Chapter 5. Summer's End

Note: Re-posting due to technical difficulties with the video...hopefully it will work this time. For those of you that get these updates automatically, you may have to go to the blog itself (instead of reading it in your email) to watch the video at the end.

Even though it is mid-September as I write this, I'm still a little hesitant to admit that the summer is actually over. But, let's be realistic, school has started (more on that later), we are now watching football on the weekends, and the first leaves have started falling from the trees. Yep. It's official. Summer is over. But, in a last ditch effort to hang on as long as possible, let's review what we did in August.

The first weekend in August brought us visitors from the state of Wisconsin. Jon has a close buddy (and by close, I mean he convinced Jon to wear a kilt at his wedding) that lives near Milwaukee with his family. Carl's daughter, Aneliese, is Jon's goddaughter. Every summer the Conrath's drive to Erie, PA to visit with family. This year on their way back to WI, they decided to swing by our place. It broke up the drive for them (they usually have to stop to spend the night somewhere anyway) and gave us a chance to catch up after what has turned into a couple of years. Aneliese is just about a year older than Marie and boy did they hit it off. They also have a son, Hayden, who is just a little bit older than Joey. It was fun to see them all get along so well.



Also, in August, the kids and I took off to go to the "beach". This is something that I had promised Marie we would do and she probably would've forgotten all about it...but I wouldn't have. The "beach" is on a lake that is literally 10 minutes from our house. There is also a picnic area and Splash Zone for the kids. The three of us (Marie, Joey, and I) went last year as well and Marie had a great time. It was a good thing that we went on the spur of the moment this year because if I would have had too much time to think about taking all three of the kids by myself, I just might have chickened out. But, they of course did great. Marie and Joey loved playing in the sand and water and obediently stayed close to the shore. Stevie chilled in his stroller, watching them and all the other kids play. Marie and Joey were pretty hesitant to go into the Spray Zone at first, but finally worked up the nerve to venture into an area that was a little less daunting. They had fun and boy did they take good naps that afternoon!








In the middle of August, we had a visit from Grandma Meinhart. It was a good thing she was here because otherwise I'm not sure what I would have done with all the green beans and tomatoes. We got a lot of canning done and marinara sauce made for the freezer. We even made a trip to a raspberry patch / peach orchard but were disappointed by the fact that it wasn't a good day for picking either of them. :( We'll remember to call ahead before we drive there next time.

The week of Grandma's visit also corresponded to when Marie attended her very first Vacation Bible School. This was also the first time that our parish offered VBS, so we didn't really know what to expect. I figured Marie would have a good time AND that it would be a good chance to get primed for going to kindergarten this fall. Overall, I think it was a success. Marie did make a couple new friends and also learned some things.

On one of the days while Marie was at VBS, we decided to Joey to a petting farm that is about a minute away from our church. It took him a little while to warm up to the animals, but thanks to a nice volunteer and the cutest little baby bunnies, he finally did. He ended up feeding the goats and also going on a wagon ride. He was pretty interested in seeing the pigs for some reason...




Other than that, we were busy getting ready for the school year to start. We had a fun family outing to Target when we got all the necessary school items (supplies, extra booster seat, shoes that met dress-code, etc.). The kids were pretty excited about this because the trip also involved a trip to Wendy's, their absolute favorite restaurant. :)

We also took a trip to the doctor for Marie's 5 year and Stevie's 6 month check ups. Marie is still roughly 90th percentile for height, but closer to 65th for weight. Stevie must have hit a little bit of a growth spurt, because he stretched out to 95th percentile (26") while his weight was closer to 85th (19 lbs 4 oz). We aren't surprised given his older siblings and are just thankful to have such healthy kids.

Last items of note for the month of August have to do with and update on Stevie. He is really changing fast. First of all, he became the proud owner of two bottom teeth. It seemed like it took quite a while for them to actually poke through, but they finally appeared. Then we introduced solid foods to him. He made the expected sour face the first couple of bites, but he has really taken off. It's as if we weren't feeding him!! He is also now crawling. He's pretty slow, but what he lacks in speed he makes up for in determination. And, he is definitely fast enough to annoy his big brother and sister. The toys and books that they have are always more appealing than any baby toy we might try to use as a distraction. He is settling into his little brother role quite naturally and it won't be long before he is rolling around and wrestling with Joey I'm sure. :)

Chapter 4. Trip to the 'Burgh

A couple of weeks after getting home from our shut-down week tour, we embarked on another trip. We took an extra day of vacation and spent a long weekend in Pittsburgh. We drove down Thursday night and arrived at Aunt Jess' house late in the evening.

The next day, our plan was to meet up with Uncle James, Aunt Jaclyn, JJ, and Gracie at Kennywood. It has been a couple of years since the last time we were there and Marie was very excited about going back. Joey was likewise excited, though not because he remembered it (he was only 9 months old at the time). Marie, Jon, and the rest of the family had really talked it up, so we were hoping that he wouldn't be disappointed.

On Friday, the kids took early naps and we headed out, meeting the others in the middle of the afternoon. It was a pretty hot and sticky day, but that didn't slow them down. We went straight to "Kiddie Land" and they spent all their time going from ride to ride, with brief pauses to hydrate. There were swings, motorcycles, flying elephants, roller coasters, cars to drive, and the much loved "Whippersnapper".











After a few hours, we decided it was time to get some supper, so we walked over to the cafeteria. While we were there, the sky grew dark and the wind picked up. Rather than heading back to the rides, we decided instead to go back to the car. It was a bit of a hike though and by the time we got there, the rain had really started to come down and we were drenched. Guess it wouldn't be a trip to Kennywood without a good rain shower!

On Saturday morning, we headed over to Uncle James and Aunt Jaclyn's house for lunch. Peg's dear friends from college, the Coffields, also joined us for a short visit. It had also been a couple of years since we'd seen them. My how the kids have grown!

Aunt Jess had brought some fun crafts for the kids to work on and then it was time for naps. After nap time, we got everyone in their respective baseball gear to get ready to go downtown for the Cardinal / Pirates game.







We were a little uncertain how long we would stay, but were completely prepared to call it a night whenever needed, no matter the inning or score. We were quite pleased with how the kids did. PNC Park is very kid/family friendly. Marie, Joey, JJ, and Gracie spent a good bit of time playing on the playground they have on site (with LOTS of other kids their age). On the walk there with Uncle James, they even got to give the Pirate Parrot a high five...or at least that's what Marie and Joey tell us.



We ended up staying until the middle of the 9th inning. They Cards were well ahead, so we felt okay not staying until the very end. Plus, we wanted to try to avoid having to deal with any potential crowds and traffic after the game. Needless to say, we were all pretty tired by the time we hit the sack.

On Sunday morning, we went to church, had lunch, and relaxed a bit before heading back home. Marie and Joey were so tired, they even took naps during the drive. It was a short visit, but packed full and well worth it.

Chapter 3. Shut-down week.

Every year around the 4th of July, Jon has a week off of work. It is basically mandatory vacation time when (almost) all of GM shuts down for maintenance, re-tooling, and other big jobs that quite frankly are easier to do when no one around. It also usually coincides with the annual Speckhard family reunion in Mishawaka, IN so that works out nicely for us. I (Peg) also take vacation and we spend a week on the road visiting with as many loved ones as we can. This year, there was also a baptism, wedding, and birthday party thrown in, so it was busy!

This year's road trip started with short drive to Canton, MI. On Friday, July 1, our Godson, Leo Benjamin (Rosie and Lilly's baby brother) was being baptized. Of course we couldn't miss that! It was a nice, intimate ceremony followed by ice cream and visiting at Leo's grandparents' home. Leo and Stevie are just a few weeks apart in age. It was already fun to see them interacting and "talking" to each other. We think they will turn out to be pretty good buds!

PS - Thanks to Tabbatha Plomaritas for the great pictures!




As an aside, at the after-baptism party, Marie tripped while running in the yard, landing squarely on the sidewalk on both knees. There was quite a bit of blood and crying, but we eventually did recover from the first really good knee scraping of the summer. This provides the explanation for the band-aide theme you might notice in some of the subsequent pictures.

After the baptism, it was time to hit the road. We had never attempted the driving at night approach with our kids. We were a little leery about it, but we just needed to do it this time. On Saturday, July 2, Jon's cousin was getting married in Mishawaka, IN. Marie and Joey did fine...but didn't sleep. Stevie, who was (and is) still not a big fan of riding in the car, cried a good part of the way. But, alas, we did make it to the hotel and finally got everyone settled in for some restful sleep.

The next couple of days were packed full of wedding activities, playing with the Shibata's (the event was also attended by Grandma and Grandpa Shibata, Uncle James, Aunt Jaclyn, JJ, and Gracie, and Aunt Jess), catching up with family that we hadn't seen in a year or more, swimming, eating, outdoor games, celebrating Gracie's 2nd birthday, and the like. The weather was hot and humid. (Though that is reportedly not the reason the groom was in a kilt!) The pool was refreshing and thoroughly enjoyed. Joey did get a couple of wasp stings, but after a bit of ice, he was as good as new. Even though we don't get to see Jon's aunts, uncles, and cousins all that often, we always feel right at home and cherish the time with them. We are so grateful to have such wonderful extended family.

Gracie, the newest 2-year-old!

Needless to say, all the time outside in the sun and all the tremendous fun that we had really wore us out. Back at the hotel, Marie and Joey slept together in the pull-out couch. When they are teenagers and can't seem to get along, we look forward to pulling out this shot!

After a couple of full days, we got back on the road. We drove down to Grandma and Grandpa Meinhart's house on Monday, July 4th. This time the drive was during the day and went much more smoothly. By this time, we were beginning to figure out how to keep Stevie and happy as possible. Instead of Jon doing the driving (he almost exclusively did the driving up until that point), I drove and Jon sat right next to Stevie. Hey...whatever works.

Down in Illinois, there was lots of stuff to do and see. Marie and Joey got a kick out of the new kittens that Grandma and Grandpa had. The kids were kind of scared of them at first. (Scared of kittens...I know!) But, after a couple of days, they realized they were completely harmless and got up the nerve to pet them and pick them up. Marie and Joey still talk about them now!




We were kept busy checking the garden, looking for Purple Martins, fishing, watering flowers, driving the tractor, and lots of other fun stuff as well. Time always flies when we're down there!


Another one of our Illinois activities was taking the kids to the farm, where Grandpa Meinhart grew up and were his two brothers (and nephews) still farm. Marie and Joey were pretty nervous about the cows in the milking parlor and wouldn't even think about letting us put them down. They were also afraid of the dogs, calves, pigs, and steers. At least they're consistent! We were a little surprised about Joey being so nervous since last year, he got right in there and fed the steers by himself. But, they both still really enjoyed playing in the big pile of cottonseed.





We took a day to drive to St. Louis and see Great-Grandpa Boedeker. He is definitely slowing down and his hearing and eyesight is suffering, but he is still sharp as a tack. He always brightened up when the kids would be playing or running around. And, he could see well enough to comment a couple of times about how big Stevie was already! We can't get anything past Great-Grandpa.


After a packed few days in Illinois, we drove back up to Michigan on Friday, July 8. The next day, we celebrated again with our friends, the Roberts' family. This time it was to celebrate Lilly's 3rd birthday. No skinned knees this time, just pizza, cake, and ice cream.



Later that night, we celebrated with our friends, the Thomm's (and many others!), who were renewing their wedding vows and celebrating their 10th anniversary. Not only that, but Uncle Dave and Itaxso flew in for the weekend on their way to Chicago. Whew! So much going on, so much fun, and so thankful for safe travels, all the family that we got to see and events we got to celebrate. This year's shut-down week will be hard to beat in the years to come!