Kinard Family Chronicles: Illinois, 2012

We just got home from an incredible trip to Illinois. It started off rocky because I was recovering from Shingles and both of the girls were getting over bad stomach bugs, but despite all of that, it turned out to be such a memorable week.

Snuggle time with Daddy before his girls left for the heartland.

Buggy wanted to help me back by picking out her outfits. If it were up to her, her suitcase would be packed with tutu's and headbands and heels!

Showing off her princess wings and her Belle tattoo.

Cute fairy princess Bug.

Our flight to Illinois contained just about every flying malfunction possible: delayed flights, running to connections with baby debris flying throughout the airport, 3 year olds taking off down the escalator and having to be escorted back up by airport security, explosive diapers right before take off, bad weather forcing us to land in another city and sit on the plane for 2 hours, and not having the right car seats once we finally get there forcing us to hang out in the airport for yet another 2 hours!! Oy vey!

After lots of phone calls, we finally found booster seats to use until the rental company brought us our car seats. I'm sure it was illegal, but we were desperate and needed to get out of that airport!! Aunt Kay picked us up and we strapped the girls into the illegal seats and drove 3 blocks to Aunt Kay's house. If we didn't have 150 pounds of luggage we would have just walked there!

The first thing we did when we got there was take a bath!!

Hailey loved Aunt Kay's princess bathtub!

Lulu wasn't a fan of the bubbles so we had to bathe her in the sink! Big baby...small sink...

Fortunately, our unplanned Bloomington visit allowed us to order some Joe's Pizza (Lulu was saving some for later on her chin) and let us get in some Kaitlyn snuggles!

Doug and I babysat KK when she was a tiny baby (and we put her diaper on backwards!!) I'm not sure we really know what we're doing now, but at least we've got the diaper thing down.

Hailey loved Aunt Kay's "ball garden."

By the time we finally made it to Streator (the next morning!) we were ready to relax.

Hailey was very excited to see her "Great Gigi."

Lulu made herself at home on the La-Z-Boy!

That night we went to visit Great Grandma Carole. The girls loved her dog Baby!

Then we made a visit to Great Grandpa Ben and Grandma Sandy's house. The girls munched on some chicken and loved playing with their dog Pumpkin!

A blurry picture, but was too cute not to share! Lainey and her Great Grandpa Ben.

The girls loved playing with Great Grandpa Bob's piggy bank!

Great Gigi made Hailey pancakes every morning.

Buggy loved watching the choo-choo trains from Great Gigi's backyard.

We spent most of our time sitting outside playing with vintage toys. This bike was mine when I was a baby!

Hailey liked to take it for a spin up and down the sidewalk too!

Splashing in Great Gigi's baby pool.

For some reason, the girls just didn't want to keep their clothes on!

Lulu was much happier crawling around in the buff!

Great Gigi was a little embarrassed!!

Lulu loves to hug and snuggle!

Me and my snuggle bunny.

Bug liked watching the kitty's and doggy's next door.

Lulu in a vintage bicycle. There are many pictures of Me and Uncle Poogie on this bike!

Rachel and Aunt Beth came over to join in on the backyard fun! Rachel made everyone friendship bracelets.

Great Gigi has had a lot of contruction going on outside her house. We were lucky enough to watch them pour the cement for her sidewalk while we were playing outside!

Of course we had to write our names in it! (By the time the workers finally left, the cement was too dry for us to make handprints in it.)

Creating our masterpiece. Hailey made a very beautiful abstract scribble that will forever be on the sidewalk in front of Great Gigi's house.

Next it was time to take a trip to the Sherman school playground with Rachel. I love this picture. Rachel was the flower girl in our wedding when she was Hailey's size. Now Buggy barely comes up to her hip!

Standing in front of Gigi's old stomping grounds.

Playing with Rachel.

Hailey, sporting all her friendship jewelry from Rachel.

Sliding with Rachel.

Poor thing was so tired she just sat on the ground and said, "I need to rest my legs a wittle bit. I'm tired." So of course, Mommy gave her a piggyback ride home.

Hailey Grace, sitting in front of her Great Gigi's house.

Doug flew into Chicago to see a Cubs game with some friends of ours and then met us in Streator.

The next day, we drove to Peru to visit Rachel again. Hailey is infatuated with her and wouldn't stop asking about, "My friend Rachel." Lulu hated her carseat (probably because there was no tv in this car! Poor spoiled child!" and screamed the entire way there. When she got out, she was one sweaty baby!

Rachel has the best toys ever! I'm hoping that some of those cast-offs get sent our way!!!

The girls wanted to help Daddy drive our rental car.

Aunt Beth took us to a water park at their YMCA. The girls had a blast!

And I think Daddy had a good time too!!

Lainey loved floating around with Aunt Beth in the big pool.

And Hailey loved lounging around the lazy river with Daddy and Rachel.

It sure was nice to have Rachel around, because otherwise Mommy would have to be going through all of the rides and fountains!!

Lainey loved cruising around the pool and was very proud of herself!

After the waterpark, we headed home, but the girls to bed and Doug and I had a fun night out with Grandpa Ben and Grandma Sandy. First, Grandpa picked us up from our hotel in his towncar and we headed to the VFW for some beers where Doug and Grandpa exchanged Navy stories. Then they took us out to dinner and Doug ordered a ginormous tenderloin.

Dinner with Grandpa Ben and Sandy. We had so much fun.

Gigi and Great Gigi.

I'm not sure if it was all the fresh air, all the pizza (we ordered Joe's five out of the six days we were there!!) or our busy schedule, but both girls slept great there.

Zonked out in the big girl bed before the big farm party. This was day 5 of our vacation and the girls were pretty pooped. It wasn't easy to wake them up from this nap!

One of the signs leading to the family reunion on Uncle Bud's farm.

The kids got to go for a ride on this old firetruck later!

Uncle Bud's barn.

The family gets together every year around Grandpa Bob's birthday.

It's also the anniversary of when Uncle Randy died. We miss them both so much, but it's nice to be able to get everyone together to celebrate them.

Cousins, Chloe, Hailey and Kaylee.

It was great getting so see my cousins Katie and Kerri!

Hailey and Kaylee.

Hailey loved dancing with Great Grandpa Ben!

Girl time.

Hailey and her cousins on Uncle Bud's toy train.

Bug was a great conductor.

Lulu loved lounging with Daddy, soaking up all the fresh farm air (and interesting sights!!)

Looks like Conductor Buggy picked up another passenger!

Time for the pinata!

A swing and a miss!

Showing Daddy the candy she scored.

Bowling with cabbage on the farm.

Hailey loved looking at the chickens.

And the ducks.

Watching the big kids fish and ride the paddle boat. Hailey loved helping them take the fish off of the hooks! I was shocked and seriously questioning weather or not she was really my daughter!!

She finally convinced them to take her out for a ride!

Next it was time for Bud to take everyone out in the firetruck! They loved the siren and looking at all the cows during the ride!

We were very excited!

Grandpa Ben was excited too!

After the big farm party, Hailey got to go home with her best friend Rachel for her first sleepover! She even learned a new phrase from Aunt Beth while she was there, "Shut the front door!!" She's been saying it and giggling ever since! (Thanks for that Beth!) She had a great time and got to eat donuts with sprinkles for breakfast and Rachel and Beth painted her fingernails and toenails. Then she got to swim at a friends pool!

Enjoying a pre-pool popsicle.

Splashing around with Beth and Rachel in the pool.

"Catching lots of air" with Beth.

They had the best playground in their backyard too!!

Sadly, it was time to leave. Lulu was concerned about how much weight she had gained from all of the pizza we ate and wanted to weigh herself over and over again!