Wedding & Kentucky Trip

This is going to be a bit lengthy and I appologize but I have been swamped since getting back so instead of trying to do little ones of each event I am going to do a mass posting. 

Saturday, June 16th we received a new member to our family.  My brother got married to the love of his life Kassy!  We are so happy they have found each other and that we got to be apart of their lovely day together.

These pictures are in no specific order.

Jerod & Kassy cutting the cake...which by the way was DELICIOUS!  If I needed something big for a big event I would go through this lady...Yumm-O is all I have to say!

Mom & Dad all dolled up!  What a cute couple they make after 39 years.  Love you guys.

Family picture.  We had to do this outside at the reception as my two little ones fell asleep during the ceremony and slept until we were at the reception. Turned out good.

Our family picture.

Jen, Nick & Madelyn

Ellaree & Kaleb

Wedding Party

Kids sleeping in the pew at church

We had a blast but it sure was tiring.  Sunday Harry & I woke up at 5 and we had everything packed, kids loaded and on the road by 745.  We didn't think that was too bad.  Our goal was 7 but given all that was going on we felt it was still good.  We made good time and was to Grammy's house Sunday night by a little after 8.  The kids were tired and ready to get out of the truck.

The minute we let the kids out of the truck they were on their bikes riding around Grammy's driveway.  This worked out great as they burned off some energy and we got everything carried into the house.

Ellaree went for a tractor ride and helped plant some soybeans.

Mommy was giving 4 Wheeler rides while Daddy was mowing Grammy's lawn with the tractor. 

Lorelai & I went junk shopping with Cousin Mary, Melrose and baby Ruby.  Cousin Laura met us for lunch.  It was a very fun day with lots of goodies bought along the way.

The kids loved their rides with Aunt Beth on her golf cart. 

We got to meet Cousin Al's girlfriend Brandy and her two children Jared & Lily.  We loved them all.  We had a slip-n-slide & pool party.  It was so very fun.

Lily & Ellaree are exactly 1 month apart in age.  Lily was not overly enthused about quiet time but she did good.  After naps/quiet time Brandy & I took all five kids to Clarksville, TN, about 45 minutes from Grammy's, where we had our own little adventure.  The suburban quit on us.  We were able to move it over to the side of the road and after about 5 minutes was able to get it moving again.  The boys were out doing irrigation and was hard to get ahold of them.  When we got back as far as Oak Grove, about 20 minutes, it quit on us again.  But this time we were not so lucky to get it to the side of the road.  So there we sat for another 5 minutes until it gave in and we were off again.  This time I tried very hard to get us back to the farm...which we did all in one piece.  It was quite the adventure but we had a good laugh through it all.  

Harry loved to wear Uncle John's straw hat & one shoe.

Ellaree learned to do the monkey bars while there

See this big sprayer...Harry was in love with it and loved to drive it around.  We were able to get all 5 of us in there and we did 168 acres as a family.

We were able to visit with Grammy every day.  We couldn't stay long as the kids would start climbing the walls but they enjoyed seeing Grammy and telling her of our day.  We also got to be with her for half of her church service before we had to say goodbye.  What a precious time that was with her.  We also got to go to Uncle John & Aunt Beth's church and see their wonderful Pastor Dan and wife Debbie.  We were surrounded by such wonderful people all week long. 

Half way back Sunday night we got a hotel room in Peoria, IL and then Monday we took the kids to the John Deere Pavilion in Moline, IL. Oh what fun we had. 

Kids in the big dozer bucket

Lorelai & Harry

Ellaree

I could not find both Harry's for the life of me and I finally found them in this.  Daddy was explaining everything to Lil Harry.  It was just too cute.

Mommy & Harry.  He was so tired he did not want to walk around. 

We got home around 4 Monday afternoon to the children complaining about not wanting to get out of the truck.  So we decided to go up to Sleepy Hollow with my trailblazer and see if they could work on it.  To back up a little, a week prior to Jerod's wedding I was delivering 15 pounds of potato salad to my friend Jane's house for her daughter's graduation party when I just got into Viroqua when my trailblazer just quit on me.  Exactly like the suburban did in Kentucky.  So I was able to limp it home, switched everyone over to Harry's truck and went and made my deliver.  Unfortunately Harry was busy at work that my truck sat there and we couldn't find time to get it up to Sleepy Hollow.  So it sat.  So since the kids didn't want to get out we decided it was a good time to get it up there.  We have been looking at trading and so I went into the car lot and started looking again.  Of course nothing there that I needed.  I need 3 rows, 2nd row needs to have captains chairs & I need 4 wheel drive.  Not a tall order, I didn't think.  They only had 1 Tahoe that had all that.  I didn't think there would be enough room but I thought I would test drive it while they worked on my trailblazer and see if I truly did or didn't like it.  Well we are negotiating and it sounds like it is almost a done deal.  I will be getting a tahoe for good very soon.  Yaay for our family.  Ellaree is thrilled with this news as she will have her own seat. 

On top of all this, Tuesday after getting back Ellaree started summer school & swimming lessons.  She missed one week while we were gone but she has been having lots of fun. 

Things are finally calming down as she doesn't have school on Fridays and I am finally getting caught back up on laundry and getting everything put away from the wedding and vacation.