Midwest tour

I had a quick Midwest trip.  In a week I hit 8 states.  

I enjoyed a wedding reception, a newborn baby, and lots of family time.  

Here are a pics from my phone.

Smelling the crisp harvest air was such a treat!  

Fall is my favorite time in Illinois!

On to St. Louis

The wedding reception was for my cousin, Jason, and his new bride, Jen.

It was at the City Museum.

That place is AMAZING!!

This picture is so blurry but sooooo sweet.  

They were such a cute couple!

The reception was full of fun stuff like a candy and glow stick table!

The museum was full of places to climb and crawl into.

My kids would have loved it!!!

Then on to Chicago to meet my new nephew.

He is perfect!

I also got to bond with his big brother!

I loved spending time with my sister and her wonderful family!

Modern technology made it possible to home school long distance!!

It was a great trip but it's always good to be back home.

Life here is good and busier than what I like.

Homeschooling has had it's ups and downs.

One of the kids is having a great year in school and the other is ready for summer already.

Baby girl is getting strong opinions, but she is still cute as a button.

I have so much I want to blog about....maybe soon....

Travel

These next few months I will have several travel posts.  

This last weekend we were at a place I could only describe as pure bliss.  

I heard someone say, "If you can't relax here, you can't relax!"  

I agree.  

The only bummer was I forgot my camera.

Phone pictures will have to do.

I know many of you are wondering how I can do this.

1.  Hubby travels for meetings.  I sometimes get to tag along!

2.  We have THE BEST BABYSITTER EVER!
3.  I have amazing friends that will always help!

One of the funnest parts was the Scotch tasting.  I did not participate, but it was fun to watch and listen.

One of the tastes was from a bottle that retails for over $1,000 a bottle!

WHAT????

The guy giving the demonstration was a professional wine and liquor guy.

He was very interesting to listen to.

He kind of had a Silence of the Lambs feel to him.

It made him even more interesting!

Ben played golf while I escaped to the spa.

This lodge was so interesting.  

Only 28 rooms.

Complete with a movie theater, game room, and huge observatory.

This place was AMAZING 

One of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

No detail missed.

And God didn't miss a thing either...

I don't know if I will ever be able to go back....but I hope so!

I got my new issue of Southern Living yesterday and they featured this resort!

I called it a "little secret"......it's not a secret anymore!

Next stop:  St. Louis and Chicago

I have a marriage to celebrate and a baby to see!!

Baby Girl

Baby Girl is needing a new name.  She is hardly a baby anymore.  

Let's call her Little Girl.

We all still constantly ooh and ahh over her.

She eats it up.

The crib has been broken down for the last time.

The high chair has been donated.

She still loves her pacifiers.  

I'm not sure when I will have the energy to break her heart.

It will be soon....

She is the best 2 year old listener that I have given birth to.

I hope it continues!

She is still pure delight.

This age is so much fun!

Those brown eyes and her happy spirit...
She was worth waiting for!

Oh Canada...

Quebec City is just pure beauty.  

Not a bad place for a mandatory company trip!!

One of the best parts of this bi-yearly meeting is spending time with the Warners!

This year one of my best friends, Kathy, and her husband were on this trip, too!

Our hotel

Dinner appetizer.
French cuisine.
A pancake with duck liver and something on it.
I didn't love the food this time.

Quebec City is a French city.  It is amazingly beautiful!

I was overwhelmed by the power and beauty that God has provided.

Dinner was in a BEAUTIFUL old church.
I was a little confused.....

And then surprised....

When the Phantom appeared.

VERY COOL!

The last night was bitter sweet.  At the end of the evening I said goodbye to one of my besties.
After the trip Kathy was headed to her new home in Colorado.
My kitchen table has missed our morning coffee dates!
I have too!



It was a great trip with some of my favorite people.
Goodbye Canada....until 2015!