April 2017

April brought something I had been waiting on for nearly two years - I trip home to see family!  Yeay!  There was so much travel in this 2.5 week trip.  Fly from Anchorage to Des Moines, drive to Illinois, drive around Illinois doin' stuff, drive to Pennsylvania, drive to Niagara Falls, back to Pennsylvania, back to Illinois, back to Des Moines, and fly back to Anchorage in time to drive home.  Gah!  At least we got to see our peoples!

This trip, unlike the one a couple years ago for Nate's graduation, I didn't take many photos.  I spent time being in the moment and just being with family.

Easter Egg Hunting at Mom & Dad's house

Other than giving Tina her quilt, we also went to a couple of softball games while in Illinois.  The first game we went to was twice as long as a normal game.  Luckily, eventually one of the Lady Trojans got a run, and Rylee's team won!  At the second game I was less paparazzi, more just hanging out with Tina and Mom.

pitching

throwing out a base runner

this freaking game went 14 innings....

She bats like my Dad farts - one leg up...

Rylee plays on her high school team as well as for a travelling team.
She's friends with the girl who was catching the game.

The second game I went to - Rylee played short stop for this game.
I'm not sure about you, but I think she enjoys the game...

When we went to see Rhyanne in Pennsylvania, we took an overnight trip up to New York to see Niagara Falls.  Neither Jeff nor I had ever been there, and Jeff had never been to New York before, so we went!  Rhyanne had been before, so she served as our tour guide.  It turned out to be the best day of the whole trip.  We got to Niagara Falls early, got good parking (thanks to Rhyanne's knowledge of Goat Island), didn't have to fight crowds, and were done in plenty of time to be at the home of the original Buffalo Wings when it opened at noon!  The drive back was beautiful too and we all hung out until late in the evening.  It was too bad Rhyanne had to be back at campus for class the next day.

We drove to the Canada side the night we got there.
Darkness, tons of people walking around, and not knowing where we were or where to go....
Jeff just sorta pulled over at one point and Rhyanne and I jumped out for a minute and I took out of focus pics like this.

The next morning we were up early and got to the falls before most of the tourists.

looking straight down
I was super scared about dropping my phone...

Buffalo Wings, anyone?
I had pizza...

With Rhyanne being an Education major, she had an impending need for a vehicle.  We were able to make sure that happened before we left.  And I know how much Jeff wishes he could be with his girls, available to help, at all times, so it was nice to get to watch him show Rhyanne around her car.  She had questions and he was so eager to answer them.  I loved it.  It reminded me of why I fell in love with him.

Daddy-Daughter air filter change out

Kiaj is now officially a college graduate!  She gave us other exciting news while we were there - we are going to be grandparents!  They are expecting Baby K in December!  You have no idea how excited I was!  Oh man, this baby is going to have so many quilts!  And I am just itching for it to be the end of tourist season - I'm gonna hit the sale at the gift shop and get this baby some Alaska gear!

These girls love their Grampa Jeff!

April was a good month.  :-)