Onward, to South Dakota!

We said goodbye to the Neiperts and Grandma Marilyn on Tuesday, and when we dropped them off at the airport, Kaitlyn cried. I'm not sure if it was related to the fact that they were leaving, or that she couldn't get out of the car and go with them. She cried and whined for nearly 5 minutes on the way home, so I kept repeating what she was saying. "I'm gonna miss Grandma! I'm gonna miss Bennett! I'm gonna miss Harrison! I'm gonna miss Aunt Beth!" For 5 minutes.
The rest of that evening I spent time packing and getting things ready for our trip to South Dakota. Nathan wasn't able to take more time off of work, so I decided to try traveling with the kids alone. I got us packed along with a bunch of photo equipment to photograph senior photos of my cousin Jeanne's daughter Claire. I can't believe that girl is going to be a senior in high school next year... it seems to me like it was not so long ago that I remember her as a beautiful toddler. Now, here she is, a grown up girl, and still beautiful. I can't wait to work on her photos when I get home.
Anyway, I got side tracked. The kids and I left Florida on Wednesday and headed on Allegiant on a direct flight to Sioux Falls. What a great thing. I heart Allegiant for having direct flights. The plane ride went smoothly, with naps for both kids, and a little iPod action for me. No complaints, really.
After the flight we headed over to my Uncle Todd and Aunt Patty's house for pizza and fruit (and BEER). Jason was there, as well as Kevin and his kids (they were on our flight). We had a good time letting the kids run around outside and play. By the time we got to the hotel, unloaded our bags, changed rooms due to AC problems and then got into bed, the kids were exhausted. I was too. We had a good night of sleep though and were rested for the next day's fun.
On Thursday we had a lazy morning and then headed over to see my Grandma Doris (my dad's mom, and only living grandparent). She is living in an independent living facility in Sioux Falls that is brand new and absolutely gorgeous. I asked her if she was happy there, and she said, "Well if I can't be at my house, this is where I want to be." So that's great. GREAT. She really enjoys being there, and now that she's in Sioux Falls, it's easier for her family to go see her.
Kevin and his kids, my parents and my kids and I went over to her house for the later part of the morning. We were given the grand tour (we even saw where they show movies and play Wii bowling), and then hung out on the lawn in the sun and watched the kids play football and play with rocks. Perfect South Dakota weather. It was hot, but cool enough to be comfortable in the shade.

Great Grandma Doris and 5 of her great grandchildren.

Grandma Doris and Cameron.

Kevin, Grandma and me.

Kevin, Grandma and Ben.

Kevin, Grandma and Jack.

James and Kaitlyn were playing with the rocks, and putting them down in the holes.

Cameron told us that Uncle Todd taught her how to throw the football the right way. Uncle Todd should have been a quarterback I guess because he taught Cam how to LAUNCH the thing. Good job Cam!

After a much needed lunch at Culver's and naps at the hotel, we went BACK to Culver's to get ice cream for the kids. We were on our way to Jeanne's house, so we went through the drive through. I ordered them chocolate shakes, and pleasantly, to my surprise, they were able to make them just like James wanted it... with M&M's in it. What a mess Kaitlyn made in the back seat. I got them shakes in the first place thinking that they would have normal lids on them with straws in them. No, instead, they had lids like you get on a mocha, with the dome and a gigantic hole in the center. Dang. I removed the spoons from the shakes (licked them clean! :)), and left the straws in there and told the kids to drink it through the straw. Alas, as usual, I forgot I was talking to a 2 year old, who didn't pay any attention to my directions and was trying to use her straw as a spoon to scoop it into her mouth. Yep. Chocolate shake... everywhere. Awesome. Of course by the time I had noticed what she was doing it had been long enough for her to drip all over. At that point, there was nothing I could do besides let her finish it. I got the car cleaned up when we got to Jeanne's house. Sigh.
The kids had an excellent time at Jeanne's house jumping on their trampoline and then having a water balloon fight. Fun in the sun! Mom, Molly, Courtney and Jeanne and I sat on the porch and sipped our cold drinks while the kids played. Ryan and Kevin were out throwing the baseball and then had a small soccer game going on with the Hassel girls and Kevin's kids.
At one point, James was left alone playing with the hose that had filled up all of the water balloons. He turned around and said, "Friends? Where did all my friends go?" Oh it was so cute and sad at the same time.

Anna, Maria, Kaitlyn, James, Gabe, Alex, Cameron and Jack fill up water balloons.

Molly and Courtney chilling in SD.

Molly and Mom.

Alex Powell was so much fun for the camera!

Cameron told me about a small spider web near the hose what was covered in droplets, so we photographed it. Good luck seeing the web... :).

For dinner that evening, we were hosted by Dick and Bev for sloppy Joe's. The kids didn't eat much, which turned out to be a problem later in the evening. We had a good time chatting and laughing as usual. When we got back to the hotel, James was complaining of a sore throat so I gave him some ibuprofen and put them to bed. The problem? James was up at 12:30 AM throwing up. He threw up three times in an hour and then finally settled back down for the rest of the night. Poor thing... stupid mama. Never again will I give him ibuprofen on an empty stomach.
This blog is getting long, so I'm going to divide it into parts. Keep reading! :)

Sand castles and kayaks.

Sand castle time!

The "babies" were in charge of shoveling sand into the bucket.

That's Marilyn out in the kayak.

Group shot! All who built the castle say, "AYE!"

Bennett's turn?

Time for a little bit of a show... or movie. Disney's Incredibles.

Silly kids. Bennett and Kaitlyn were playing with each other so well today, running around, pushing each other around, kicking each other. It sounds like I'm kidding, but I'm not. They were roughhousing and enjoying it, laughing so hard!

Adorable "Harrison John Deere Green." He told us today he wanted his name to be John Deere Green. Apparently, that is his favorite country song. I overheard him playing a few minutes ago and he was calling himself "Harrison John Deere Green." :)

Sweet Bennett... chewing on a pool toy!

A few from today... only a few... I'm tired and going to bed.

As you can see from the photos, we had a very long day on the beach. God gave us a beautiful display of clouds today, along with plenty of sun and even some dolphins swimming near the shore. What a beautiful day!

James got his wish, we went to the pool first today.

Mommy? Mommy? Where's my Mommy?

Harrison and James LOVED jumping in the waves. Even more, they loved going out into the water with us holding them. Beth and I are stunned that James is liking the beach so much.

Jump James!

Check out the clouds in these photos!

A day in the life at New Smyrna Beach

We've only just arrived, and look at these great photos... the first two credits go to Beth. I was still up in the condo with the napping younger kids. Tomorrow will be more of the same, but, since James is insisting, we WILL go to the pool FIRST, then the beach. ;)

James digging... by Beth.

Harrison standing on the beach... by Beth. Hi DAD!

DON'T SMILE JAMES! No... DON'T SMILE!

I love this shot!

STINKER! I had just told her, also, to not smile. Ha.

Mama and James.

Look MOM! A shell! I like her hat. :)

Sweet Bennett.

Best buds on the beach. Isn't this great?

"Knock, Knock... Who's there? Ivan... Ivan who? I've been working on the rail road..." brings giggles every time.

The storm that put an end to our beach time. :( I love the shot though.

Kaitlyn traded in her pink hat for a bucket. ;)

More tomorrow! Happy weekend everyone, and Happy Birthday to one of my best friends, ANA!! XOXOXO!

James Nicholas Wilcke born June 23, 2005

Aunt Beth... silly Aunt Beth... just posted the story of Harrison's birth on his 4th birthday, and now I've got to do the same. Not because she did it, but because it's a more than wonderful idea, and I'm copying her. I'm typing this on December 3, 2008, Harrison's 4th birthday, but it'll post on June 23, 2009, on James' 4th birthday.
Here it goes, the tale of James Nicholas....
Nathan and I were expecting a boy, due June 24th, 2005. We were living in Ames, Iowa on Foxley Drive. We got pregnant with James two months into our marriage and were so excited about the addition to our family. James (who wasn't named until we saw his face) was very comfortable in my belly, but on the 22nd, Dr. Lines (at Doran Clinic in Ames) stripped my membranes to try get things started. I had very dull but steady aches in my belly, not really contractions, just a very uncomfortable feeling. Dr. Lines had told me at my appointment that if I feel like I'm haivng contractions, or just want to get admitted to the hospital (Mary Greely Medical Center), then to arrive at 6 p.m. I told Nathan that I wanted to go be admitted, but being the naturalist that he is, wanted me to wait until James was good and ready to make an apperance on his own. I felt guilty not listeining to my husbands desires, but we went to the hospital anyway, pretty much in silence in the car. I was being selfish, but rightly so. I had this being in me, hijacking my body for 9 months, and I wanted him out.
They put me in the triage room, got me comfortable in a smock, and then broke my water. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEW! What a feeling. But what a glorious feeling! Ha. Now there was no turning back... he had to come out sooner or later or they would take him out.
We called family, and they came over to the hospital. Grandpa Gary, Grandma Marilyn, Grandma Kathy, Aunt Beth, Uncle Chris, Harrison (who was 7 mo.), and Chris' brother Ryan and girlfriend Kaylee. Par-tay! Everyone started placing bets on birth time and weight... none of them came close. Ha ha.
Labor started, slow and steady, and then on came the contractions! Nathan ran a warm bath for me, and I tried that for a while, but when the contracitons really started to hurt, I asked for my epidural. AHHHHHH, relief. It is ridiculously strange to not be able to move your legs, even while using all the brain power you have, nothing happens. LOL.
I labored through the night, plus got more medication put in my epidural in the middle of the night (maybe at like 2 AM?) and in the morning (at about 6 or 7 AM?). I didn't get much sleep, but at least got some, the arm cuff testing my blood pressure kept waking me up... of all things.
My doctor, Dr. Joyce Lines, came in to check up on me at around 8 AM and told me that I was getting ready to start pushing. By now I had been in labor for 14 hours. Here was the catch: Dr. Lines had to leave for a medical conference THAT MORNING so she wouldn't be arrond to deliver the baby. Figures. So, I asked for the other most favorite doctor of the group, Dr. Leads, to deliver James. I had never met Dr. Leads before, and I wasn't actually sure I had even seen him before in the office, so this was a strange first impression. Hi Dr. Leads! Here is my V! :) LOL.
When I started pushing, the nurse turned down my epidural so I could feel where to push. Ok, so maybe she turned it OFF, I don't know. All I know is that I felt everything, EVERYTHING. I pushed for two hours, and after an episiotomy and some screaming, out came our beautiful boy. James Nicholas! He weighed in at 9 pounds 4 ounces, was 22 inches long and had a LARGE head. I was shaking, green, and at a loss for words since I felt like I had just been ripped in half, but seeing that baby was the best thing on Earth. Nathan and I both cried tears of joy as our family grew to include this wonderful baby.
I've been hearing the story of his birth from my mother's view, who was standing out in the hall with Aunt Beth and Grandma Marilyn, and when they heard the nurse announce, "How about 9.4?!?" They all burst into tears for me.
What a magical day, and we have been blessed with this amazing child every day since. God is good, we love you James Nicholas.

Side story:
Nathan and I kept names that we liked for our son a secret until he was born and named. I did such a good job I even kept them secret from my Mom. This drove her completely nuts, and for the entire pregnancy, she was suggesting names for our little boy. She'd say, "I like Chase! Or how about the name Matthew?" She'd say this in hopes to get some sort of clue out of me what we were going to name this child. James was always our number one choice, well, for me anyway, not sure what Nathan's first choice was.
Mom came to help out the week before James was born and to be there for the birth and to help afterward. We went to Nathan's softball game one evening when she was there, and she says to me, "James Nathan! That's it! That's the name!" I shrugged and played it out like I did with all the others, then had to WADDLE as fast as I could over to Nathan to tell him that she had guessed the name and not to blow it that she actually had picked it right. Can you believe that? Out of the million and one names that we could have chosen, she landed on the ONE name that was at the top of my list. We didn't Nathan as his middle name, not sure why really, but we didn't want to name him after anyone. After James was born, Nathan went out to the family to announce that he was here, a boy, and his name is James Nicholas, and he looked at my mom and said, "Not because you said, it was the name we liked all along." Crazy.

For Grandma Marilyn, Aunt Beth, Harrison and Bennett

Silly Kaitlyn

This is hysterical! I really don't know why she insisted on flicking the bird while plugging her nose and talking. :)

Whirlwind of a day, and first movie EVER!

I had a whirlwind of a day yesterday. It all started off with a shoot in the morning of a beautiful family in Dr. Phillips. They are expecting their second child, a girl, after having one of the cutest little boys in the world. Their son is almost 3, so for them, the kids are spaced perfectly. :) I will update my photo blog with those shots and details in the coming weeks when I get a chance to work on them.
At 1 pm, after the kids were in their beds for naps and Daddy was playing his new Tiger Woods golf game on the Wii, I headed over to Jo-ann in Altamonte Springs. I've decided to take a sewing class with my friend Jeannine from MOMS. I'm so excited. I've always wanted to learn how to sew, but my mother never even attempted to teach me anything except how to sew on a button. She could have taught me how to sing Opera, but sewing and algebra were not her strong points. :)
Marilyn, my mother-in-law, further encouraged my desire to learn to sew by buying me a starter sewing machine. I used it once to try to fix Kona's bed that was a little too thick and nearly broke the machine. I had great aspirations to make curtains, and even a new slip cover for our family room ottoman, but alas, the sewing machine has been packed up and in a closet for a loooong time. It's time to break it out today and bring it to class. I'm so excited!
After Jo-ann's I went over to Saxon Clark, a furniture store, to look at book cases for our family room. That took about two hours, and I ended up leaving with a quote for one bookcase and a small table for our formal living room. The only thing I purchased was a framed poster to hang above the settee in the formal living room, it's really large and we haven't seen if it'll work yet or not, so let's hope!
I headed over to the Altamonte Mall to meet up with Nathan and the kids, and met them while they were at the play place in the mall. Talk about a crazy madness. It was 90+ degrees outside and the clouds were starting to roll in, so everyone and their kids were at the play center at the mall. Lovely. We quickly got out of there (well poor Nathan had to sit there for a while and watch the kids until I showed up) and shopped a bit for clothes for James.
After shopping, we headed to the food court for a quick dinner and then we went to the movie theatre by the mall to take the kids to their first movie ever! Too bad we had to battle the rain when leaving the mall and going into the theatre. I guess that just adds to the dramatic story line! When I finally got out of the rain and into the car at the, James told me "Mommy! You have spots!" when referring to the spots on my shirt from the rain drops.
We saw the movie "Up", and it was awesome! I loved it, but of course, there were funny parts but also the kids were scared to death, and also sad in places. At times, James was sitting in his seat kicking his legs as hard as he could straight out in front of him trying to run from the dogs. I was crossing my fingers that one of his Reef flip flops wouldn't go flying off of his foot and smack someone else in the head. By the end, James was cuddled up in Daddy's lap nearly crying from being so scared. Poor thing. Sorry James. We had a nice talk after the movie about how sometimes movies are scary. I tried to explain to him that good movies make you feel happy, sad, scared and excited at different times during the movie. I'm not sure if any of that sunk in or not.
Kaitlyn did very well during the movie! She sat still for most of it, sometimes with her kid sized popcorn between her legs munching away, and other times with her lemonade between her legs. She got restless toward the end, especially at the scary parts. She'd announce, in full volume, "I scared, Mommy! I scared!" She was easier to calm down since she didn't really understand what was going on. You should have felt that bowling ball of a diaper after all that lemonade! Ha.
By the time we got out of the theatre it was 8:30, way past the kids' bedtimes. We headed straight home for bedtime, and after getting them into their beds, neither kid made a peep. Ah, goodnight kids. ;)

Here is a snap shot I got in the theatre... and this was just during previews! :)

So... I'm off to sew today at 1. Wish me luck! I'm so glad my friend Jeannine is going with me for moral support. :)

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

I got Nathan a Wii for his birthday. Frankly, I didn't know what to get him, and it sounded fun... especially since I had heard that James and Harrison were playing bowling on the Wii at the Neipert house. So we are now a proud owner of a Wii, and Nathan got it hooked up about four days ago... make that TWO days ago, on Wednesday. James is in LOVE with the bowling game and would literally play it for hours if I let him. He bowled a few games earlier today with Uncle Rich, and then after Rich left, he played probably about three more times (games are really quick). I finally told him it needed to be turned off, and that maybe he could play with Daddy when he got home from work. Of course, when Nathan walked in today from work James told him to go change out of his work clothes (usually the first thing Nathan does when he gets home) and play the Wii with him. I had to giggle because Nathan made James sit through watching Daddy play a game of golf before they started bowling. James was golfing too, after a while, so he'll probably want me to put that on for him tomorrow. Sheesh.
Uncle Rich was laughing with me today at James and his bowling mannerisms. The kid doesn't stand still. He basically is jumping up and down the whole time! "He" (James' personal avatar) steps up to the lane, does the bowling motion and then starts jumping and continues to jump in place until he has to stand still in order to throw the ball. It's so funny!