My cousin Jonathan got married July 28th. Calvin and I weren't sure we were going to attend the wedding, mainly because of the six hour drive, but I decided that it was important to be able to see my grandparents and some other members of my family that I haven't seen in over a year. So we headed to Des Moines on Friday morning. The trip started out fairly well. The girls packed bags of baby stuff and bags with coloring things, plus we have a DVD player in the van so they could watch movies. I packed a bag with toys for Coye and a bag of snacks for all of us. Coye did pretty good the first half hour or so, but then he started getting a little cranky. Luckily we ate lunch before he got too bad. We stopped at a McDonald's that had a playground, which the girls loved! They played for a while before getting back into the van. Calvin had to get parts for his mini excavator, so our next goal was 2 1/2 hours away. Coye ended up napping part of the time, going through all of his toys in his bag, and eating several snacks. The girls were great and played and watched a movie. The kids got to get out and stretch their legs while Calvin picked up the parts, but then it was back into the van for another 2 1/2 hours. I drove the last leg and poor Calvin had to occupy one cranky little boy who proceeded to pretty much cry for this last part of the trip. It was pretty miserable for all of us. By the time we got to my aunt's house for supper, Calvin and I were both ready to take a break from Coye. Luckily dad was there so he took Coye right away. We ate supper and then headed to the hotel to give the kids baths and relax a little before bed. After baths, I sent the girls with Jenna to mom and dad's room and then put Coye to bed. Poor little thing was so tired he fell right to sleep while nursing. He slept pretty good, though the girls didn't go to bed til late and were a little tired. We ate breakfast in the hotel and then hung out in our room for a while. When Coye was ready for nap, I sent Calvin out with the girls. He took them to a mall down the road where there was a wild animal exhibit. They saw black bears, a coyote, and many other animals. They loved it! They brought back lunch, which we quickly ate before getting dressed and heading to the wedding. I had to wake Coye up so he ate a snack during the wedding. The wedding was beautiful and my cousins sang and did a fabulous job. After the wedding, we headed to the reception where we ate and chased Coye around, who was definitely tired of sitting still. At one time, he almost knocked over the screen (which didn't fall thankfully) that they were showing video on. During the speeches and toasts, he proceeded to walk behind all of the groomsmen to the bride and groom before coming back again. Good thing he's so little - I don't think many people noticed. After the reception, we went back to the hotel and put all three kids to bed before going to watch the Olympics in mom and dad's room. The next morning Coye was up early, so Calvin took him into the hallway for an hour so the rest of us could sleep. We then dressed, packed, and went to Perkin's to eat breakfast before heading home. Along the way home, we stopped at Kohl's to buy the girls' school shoes and then also stopped in Moline to visit the John Deere Pavilion they have there. The kids got to climb on and look at tractors, a combine, mowers, a Gator, and other Deere equipment. They also had a small children's area where they could play with some farm stuff or do puzzles. We then went to the store where Calvin bought Coye a small tractor and book, Chloe a tractor and auger, and Aubrey a tractor and wagon. They were so excited! The ride home was slightly better than the ride there. Coye took a longer nap. The girls were awesome the entire time and didn't even ask once if we were there yet. Coye still cried, but it wasn't quite as bad. Calvin and I both decided though that we aren't doing another long car ride for a while!
 |
| Starting off |
 |
| Taking a break at McDonald's |
 |
| The girls loved climbing! |
 |
| Jenna and Chloe |
 |
| Dani, Jenna, and Chloe |
 |
| Grandma and Aubrey |
 |
| Chloe and her namesakes - Aunt Danielle and Grandma Chloe |
 |
| Chasing Coye |
 |
| A snack for Coye before bath and bed |
 |
| At the John Deere Pavilion |
 |
| Driving the Gator - slightly bigger than theirs at home |
 |
| Coye on the mower |
 |
| Daddy and Coye |
 |
| The girls |
 |
| Coye |
 |
| Playing farm |
 |
| Doing the puzzle |
 |
| Playing farm |
 |
| The girls in a tractor wheel - I love this picture! |
 |
| Coye loved this chair - too bad it was $140! |
 |
| Their new tractors, auger, and wagon - using popcorn seeds as pretend corn. Don't worry - Coye was in bed. :) |
