Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Obermayer Family Reunion


We drove to Lincolnshire, IL on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.  It was a long drive, but the kids did great!  We stopped at a playground in Mauston, WI about 2/3 of the way into the the drive so the kids could run around for a bit.  It was quite the exciting stop for all of us!  Not only did we get to play at the park and walk along the river, but we got to see a digger in action (up close) working on a sidewalk, we got to see an 18 inch water snake swimming in the water (and we saw him swim up to a dock where two girls sat with their feet in the water and watch their reaction lol!), we got to hear the local church alarm system go off to call the local firefighters to action along with see multiple firetrucks.  Pretty exciting for a 2 and 3.5 year old!

After arriving at the hotel, my parents took us out to eat to celebrate Paul's birthday that day.  We realized that Summer and Grandma Kirkwood randomly matched, and I love this picture of the two of them at the restaurant!


The next morning the reunion officially started and we met up for breakfast.  It was so much fun to see my cousins and their kids!  We grew up together in IL and share so many memories.  It is fun to make more and watch our kids make memories together too.

The Gang (Minus Uncle Gary, Aunt Karol, and Kendall who couldn't make the trek from FL this year)

The great-grandchildren: Colton (2), Cora (20 months), Summer (3.5), Rowan (5.5), Cruz (4), Jade (2)
 It was so cute to watch the kids play together, and they often paired up in "twos" throughout the weekend.  Summer and Rowan (very similar personalities!) were almost inseparable, Jade and Cruz seemed to share a special bond, and Colton and Cora parallel played by default :).

In a few months two more great grandchildren will join group!  Baby Tommerdahl is due in July and Amanda's baby is due in September - both girls!  Amanda's daughter Jade and my son Colton are only 3 days apart, so it is fun that their younger sisters will be close in age as well.
After breakfast on Saturday, we cousins took our kids to a park and had fun playing and catching up.

Colton asked Summer if she would go down "the big slide" with him :)

Summer and Rowan played together almost the entire time.

The boys in their stripes! 

Summer and Jade on the little train

All the kiddos on the train
The "littles" chillin' in the hotel lobby before naps 

The "bigs"
After naps my cousins and our kiddos had a blast swimming in the hotel pool and ordered pizza while our parents' generation had a kid-free dinner out to catch up.  After we got our kids to bed, they babysat while my cousins and our hubbies got to go out for ice-cream - kid free :).
On Sunday we went to my Grandma's church, and then headed to Culver's for lunch.  Sunday afternoon was "Grandparent and Grandkiddo" time while my cousins and our hubbies had a quadruple date to see The Blue Man Group.  We had so much fun taking the train downtown, going to the show (it was awesome!), eating at a Mexican restaurant, and spending quality time together.

Our "Blue Men" en route to the show: Roger, Eric, Nate, and Paul
After the show: Me, Kristin, Amanda, and Alison
While we had our quadruple date, the grandparents spoiled all of our kids by taking them to Chuckee Cheese for games and McDonalds for dinner and icecream!









On Monday morning, we swam again in the pool.






We also took some updated pics of the kids with Gee-Gee Obermayer:




We had some excitement when one of family members locked their keys inside the car.  Amanda's husband Nate is a police officer and called in a local officer to come help.  It was quite interesting to see how they successfully got the car open!
Watching Uncle Nate

Go Nate!
After a final lunch together, we headed home.

On the way back I shared a shake with my favorite little guy...


A huge thank you to all the people I stole pictures from, to my mom for organizing all the pics everyone took, to my parents for their generosity and care of our kiddos letting us have kid-free date time, and to my Uncle Paul for planning/organizing the weekend.  It was such a perfect long weekend, and I am so thankful for great extended family.  I love you all! 



















My Uncle Paul (the planner and organizer of Obermayer Family Weekend) with Summer and Cruz















Happy Birthday Daddy!

Paul's birthday is May 23rd.  On the night before his birthday, my parents came and babysat so I could take Paul out on a birthday date!  He picked to eat at Texas Road House - delicious!

We continued our date looking around a large hunting and fishing store, and ending with one of his favorite desserts, a giant warm chocolate chip cookie with ice cream on top from Chili's.  I had so much fun on our date, as I always love spending quality time with my guy :).

Summer was SO excited for Daddy's birthday this year.  She wanted to decorate his door with streamers, wrap his presents, and pick out specific things she wanted to get him along with making a sweet card.

The next morning (his actual birthday),  she woke up VERY early...she was so excited to make breakfast for Daddy in bed :).  Paul gets up early to exercise and shower, but I told him he had to hop back in bed and pretend to be asleep for his breakfast in bed :).  Summer never knew she didn't actually wake him up :).

 She "woke Daddy up" and sang him the Tommerdahl birthday song as she delivered his breakfast, and insisted that they wear birthday hats :).
Summer and Daddy: Breakfast in Bed

She helped eat the breakfast ;)
By the time Colton woke up, most of the breakfast was already gone, but we snapped a few pictures of him with Daddy too...

I love you Daddy!

Daddy and Colton
Summer was SO incredibly excited to give Daddy his presents which she wrapped and hid in her closet so Daddy wouldn't find them.  It was pretty cute to hear her tell Daddy as he tucked her in for bed one night, "Daddy, don't peek in my closet because your presents are in there!"

Daddy got to spend most of the remainder of his birthday packing up the car and driving the 6-7 hours to Chicago where our annual Obermayer family reunion was being held over Memorial Day weekend.  What a guy!

Happy Birthday to the love of my life!

Monday, May 19, 2014

Weekend at Grandma and Grandpa T's Trailer

We had such a fun weekend at Grandma and Grandpa T's trailer this past weekend! 

Getting the kids ready and packed up was the easiest on record, as Summer completely packed herself!  While I was folding laundry, she would run in and ask "what next?" and I would tell her what type of item (like long sleeve or short sleeve shirts) and how many.  When I came into her room to check her packing this is what I found:


 She brought her suitcase into her room and put everything all in (she loved feeling so grown up!)


She also helped to pack Tucker and various other items- she really was a big help!

Colton packed himself too...sorta.... :-)
Driving to the trailer was our first road trip in our new van, and can I just ecstatically say how amazing it was!!!?!?!??  So much space!  Tucker's kennel even fit in so he road in it instead of hanging out at my feet for the whole drive (AMAZING!). 

Excited!


As soon as we got to the trailer, the kids loved running all around the campground pushing Grandma's kid size strollers.

This was our first trip to the trailer since Colton has moved from crib to big boy bed, so that meant both kids got to sleep together in the "bunk room" (the front end of the trailer that has two bunk beds).  It was fun to hear their chatter as they fell asleep and picture all the memories they will have sleeping together there :).



Highlights of our trip:



Both kids walked probably at least a mile or more on their own pushing these strollers!

When little legs got tired, Grandma and I had strollers along so they could hop in :)

Colton pushed all his cars and Thomas the train in this little stroller, while carrying Grandma's pretend phone....

...stopping often to "take a picture" with his pretend cell phone!
 Grandma, Mommy, and the kids spent a good 3 hours walking trails and seeing even a teepee!  It was so fun to be outdoors!

Playing at the campground park and on the tire swing
 
Javonte pushing Summer

Look at me!









 Fishing
Grandma took care of the kiddos for a few hours while I got to go out with the guys on the boat!  Grandpa took a picture of me with one of my perch :)  I was pretty proud of myself holding the fish all by myself for the first time....I'm working up to taking it off the hook all by myself!  (I almost did, but needed a little help from my hubby :) )

Grandpa took Summer fishing off the dock

Colton and I watched to see what Summer would catch

Grandpa, Daddy, and Summer fishing off the dock


Playing with Grandma and Grandpa's toys on the deck

lots of cars, trucks, tracks!

Busy busy busy

Playing with the doll houses

Grandpa!

Kicking a ball around with Javonte


We had a fun end to the weekend celebrating (a bit early) Paul's birthday at one of his favorite restaurants -  Zorbaz on the lake before packing up to head back home.

Thanks for a super fun weekend, Grandma and Grandpa T!