big sister is totally great.  Those two girls totally have my parent’s wrapped around their little fingers.  My mother has purchased more toys and things that I never in a million years would have conceived of her ever buying.  It is so funny.  If it lights up and makes noise the woman has purchased it.  For perspective…heck would have experienced an ice age before my mother would have purchased those things for my brother or I as children.  She’s even purchased a musical training toilet for my older niece.  It actually makes a triumphant music noise when the sensors feel warmth from waste being deposited.

On Sunday , after church, Dave & I went to the John Deere Pavillion in Moline, IL.  Dave got his tractor fix! We came home in time to see my brother’s family again!  I got to spend more time with my nieces.  Monday we drove down to Argenta to see a dear friend and her family.  What a blast it was telling her about being pregnant!!!

Tuesday I went in to see all my old friends where I use to work.  They are experiencing a huge change in the coming months so it was good to see everyone together, probably for the last time for me.  Then we met dear friends for lunch.  After lunch, we drove to the two cemeteries where my Grandmothers who died this year are buried.  My mother’s mom is buried in a National Cemetery because my grandfather served in WWII.  My dad’s mom is buried in a public cemetery with her husband and her parents nearby.  Then we met the same friends for dinner so I could spend some more time with them.  We had a fantastic fried chicken dinner and some awesome chatting time.  Boy, I miss my friends back there so much.  There is never enough time to spend with them when we are back visiting.

Wednesday & Thanksgiving Day we spent mostly at my parent’s house spending time with them and extended family that were able to come.  We had a great Thanksgiving feast and a really nice time visiting with everyone.  Another friend of mine stopped by later in the evening with her two children.  I hadn’t seen her since our wedding so that was great.  And her children have grown so much, it is amazing what two years does to children.

Friday we had to pack up and leave.  It is always sad to have to leave.  But the trip home was made even better because we were able to stop in Ohio to see my dad’s sister and two of my cousins.  It has been FOREVER since I’ve been in a sit down and chat situation with those folks.  So we sat and talked for a couple of hours which was absolutely wonderful.  When Dave & I are zipping out to IL in the future we’ll make plans to some how meet up with as many of the Ohio family as we can.   Our path doesn’t go directly past any of their homes, but close enough that we could easily meet up for a meal together some where along the way.

So all in all, we had a really nice trip.  I got to see lots of family & friends, none of them nearly long enough, but I got to spend time with them nevertheless.  And we had our own very, very awesome news to bring to everyone.

Lots to be thankful for this year!!