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reunioning

04 August 2014

Greetings from Moline, Illinois! Land of the family reunion, 1/4 of the Quad Cities, and home of my Gram.

All of July I was super guilty of living in everything but the moment. I just had my eye on the prize that was AUGUST. So much to look forward to in August. Simon is on a kind rotation in August, Simon has vacation in August, I get to go to Dallas in August, and we have our annual family reunion in August.

Just a few days before we drove up here my grandma woke up the in the middle of the night unable to move the left half of her body. After 30 minutes (!!!!) of trying to roll over to grab her phone her valiant efforts prevailed and the paramedics were in her house seven minutes later. We are all so happy that despite this being her second stroke - cognitively she is totally fine and since she's been in the hospital she has made tremendous progress in physical therapy and is determined to walk out of the hospital (and eventually hit up Miss America in September in Atlantic City to see Sierra compete). She's such a fighter and has been in amazing spirits even though she's been missing out on the reunion activities. She's a total whizz on her iPad and cell phone and has been keeping up with an onslaught of photos and a barrage of daily visitors.


She was even able to hold Butterball Patton.

The cousins all made the annual trek to Whitey's (some of us may have gone twice with potential plans to go again tonight, maybe) ...


Julia proved that the apple falls MILES from the tree by approaching a little girl (not pictured) that looked to be about her age and just started chatting. FAR from her mother tree.

My Aunt Rebecca is super skilled at balloon artistry which the kids absolutely hated ...


octopus for Bash


Alien girlfriend for Theo.


And a mermaid for Julia (and a snake, and a set of fairy wings and a fairy wand and a monkey for Bash - again, they hated!)

The kids also had the BEST time with their aunts and uncles ...


And my mom (their nana) ...


who not only watched the three older kids so that Simon and I could go to mass with JUST phoebe (incredible ... ) on Sunday but she let me, Simon, and Phoebe sleep in until 9:08 this morning - the most wonderful and strange feeling ever to wake up feeling rested and to notcrying. Crazy. And the only casualties were Bash finding his way into some permanent red marker mischief (bleach to the rescue), and him escaping out the quiet sliding door twice (once to fill the watering can with salt). Considering his long list of conquests back at home I was pretty impressed with her Nana skillage.


Julia watered GG's impressive flower garden in her absence (and quickly turned and soaked her brothers who "are just SO fwusteratING" who in turn soaked their queen).

Other memorable memories:

+ Grace made the delicious discovery that is peach moscato (she was scared to look at the bottle but she's fairly certain it was Arbor Mist ... )
+ Aunt Heidi has been the hostess with the mostest making meal after meal of the best food for the masses.
+ But really, that wine.
+ I guess that's it.

All in all, terrible time!

Terrible time indeed.

27 comments:

  1. Love this post! Hope your grandmother continues to get better!

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  2. Free grandparent babysitting is thee best.

    Pretty please drink some moscato for me. You can tell Simon it's an act of charity.

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  3. Hope your gramma gets better really soon! She's such a dear! And I love Julia's watering seriousness.

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  4. I love how you captured the water in that last shot--beautiful! Will say a prayer for your Gram.

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  5. I live in the Quad Cities - I couldn't believe it when I saw Moline in the first line of your post! So glad you got Whitey's multiple times :)

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    1. It was so lethal coming in town when I was pregnant - multiple trips in one day!! Jealous you enjoy it year round :)

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  6. So glad you're having a great time - you deserve every bit of it!

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  7. 1. I'm glad your Grandma is on the mend. She's beautiful :)

    2. My children, unfortunately/fortunately??, fell right next to the introverted tree of their mother. Julia is such a rockstar.

    3. Those balloons!!!! Wow.

    4. Now I want ice cream :)

    5. Hope you're having a great time. Yay August!

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  8. do julia's clothes come in my size? adult size that is.

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  9. Oh, I SO hope you will get Julia hooked up with my friend Mitsie's dance school in Tampa! She will mold that bubbly personality into a little star. They just did Shrek, The Musical! When my unfiltered youngest child was auditioning for a role in Snow White with Mitsie's mother-in-law he walked up to the stage and announced, "I would like the role of Sneezy, please... aaaaachoooo". And he got it. He was six. I'm telling you, their family would have a blast with her. And congratulations on discovering Arbor Mist. Maybe you should expand to Boone's Farm? Being raised Baptist, I had no wine knowledge. My ex used to say, "just bring her something pink". It worked. Safe travels!

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  10. I'm glad your Grams is doing better, prayers her way. Loving your girls cute summer dresses and bows.

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  11. If you are going to be in the QC this Thursday, Fr. Gaitley (author of 33 days to Morning Glory) is going to be at St. Mary's in Rock Island. Just FYI. Awesome opportunity.

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  12. Whitey's! I lived in Davenport and worked at the Moline Dispatch after college. Such good ice cream.

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  13. My son has the same "what's up dog" shirt that Theo is wearing, so cute! I love reading about your kids, especially the hilarious things Julia says: )

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  14. Omg I discovered that peach moscato this week too. And thank the good Lord for that because baby #3 is all dramaaaaa with the colic and mama is bout to lose her mind. (Up in here)

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  15. Peach Moscato is my absolute favorite! Try this: Villa Jolanda Moscato ~ Peach. Ah-mazing.

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  16. I know moline well! Such a "special" flashback in time. My grandmother I. Law lives within walking distance of whiteys!

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  17. Gram is so cute!

    You got to sleep in past 9?? I am amazed and impressed. Even if I had the opportunity I don't know if my body would allow that (probably because I am so lame I go to sleep at 8:30 when my kids do, no exceptions).

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  18. Thirty minutes! Wow that's crazy. I'm so glad she's doing well now.

    My kiddo pops balloons within seconds. Lucky.

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  19. I love that Julia rarely has 2 feet on the ground. Dance away, girl!

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  20. "Theo's alien girlfriend." That really tickled my funny bone.

    I'm from Pekin, IL, so seeing Moline (which we had friends/family there) was fun. Not a city name you see often on the internets. :)

    And, lastly, I on purpose volunteered to be a minister of hospitality at the evening Mass on Sundays so I get maybe one or two times a month where I am not getting beat up by my toddler when I'm just freakin' trying to worship God. My priest found my choice to voluntarily attend Mass twice in one day just to get away from my kids a hoot. :)

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  21. All way too cute and too funny as usual! So glad to hear your grandma is doing better...she does sound like a major fighter alright! I never ventured into the Arbor Mist realm before, but if it means peach moscato, wellll......I might have to come November ;)

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  22. Moscato is the bestest for late night silliness and desert and just all around everything!

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  23. Those balloon animals are killer! And the picture of Julia dancing at the ice cream place made me O.O she is getting so tall and grown up.

    Sounds like a lovely visit :-D

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  24. Your grandma seems amazing! Also, not to be a weirdo but we are just a couple hours from the quad cities so if you ever get a little free time over there I would totally come visit you :)

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