so, we are now back in phoenix after 10 days in indiana! what a great time! joe, nev, and i all had so much fun and are so happy that we got to spend time with family and friends! thanks so much to grandpa tobey and grandma peggy who let us "take over" their house while we were there. they were so accomodating and helpful! it was also great that old friends made the effort to come into town...thank you! i know joe loved getting to play golf with michael myers, john campbell, aaron hurt, michael plant and brandon pettit! and i was happy to finally meet michael myers two adorable boys...kal and reese!
we had some great times during the second half of our trip. one example is that nev, joe and i got to attend a retirement party for grandpa cal at wabash college. it was so much fun and great to meet all the wonderful people that grandpa cal has worked with! i am sure they are going to miss him at wabash as he is a true believer in wabash and loves all that the school has to offer!
another exciting moment was going on the paved trail that was converted from an old railroad. aunt beth and i took nev on the trail down to sugar creek. she enjoyed every moment (although i am not quite sure she actually saw the creek)! she also enjoyed going for strolls around the neighborhood that joe grew up in. grandma peggy and grandpa tobey took turns pushing her around in a stroller and introducing her to neighbors, showing her plants, and meeting the neighborhood pets.
speaking of neighbors...brett motz and jenny (carroll) motz live across the street from joe's parents now. i took nev over to meet them and their two little boys (austin - 4 years and wyatt - 15 months). while nev was "hanging out" with her new friends she experienced her first kiss from wyatt motz. he was motioning to jenny (who was holding nev at the time) to bring nev down to his level. once she did he planted a big kiss on her lips! he even did it a second time and gave her a big hug too! we may have a potential boyfriend!?!?
nev also got to meet her great aunt anida. she drove over from illinois for an afternoon to meet her and help out! it was so much fun! however, most importantly, great aunt anida gave nev her first university of illinois chief illiniwek t-shirt! i already know that orange and blue look good on nev!
in addition to meeting all the new people so far...she got to meet friends and neighbors of grandma peggy, grandpa tobey, grandpa cal and grandma marsha! she went to the crawfordsville country club with us to dinner one night and even got to meet one of my high school teachers, anida rupar! it was so great to see so many people!
while nev got to meet many people she also had some new experiences...such as helping grandpa cal and grandma marsha pack in preparation for their move to phoenix! she loved trying to eat the packing paper and whatever else we were trying to put in the box! they should arrive in town on the 19th or 20th of june! yeah!
carrying on with the events of the trip...nev went to the strawberry festival in crawfordsville and got to take in all the smells, games, arts, etc. she also met another high school teacher of mine and joe, dr. helen hudson! she also enjoyed father's day breakfast at the restaurant, a country affair (where aunt stacey previously worked and was the customer's favorite) and she got to stay at her cousins house one night in westfield, indiana! while at her cousin's house she played dress up with them (see photos) for the first time! they all seemed to be having fun as evidenced by all the giggling that took place!
as the trip came to a close we knew that the "airport/airplane" experience would once again take place. while things turned out positive on the way to indiana i was a bit nervous for the return trip. while in indiana nev's daily schedule changed to shorter and more frequent naps...so i was not sure how it would work out for a day of travel. however, i apologize for bragging, and for those who are superstitious...knock on wood...but the return trip was PERFECT! i give nev an A+! she slept for part of the experience and entertained those around her for the remainder of the time (whether in the restaurant before getting on the plane or once on the plane). i was so proud of her and she was so patient! i am sure someday i am going to pay for how "easy" she has been up to this point!
just a few other notes...while in indiana it appears that she has some curl in her hair. the humidity exposed her curls (as it does to mom and dad's hair too). she also has made a lot of improvement on her ability to sit up. she can do it by herself much longer than before. she still tips over eventually but is fun to see how long she can manage before she topples over!
well, that about wraps it up! overall, the first vacation was a huge success! i think it will probably become an annual trip!