Regina Retreat

This weekend we had sort of a mini-reunion with the Megel family. Adam's Aunt, Sister Anne Marie, lives at Our Lady of Grace Monastary. The sisters have a beautiful property in Brown County, named Regina Retreat, that they can take turns using for the weekend. This weekend was Sister's turn and she always invites the entire family. Adam has lots of wonderful memories of going there as a kid and still looks forward to it every year. Abi had an absolute blast playing with all her cousins; most of which she doesn't get to see very often. I intended to take more pictures, but got busy visiting and eating and the weekend just flew by!

Megan, Ella, Ava, little Abi, big Abi

Eli, Abi, Ella & Megan



bubbles are hilarious! (yes, that is sidewalk chalk all over Abi's face)



more bubbles



Madison, Abi, Hayley & Jack eating breakfast



Abi & Jack attacking the tree with sticks

We had really nice weather for the weekend. Which was great because we spent the whole time outside. I love weekends filled with family, relaxing and lots of delicious food!

Just the Girls

Adam left Sunday for his annual two week professional development training session. Which means Abi and I started Operation: Keep Busy While Daddy's Gone. I'm always with Abi by myself all day, but something about knowing Adam won't be coming home makes the days and evenings drag. Plus we really miss him!

Sunday afternoon the Kids Commons was free thanks to a promotional day from SIHO. So off we went!

VERY confused by the giant toilet! ha!

And of course we stopped off at Zaharakos for a scoop of icecream

On Monday we visited with my Great Grandma Jean, Abi's Great-Great Grandma, and then had a delicious dinner at Grandpa Harry and Grandma Darlene's house. Abi is blessed just like I was, and still am, to have a ton of grandparents who all love her to pieces. It is so cool that Abi makes five generations. That is so rare. I can't wait to get a five generation picture with her new sister also. Grandma Jean may be 92 years old, but that doesn't stop her from drawing pictures with Abi, making animal noises and playing tea party. Well, I think they were actually drinking "milk" but the idea is still the same.

Absolutely precious

Tuesday was the Let's Bake a Pie Contest at the fair. I made my blackberry custard pie, but no luck. Oh well, I'm still the Grand Champion! Wednesday we drove up to Kokomo to hang out with Adam for the rest of the week. All week I kept telling Abi, "We're going to go see Daddy at the hotel and go swimming!" When we got to the hotel, the pool was , of course, closed for maintenance through the weekend!! Luckily, Abi's memory doesn't last that long and she didn't really know the difference. That's why I love this age. Thursday and Friday we tried to entertain ourselves during the day while Adam was at class. Then we got to spend the evenings hanging out with him. It's a little frustrating trying to find things to do in exotic Kokomo, IN, but we really did miss Adam and it's a vacation from cooking for me! That's another thing I love about Abi's age/stage right now. She is so very easily entertained and has no real concept of time. We spent forever in Petco just checking out the animals and not even purchasing anything. Except the whole time we were there she kept asking, "Where the zebras at?"

turtles

She really liked watching the mice run on the wheel. G-R-O-S-S

We also checked out Kokomo Beach Water Park. Which was actually really neat. They had a big zero-entry pool, a splash area with all kinds of different sprayers, water slides and a lazy river. I don't have any pictures really because it was just me and I was busy chasing Abi around. It was a nice way to spend a hot afternoon.

As for the littlest and newest girl in our family, she seems to be doing great! I'm gaining weight like crazy, which means she must be too. She is still super active and her heartbeat sounded beautiful this week at the doctor. This pregnancy continues to take it's toll on me though. At the hematologist last week my blood platelet levels were down to 77. And Dr. Reed informed me this week that if they are below 75 at the time of delivery the anesthesiologist may not give me a spinal. Which means I will have to be put completely out for the c-section and miss her birth. Obviously, I want to do whatever is safest for Baby and I both. But the idea of missing her arrival is heartbreaking to me. I have to keep reminding myself that this is just a possibility and there could be much worse things. And as my always positive and logical husband points out, I was a nervous wreck and threw up the entire surgery with Abi so why would I want to remember that anyway? Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing I can do to increase my platelet count except pray. Per doctors orders I am supposed to be drinking tons of water, resting as much as possible and continue to take a ridiculous amount of medication and vitamins.

My daily dose of pills. Not pictured: my weekly B12 injection.

So my plan of action for the next five weeks? Drink as much water as I can stand, try to rest, say lots and lots of prayers and concentrate on the miracle of Baby Girl moving and growing inside me. And not concentrate on all my discomforts and the inconvenience of being at the doctor twice a week.

Friends, The Fourth & The Fair

The last week or so has been a whirlwind of friends, family and celebration. Sunday we went to a bridal shower for my cousin Kathryn. Abi is going to be her flower girl in October. I'm pretty excited about how cute she will look, but I have my reservations about whether or not she will actually make it down the aisle!

The lovely bride and her sassy flower girl

Monday was my birthday. Adam made breakfast, we relaxed and we went to Mark Pi's for dinner. My fav! Then I met up with Traci to go see Magic Mike. Which, by the way, was hilariously ridiculous!

The next day our friends Nick, Sam and Baby Jeremiah came to stay with us for The Fourth and the rest of the week. They live in Minnesota so we don't get to see them very often. And we were super excited to meet Jeremiah for the first time! Our Fourth of July celebration seemed a little lame because we were pretty much confined to the indoors due to the outrageous heat. Over 100 every day this week!! I made a bunch of food and we spent the evening visiting and catching up.

Abi and her betrothed :)



holding hands



cutie patootie!

Poor Adam was so excited about setting off kiddie fireworks for Abi. Clearly, she was not a fan!



Still not impressed....

 The Bartholomew County Fair started yesterday. Which means it's Adam's favorite time of year....pie season! I usually practice my pies for weeks before I enter them into the fair. But between Abi, the heat and being 8 months pregnant, that just didn't happen. So I wasn't feeling too hopeful this year.  I made an English Sour Cream Apple Pie to enter into the Open Class. Which is basically 4-H for adults for those of you who don't know. And......I got GRAND CHAMPION! I am so stinking excited I can't stand it!!

I have always loved making pies. My Grandma Darlene makes delicious cherry pies and always made one if she knew we were coming. She still does that actually. When I was little, she would give me my own ball of dough and a little rolling pin. Then I could make my own pie in a  little pie dish just like hers. I don't know if there are any pictures of us doing this, but I really wish I had one. Adam is an absolute pie-lover so when we started dating you could say that sort of accelerated my pie making. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right!? When we were in college I would make him two pies at a time to take back to Purdue. That usually lasted him about a week! So I guess making a pie is a little nostalgic for me. But it also gives me a lot of pleasure knowing the happiness a simple dessert brings to my hubby, and others. And now I also feel a lot of pride having something I'm "good at." Tuesday is the "Let's Bake a Pie Contest" hosted my the Bartholomew Co. Fair Board. I'm entering that too, so we'll see what happens!

Last night we decided to brave the heat and take Abi to the fair. Adam leaves for a two-week training in Kokomo tomorrow so it was pretty much the only chance we had. We let her look at the animals and sit on a few tractors. And of course, got a bag of free popcorn! But that was about as much heat as this pregnant lady could handle!

Today, Abi and I went wedding dress shopping with Kristen, Mom and Matt's Mom, Kathy. Abi is also going to be one of Kristen's flower girls, but we still have a year to get ready. She tried on lots of beautiful dresses and the day ended with a successful purchase!!

Here are some random pictures I've taken over the past couple weeks that I haven't been able to work into a post...

I scored Abi this sweet sandbox at our neighbor's yard sale for $5!!
Then we got her some sand toys in Michigan as her souvineer.

baby pool + macaroni and fancy rocks = lots of fun

painting

first ear of corn on the cob!