He ran to us:)

This weekend BK was able to come see us!! It was a total God thing. He realized he was on call Thursday night which means he would get out early on Friday so he can sleep. It also meant he could make an airplane. It all worked out for him at the hospital, but I didn't think we could get a good ticket. I looked and it was pricey, but some frequent flyer miles did the trick!! I could not believe it!! He had a flight out of Cedar Rapids to Rochester (which we can never afford normally). Plenty of time to get there too.

Well, in the grand O'hare style he was delayed in CR....and delayed....and delayed. Finally he got out of CR but it was going to be close. Then he landed in O'hare and there were no gates! Seriously. I was dying waiting for text message updates. He was going to have to run if he was going to make it. Finally he got off the plane, and HE RAN.

HE RAN to the shuttle to the next terminal, and then HE RAN to the other end the terminal to his gate. The Rochester flight was delayed too, and they had waited an additional five minutes and we still don't know why...or do we:)

HE RAN TO US!

When BK was running through o'hare I kept thinking, BK is really fast, he has long legs, he will make it. And he did. I picked him up at the airport at 130 AM....the middle of the night for us, but it was soooo worth it! I did not tell the boys, because I knew flying is unpredictable. Their expressions were priceless when they saw Daddy and played with him over the weekend.

We had 40 hours together, which was far too short, and went way to fast, but it was amazing to be a complete family again. BK could have easily said it was too much to fly. He sacrificed a lot of sleep, and post-poned a lot of work he has to complete in the next two weeks to run to us. I am so so grateful he jumped at the chance to see us, and that he is a fast runner:)

I didn't stop smiling all weekend!

My hubby was home!

Russell and Daddy bonding

Lots of hugs for Daddy

And kisses

Even leg hugs:)

Lisa and Yanki

This weekend I was also jazzed to have Lisa here for her yearly visit the to lake, but this time she brought a special visitor! Her fiance Yanki!!! She called me last Thursday to tell me they were engaged, and I am so glad I was able to meet him. It was still the same Lisa, but she was a little different. She and Yanki were blissfully in love. It was awesome. I am sooo happy for them!! Yanki is a wonderful guy and seems to be a great match for Lisa. Yanki is not a big vacationer, so I feel grateful he took time off to come see us! I can't wait to watch them grow as a couple, and celebrate with them at their wedding in the near future! It was a hectic weekend because of the boys and BK suprising us, but they were so flexible. Here are a few pics from our visit together.

Our traditional swims:)

Yanki and Lisa made us a tasty Sunday dinner!

Lisa wrestled and played with the boys:)

Yanki and Lisa took out the beach cruisers

Maybe Yanki will become a beach cruiser lover too!

Lisa and Yanki swimming off the boat

Lisa and I together

Cute Lake pic of the engaged couple!

Walk on the Farm

My grandparents have had a farm in the country for nearly 50 years. They both loved the land. I have so many memories of them working the land together. With Grandpa gone, Granma still works on her land all summer and loves it. Cutting paths and keeping it up. It is not my passion, but I love it here. I spent lots of time here as a child and have many great memories. I love sharing it with my boys, even though I am kind of a city slicker:)

Quint was eager!

Russell running round the fence too

Exploring the path between the trees

Quint and Russell led the charge

GG was a great guide, giving us nature lessons along the way:)

Russell breaking through the trees

Quint and Russell found a place to hide in the tall grass

Exploring the grass

(they were pumped...I was thinking there are lots of bugs and maybe an animal or two in there...yikes!)

More exploring

Running up the hill in the field

BIG SKY is not just in Iowa!

GG and Grammy make it up the hill

More dogs my boys love

We went to visit my Gramna (GG to the boys) and she has two dogs. The boys are so spoiled since it seems most people we know here have dogs:) They were pumped to play with the doggies! I don't see us having a dog for a long time (if ever) so I am glad dog people share with us!

GG with Russell

Quint and Russell resting after our walk with the dog

Russell is jazzed. Maybe we will have to get a dog....someday:)

Ball in the tree....

We brought some balls to Great Granma's farm. Grammy was playing with the boys with the ball and by accident threw it in the tree! It was a big tree and the ball was stuck! HAHA. It was a dilemna:) Grammy was determined to get it, so she found a big stick in the shop and the ladder to fish it out. It was a good 15 feet up, so it was a task, but the boys, GG, and I thought it was funny. Grammy got it after a little hard work:)

Grammy its up there!

Way up there.....

Don't worry Grammy was raised on the farm, she will get it!

Dog Deprived

Today Aunt Doreen and cousin Henry brought down their dog Isabel to the lake. She had never been in the water. The boys were stoked. They love dogs and I think they are a little dog deprived. It is so nice when people share their dogs with us!

Aunt Doreen with Isabel in the water

Dog running around, the boys loved chasing her.

Russell feeding the dog

Floating with Grammy

Today we played in the shallow water.

Russell and Quint enjoyed it and floating with Grammy!

Russell loves to back float:)

A ride in the Z

My Dad has been great about man bonding with the boys. Swinging them, working on man projects, early morning walks when he is on vacation, working on the car, and now a ride in the fast car:) Earlier the boys helped Papa put oil in the car. They are so intrigued by engines and tools. Here are some pics.

Today when Dad had to run an errand he asked to take Quint in the Z. What a great time of man bonding. I moved the car seat over and they went on a man ride in the fast car. It definitely looked rediculous having a car seat in a two-seater sporty car, but it was awesome. Quint was over the moon:) Russell was a little jealous but his turn will come someday.

Chips....

We were waiting for Grammy and it was getting close to nap time. The boys were being very patient, so I treated them. They picked out a snack from the store, and they chose chips. That is what I get for allowing them to choose! It was a treat and they were pumped. They sat very quietly and each ate their own little bag. They were so into it they didn't want to share with mommy! I guess I don't need to eat them anyways, but I was surprised by how territorial they were about it! It was a little messy. Thank goodness for baby wipes:)

One of our daily activities

This is a daily activity at Grammy and Papa's house. Grammy loves play dough because it is clean fun:) The boys love it too!

Neighbor John steps up

Today Papa went back to work. My dad has been on vacation since we arrived here. It has been great because the boys love Papa. He is so interesting and does a lot of man projects/activities. This morning this was a void. Then our neighbor John offered the boys a tractor ride. Both Quint and Russell were jazzed! Russell got a little fearful when it came time for his ride, but Quint loved it. Russell loved watching:) Thanks John!

Quint works on his swimming

I had this lofty goal to transform Quint from a boy who did not want to put his face in the water, to a full swimmer this summer. We are working on it everyday, and he is making a lot of progress, but it is slower than I would like. I am so excited for my boys to be able to be water safe and play in the water freely. I know that day will come, but for now we are working on helping them to love the water. Here is a video of Quint working on his swimming skills on a wavy lake day!

Babies everywhere

Today we had my friend Linda down to meet her beautiful twins. My cousin Erin (who is also a twin momma) came down too! It was a baby party, but fun to see all of them. I am amazed at people who are mommas of multiples it is amazing. Here are some pics.

Playing on the floor

The Grandma's are so helpful!

Aunt Erin manages play dough time (thank you!)

Russell plays with William

Linda and I with our babies