Boat rides, family time, sugar, doors, old friends

We had an amazing weekend on the unseasonably cool shores of Okoboji, as we hung out with a ton of family we haven't seen in a while. On Friday afternoon we drove down to my aunt and uncle's house in Iowa for our yearly family reunion weekend. Our time went fast, as it always does, but it was so nice to see everyone again. I love my family.



Last week I had worried about Elijah becoming overwhelmed with all of the stimulation the weekend was bound to bring our way (based on our experience from the previous weekend), especially since we only see a lot of these relatives once a year. Now, after the weekend is over, I can say that I could not be more surprised with how things went and I could not be more proud of my little boy! Not only did he appear to be very comfortable being in close proximity with a lot of unfamiliar people, but he even seemed to enjoy it! I can't even tell you how many times I said out loud that I was amazed at how well he was doing. His comfort level in a social setting like this is huge and very very awesome.


This photo of "Amps" (Gramps) reading a book to Elijah is one of my favorites from the weekend.

One of the big treats from the weekend was that we got to spend time with my dad and stepmom, who we don't get to see very often since they live across the country. They gave Elijah some serious love, and Elijah gave it right back. I love watching my parents genuinely loving my son. There's nothing in the world like that. I only wish I could see it more regularly. They are still in "town" (town = within a few hours of us), so we get to see them again tomorrow and also for a bit this coming weekend. Our visit with them isn't over yet! Elijah just loves them to pieces. Last night after we got home I caught him standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking up and yelling, "AMPS?! AMPS?!" Sorry little man, they are still in Iowa..



Another big treat this weekend was discovering Elijah's love for boat rides. He fell into a super-sleepy-satisfied-relaxed daze on our Friday boat ride around the lake. On Saturday I took Elijah down to the dock and he started to hit, kick and scream when we passed by the boat without getting into it. A few others were heading out for a ride and he wanted to go, too. There happened to be a few open spots, so we grabbed a life jacket and got in for another ride. Again, Elijah was in a very satisfied daze and did the sign for BOAT throughout the ride. He didn't even mind wearing the life jacket, which came as a pleasant surprise to both Dan and me.



Some other cool weekend treats: We stopped by the famous Sugar Shack to satisfy my sweet cravings and add some meat to my thighs. I got to chat with my college art professor who I haven't seen in years and who happened to be showing his artwork at a show close to the Sugar Shack. I got to see a friend I graduated from high school with and who I haven't seen in years (this is kind of a big deal considering there are only 36 of us from the Manning High School class of 1993 roaming the earth).

And I can't write about the weekend without mentioning Elijah displaying his deep love for DOORS. My entire family got to witness first-hand how enthralling the opening and closing and examining of a door is for him. Thankfully Julie and Virgil didn't mind him playing with their fireplace doors all hours of the day. And I had to remove him from the dining room a handful of times because all he wanted to do was open and close the patio door repeatedly. As Dan and I often say, we may need to look into Door Therapy for our boy. "Hi! My name is Elijah and I'm obsessed with doors!" "HI ELIJAH!"


The weekend wore us all out. Elijah stretched out his arms for a little nap on the ride home.

It was back to business as usual this morning. I headed to work and Elijah and Dan headed to the hospital for the dreaded tests. I hate that I couldn't be with my little boy as he was getting tortured, but at least Dan was there to wipe away the tears. I hear the xraying was pretty awful since they xrayed just about every inch of his body and Elijah does not enjoy being held down. It's good to have those done! Hopefully we will get the results quickly.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! Thanks for checking in on our munchkin.