Daycation.

We took a little vacation (which Alex called a "day-cation"...appropriate, as we were gone all of 1 day) to Kalamazoo over the weekend. It's a quick drive, but still felt like a getaway.

We started Saturday at the Air Zoo, which I highly recommend if you live near the area. It's an awesome facility (clean & bright!) with games and activities and even rides for all ages--and a GREAT value. Alex even got to shake the hands of some Navy WWII Vets, which made me extra proud of my boy and this great country we live in.

He's on there!

4D movie!

Double jointed thumb, much?

We stayed at one of my favorite Kalamazoo Hotels, the downtown Radisson. As we were on the concierge floor (um, hai) we also got to attend the evening reception, which Alex called his "fancy party" much to the delight of everyone else in the room. We rode the escalators no less than eleventy billion times and spent a fair amount of time in the pool - just what we all needed. We even dined at some of my downtown favorites like Burdick's, Olde Peninsula and Food Dance.

We ended our hotel evening as all VeeDub hotel stays commence: with copious amounts of ice cream and cake (and sometimes even pizza) eaten in bed. I think it might be Alex's new favorite family tradition.

Before our journey home, we stopped at a few places on campus at my Alma Mater, Western Michigan University. My, how things have changed around there! But some of the best landmarks will never change:

With my future Broncos. :) 

All weekend I was trying to imagine what vacations will look like when bV gets here. Most notably, how we'll be able to make more than one "fancy hotel bed" for both her and her brother:

 

Way down in Kokomo.

Alex, Grammi and I took a little road trip to Kokomo, Indiana this weekend to visit family. He got to play with Charlie and Lexie and all their SUPER cool toys.

Ridin' dirrrty with Lexie.

We went to Rural King to see the chicks!

Fun at the YMCA pool.

He was so brave!

Three little nakies.

As for me? I built the world's greatest Thomas village.

More progress. And crafting.

I spent most of yesterday crafting a ridiculous spreadsheet of all the things that must be done before we move. It's a very organized hot mess, which is just how I like it. I have us packing or doing at least 1 "thing" (closet, room, space, area) every night until the Big Day to avoid a frantic frenzy the morning the movers arrive. Hopefully, this works out in my favor and I can be sipping Diet Coke on my porch wearing a tiara and wielding a wand instructing the big, strong boys on where to place all of my shit. Here's hoping, anyway.

Meanwhile, everything at Alex's "different house" is coming along swimmingly. The tile is complete, doors were delivered, and the siding has started. Note in this first picture that the walls are also primed. I sort of love the primer color. I'm tempted to just leave it. And somewhere, the salesman at Sherwin Williams bangs his head against a wall.



In related news, I popped over to Grand Rapids this weekend for the Grand Opening of a store called Hammer & Thread. It's a shop that has a compilation of handmade artisan goods, and my dear friend Sarah of so sarah designs is one of the vendors! More on that tomorrow...

Sarah and I spent some of our time hunting around all of Grand Rapid's best little hidden treasures, and even spent some time CRAFTING. And by crafting I mean I opened a can of spray paint and read a magazine while she did most of the work. But I digress.

I will share all of our crafting goodness later this week, but meanwhile, please enjoy this gem: a painted (love the color) coffee table with a chalkboard top for Alex's playroom/the den. It was s STEAL for $130 and I might have peed a little when I texted a photo to Joey and he immediately responed with, "buy it." You're welcome, America.

Bob's your uncle.

Nearly a month after the fact, I'm finally getting around to posting pics from our adventure to Minnesota. At the risk of sounding like an official tourism endorsement, I can't say enough awesomesauce about the city. We had a BALL. The transportation is easy. The food is delish. The neighborhoods are safe. The scenery is beautiful. The people are so nice. If they didn't have such crappy winters, I probably could be convinced to move there. (Don't tell Mark & Kelly.)

We started our 4 day adventure...where else? The Mall of America! We were definitely wandering around like a bunch of kids. We even rode the roller coasters (which, for those that know my Joey...this is accomplishment!).

The next morning, we ate at a little gem called Al's Breakfast. The place is literally 12 feet wide (carved from a former alleyway) and has something like 17 chairs. You wait for your seat in the 2 ft. behind the other chairs and the wall behind you. I don't recommend it if you're claustrophobic. And, picture Seinfeld's soup nazi - that's their head waitress. The food was greasy spoon and exactly what you would expect from a place like that.

After breakfast, we got MEGA touristy and opted to explore the city on bike via their Nice Ride program. Basically, every 2-3 blocks in the city, you'll see bike racks like this. You swipe your credit card and get a code to unlock a bike...and for $6 for a 24 hour period, you've got the best ride in town. We never took a cab - literally biked everywhere.

Oh, and it should also be mentioned that I was in the Motherland of Target. THIS CITY INVENTED TARGET, Y'ALL. I never wanted to leave...

Tomorrow we shall discuss my application form into Overeaters Anonymous, as I ate at EIGHT food trucks in one afternoon. Hey, this 30 before 30 business isn't going to achieve itself.

A house & a wedding.

They backfilled yesterday! It was so super weird to stand on our lot without the giant piles/mounds of dirt thinking, "This is where Alex will play. This is where Joey will mow the lawn. This is where I will sunbathe."  Let's be honest, here. I don't get down and dirty with the yard work because that? Is a hard job. It's literally in our marriage contract that I do not do hard jobs. See also: taking out the garbage, lifting heaving things, reaching things on high shelves, and other miscellaneous tasks that require manual labor and/or excessive sweating.

So fab, yes? Anyway, we're off to Minneapolis tomorrow morning for the wedding of our very dear friends, Mark & Kelly. This means I will have accomplished two things on my life list: get Marky-Mark married and visit the Mall of America. Multitasking, what?!

Day two.

This morning's spreesprises were strategically located near my keys, since I had to leave super early for lame meetings and other corporate shenanigans that help put Cheez-its in my cupboard and Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi in my fridge. Priorities, people. Anyway, I was the proud recipient of a new sunglasses clip for my car (since *cough*Joey*cough* broke my old one), 2 more Pay Days (note: they are fun size...makes me feel less guilty about the quantity consumed) and Yankee candle air fresheners. All very sweet and thoughtful things from my boys!

In related news, we're headed to my parents' house this weekend--spanning the bootcamp celebrations far and wide! #occupybirthdaybootcamp needs to start trending. Make it happen.

Weekend fun!

Every summer, the company my Dad works for does a HUGE "Family Day." It's kind of like employee appreciation meets summer carnival. And boy, do they do it right.

Monster trucks. Midway rides. Fire trucks. Clowns. Tractor rides. Food. Music. Games. Crafts. And a parade!

This year, Alex got to be IN the parade. He thought it was pretty much the cat's PJs that he was the "caboose" on one of those barrel trains pulled by a lawn mower. He kept singing "Little Red Caboose" (even though it was green...details) and waving to all the people. "I'm in Poppi's car-ni-bal parade, Mommy!"

And then, if that weren't enough mind-blowing fun for one weekend, Alex learned to pedal his bike all by himself on Sunday! Pardon my super annoying and loud squeals in the video (and the quality; it's a cell video), but I was so jazzed for him. He's been working so hard on it and something just finally clicked. I think he went up and down the sidewalk no less than 50 times that afternoon, racing his Daddy with the lawnmower. Sigh. My little boy is getting so big!

Weekend in pictures.

Here's a photographic look at our weekend, because I'm too lazy to do anything else today. Hey, at least I'm honest.

On Friday, we went to our community's "birthday bash" carnival and rode some of the rides and played at the water park.

On Saturday, dreams came true and toddler brains exploded when we went to Huckleberry Railroad at Crossroads Village where we took a ride on the REAL Thomas the Train!


On Sunday, we stayed in our jammies until noon and did absolutely nothing. There are no pictures to document this, because obviously.

I do. I did. And I'd do it all over again.

On Saturday Joe and I had the pleasure of attending a wedding reception at the same location ours was held almost 4 years ago. It was quite magical to be there, watching another couple with stars in their eyes...starting on a journey that will change them, challenge them, and teach them to love like they've never loved before.

It gave me chills a few times, to be honest. Or maybe that was the open bar, I just can't be sure.

Like I said...possibly the open bar.

Anyway, the wedding was beautiful. And the reception was such fun! They thought of every little detail...from a super rad DJ to a self-serve candy bar that Willy Wonka himself would have been proud of. And they rented a photo booth! Gah...that was so much fun. There's not many things I would change about our wedding, but if I had to do it all over again, I would have rented a photo booth. And worn red shoes.

For The Love Of Family.

We're back safe and sound from CT, despite the massive snow dump over pretty much the entire Midwest last weekend. I have many pictures to post and stories to tell, but those will simply have to wait until I come back up for air and have the wit and brain function to do them all justice.

In the meantime, I will be spending 7 hours and 49 minutes in the car this weekend to drive 419 miles for various family and holiday functions. Le sigh.

Also? My basement almost flooded this morning. As if I needed another reason to love Fran...she called me at 8:30 am to tell me that the load of sheets I left for her in the washing machine was spewing all over my linoleum. In a moment of superhero genius, she unplugged the machine and turned off the water until Joey could scamper home to fix it. Bless them both, because without them Alex might be getting a basement cleverly designed as a swimming pool for Christmas.

Born In A Barn.

Joey was on a fishing trip with his Fraternity Brothers this weekend, so Alex and I spent the weekend with Poppi, Uncle Kyle and Aunt Jill. (Grammi is currently in Connecticut with Kelli and David.)

Anyway, we had a super-dee-duper time. Oh, and when I say I grew up in the middle of a cornfield, I'm not kidding -- and Alex got a little taste of Momma's roots over the weekend.

Walking down the driveway.
Yep! That's where I grew up!

He's a farm boy at heart.
Couldn't get enough of the tractor rides.

Look closely - you'll see an Alex and an Uncle
Kyle walking to a playground by Great Grandpa's
house. Fun fact - that big church in the background is
where my Mom and Dad were married.

We also went to the twilight balloon fest in Midland.
SO freakin' cool.

This was my favorite balloon.

Poppi and Alex watching the balloons.
Poppi also may or may not have fed Alex
most of an elephant ear. I'm just sayin'...

In related news, Alex received his Mensa certification over the weekend. When you ask him, "Alex, what does a turkey say?" He will reply clear as day with a "Gobble, gobble." And when asked about a cow, you'll get a "Mmmmoooo" in response. I die every. single. time. Videos soon, promise.