Our Summer Trip to Pittsburgh

Since we had just gotten back from an extended weekend in Illinois, we decided to make our trip during shut-down week (over the Fourth of July) a bit shorter.  We spent a couple of days working at work (Peg) and around the house (Jon).  It was a good chance to get our pool fixed and back up and usable after a elusive leak put it out of commission for the first month of our hot summer.  It ended up being a pretty costly repair, but the kids sure to love it.  We've gotten their agreement that they will continue to use and enjoy it for all of the adolescent and teenage years…so that we can get our return on investment.

We took off on July 4th and drove to Ohio to spend a couple of days with Grandma and Grandpa Shibata.  We enjoyed watching and flying Grandpa's remote control helicopter and airplane and a dip in the pool.  Of course it wouldn't be a trip to Grandpa's house without a couple of rides on his golf cart.

On Thursday night, we drove over to Pittsburgh to stay with Aunt Jess and get ready for the rest of the Pittsburgh activities.  We spent Friday with Aunt Jess and Uncle James' family.  We took a Ducky Tour of Pittsburgh.  It was pretty interesting, driving around downtown Pittsburgh learning about all the history and then going out on the river (just the Ohio river, not the Allegheny or Monongahela) for a short boat ride.  The kids even enjoyed it and JJ got to drive the boat!  He was the only one brave enough.  That evening we had a cookout with the cousins and Joey had his very first sleepover!  We were a bit surprised that he wanted to stay even though Marie didn't, but it turns out that he did great!  We are so blessed to have wonderful family and cousins that our kids can be close with!

On Saturday we headed back over to Uncle James' for Gracie's 3rd birthday party.  There was lots more playing (thank goodness for water toys), visiting, eating, to go with the cake and presents.  We learned that Stevie is VERY fond of Joy (age 6 months) and we think just likes babies in general.  He was actually upset with me when I gave Joy a reprieve from sitting on his lap.  She tolerated him very well, but a girl can only take so much!  We were also pleasantly surprised that Uncle Joel, Aunt Jen, and TJ made the trip over right after their return to the States from Kazakhstan.  It's not all that often that we have ALL the Shibata's together and our time flew by quickly.

Our drive back to Michigan on Sunday went smoothly and quickly.  We stopped again in Ohio and had lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Shibata and made a quick trip to a park.  Overall, it was another successful and enjoyable shut-down week trip. 

September Rewind...Labor Day Weekend

To start the whirlwind month of September, we took a Labor Day weekend trip to Pittsburgh. We went to help celebrate the baptism of our new niece Grace. She was baptized during the Sunday morning service, and didn't even make a squeak!



After mingling with the church-goers over cake and punch, we all went to Uncle James and Aunt Jaclyn's house for a cookout and party. The Ambrocik's (Jacyln's family) were also able to make the trip. We hadn't seen them since James and Jaclyn's wedding, so it was a great chance to catch up again. The weather was beautiful so the kids, big and small, were able to play outside quite a bit.


Since all of the Shibata's were together that weekend, and that doesn't happen all that often, we decided to really pack in the parties. James and Jaclyn hosted an early celebration for Marie's birthday over lunch on Saturday, complete with a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. The golf game from Grandpa Shibata was quite the hit. So far, we think Marie's golf swing technique surpasses her baseball skills.


Also since we were all together 9and to fulfill a birthday request for Grandma Shibata), we undertook the task of getting a professional group photo of the whole family. We were well past due, since the last family picture was taken before Marie was born. We've added five people to the family since then! It was a bit challenging to get all of the kids to look at the camera and have relatively happy faces all at the same time, but we got a few good shots. They much more enjoyed playing with the props and other toys laying around.






Somewhere in there, Marie also got to squeeze in some quality time with her godmother. She can never get enough of that.



Our trips to the 'burgh are always so full, so fun, and oh so worth it.

Bonfire, baby, & big fun in the 'burgh

Well, we really packed it in this past weekend. We started our 4th of July festivities on Wednesday when we drove down to Pittsburgh with a short break in Ohio to see Grandma and Grandpa Shibata. We arrived at Aunt Jess' house in time to visit with Uncle James, Aunt Jaclyn, and JJ a bit and make our plans for the following day.

On Thursday, despite the threats of rain and the fact that Aunt Jaclyn was 9+ months pregnant, we all went to Kennywood, an amusement park that is well into its 2nd century of existence and is a Pittsburgh favorite. The day started well enough, but shortly after lunch and before we had actually gotten on any rides, the rain did let loose. Thankfully, it didn't last long and it kept the lines short for a while. Marie and JJ had a blast and didn't seem to mind the wet seats and chilly breeze. I think everyone was pretty tuckered out by the time we left. Aunt Jaclyn was a trooper...but still no baby.










If you thought Thursday was exciting, wait until you hear about Friday! In the late morning, we heard from Uncle James and Aunt Jaclyn. They were having regular contractions and thought it would be good for Aunt Jess to come over right away. We were supposed to get ready and come over armed with lunch. We ended up waking up Joey from his nap and hustling over, but by the time we arrived, the contractions were only 3-4 minutes apart. Grandma and Grandpa Shibata were called and started on their way. James and Jaclyn left a message for the doctor, but didn't wait to get a return call before heading to the hospital. They arrived at the hospital around 2:00 PM and little Grace Sachiko was born at 3:45 PM. Once she was ready, she didn't waste any time! We were so happy to get the call saying that mom and baby were both doing great!

That evening, we headed toward Butler, PA to visit my very good friends the Coffields. Some of you may remember Kel from our wedding (matron of honor). We celebrated the 4th a bit early with burgers, dogs, a campfire, smores, and fireworks, though we couldn't stick around for the really big ones. The visit was way too short, but we always have a blast with them. Joey and Gus (two days different in age) met each other for the first time. Ellie and Piper were great with Marie, sharing their toys and showing her how to catch fireflies. We can't wait for our next chance to get together.





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On Saturday, we headed to the hospital to officially meet our new neice. What a cutie!




We spent the rest of the day at Uncle James and Aunt Jaclyn's house even though they weren't there. The weather was nice for hanging out on their patio and in their yard. Marie and JJ got to run around a bit and even cool off in the little pool. We enjoyed dinner and then took our tired kids back to Aunt Jess' house.



On Sunday, we stopped for lunch and for one last quick visit to see Baby Grace, who had just been brought home from the hospital, and the rest of the Shibata clan.


All in all, it was a very fun trip. We hadn't gotten very far into Ohio when Marie said, "I want to go to Candyland." (Translation: Kennywood) When we explained that we would have to wait until the next time we went to visit Aunt Jess, she promptly responded, "What do we have to go home for? I want to go to Aunt Jess' house."