Why not another road trip?

A cool old train in North Platte (I highly recommend checking it out if you're ever in the neighborhood)!! It's free to tour and we really liked it!

Inside the engine:)

Jamie, Zach, Ike, Gramps, and My Grandma (Dee)-- we had a great time with her in Kansas... and I'm pretty sure she likes these great grandkids a lot!! (Note Ike's shirt says "potty like a rockstar")

Zach in Kansas sporting a Kansas City Royals outfit... too bad they're doing so poorly!

My Grandma Leafty, Mom, Zach, Jamie, and Ike-- 4 generations on both sides:)

North Platte train museum-- also a very cool place to visit

Macy and Ike at my "birthday party" apparently her cake and ice cream taste better than his!

Ike, Jamie, Alonit (or Isaac calls her Illinois) and Jamie at breakfast... will be sad to not be so close!

Gramps and Ike looking at the Elk in Estes Park

We have been very blessed the past couple of weeks with so many friends and family assisting us in the packing process! I know we couldn't have done it without you all, even if it was just keeping the kiddos happy so I could stuff things in boxes! Whew! I am happy to say, we are closer than I expected to be at this point (don't get me wrong, I would still love to be farther!).

Anyway, the past couple of weeks have been filled with visitors and visits as we prepare for the big change. My mom came to stay with us for a couple of days and help pack. What a huge help! The boys just love her and I am so thankful for the special bond she has with them. I know it will serve them all well in the future. Anyway, on Wednesday, we decided to load up and head to North Platte for a day before driving on to Kansas to visit grandparents and relatives one more time before the big move. I know, you must be thinking "this girl is crazy... 10 unnecessary hours one waybefore the 18 hour car ride?!" Yep, that's me... crazy! I decided it was more of an experimental trip... the calm before the storm... a definite walk on the wild side! Lucky for me, I had my parents with me. What a great time! The kids were so good, relatively speaking and we had a great time with everyone we were able to see... Just wish we would've had more time so we could've seen everyone we wanted to see!

We headed back to North Platte on Saturday and then back to Laramie on Sunday afternoon, just the boys and I for four HEAVENLY hours in the car. Zach was soo good... he slept the whole return trip... couldn't ask for more... Ike and I just kept driving keeping our fingers crossed and it worked! Well, I should rephrase... my fingers were crossed or for the last 20 minutes of the drive, my fingers were holding a binky in Zach's mouth trying to keep Isaac's fingers from their incessant need to touch Zach... only a real problem when the latter is asleep in the car. Ike's favorite thing to say is "I'm not buggin' him... I'm touching him nicely!" Nicely or not buddy, after that many hours in the car, a successful sleeper is the only thing I care about! Ike also found a new love in cinema... Charlotte's Web. He isn't such a fan of cartoons, so the real animals held his attention much better. When he and my uncle, Rock, were walking around a pond at my grandma's place, he saw a spiderweb at the bridge and told him... "look, a spiderweb, just like on my piggy movie!" cute.

Well, you would think that adventure would cure me for two weeks and the inevitable 18 hour car ride, but alas... I'm no quick learner. I guess first we spent the week packing and then Joni, Macy and Emry came to town to play with us. We had a blast and played in style! Nothing like two more kiddos to really crank up the fun! I think one of the most difficult things about leaving is leaving my kids' favorite playmates. Macy is definitely one of the best. Isaac and Macy are polar opposites, but best friends. They love each other like siblings. and they disagree like siblings too! It's great though and I'm so glad. Emry and Zach are only 6 weeks apart, so someday maybe they'll be like siblings too. Right now they're more like "Queen Kong" and "A tiny little squirrel" or something... Too cute.

After the Kennington posse had enough of us, we packed some more, courtesy of the Loveland helpers... and then Friday afternoon loaded back up for one last weekend getaway to Denver! Crazy!?! Yep. I loaded up all by myself (a real feat!) and picked up Ben at 5 so that we could make Dtown by 8pm for the dinner theatre. Jamie (not my alter ego, but the real other Jamie- Ike's nickname for her) and later Ben, have been to this dinner theatre for the past nine years now (wow!). It's the funnest little comedy, musical place... Our favorite is a series they have been writing since 1998 about a group of teenagers from the 60s 70s and 80s that dress up and sing like all the famous groups of the time. Every summer they write a new show and every summer, Jamie and I (and now Ben and now Ike and Zach...) make our way to see it. Again, crazy to take children on Friday night after a long day of packing... I know. BUT, they did SO WELL! Could've been a total disaster, but IT WASN'T! Yeah! In fact, Ike loved singing along, in his own special way... and everytime the music started, he couldn't help moving to the rhythm! HA! He must be his daddy's boy b/c he has rhythm:)

Saturday we met with some special friends for breakfast to, once again, say goodbye... I'm getting better at goodbyes, but still not great. I am very excited for this new chapter in life, but smushy, nonetheless! So, while at breakfast, my parents called and suggested we meet them in Estes Park... Yep, we ARE crazy!! So, we hopped in the car and drove (again)! We had a blast taking it easy and enjoying the cool mountain air and being with family. It's hard to think we won't be able to spend much time with them for the next 4 years!
Sunday we were back home (finally) and once again had to say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa.. I really think Isaac is starting to understand that G &G won't be able to see him much and "they are sad b/c they won't miss me" (ok, he's a little mixed up, but close)! He had a funny little saying today... I heard him say something to my mom that didn't sound very polite so I said "Isaac are you being snotty?" He replied, "No, I'm not being naughty." I said "Well then what are you being?" He replied, "I'm being a stinker!" HA! At least he knows!

Another cute Isaac-ism and then I'll quit for today... I don't think I've posted this in the past, but we received a forward several weeks ago about McDonald's in an effort to recession proof the company, they have decided to buy Mexican beef rather than American. So, as a joke, we told Ike we couldn't eat at McDonalds anymore (not that we really ever did, mostly, I just watched SuperSize Me) Anyway, now if we say "Hey Ike, wanna eat at McDonalds?" He replies "No, because they have Mex-i-can Beef!" Too cute.