4 Wheels 4 Girls

On September 10th, we left Lansing (Boo hoo! I love Lansing!) and we drove five hours to Chicago.

We arrived at our aunt and uncle’s house around five, and everyone rushed out to greet us: my Aunt Jana and Uncle Andy, my Uncle Will and my cousins Aidan (6), Juliet (9), Griffin (11), and Dylan (16). It was really really exciting to see them again since we hadn’t seen them since last December when they moved to Chicago. Then, after giving hugs to everyone, we went inside to check out their new house. It was huge and beautiful, and all the rooms were huge with great living space. I loved it. Then Juliet showed us their backyard and new trampoline and swing-set, and we played on the swing-set for awhile. I could tell our cousins were happy to see us.

With our cousins

Then we came inside, and our aunt and uncle showed us the basement and we ate some chips and guacamole. Then Uncle Will started a game of pool, and I joined in. We were on teams; Stella, Juliet, and I against Will and Aidan. Will and Aidan won. 😛 We played outside for a little bit longer and played and a game called Tomato that has a lot of history for us. (It’s kind of like Tag.)

Dad, Jean, Uncle Will, Aunt Jana, and Uncle Andy

Then it was time to eat, and we had burgers, hotdogs, salad, corn, and watermelon. It was delicious. *licks lips* After dinner we hung out a little more and played Tomato for a little longer, and then, sadly, it was time for us to leave. We gave out lots of hugs, and then we loaded up in the RV (after giving a quick tour) and left, starting the five-hour drive to Kentucky.

I’m so so so glad that we got to visit our aunt, uncles, and cousins in Chicago. It was so great to see them again! I really missed them. 🙂

We went to Lansing for 9 days! [note: actually 5 weeks] We were sad when we left 3 weeks after fishday’s. I was sad because it was sad leave grandmas house. Then we went to Kentucky. I was sad when we left her house.:(

I liked fishday!:) I liked our sleepover! Have you ever ben to Lansing befor?

Getting ready to hit the road for the last leg of our journey

On September 5th, Me and Nell got back from her house and our cousin Jahmuna was at Grandma’s house. We decided to play Beckon Beckon. It is a fun game. After a while we got bored and decided to bike around the alley. I let Jahmuna use my bike. Me and Nell were playing with Thurgood, Jahmuna’s three-year-old brother, and he actually talked a lot more than usual.

After playing for about an hour, we went in and got ready to go to the Red Barn, a really yummy restaurant in Lansing. Thurgood and Jahmuna loved riding there in the RV. When we got there, we went inside and ordered our food. While waiting for our food to come, all the kids went down to the playground to play. We played Watermelon on the slide. We also went on one of the twirly things and we slid down it. We also went on a baby helicopter and played with Thurgood in it.

Mommy and our cousin Jahmuna

After a while, Mommy and Daddy and Grandma called us up to eat our food. I ate a hotdog with French fries. It was delicious! After that we all hopped in the RV and started on our way back to Grandma’s house. It was a very fun day!!! 🙂

Our cousin Thurgood

Last nite we went to Aunt Jeneses house and gese how was there? Adalen was there!! Adalen is my cosine. We played in tele it was time to go to bed. The next mining me and Adalen pladed together in the playe room in tile it was time for Adalen to go home. 🙁

[Editor’s translation:]
Last night [September 3] we went to Aunt Janice’s house and guess who was there? Adelynn was there!! Adelynn is my cousin. We played until it was time to go to bed. The next morning me and Adelynn played together in the play room until it was time for Adelynn to go home. 🙁

On August 26, me Nell Ana Stella and our other friend Jena went to Gary’s ( my uncle) farm. We all got the RV and when we started moving we all told funny stories. All of a sudden Ana yelled WE’RE HERE!!!!!!! Yay!! We all said! We hopped out and tried to find Gary, be was not there so we went and saw Clayton our cousin. He told us that Gary went to go buy some cattle and that he was on his way back. We went and saw the pigs. They were so scared of us because whenever we walked by they would run away. They stunk.

With our friends, Nell and Jena, on the farm

After that we asked Clayton to show us the chicks. There were so many of them and they had some red on them. Clayton caught one and let us hold one. When it was my turn it was so soft and then all of a sudden it started to get away so I let Stella hold it. After that we went back to the farm house and Clayton gave us each a popsicle.

Ana has a new chick

After that we started driving home when all of a sudden Gary came from the other way so we had back up. We said hello and then we left. I had a great time at the farm.

August 25th, we were planning to go out on Mike and Lisa’s new boat. Suddenly, like two hours before we left, Ellie got sick. So she decided to not come. But that didn’t keep us from going.

We wanted to get some exercise so we rode our bikes down to the marina where the boat was. It was a nice ride. We finally made it and I hopped off my bike. I spotted Lisa and I ran over. Then everyone finally came and Mike showed us the boat. Wow! It was really nice! There were four pink deck chairs that were sitting on the flat boat. Then there was a roof kind of thing and that’s where the driver sat. There was also two booths in the back under the cover/roof thing. There was a cooler in the back, too. I plopped down on on of the pink deck chairs and we started moving.

Heading up the Mississippi on the pontoon boat

It was pretty slow going, but that was good, because it meant we’d have a long way back. Then I noticed Dad and Mike getting out a big container. I peeked inside and there were crackers, slices of summer sausage, and cheese curds. Then Mike brought out two bags of sliced cheese: one cheddar, ( which I LOVE) and the other bacon somethin’ somethin’ somethin’ somethin’, as Mike called it. Hahaha! Well, he also brought out two different kinds of crackers and then a different kind of sliced sausage! I made a cracker with cheddar cheese and sausage and it was delicious! We rode around on the boat and stopped at the sandbar to feel the water and play in the sand.

Sinking into the sandbar

Then we left and rode around more. We got a call from Cassie, Mike and Lisa’s daughter that’s 23, and she said she’d like to come out and join us. So we picked her up and went a little longer. We went to see some lily pads and they were really pretty, especially against the sunset. That was where Mike had gotten stuck a few days before.

We spotted a bald eagle hanging out on one of the islands in the river

Finally, we had to head back. We said bye and hopped on our bikes. On our way home, we saw lots of bats. One flew right into Dad’s face. Then one flew into mine. I was disappointed when we had to go inside and leave the bats, but we had made it home.

The Chelrcren musame.

Oue day Grandma took us to the cheldrns musam. There were lots of chelates stuff. It was very bese and it was fun. There was a lite of children . You could tack a pese cloth and it would suck up a pipe and then it would go up the other end. Aunt Rose came to hang out with us and it was so fun. We had yummy pizza for dinner!

[Editor’s translation:]
One day [August 24] Grandma took us to the children’s museum [in LaCrosse, WI]. There was lots of children’s stuff. It was very busy and it was fun. There was a lot of children. You could take a piece of cloth and it would suck up a pipe and then it would go up the other end. Aunt Rose came to hang out with us and it was so fun. We had yummy pizza for dinner!

Yesterday I Went out to Luch with my onocole Mike we went out to the redbarne I got a hot dog mike got a . Then we went to a nother store we looked for a berthsay present for me.We anded up in up to in hourse falls I got a house traler a hourse blacket a set.

Me and Uncle Mike

[Editor’s translation:]
August 22 I went out to lunch with my Uncle Mike. We went out to the Red Barn. I got a hot dog, and mike got a [?]. Then we went to another store and we looked for a birthday present for me. We ended up in Horsfalls. I got a horse trailer and a horse blanket set.

On Sunday August 21st, we drove to DeWitt, Iowa to go to our cousin Laura’s bridal shower.

It was a looooooong 3-hour drive, but we finally made it. The shower was at a cute little community center, and when we stepped in we made name tags and put our gifts on the table. Then we were served tea and lemonade and we sat down at one of the tables with our Aunt Mary, Laura’s mom, and a few other people. We chatted for a few minutes before we were served lunch. After we were finished eating, Laura opened her presents and we made a game out of it. We were each handed a bingo sheet, and we had to think of gifts that a bride would get at a shower. We wrote them down on our bingo sheets, and then we crossed items off when Laura opened them. If we got Bingo, we got a prize. If we didn’t… well, we didn’t. It was fun even though I didn’t win.

Then, unfortunately, the shower was over. We helped Laura load up her gifts in the car, and then we dropped them off at her house and we drove to Mary’s house. I enjoyed my cousin’s bridal shower!!! 😉

August 20. After driving for a hour and a half we came to Barbs house my aunt. We were going to go see horses. I was so hungry but we went straight to the parade. We meet Rose ( my aunt ) and Janice ( my aunt) and we were also with Amy and her daughter Emily and Jahmuna our cousin.

Ready for the parade with our good friend, Emily

It [the parade] started way after it was supposed to. So we waited and we waited until we saw a flag coming up the hill carried on a horse. Soon the parade started moving. We saw black ones and white and paint ones and draft ones and clydesdales and a lot of other horses. We saw a horse jump up and that was cool. They threw out candy and we only got one piece in all and I think mommy ate it. So after that we saw a carriage with Vikings in it. That was cool. The parade was really short. After that we went to go and eat at Barbs house.