Last Lindblom Visit

The week after Reddin and Karen were here, we got to have my mom, Craig, and Jefferson come visit! Craig and Jefferson were the last of the Lindblom clan to see our house. And just in time! :) My mom and Craig came in late Friday night and Jefferson didn't fly in until Sunday morning, so we spent Saturday at the zoo! It was our last time there, since our membership expired a couple of days later. My mom was hysterical. She was just tickled pink over everything at the zoo. The old fashioned buildings, the {quaintness} of it, how all the animals were just {right there}. It was actually quite a treat to be there with her! I think I must have been under-appreciating my zoo for the past year! And it was a really good day to be there because it seemed like all the animals were out!

 Including, the pigs!! I don't know why, but this was so fun to me! I mean, there they were... all the pigs, just running around like it was normal behavior or something!

 We had a little picnic lunch (that my mom made me feel like a professional chef for making) and walked til we dropped! It was a fun afternoon. 

Then I think we will all remember that night that we ate BBQ Asian thighs!! haha. I guess when I first told them the name, it sounded a little graphic! 


Sadness that I don't have any more pictures! My battery died and I decided to play lazy and let my mom take all the pictures, figuring I'd download them before she left, but we didn't have the right cords. Oh well, at some point, I'll be able to add pictures.


On Sunday, we picked up Jefferson off the red eye, then the poor boy powered through a whole day at Palmyra. We ate pizza at Marks, and did all the sights. The kids were peachy. Sigh. A 1 and 3yr. old on church history tours are not anyone's idea of fun. But Collin just about rolled down the whole Hill Cumorah, so it was worth it. :) 
We got back in time for quite the event, when a family came to pick up our piano. I have no idea how much it weighs, but it has to be hundreds of pounds. And Trav and one man basically heaved it out of our front door and onto a trailer. My mom was gasping and had to leave. I was praying and shouting warnings to Trav. I could just see his {one week from graduating hands} crushed under a useless piano that I barely used!! It was all mortifying. Seriously, awful. But he survived and so did my nerves. 
After yummy sonoran enchiladas (that my poor mom made while I finished cupcakes) we headed to Natalie's for Deborah's birthday party and got there too late. Deb had just left. So my mom was brave and we headed to Grider to enter Deb's neighborhood and deliver some cupcakes. This time, the rottweiler was in the sideyard, and we were able to talk to Deb, dog free, for a few minutes. (Until she informed us that it was back to the bathroom for her! Haha, she doesn't hold back.)
On Monday we visited Niagara Falls. We spent a few hours on the American side, seeing all the different views, then ended with a ride on the Maid of the Mist (that Weston and Collin were none too happy to be a part of). I loved it though. It was the third time I've done it, but I was amazed all over again by the power and grandeur of them. They are simply astounding. And my mom was probably just as happy to be in the gift shop! :) Then it was on to lunch at Wegmans. We had quite the spread of subs, pizza, burritos and fruits and veggies. And Collin got at least 15 min. in his beloved "Kribs Krub". That night, before we even got hungry again, we were off to Duff Duffs. (I need to also mention that all our adventures were done in the marvelous rental van that had "magical doors". Collin loved to approach them, then declare, "Abra-Cadabra! Magic doors OPEN!" And amazingly, every time the doors would glide open :) It took him awhile after they left to realize that Old Dir-tay didn't work in quite the same fashion.)


On Tuesday, the {incident} happened. Craig fell down the stairs and was hurt pretty bad. I don't even think I want to write about it, because it was scary. Craig was crying out in pain, my boys were crying in fright, Mom was crying in panic and I came back from calling 911, as Jefferson saunters out of the shower with a towel around his waist, probably wondering, "what the heck happened while I was in there!!" Irony was, I was considering driving them around the "ghetto" that day, but they got to ride through it in an ambulance instead! Oh joy. At least after x-rays, nothing appeared to be broken and they were able to make their flight home an hour after getting back from the hospital. 
While we were at the hospital, Trav took Jefferson to his school to show him his operatory, then got some Paula's Donuts.

How cute are these pictures?! I was dying!! 

Despite, the traumatic ending, it was so fun to have them visit! I know it took a lot of last minute planning from my mom and dad, but we appreciated it. Collin was so happy to play with Craig and hang out with his uncles and Grandma. And Grandma brought some pretty awesome toys too! That dog guitar was a major hit. We love our family!

Karen and Reddin's Visit

Two weeks ago we were so excited to have Karen and Reddin come for a visit! It was their first time out, so we were glad they took the time to see us. Karen ran the Boston Marathon at the beginning of the week, then they flew in to spend the rest of the week with us. Trav was still in clinic, so they did Palmyra and Niagara by themselves, but then Trav took a day off so we could do another part of the Falls with them and walk along the "board walk" that follows the shore of the waterfront, downtown. We had to show them Wegmans and get a sub and of course get Duffs! The trip also wouldn't have been complete without Paula's Donuts! Collin was in heaven having "cousins" over to play! We had to keep reminding him they were Aunt and Uncle and not cousins. :) We were sad when they had to go! 

Soccer

Not that this lasted TOO long, but I thought it was cute when Weston crawled into Trav's lap to watch the soccer game. Collin wasn't too far behind him. Go Real Madrid! :)

Family Blobs

About two weeks ago, Collin suddenly ran up with a picture, excitedly exclaiming he drew our family. I took a look, then my jaw must have dropped a little. It actually resembled people!! When did this happen?! I was shocked. It was like overnight he went from random scribbling to makeshift blobs. But they were OUR family blobs!! My heart melted just a little and I thought, "This would seem so insignificant to anyone else, but to me it was monumental!" And so sweet. He is growing up! I love milestones. (As small as they may be.)

I've gotten so bad at writing down the funny things he says, so here is one thing that happened today.

We were out on a walk with the stroller when we pulled back onto our street and Collin said, "Which one is our house?" (Which was weird, because he knows our house) But I said, "You know, the one with the yellow brick." And he turned around quick and gave me a worried look and said, "Where is the big, bad wolf?" Haha, I've been telling him the three little pigs story a lot, so I guess when he heard "brick" he immediately wanted to know where that wolf was! Another time when I was telling him that story, he asked why the wolf was so hungry and I said I didn't know and he furrowed his brow and said, "He didn't eat all his Malt-o-meal, Mama? Where is his Malt-o-meal?" haha. He keeps me laughing every day. 

He really likes the word, "probably", and will many times a day be heard saying, "Ummm, probably, I will not eat that cereal." Or, "Probably, maybe I will go potty." 

A few weeks ago, I was in his room with Weston, when he wanted to leave so I reminded him to shut the door behind him so Weston wouldn't crawl out. The door was about to shut, when he opened it again, just enough to poke his head in, and with a very serious face said, "Good job... saying that, Mommy." What??!!  I guess I tell him "Good job" quite a bit.

It was garbage day today, and we had quite a lot of junk out on our curb with all this cleaning we've been doing, which included a few infant swings, computer accessories, a christmas tree... you get the picture. (And remember, Buffalo is big on curb shopping!) Well, sure enough we were in the living room when a truck pulled up and and a man started rummaging through everything. Collin and Gavin were instantly on the couch watching him and asking me who he was and what he was doing. 

I said, "He's just looking through our stuff"
Collin: "Why? Why he want our stuff?"
Me: "I don't know, maybe he needs some of it"
Collin: (With a look of complete and utter disgust) "Those are very strange people that want to take our garbage." 

Haha... if he only knew what we have in our house that was once someone else's garbage! (OK, that sounds bad, we only take things that can be Cloroxed completely.)(OK, I know that still sounds bad, but *head hung*... we live in Buffalo. This is acceptable behavior. :)

The first time I commented that he looked like a ragamuffin he pulled an indignant look and declared, "I am. not. a. MUFFIN!"

Easter photo shoot

I know, I know... I'm so behind! I have so much to blog about, but sadly, I don't think it's going to happen for at least another month. Every morning I fight the urge to lock myself in my bedroom and hide under the covers because I can't face the day. There is so much to do!! We move in less than two weeks. 13 days. (And I have boxes upon boxes... empty.) I think I have procrastinated so much, because I can't face the reality of moving. Of leaving my house. Of saying goodbye to Rach. Of this whole experience! It's too weird that it's over. I don't know how to process it all. I tear up at just the thought of driving away. 

However, some things ARE falling into place. We found a house to rent in Farmington, NM. (Did I mention that's where we're headed?) Trav has a job. (At Red Rock Dental.) And yes, I am more than a little excited at the prospect of having any sort of money coming IN and not always going OUT.

So while this little update only scratches the very surface of what has been going on around here, I'll have to stop and just share some overdue pictures of the boys taken before Easter.

I think a few of Collin's many {faces} was captured well. 

(And yes, that's a real, live chicky that is hyperventilating under Collin's not so tender grasp)

 I really like this one. Shows their personalities pretty darn well. Collin... spunky, hyper, fun loving. Weston... calm, laid back, sweet. Oh, I love my boys!!!