So much traveling!

Well we have barely been home for the last several weeks, hence the lack of posting, my apologies! Here is the catch-up, but before I get started, I have long neglected to announce my first blog award! Many thanks to Annie of the Junior, Mints and Reeses blog for the honor. Apparently there is a whole world of blogosphere stuff like this that I am not aware of, and honestly, its a bit overwhelming! Its odd to remember that there are actually people out there who read this!

So I am supposed to send this award on to 5 blogging friends: Michal, Sarah, Becca, Anne, and the Smart Baby Sign Language Holly.

The Gold Blogging Friends Forever Rules are:
1. Only five people allowed.
2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog. (I only have 1 official follower, so I'm just picking people I know who have their own blogs)
3. One has to be someone new, or recently new to your blog, or live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the 'Blogging Friends Forever' award.


OK, now to the updates! Gregory and I spent a week in Cincinnati with my friend Michal, her husband Jonathan, and their new baby Alexander, Xander for short. He is adorable and a really nice baby! I can't wait to see him grow and see him and Gregory playing together. Greg already likes him - every morning when we got up, the first thing he would say was "Baby? Hiiieee!" He liked to get down close and wave at the baby and give him hugs. The second thing he would do was loudly make a high-pitched screeching meowing sound, indicating he wanted to see the cats...he also loved the cats, but I am not sure they liked him quite as much, especially when he made that noise! Michal and I had a great time hanging out and doing mommy things together. We went out a lot, Michal practicing her wrapping and nursing in public skills. Traveling alone with Greg was not too bad either, I think I have it basically down to a science now! And remember how last time we went to Cincinnati we got stuck overnight on the way home? Well we got home a day later than we planned this time again, but at least we found out early enough that we were able to just spend the extra day with Michal and Jonathan. So all in all, a really great trip! Boy do I miss living near Michal!
Alexander:


Cincinnati Children's Museum: Greg was so focused on playing that I don't think I saw him smile - just a very studious concentration all day long! If anyone is ever in Cincinnati with kids, you have to check this place out!


Chicago Midway Airport Layover: This soccer ball has been all over the country!


Only 2 days after we got home from Ohio, we drove to Canton, Kansas, to visit my great uncle Lawrence and great aunt Irma and their family for Thanksgiving. They live in the home that my grandpa's mother and her father built! Of course, it has been somewhat renovated since then...you know, indoor plumbing and things, but it was really special to be in the old family home. Greg and Lucy both had a wonderful time playing with Austin and Leah, two of the grandkids who live there as well. We had a great Thanksgiving dinner and also did a little sight seeing. I have to say, I am totally impressed with a little town called Newton, nearby, which had a fabulous health food store and a natural baby shop to die for. Check them out online: http://www.healthybabyboutique.com/

Kansas Thanksgiving: The only problem was we didn't take enough pictures - hello, it might have been good to take pics of the people we saw in addition to the places! Sorry!


We are going to be home now for 3 weeks before the annual California Christmas trip. In the mean time, I am beginning to teach this quarter for the community college again, 2 sections of Intro to Biology, Tuesday and Thursday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons...what did I get myself into? Between that and the preparations for the 2009 legislative session with Nebraska Friends of Midwives, I will barely have a moment to spare, but I'll try to remember to get the camera out a little...

Recent Fun

We've had a busy last couple of weekends. First Grandma Bonnie and Cousin Stephanie, with Gracie, came to visit from North Dakota. Grace and Greg had so much fun together! We went to a little family dairy farm and they had a great time climbing on a tractor...ok, it was a riding lawn mower, but hey, it was a John Deere! We visited the zoo, and we went to the mall playground...we kept ourselves really busy. We had to stay out of Dan's hair as it was his last weekend before his big exam. It wasn't too hard with such nice company!


The week was pretty tough as Dan was preparing for his exam on Thursday. But he lived through it and on Friday we all piled in the car and went up to Minneapolis. Dan's cousin Angie was married on Saturday, but had a Halloween Party on Friday night. We had a great time at both events, and just spending time with the Fix clan, especially Grandpa Mike. Grandpa and Dan also caught a Vikings game on Sunday. We took our time coming home on Monday which was a much needed chance to spend some good family time just us. Now back to the grindstone, but with a lot more together time since Dan doesn't have to study for a while now, thank goodness!!! I can't say how great it is to have him back!



Here are a couple of videos from some fun we had running through the downtown St Paul skyway system. We were trying to get Gregory to burn off some energy so he would have an easier time going down for a nap. He played some soccer and also enjoyed looking out the windows at the passing cars and people below and the pigeons roosting on the ledges.