Busy weekends...

I hate to bore everyone with stories about our errands, so we'll skip all of that.  However, we have had a few fun weekends in the past month that I haven't had time to write about.

Derby
The first Saturday of May is always the Kentucky Derby.  Lyn, RJ, and the kids came down on Wednesday evening to stay with us.  They took the kids to the Aquarium on Thursday, then we met them and mom and dad for dinner Thursday night.  We all enjoyed spending time together.
Brian and I took the day off on Friday, and we were all packed up and on our way to Louisville around 11:00 (not too bad considering we hadn't packed a thing till that morning, and we even ran to the License Bureau to get our plates for the van!).  We encountered a traffic snarl, so we ventured off the highway - and what a pleasant surprise!  We traveled through some beautiful "horse country", and saw parts of Louisville we didn't even know existed.

This year, was our 6th trip to enjoy the Derby with the WHOLE Willinger clan.  One change - we stayed with cousins Johnny and Marilyn next door to Aunt Marsha.  It was perfect.  We had our own bedroom with lots of room for the Pack-N-Plays for the boys.  At night we would "sneak off" to our own private suite - it almost felt like our honeymoon again. 

As always, we had a wonderful weekend.  The Willingers are always so welcoming and friendly, and this year was no exception.  They couldn't believe how much the boys have grown in the past year.  Aunt Laura was so sweet and gave the boys little trucks to play with.

The weather this year was exceptional.  Really couldn't have been any better.

The weekend was a bit of a challenge for Brian and me...we spent most of our time chasing the boys.  They loved exploring the new surroundings, which made it difficult for us to keep them out of cupboards!  We survived, and Marilyn told us that our room will be waiting for us next year, so I guess we are invited back!

Sunday of that weekend was Mother's Day, and it was so nice to get to spend it with my mom.

Memorial weekend
We actually spent a 3 day weekend at home, all by ourselves. It was a very relaxing weekend.
Saturday, we took the boys to the zoo for the first time.  Much like the Derby, it was a bit challenging.  Jackson was not happy being in the stroller, but he didn't want us to hold/carry him either.  He's gotten to be quite independent, and he wanted to walk.  The issue - he didn't want to go in the right direction, and he did NOT want to hold my hand. 
The boys weren't impressed with most of the animals.  I think it was because they couldn't get close to them.  They liked the turtles, and would have crawled into the exhibit with them if we would have let them.  They also liked the penguins, but again, we could get closer to them than some of the other animals. 
After about 2 hours of fighting with the stroller and the boys, they both fell asleep.  Brian and I enjoyed the break, and laughed at how many people commented on how fast asleep the boys were in the stroller.  Since the boys were resting, we went to see the new baby giraffe (6 or 8 weeks old), checked out the rhino, then headed for the car.
The boys had a great nap (about an hour), so we headed to Cracker Barrel for lunch.  Eating out with the boys is interesting.  We usually order things we think they will like, and they don't eat.  This trip was a bit different.  I ordered the chicken tenderloins (6 pieces) and 3 sides - applesauce, baby carrots, and hashbrown casserole.  This also came with 2 biscuits.  I think I had 4 pieces of the chicken, a biscuit, and part of the hashbrown casserole.  Lincoln and Jackson ate all the applesauce and carrots, and Jackson ate my one biscuit and the other 2 pieces of chicken.  Lincoln shared Brian's meal too.  Next time, we may have to order extra sides!
Sunday we worked in the back yard, removing some dirt and a tree stump.  Brian also worked in the flower beds and straighted up the garage.  Jen Boggess stopped by after dinner to visit and catch up.
Monday morning we loaded up the boys and headed to the park.  The boys loved sitting in the wagon for most of our 3 mile walk.  We got them out of the wagon about half way through...Jackson helped Brian by pushing the wagon along the path, and Lincoln walked with me, holding my hand.  The boys loved seeing all the people, and the dogs too!
We spent the rest of the day at the house, just tiding up, and preparing for the week ahead.  The boys didn't cooperate with their naps, so we didn't get as much done as we had hoped, but it was supposed to be a relaxing weekend!

We are home again this coming weekend, then off to Columbus for Aunt Lori's graduation on the 11th.  We also have Father's Day and Relay for Life coming up, so it will be a busy month. 

Hope everyone stays cool, and enjoys summer now that it is finally here!