Back from MI

We got back from MI this morning. It was a wonderful trip in so many ways and a hard trip in a lot of ways.

Chuck and I have made a pact that we will never again stay in a one-room hotel room with all three kids again. Never. No matter the cost. I was more sleep deprived last week than I ever was when Tristan was a newborn. This girl needs sleep to maintain sanity.

We saw so many awesome friends on our trip. We of course saw our family, but I also saw a lot of friends that I haven't seen in years. Facebook has proved to be quite the tool for connecting with old friends!

On Wednesday I hung out with my friend Christa from high school while Chuck slept (we drove Tuesday night). She has four little girls and had a ton of stuff for the kids to do. The boys had their first experience playing with a hose and running through a sprinkler. That night we got to hang with my mom and sister for a while before crashing early (since we drove all night).

Thursday we took the boys to the Detroit Zoo. We had a blast. It worked well to keep the twins in the double stroller. They felt secure that way while looking at all the big "mimi's" and "tutu's." We gave them their first ever ice cream cones and let them make a huge mess of themselves. That night we hung out with my sister and brother in law and after that I ventured out to see my friend DJ.

Friday I got to see Amanda, who I haven't seen in God only knows how long. I have been friends with her since second grade. Crazy! Chuck took the boys swimming and they had a blast. When naptime rolled around, Amanda and I took Tristan to the mall and met up with my mom and stepdad. We shopped and then headed back over to the hotel room after naptime was over. My mom cooked up an Arabic food feast for us so we chowed. After bedtime I headed out to see my college friend, Michelle. I haven't seen her in about 10 years. There aren't many people out there who know "Juli during college." Michelle knows and still loves me! It was great catching up with her and hearing where life has taken her (she has been ALL over the world... I'm so jealous!).

Saturday we hooked up with some of our very favorite people - the Antonucci's. Vince recently left our church to start one in Las Vegas. We miss them terribly and it was so cool that Vince was speaking in MI the same weekend we were visiting. The hotel they stayed in had a waterpark so we had some fun there.

And then it happened.

Over the loud speaker we heard, "Due to an unfortunate event, we will have to close the pool for 45 minutes." We were not happy about that. I mean really - why would they close the pool for that long? What's the deal? And then I had this sick feeling in my stomach and asked Chuck to check the boys' diapers. Samuel was fine. Noah, umm not so much. I held tightly to Tristan and asked Chuck if he would take care of it since I had Tristan. I'm glad he did because from what he told me I don't think I could have handled it. We were so completely embarrassed and probably apologized to every employee twice. That evening Vince spoke at a local church and Chuck went with him. Me, Jen, and the kids went to Olive Garden. I never go out to eat with the kids alone and I'm so glad Jen is understanding and helpful. It was stressful... and of course the boys cried over silly things multiple times. By the end of the meal I had all three kids sitting next to me somehow. Tristan was thankfully in a good mood. I just felt bad for the people who had to sit near us. Note to self: Don't dine out with the kids without Chuck until the twins are in middle school! That night we met up with a family that started a church outside of Detroit a few years ago. Our church was involved with getting that church started, so it was neat to meet them and hear how things are going. They also have twins (2 1/2 year old girls) so it gave me some new perspective on parenting twin toddlers. It's just not easy whether they are adopted or not!

The following day Chuck went to check out the newer church while I stayed with the kids. We had talked about going as a family, but Chuck wanted to go super early to see them set up and Tristan woke up with a fever. So, I stayed back while Chuck went. After lunchtime Chuck loaded up the kids and took them for a drive (aka naptime) while I slept in the hotel room for a few hours. Tristan went on some kind of sleep strike and by Sunday I was losing it from lack of sleep. That was wonderful! That evening we hung out with the Antonucci's and the family with the twins. We had pizza, roasted marshmallows, and talked for hours. The kids had a blast and we're pretty sure that Samuel ate a bunch of sand. Don't ask why we think this. It is gross.

Monday morning we met up again with the Antonucci's one last time for breakfast. Then we packed up our hotel room and Chuck went to sleep at my sister's house while I went and visited some high school friends. The boys had a blast playing and it was just like old times seeing my friends Randy and Jenny. Jenny was a surrogate last year for a couple and I just think that is amazing.

Last night we left my sister's house at about 8:15. I drove for the first four hours and then Chuck took over and drove all night. We pulled in at about 7:45 this morning. Both Chuck and I have had naps but we are so ready for bed!

All in all, it was a good trip other than the sleep situation. Seriously, I wish we could "warp" like we did in Super Mario Brothers because driving to MI is not fun. I'd go back a lot more often if I could warp!