Call us crazy, but we did it. We decided to take the 12+ hour car trip to Arkansas. This is why I have not blogged in so long. We are still recovering! It was a great trip, lots of fun, but also very exhausting. I have to say we prepared pretty well. Nicolas had a headset, movies, video games, books and snacks. The babies had... well, me! Perhaps this is why I am so tired, now that I think of it. I was the entertainment, the snack and the pillow to the babies. They did very well, but our strategy for traveling did not work out as well as we thought it would. We left in the evening. I loaded everything up all day and when Nicolas' bus arrived from school, we got in the van to meet Trey at General Mills. We hit the road (or actually the Friday traffic) right away. We thought that by driving in the evening we would get to Kansas City after 12:00 and everyone would be asleep. They were asleep, we got to Kansas City at 2:30, but by the time we got to the hotel room.... guess what? EVERYONE woke up. No one was cranky, but EVERYONE was wide awake. It was like a party for the kiddos, except Trey and I were beat. We finally got everyone settled, only to find them wide awake again at 6:30. Who would have thought that 3 1/2 hours of sleep could seem like a luxury? It's all about reference, right? And this too shall pass...
We arrived in Arkansas on Saturday after lunch. We drove through Bella Vista and asked Nicolas if he wanted to see the glass chapel were Mommy and Daddy got married. He pondered for perhaps 3 seconds and quickly replied "nah, that's ok". These things are just not that interesting when you have a DVD in the car. He was excited, however, to drive by the hospital where he was born. We were thrilled to see the growth to Northwest Arkansas. We made a not-so-quick stop at Rick's Bakery (they made our wedding cake) for a little "snack" before heading to Fort Smith. Even Rick's doubled in size; but is still delicious! There is so much change in Fayetteville.
Once we arrived in Fort Smith, Meemaw and Papa were anxiously awaiting.
The babes (as Nicolas calls them) were happy to stretch out, as were all of us. With all the hugging going on and the comments on how big the babies were, there seemed to be a little jealousy in the air, particularly about Papa. Right away it was decided that an entire afternoon would be dedicated to papa and Nicolas time, sans babes.
It wasn't long until Uncle Gabe and Zach came over. Uncle Gabe got to meet his new nephews. Nicolas was thrilled! He absolutely ADORES Zach. He told me that Zach is "8 YEARS OLD! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?". Let me share that to a 5 1/2 year old (that 1/2 is a big deal in kindergarten), an 8 year old is WAY cool. This is especially true if he is your blood relative and rocks at video games. Saturday night was spent eating out. Micah also came to meet us.
Sunday was family day. We got to see everyone. Tonyia made a delicious lasagna and hosted a great family gathering. It was a really great time. So great, in fact, that I hardly got any pictures. The few pictures that I took depict our great nieces as babysitters. Check it out!
With all the noise, Gabe managed to put Enzo to sleep. It was very cute. Bre and Stephanie looked gorgeous in their swimsuits. They are all grown up and beautiful. No sign of my little flower girl in Bre! Jackson enjoyed watching everyone swim. Aunt Tonyia remembered the days when her twins were still babies. I just keep telling myself that she survived it, so there is hope... :)
That night we stayed at a hotel and the boys enjoyed the hotel beds. Everyone was tired, but Matteo kept his very early bedtime. He fell asleep first in the play pen. I came back from my shower to find the other boys passed out on top of each other. I loved how intertwined they were and thought it deserved a picture.
Monday Night Football
Our star football player, Zach, had the whole family present at his game. Again, Nicolas loved the fact that "the cousins" were all there. I have to say that Nicolas and Alexus were more interested in each other and the snacks than the game. While watching Zach was fun, I can't say that I am thrilled about football. Even for little kids, I found it to be too much and feared for his teeth. In my heart, I am hoping he becomes the kicker or something less physical.
On Tuesday we headed to Fayetteville. We enjoyed Hunan Manor (lembra, Clarice, da nossa lemon chicken?) which is now right by our old house. Nico spent the afternoon with meemaw and papa ALONE. Trey and I met up with a realtor to see the changes in the area.We looked drove around Rogers and Fayetteville. The biggest change, by far, is in Rogers. The neighborhoods are full of beautiful houses, and while they are a lot cheaper than MN, they are a lot more expensive than they used to be. We also got to hang out with Karla that evening. I can't believe that I did not get pictures. She met the babies and we realize that the last time she saw Nicolas he was 4 months old! It was wonderful to see Karla. I just wish we had more time. We were so tired and worn out by then, but still wanted to get a lot into the trip.
Wednesday morning I headed to the University. Lots of new buildings, but a lot of the same people. Again, it was nice to reminisce. Nicolas got a Razorback t-shirt and checked out our names on the sidewalk. He liked "our school" but still wants to go wherever his Dindo goes.
We headed back to Fort Smith and had dinner at Market Place with Micah. It was fun seeing everyone one more time, as we were headed back home the next day. Wish that Jordan and Zach were in this picture of the kids.
Before we headed back the next morning, Grandma Imogene got to meet the babies and see Nicolas. It's so hard to fit everything in such a short trip. I am glad that she got to spend some time with the boys.
Our trip back was uneventful. We stopped in West Des Moines, Iowa, which turned out to be much nicer than expected. The hotel was great and we got a little rest. The drive was, of course, long. I started to agree with everyone that this trip was crazy with babies. Still, it was worth it for the family to meet them. We got home exhausted, so it was a great thing to have the weekend.
On Monday we took Gramps to lunch and then came back to wait for Uncle Steve. We got to see Steve's new bike (because I guess you can never have too many Harleys..??) and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The leaves are just starting to change in Arkansas. In Minnesota, Autumn is already at its peak. It's nice to see the contrast. 
