Indiana trip - fun with cousins.

A huge highlight from our trip was all of the time we got to spend with my sisters and their children.  I long for the day we all live nearby, and our children can grow up together (even if it will never become a reality).

Olivia, Drew, & Jordan are becoming quite the trio.  Each time we visit with them, Olivia learns some new skills and tricks from them.  She loves having the extra company around and would often squeal in delight when she saw one of them.

One of many meals together.

'Ring around the rosie' was a huge hit, especially to Olivia and Drew.  She thought it was hysterical to watch him fall down, but was never interested in falling down herself!  She has since begun to fall appropriately, but mostly prefers to just squat.  

 

Ring around the rosie. from Stephanie Allen on Vimeo.

Nana also got out the pool one morning.  Eli didn't even wait to change out of his pajamas before he started swimming!  Olivia got in and out a few times, but she mostly preferred walking around the yard.  Drew & Jordan, on the other hand, were little fishes! 

The little ones decided one afternoon to give each other kisses!  It was unprompted and hysterical!  It was hard to capture the cuteness in pictures (I could never get my timing right), but just imagine three toddlers sitting on the floor giving each other kisses on the lips and the cheeks.  Adorable!

Olivia even learned to make the kissing sound and pucker her lips while we were there! 

One of the main reasons for our trip was to help Mom & Dad build their new house.  They destructed Grandpa Jordan's old farmhouse and are adding on to it.  It will be there dream house when completed and we all are SOOOO excited for them!  It has been a labor of love, as they are doing most of the work themselves, which is quite a feat considering they both have full time jobs and commitments to several extra curricular organizations.  Andy learned a lot about carpentry while there because he helped build the front porch.  Doesn't it look great?!

 Mom and Dad also got a new beagle puppy for the grand kids!  Kaylynn picked his name and none of the little ones objected.  Therefore, I introduce the newest member of the Jordan family.....Banner.

Olivia loved loved loved the dog.  She would throw her hands up and squeal in excitement every time she was around him.  Perhaps we need to get a puppy....;)

On our way to the airport we got to spend one more night at Kaylynn & Garrett's house and visit them at school.  It was so much fun!  Olivia loved seeing all of the big kids and had a great time playing on the playground during recess.

Garrett asked if he could "show Olivia to his class". He told all about her and was smiling from ear to ear!  It was a proud moment on both an aunt and a mom level!

Kaylynn showed Olivia all of the fun stuff in her desk.  The calculator was the big hit!

Andy and I overheard a group of boys walk by us and say "man, I keep seeing that guy and thinking that is my dad!"  haha!   I still laugh when I think about that moment. 

Then we loaded up in Papa's pick-up truck and headed to airport.  Another great trip to Indiana was done....we can't wait for next time!

video time!

Happy Sunday! 
We caught some video tonight during bath.  She gets so excited at the beginning because we have the camera sitting on the counter with the viewfinder turned so we can see it, and she sees her image on it.

Bathtime fun from Stephanie Allen on Vimeo.


While getting the bath video off the camera, I came across this snippet of cuteness too.  It is outdated, but worth sharing, none the less.

Loving on her babydoll from Stephanie Allen on Vimeo.


Olivia's favorite game to play with her daddy is ball.  Here is some footage of it, although it is over a month old as well. 

Playing ball with Daddy from Stephanie Allen on Vimeo.


I will finish up our Indiana pictures and videos in the next few days.  I can barely be on my computer when she is awake anymore, and I have been consumed with watching football the last few evenings when she is in bed!

Indiana trip - celebrating Grandma.

Our trip was actually scheduled around Grandma.  She turned 80 and we thought that was reason to celebrate!  Mom and her siblings planned a small open house in her backyard and Grandma was the guest of honor!  She had family and friends come from five states just to wish her a happy birthday!  She is a very special lady though, so she deserved it all very much! 

I have lots of memories of Grandma T (that's what we called her...Templeton was much too long to waste time saying;)  through my life.  She always had us over to spend the night and we would laugh as she wrapped her hair in toilet paper to keep it nice while she slept!  (she still goes to the salon once a week to get it washed, curled, and set).  She always let me help her water her flowers and she always always always bought us the yummy thick chocolate milk (y'all know what I'm talking about, right?!) that my mom would never buy. 

Grandma would get up every Christmas morning and come to our house to see us open our Santa gifts.  Sometimes she would even spend the night there, and that was extra special!  She was at all of my major school events and a large number of my sporting events over the years.  She liked to call me "Step-and-a-half".  Not sure where it came from, but it became a term of endearment. 

The immediate family that was able to make it

The Jordan family plus Grandma

Grandma has spent a lot of her adult life without Grandpa and that makes me sad when I think about it.  I can't remember for sure, but I think Grandpa has been gone for 23 years.  When you get married, you are supposed to "grow old" with your spouse. It just isn't fair. 

Grandma and three of her four children.

She is very special to me and to our entire family and I am so happy that we could be there to celebrate with her.  It is also very neat for me to be able to share Olivia with her.  Talk about coming full circle!  Grandma had her own daughter, who had a daughter, who then had a daughter.....wow!  I can only imagine what it is like for Grandma to see her grandchildren become parents.  I hope I am around long enough to see Olivia's kids have kids.....and that they come from five states to celebrate my 80th birthday, too!

Our sweet sweet baby girl...

Olivia and cousin Trisha

Olivia and Jordan looking awfully serious

Sitting with mommy and getting some fresh fruit from Papa!

Olivia made it a little more difficult to play corn hole!

Nana & Papa's grandkids!

Garrett, Olivia, Kaylynn, Jordan, Drew, & Eli

We also celebrated Garrett's ninth birthday!  At that age, the bigger the flames on the candle the better! ha.

And just because I like this picture of my husband and my mother ;)

To be continued.....(I think I have one or two more Indiana posts!)

Indiana trip - the arrival.

Nothing renews my spirit like a visit with family!  We made this trip to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday and to help Mom & Dad work on the house they are building.  Olivia did great while traveling.  She had a few meltdowns during some of the driving, but that is par for the course in her world.  Her behavior in the airports and airplanes was as good as it could/should be for a 14 month old!  We had multiple comments on how pleasant she was during the flights (but if that was the case, then why did I feel like I had just run a marathon?! ha).  The truth is that having a toddler on your lap during an entire flight can be exhausting even when they are on their best behavior!

We flew from Myrtle Beach to Fort Wayne a the bargain price of $59 per person for a one way ticket!  Thank you Allegiant Airlines!  While the drive is a bit inconvenient on each end, it put us close to my eldest sister's house upon our arrival to Indiana!  We spent our first afternoon and evening at her house in Marion and it was delightful!  This was the first time Olivia had been to their house and it was nice to visit with just our two families before the craziness of our week long visit began!

Kaylynn is a great cousin and Olivia loves to play with her!

Garrett wanted to challenge Andy to game of horse, and I'm not sure who ended up winning, but I know that Andy was losing at one point! ha.  However, they were kind enough to allow Olivia to make a shot in the middle of their game!

We then enjoyed drinks on the deck while the men got the bonfire going!   I think they could see the flames in the next county!  We don't mess around with piddly little campfires back in the midwest!

The night ended with smores and stories around the fire (and perhaps a few Jager Bombs....;).  The great times that night were definately a precursor to the ones that were to follow that next week.  To be continued....

vacation!

Did we have fun?!?!?!

You bet we did!! 

 Details to come in the next week.

Daddy's jet.

We took our lovely neighbors to see the C-17 last Saturday morning.  Their kids think it is neat that "Mr. Andy" flies an airplane and they pray for him a lot when he is gone and flying, so we thought it was a simple and fun idea to give them a tour.

Seeing the cockpit always reminds me of what a smart husband I have!  There are SO many buttons!  I sometimes forget that Andy has such a technical and challenging job, and a tour every now and again helps me keep some perspective.   And, as always, I snapped some photos of the fun morning!  Enjoy :)

Walking around in the cargo space of the airplane. I always forget how big it is!

Sweet friends!

Daddy, I can fly this airplane!  Now if I can only get my feet to touch the pedals!

So I just pull the brakes like this, huh?!  This is kind of fun!

Daddy and his little pilot!

Emily, Hannah, & Mason on the back ramp of the jet.  What a fun morning we had!