back from the Lou...

I wrote last week about us going back to St. Louis but didn't really expand on the reason for the trip.  We went back for a surprise birthday party weekend for Justin's mom.  We had a fun weekend getting to see lots of people who we haven't seen in a long and don't get to see as often as we would like.  We got to St. Louis Friday afternoon and took the kids over to Edwardsville for some pizza at Pantera's.  Justin called his mom and asked if she could run over and meet one of his friends to "pick up" something.  She thought we were coming into town next weekend.  She walked into the restaurant and saw all four of us sitting at a table eating pizza and was completely surprised, it was great!  We got to visit with her for just a little while because we needed to head over the the hotel check in and get ready for the suprise dinner she didn't know was happening.  We had a little time so Justin's friend Parker came over with his daughter Grace and we all went swimming in the hotel pool.   After we got done swimming we got everyone ready and went to the surprise dinner Justin's sister Joyce arranged.  It was a really nice family party at a restaurant in downtown St. Louis and we had a fun night visiting and eating.  The kids lasted way longer then I expected them to but called it a night around 8:30 which was when we headed back to the hotel.  The kids were really tired from traveling so we did our best to calm everyone down and get to bed.  Jack had a fairly major melt down in the hotel room that lasted longer then I would have liked but once I got him calm he fell asleep.

 

Saturday, the kids woke up early (as usual) and we grabbed a quick bite at McDonald's with Joyce, Michael and Justin's parents.  Jack doesn't always like to eat as well as he does at home when we travel, which unfortunately makes him more likely to meltown in situtuations he would rather not be in.  We tried ordering him some pancakes and sausage which are things he would usually eat, but since his usual meal out consists of a cheeseburger he was a little confused and refused anything we tried to give him.  Justin was able to talk with the people at McDonald's and they were nice enough to make him a plain cheeseburger.  He finally settled down and started to pick at it while we were still there, but ended up eating  more of it once we left and were back in the car. 

We then headed over to Ekert's which is a farm located in Belleville IL that has an apple orchard this time of year that you can go take a hay ride and pick your own apples.  Peyton had so much fun and kept wanted to have a "bite" of all the apples.  Jack had fun playing the mini golf with Justin in the play area but isn't a huge fan of apples like he was when he was about 18 months old.  It was a beautiful morning and the weather was great.  I got some fun pictures of Peyton eating apples and looking at the goats.  The kids took a nap in the car on the ride back to the hotel and Justin drove them around while I went to get ready for Surprise Party #2.  This party was a bigger event with more of her friends and family.  They had it at the church, which is also the church Justin and I got married in.  There was lots of space so the kids were able to sit or run around and did really well considering all the new and unfamiliar faces.  The party was a lot of fun and she was successfully surprised for the second time and had no idea that the party she was going to was for her.  Jana and Glenn did and great job organizing this event, and I am glad we were able to come.

After the party was over we took the kids over to Justin's parents house and they got to play around their yard before we took them back over to the hotel.  Peyton started to feel warm to me and in the next few hours she had (what felt like since I didn't have a thermometer) a pretty high temperature.  Justin's parents were coming over to visit one last time so they were nice enough to stop by the store and get her a little Tylenol.  I am not sure if she just got run down with all the traveling or if her body caught a little virus.  She was still running a fever all day yesterday but fortunately she woke up this morning and the fever had broke.  I am going to keep an eye on her and make sure she gets some much needed rest. 

We woke up the next morning and took the 9:15 flight back home.  The plane ride both to and from went really well.  The kids did great!  Jack was a little anxious when we boarded the plane but once we got him seated he started to relax.  He wanted me to sit close to him and hug him tight, but once the plane took off he reached for a magazine in the seat back in front of him, leaned back in his chair and started to read... it was hilarious!  I wish I had thought to take a picture.  Peyton slept on both flights and was only upset when going though security in STL when she had to send her blanket through the x-ray machine.  She started crying and screaming for her "night-night".  People were looking and the TSA agent was so nice she grabbed the bin as it came out and immediately gave her back the blanket. Traveling with kids is always so entertaining, you never know what is going to happen.  

I am very happy to be back home and since I traveled the past two weekends I am looking forward to just being home for a while. I hope everyone had a fun weekend and enjoys the pictures I took from our trip.  Have a great week and I will post again soon.