Quick trip!

Well we just got back from a super quick trip to Iowa.  I am telling you it was quick because we arrived at 9pm on Friday night and left at noon on Sunday.  Over 16 hours in the car for that little visit!  It was so good to see everyone though.  Dom and I worked a Catholic Men's conference all day on Saturday as venders with our Lighthouse Catholic Media table.  We really enjoyed being there.  Dominic really liked the keynote speaker and so did my dad.  It was wonderful having my dad there at the conference so he could see us in action at our table.  Some of my friends from years ago were there so I was able to catch up with them too!  Then on Saturday night, we spent some time with my sister Ann and her family.  Everyone looked great!  The kids had so much fun together.  Mena can't stop talking about her cousins and has been making them pictures for the last hour!  Anyway, I got to see my little Godchild Egan.  He is such a smilely little fellow.  Oren, Alice, and Mena had a ball downstairs with Grandma and Grandpa while Ann and I caught up on chit chat.  Dom and Aaron were in the other room chatting away too!  Ann and I are both pregnant now so we got a little pic together withour bellies.  She is around 10 weeks and I am 27 weeks.  Fun times!  Then we left for home in the morning.  and got back to our humble abode around 10pm.  That made for one LONG weekend!

Oren's Third Birthday

Happy Birthday Oren!

Mena and cousin Alice

His new sword!

This was a "Firebomb" that kept going off during the fireworks. It was crazy! You could fee the heat all the way out in the crowd from it.

The whole gang-minus Dom who took the picture.

My nephew Oren turned three years old last weekend. I can't believe it. He is such a doll. Mena will be three in just 3 short months and this was a stark reminder! Wow, how time flies. Oren received some great gifts and the food was great. We also went to the parade and the fireworks all together and he thought they were happening because of his "Big Day!" Too cute!

Iowa Vacation (take 2)

Our time at Palo Beach with my sister Ann, husband Aaron and their three kids. It was a beautiful day to be out in the sun!

This is the family at the Pickle Days Parade by Ann and Aaron's house. We got a ton of candy because we got there a few minutes late and had our own spot. Worked out fantastic!

I have so many pictures and wonderful memories from this weekend. I will try to write this is several posts. We were gone for ten days visiting my family in Iowa, the end of which was our family reunion in Starved Rock, IL. So much fun was had by all! These are some pictures of the events that took place in the previous post I wrote last week. Stay tuned for even more pictures!

AMANDA

Wedding

Here are some pictures from my cousins wedding. It was a beautiful place to hold a reception. Mena loved it outside and she really enjoyed running around the place with her cousins!

I'm back!

We just got back from our trip to Iowa. We had a ball! Mena loved seeing her grandparents and her cousins and they played so nicely together too! Their were five kids altogether all under three. Lots of craziness but we adults managed to still get a good visit in here and there. I have so many great pictures to post. We fit in a ton in the short amount of time we were gone, including my cousins wedding. The reception was at a beautiful place. The outdoors were breathtaking and Dominic got some great pictures of Philomena out there. Enough typing, here are some pictures...