An Update from Maryland!

We're in Maryland!!!!...I know long overdue update since we've been here almost 2 weeks! We are having a great time, busy, but great!

First thing first-My new new niece Ashlynn! She is so precious! It's weird how fast you forget how small a newborn actually is. Allie was her age just 10 short months ago but holding Ashlynn it feels like an eternity since Allie was that small! I've had a lot of fun spending time with Madison and Bradley also! The last time we were in Maryland we had a lot of trouble with "fighting" kids. Joe, Julie, Madison and Bradley are so close in age that there is bound to be fights. This visit has been much better "fight" wise then the last. They are of course all older now and seem to really being enjoying each other's company. And during play they all have roles, Maddie is the boss, Joey does is own thing and Julie and Bradley can't be separated. Those two can play together for hours!

If you follow my blog you know that Joey was supposed to be going home with my step-dad Ron yesterday to go back to school. Well yesterday came and Joe was so upset about leaving that my dad offered to buy his ticket (his other ticket home was with a different airline than mine) and he is now staying the rest of the trip and going home with me! Thank you dad! I guess I thought he would be ready to go home without me and he just wasn't. I can't really blame him. I called his school and let them know the situation and they were good about it. So the next trip home I will have to take into consideration Joe's school schedule and work around it instead of sending him home early without us...lessons learned! At least it's just pre-school!

Right now Allie is sick (we have all been sick this trip unfortunately) and is looking ruff! She has a bad cold in her eyes of all places and the startings of a nasty cough. Tony has been extremely helpful with the kids. Because of the number of kids that are all under one roof at Jackie's and the limited amount of space there we have been staying at his place. It's been a God send really. It enables us a quiet place for the kids to unwind, sleep, take baths, ect. I have pretty much been able to keep them on their schedules which has made for much more pleasant days! And thanks to Tony for getting the kids toys to play with at his house, that was a live savor too. There is nothing worse than bored toddlers! We usually get up in the morning and get to Jackie's anywhere from 8:00-2:00 depending on what we have planned and head back to Tony's in the mid to late afternoon.

Not real sure what we have planned for the rest of the trip. This has been a really relaxing trip. Not many plans, just going with the flow! I know I want to get back to Bubba's parents house at least one more time. My kids don't get to see them very often and I can tell how much my kids miss them! I also want the kids to spend some more time with my father. They have already been to the firehouse with him and I hear a trip to the museum is in the works! I want to get a trip in to D.C.! Tony and I were talking about going next weekend only to forget the fact that Inauguration is the 20th so we are going to try to fit that in tomorrow or Sunday.

I'll try to post again before I leave. Don't have any pictures on Tony's computer right now so if you click the link to my myspace on the right side of the screen you can see a few I've put in some albums there. I'll post the entire album of photos when I get home!

Hope everyone is having a great 2009, I know we are! And if your reading this...MOM, we DO miss you :)