Fun with family and friends

We left for Ohio on Saturday morning unsure if we had enough hands for the two suitcases, two backpacks, two carseats and stroller we needed to take. In the end through careful planning we managed just fine -- all the while wondering how we will make the same trip at Thanksgiving with winter clothes taking up much more space and Christmas presents in tow. An airport is a pretty exciting place for a two year old -- an almost endless supply of planes and trucks to talk about.

The kids did great on the trip -- we used frequent flier miles so we were able to get on a pricey non-stop flight for free. This was Ethan's last trip he could fly for free since he is still under two years old. Fortunately, we had an unused seat next to us that he could use which kept me from having to wrestle him for the entire flight. Melissa packed almost a full backpack of cars, planes, crayons, stickers, snacks and assorted other toys. It's a good thing, too, because he had no interest in sleeping.

We were able to spend time with both sides of my family -- and they got to see (and hear) Ethan in a whole different way than they did in May. On that trip he was sick and lethargic. On this trip he narrated every event, played in the pond, searched for cats, ran with his cousins, and checked out all the farm equipment. There's not enough room on this page for all the good pictures we got of both the kids and their cousins, so be sure to check out the web album.

We made a short stop in Dayton to visit with my college friends and their kids. We have all had our kids in the past few years, so they have lots of fun playing whenever we have a chance to get together.

Ella ended up getting a cold with a two days left on the trip. The combination of poor sleep due to the cold and different surroundings meant that none of us (besides Ethan) slept well the last couple nights. We're all glad to be back in our own beds and are sleeping much better.

We got to celebrate Ethan's second birthday a few weeks earlier with both family and friends. He is already a big fan of the "fire" and the "song" and of course, the "cake".