Minneapolis

We stayed for three nights with my aunt and her family in suburban Minneapolis. No pictures were taken besides a couple random ones for Facebook related to a glass that I remember from my grandma's house. Sad for no pictures, happy for the good time we had. Leaving there felt like the official end of the "family" portion of our trip. Sure, from here on out we'll see friends and people who know us, but no one knows me like those who knew me when I was a wee lass.

Wisconsin

We spent last weekend in Wisconsin. On Friday we went to Madison, saw the Hubs' alma mater, took requisite pictures of the children on campus, and ate at Rocky Rococo (though sadly it's not as good as I remember, but what ever is?). From tsohere we headed to Stevens Point, where we stayed the rest of the weekend. We saw friends we hadn't seen in five years, including a couple we knew 8 years ago before they were dating who now have two babies and another on the way. Time flies!

Northern Illinois

We have been in our hometown for nearly two weeks now. In that time...

-Hubs spoke four days in a row at church
-we attended two family reunions
-the kids have slept off the previous month of travel (I think?) (side note: I need blackout curtains at home...)
-we visited our favorite city, Chicago
-the temperature has gone from 95 and humid to barely 60 and rainy back to just under 80 and humid -I have possibly eaten my weight in cheese
-Hubs and I went on a date! WOOHOO!

 ...and so much more!

We head to Wisconsin (ahem, more cheese) on Friday just before lunchtime. Au revoir!

Central Illinois

We stayed for a couple of days with dear friends in Urbana-Champaign, home of my alma mater, the University of Illinois. Being on campus again was a little strange, as most things had not changed and yet clearly my life situation has. I walked across the Quad not alongside my roommate or my close friend from down the hall, but rather with my husband and four children. Seeing multiple tour groups and realizing how much closer in age they are to my oldest daughter than to me was humbling.

Our oldest is already talking about following in my footsteps by going to the U of I; she must really like the cornfields, as she has visited UCLA and so far is not impressed. I told her she would want to make sure she lives in Illinois a couple years with the grandparents first in order to get in-state tuition, so we will see.

Our friends have a new baby, which was fun. Since I've known the wife of this couple for 15 years, it was a lovely time of reminiscing about how we were as college girls as well as acknowledging that we are both very blessed to be married to the good, strong Christian men we have in our lives now. God has truly blessed both of us.

We saw so many friends in the area, including at a potluck dinner at a friend's home in Peoria. What a lovely but brief time.

Northwest Indiana

Sunday afternoon we made the drive from northern Ohio to northwest Indiana in time to meet with people Hubs knew during college, the people who, if we are all honest, most encouraged him to be a minister. It was there in Hammond that he gave his first sermon. That evening we stayed with good friends who encourage us in our parenting journey; they have a large family, are homeschoolers, and are ardent believers in the power of life-long learning and thinking. The conversation was great.

Northern Ohio

We stopped in northern Ohio last weekend to visit the church Hubs worked with before our move to LA. We stayed with a family there and enjoyed seeing all of our old friends again. It was too brief of a stop!

NE Ohio/N West Virginia/W Pennsylvania

We spent Wednesday morning driving from Columbus to northern West Virginia, where my mother's paternal aunt lives. She lives in my great-grandparents' house, a home I've visited a couple of times before in my life: once in 1996 on a family history trip with my grandparents and a couple of uncles and their families, and once in 2006 when my great-grandma passed away.

There had been much rain in the extended region since we arrived in Dayton, and I'm told there had been some even before that. My aunt's basement had already flooded by Wednesday morning. It let up enough for a few excursions, including a trip to Thompson Park, where the kids played in puddles and mud and we met a sweet cat who needed a home but wouldn't let us take him somewhere safe.

I visited my great-grandparents' graves as well as the local hot spot, the Homer Laughlin China factory, including my favorite part--the seconds warehouse. Due to our travels I was not able to take any of the beautiful (but heavy) dishes home with us.

During dinner the rain started up again, and we were concerned about possible tornado activity; however, upon seeing the weather radar we realized we were north of where the low pressure system met the high pressure system, and thankfully nothing progressed beyond some storming. By the time we finished our dinner, there was only rain falling.

The church where Hubs spoke Wednesday evening had lost their power during the storms, so that made for an interesting time. It's not an evening we'll soon forget. We left there and headed back to Ohio and stayed overnight just outside Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The next morning we were able to get a few shots of Brandywine Falls in full rushing mode.