Traveling Again

This weekend we left on Friday for Southern Illinois to visit family and see Dillon who we haven't seen in over a month and a half. We left Friday afternoon and got here around 7pm and met James mom for dinner at a little BBQ place. Dinner was okay . . .we have eaten there before and it was much better then, but Friday night it was just so-so. On Saturday we hung out and the girls baked cookies with Grandma and then we went to the park. While we were at the park we got a call to come get Dillon and so we did that and then came back to Grandma's house and made dinner. Hannah and Marina helped me make the salad and Grandma made the spaghetti and then Hannah helped put garlic bread in the oven. Dinner tasted good and then we packed up to go see Pawpaw and Nanny at their house. The girls and their cousin Josi all had a sleep-over on the family room floor and it took quite a while for them to settle down. Finally all were asleep and we fell into bed as well. Today the kids played hard all day outside. They rode 4-wheelers, swung on the swings, played soccer in the front yard, jumped on the trampoline, rode the zip line over and over again and played in the tree house. They even chased the poor horse around the pasture on the 4-wheelers!! They had a great time. Then pawpaw grilled out some pork chops and nanny made some mixed veggies and pasta. All the kids ate really well and finished their plates except Marina who refused to eat the two teaspoons of veggies I put on her plate. I told her she had to eat them just like all the other kids or she couldn't join us outside for the bonfire later and roast marshmallows, and she couldn't watch TV while we were outside. She said fine and went to our room to hang out by herself. It was a battle of wills and I left her plate of veggies out just in case she changed her mind . . . she did not. So, while we all enjoyed the fire she sat inside and pouted. Very strong will she has, but she can't expect the rules to be any different for her than the rest of the kids. It was very hard to stick to our guns, but it would have been a mistake to give in. Besides, I think a 12 year old can gulp down two teaspoons of veggies without too much difficulty. It's not like we were asking her to eat a plateful of liver while the rest of us ate ice cream . . . good grief. Oh well, at least she is learning boundaries and that we will do what we say we will. Now they are all in bed and tomorrow we will head home in the morning. James has to take Dilllon at 6:30 though so he can be at school in time in a neighboring town. He'll come back and get us after that and I guess we'll leave around 9 or 10ish.