A little bit of traveling and a long post

It's been seven weeks since I ran my half marathon! It was an incredible experience and I so happy I was able to accomplish that goal before we left North Carolina and my amazing running group.

It also been seven week since we packed up our house in Camp Lejeune and started the move to Ohio. Our stuff left NC on the 19th of May and we didn't leave until the 27th. Eight days without things in the house was interesting. Josiah had melt down after melt down once most of his toys, crib and normal furniture left. He has had a rough time with this moving thing. It's hard to watch a two year old try to adjust and understand what is going on. Noelle is a champ, she rolls with it and it hasn't stopped her from hitting new milestones, like pulling up, crawling up stairs, standing unassisted for a brief moments!

Family picture with the home we brought our babies home to

real life with a two year old…Josiah does not like pictures

My mom came out to NC to help me drive the kids to Ohio. We took a few days and visited friends and family along the way. It was a tired crew that rolled into Oxford Ohio on Thursday May 28th. Steve had arrived two days earlier and Josiah was so relived to see daddy and he had his toys out and crib all set up. My mom left the following Tuesday after a weekend of Ikea Trips (3 different trips and multiple checkout each visit) and farmers markets. On Friday June 6th we left for South Dakota. Which if you're keeping track meant we only stayed in Ohio for 6 full days!

Aunt Kristin got to meet Noelle :) 

Short but sweet visit with Bek and her awesome family 

Buddies hanging on the couch watching Thomas…it's all about Thomas the Train

It was wonderful to see the Butterfields in Norfolk. So sad that they moved to Norfolk only a few month before we left North Carolina. Fun connection - Bek & Jon bought a house on the same street we lived on in Norfolk three years ago! Maybe one day the military will have us live on the same coast.  

Noelle with great uncle Ken 

Leaving Stanleytown Virginia for Ohio

We drove from Ohio to Manhattan KS in one day. Our kids are troopers. A portable DVD was our friend, we've seen/heard Cars the movie to many times to count. It was wonderful staying with friends  and relaxing for the day between two very long days of travel. 

Finally in South Dakota 

Samson relieved to be out of the car

Playing with Gigi 

My mom's cabin is beautiful

Playing tourist, we visited Mt Rushmore

So glad that this was not the main reason for our visit

Don't worry buddy, we'll be back again one day when you're not a typical two year old

I think we have a daredevil on our hands…she went straight for the edge 

Showing our kids how to stay still long enough for a picture 

She was very interested in the fireplace

Bebe, backpack, and baby

Crazy Horse

I threw my back out so Sarah was happy to snuggle with Noelle 

Noelle hanging out with her cousin Sarah (well technically 1st cousins once removed)

Moonshine Gulch Saloon…yup I brought my baby to a bar. They had great live music on Sunday afternoons and good burgers so it was worth it 

Bebe with her youngest grand baby 

Needles Highway

She looks like her daddy 

Hiking around Sylvan Lake 

We left South Dakota and started the drive "home" to Ohio. Stopped in Rochester Minnesota to visit friends from Okinawa and then drove to DeKalb IL to stay with Steve's mom. Steve's sister and her family live in the town over so we got to see them as well. It was fun having Stacy show us around Northern Illinois and telling us all the interesting things she is teaching and researching there. Josiah loved running around with his cousin Brody.

Steve & Stacy 

Grandpa with all this grand kids 

Steve had a training in Great Lakes so we were able to stay with Steve's dad in Arlington Heights for the week. It wasn't the most relaxed visit since Steve had very long days and I tried to find things to keep the kids occupied. Josiah ended up spiking a fever of 104 on Thursday :( It was a scramble calling Tricare to get a referral to an urgent care (which ended up NOT seeing kids?!) . I took him into the ER. He ended up being fine after a dose of Tylenol and Motrin. We were all ready to be home and not on the road. We're very grateful that we're now only 5 hours away from Steve family and hope to have more quality time with them soon. Friday night as soon as Steve's training ended we hit the road! 

Now we're home and onto the seemingly never-ending to do list for the house, the joys of home ownership :) 

Adiós Chicago, till next time!