I finished out this week catching up on payments and charges while I was gone on Tuesday. There wasn't a whole lot in the way of payments (unfortunately) but I did have a good amount of charges to get entered but it was definitely managable. My hands weren't hurting by the end of the week like they did last week! I did take Friday off as we planned to head to Cedar Rapids. Originally I was only going to take the afternoon off, but after viewing my paystub online and seeing that I was over 200 hours of PTO, I decided it was okey-dokey to take the whole day. Mike and I had twisted my mom's arm and got both my parents to travel to my sister, Cyndi's, in Swisher along with us. Mike went to the Men's Catholic Conference on Saturday so I decided it would be as good a time as any to get the folks down there for what might possibly and most probably will be one last visit. Mike had some errands to run in the morning and a haircut at 1:30 so we left as soon as his last hair was snipped. I went down to the folks and got all their luggage and junk in the car and got them in and situated. Whew! I do believe they were more work than getting three small children ready for a road trip!

Once we got them all settled, we picked up Mike and hit the road. Mom (as usual) got to ride shot-gun. (Mike thinks it was to keep an eye on the speedometer!). Dad rode in the back seat with me. (The quiet ones were banished to the back seat!). It was an experience that opened my eyes and made me reflect on past road trips, many to Illinois, that I have taken with my parents. I remember seeing my father from the back seat, his wide, strong hands steering the car along with his broad, muscular shoulders in total control. Now as I gaze over at him, I see hands that are swollen with arthritis and can hardly grasp a pen to write. I see a frame sitting next to me that is much smaller than the one that guided the car to Illinois all those years ago, muscles atrophied from inability to use them as he once did. Like most road trips, he is unable to hear casual conversation in a normal tone of voice but on this particular road trip we listen to both his hearing aids squeal for hours on end. (This is when the iPod comes in handy!). I wish my kids could have known him as I did and I suppose that my older brother and sisters knew an even younger and more invigorated father than what I grew up with. It makes me wonder what my kids think when they see me now and what they remember me to be.

Remarkably, neither one of my parents slept on the car ride. This is most unusual for my mother, who on most car rides is asleep about a block from her house. Even though I had my iPod in, every time I looked up at her in the front seat, her mouth was moving, talking Mike's leg off I think. Just thinking of how she used to sleep in the car on trips makes me recall one particular trip we took to Wisconsin to see this same sister. My other sister, Deb, and her husband, Pat were along and we had just stopped at McDonald's. Once we hit the road again, Mom was out like a light. It was then that I had the brilliant idea to play a little prank on her. She was sitting in her seat, her head back, mouth open and so I placed two french fries in her mouth and placed them like fangs. (I can't believe my dad let me do that!) We were driving down the interstate with people pointing and laughing along with us. Before long, she woke up and caught on in a big hurry. That was funny! Wasn't I a precious child? (or maybe just precocious?)

We popped in to show the folks where Gabby lives and to chat with her (and to let me use the potty!). It is hard for the folks to picture where she lives and what she does and now they have a better idea of what their granddaughter is doing. When we pulled out of the driveway, Mike had the bright idea to take 'back roads' to Cedar Rapids. I told him that was a bad idea, but he refused to believe me. He thought he could find a blacktop to get him to 380 but forgot about the river. We ended up coming in to Cyndi's from the west instead of the east. I told him that if we could get to Norway, I could probably get us there as I could kind of remember from when we visited Fr. Dellaert in January. Sure enough things looked familiar and we did get there without a Garmin (who needs a GPS when you have a KKH?!?)

Once we got to Cyndi's and pryed my mom out of the car, she suggested that we head out for an early supper as she needed to be home when Ron got home from Houston and he was going to call her to come get him at the airport. We went to a restaurant (I think THE restaurant) in Swisher called Ka Va Haus. It was a delightful little restaurant with sandwiches, salads, coffees, wines and, what looked like delicious, desserts. Since it was Friday, Mike and I had to go for something meatless (yawn). Mike went for the grilled cheese and I had a Jess' Vegetable sandwich which was peppers, onions and a spinach and avocado spread grilled on whole wheat bread. It was not too bad but Mom's rueben looked a lot better! We also split a cup of crab bisque just to try it out. It was very good. I wouldn't mind going there again when it is not a Friday during Lent and at a time when I am not trying to lose a few lbs. I would definitely have split a dessert with someone if circumstances were different.













Mike and I had the bedroom with the knight/armour/renaissance theme. I have to admit it was a little intimidating to sleep with all those weapons everywhere! My nephew, Ben, is really big into that kind of thing and is off to college now and is studying archeology (explains the dog wearing the Indiana Jones hat staring at me all night). I joked with Mike that if he snored, I have the means to behead him!











When we awoke snow was falling from the sky. Nothing that stuck but it was apalling to see it in April. We spent the day at Cyndi's visiting and pretty much watching her cook. She made homemade bread, lasagna and butterscotch pie (so much for the diet!). She invited her neighbor, Helen, over for lunch and her other son, Josh, was there helping his dad tear off paneling for a project in the family room. (He had to earn his lunch!) Cyndi is famous for not exactly timing the meal quite right so we didn't eat until after 1 but it was well worth the wait! Everything was delicious and I didn't deny myself a bite and enjoyed it all. After lunch I just couldn't fight sleep so I crawled under a blanket and slept for about an hour. I didn't even get to say good-bye to Helen! When I got up, Cyndi and I played paper dolls with her Cricut (that is sooo fun, I will have to set up another play date with her!). Shortly after that, Mike texted me that he was on his way and we packed back up and got in the car and headed home.

The picture of the pond is my sister's upper pond, (they have two ponds on their acreage, one for fishing, which is this one and one for swimming). This was in the afternoon after the snow melted. She has the most beautiful location and scenery when you look out her windows. She has the ponds, woods and beautiful birds that come up to her birdfeeders. My folks like to look at all the different birds that eat there. While it is pretty, it is a lot of work to keep up for them. There is a lot of lawnmowing and yardwork to keep up the lawn, trees, walking trails and ponds. Her house is huge and has been added onto many times. We have often told her she should open up a bed and breakfast! The road to get to her house is kind of yucky, especially in bad weather. They also have a very twisty driveway and a creek that you cross on your way up to the house. It's a really nice place and she always makes you feel right at home when you visit.

I am trying to get the invitations for Reed's graduation party sent out this week. I have a notebook with all my notes from the other two graduations that contain i.e. how much food to order, invitation list, etc... The problem is in my organization I have put it away so well that I can't find it! Well, I will just have to wing it and go with the list on the computer from Micah's and edit that one. I'm sure it will all go fine, after all I just did this whole thing last year. Could I possibly forget that much in one year's time?

Today is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. I recently found out that I am the hostess with the mostest for Easter for our family. I will just take it one day at a time and it will all unfold. Unfortunately, my Gabby will not be able to make it home for Easter, but hopefully will be able to come home some Tuesday when she has time off. This is a big week, full of events, and I just hope that I will be able to actually enjoy the important ones. One more week until I can go back on Facebook and reconnect with my friends and family! Look forward to chatting with y'all again real soon!