Lots o' pictures
So I'm delinquent in posting pictures of our trip to visit Mike and Jen. My reasons for the procrastination are as follows:
1. I have mosquito bites all over my legs and ankles and they itch like CRAZY. I feel like stabbing my shins with the scissors (or any other sharp implement) so they will be just merely incredibly painful instead of tormentingly itchy.
2. Frustration with the job search. I was declined for the bank teller job. So I had to sit and stew about that for a day or two.
3. Driving the kids around
Here is the main reason I wanted to visit Mike and Jen:
Vi is a darling. Jen tried to pretend that UV was not a nice baby so that I wouldn't steal her. I don't believe a word Jen said about UV crying or not wanting to wean (Jen pretended the whole weekend that Vi wanted to nurse to try to make me believe Vi couldn't leave her mother).
It's GIANT BABY and Mike the Strongman!
We went to the Jelly Belly factory. Hayley asked about it even before we left Minnesota. She said that she's been out to Wisconsin three times and each time she's been promised a trip to the Jelly Belly place and we still hadn't gone. So we made sure we went this time. See Jen's blog post for pictures of the inside of the factory and me wearing a dorky paper hat.
This picture is for Katie:
Another highlight of the trip was the dinner and show at Organ Piper Pizza.
This is the console. Look at all the stops! And there are three manuals!
One section of organ pipes.
I took some video too, but the sound doesn't work for some reason.
The next day we went to visit a cemetery where a long lost ancestor of mine was buried. My mom hadn't been able to find anything out about Bertha Staack for many years. I was recently put in contact with someone who had some information. That led to the discovery of the place of burial, which happened to be within an hour's drive of Mike's house. So we made the pilgrimage. Here she is listed on the base stone as Bertha Pressler. Harold Pressler is one of her children, and William and Laura Staack I think are her siblings. Rudolph and Wilhelmina are the parents.
Here is a cicada that has just emerged from a molting. There is a daddy-long-legs in the picture too. Mike spotted this. He's good at spotting things.
Bertha and I. Perhaps I look a little too jovial or casual for a picture with a headstone.
This is the cemetery itself. It is small and set right off the main street of Barrington. It's surrounded by an apartment complex on one side and houses on the other two.
After the cemetery we stopped at a large playground. Here is Paul at the top of the ropes.
And Matt in the same place
Hayley and Annie just emerged from one of the large slides
A very crackery UV
See Jen's blog for pictures on the trolley and some cute piggyback ride pictures.
1. I have mosquito bites all over my legs and ankles and they itch like CRAZY. I feel like stabbing my shins with the scissors (or any other sharp implement) so they will be just merely incredibly painful instead of tormentingly itchy.
2. Frustration with the job search. I was declined for the bank teller job. So I had to sit and stew about that for a day or two.
3. Driving the kids around
Here is the main reason I wanted to visit Mike and Jen:
Vi is a darling. Jen tried to pretend that UV was not a nice baby so that I wouldn't steal her. I don't believe a word Jen said about UV crying or not wanting to wean (Jen pretended the whole weekend that Vi wanted to nurse to try to make me believe Vi couldn't leave her mother).It's GIANT BABY and Mike the Strongman!
We went to the Jelly Belly factory. Hayley asked about it even before we left Minnesota. She said that she's been out to Wisconsin three times and each time she's been promised a trip to the Jelly Belly place and we still hadn't gone. So we made sure we went this time. See Jen's blog post for pictures of the inside of the factory and me wearing a dorky paper hat.
This picture is for Katie:
Another highlight of the trip was the dinner and show at Organ Piper Pizza.
This is the console. Look at all the stops! And there are three manuals!
One section of organ pipes.
I took some video too, but the sound doesn't work for some reason.
The next day we went to visit a cemetery where a long lost ancestor of mine was buried. My mom hadn't been able to find anything out about Bertha Staack for many years. I was recently put in contact with someone who had some information. That led to the discovery of the place of burial, which happened to be within an hour's drive of Mike's house. So we made the pilgrimage. Here she is listed on the base stone as Bertha Pressler. Harold Pressler is one of her children, and William and Laura Staack I think are her siblings. Rudolph and Wilhelmina are the parents.
Here is a cicada that has just emerged from a molting. There is a daddy-long-legs in the picture too. Mike spotted this. He's good at spotting things.
Bertha and I. Perhaps I look a little too jovial or casual for a picture with a headstone.
This is the cemetery itself. It is small and set right off the main street of Barrington. It's surrounded by an apartment complex on one side and houses on the other two.
After the cemetery we stopped at a large playground. Here is Paul at the top of the ropes.
And Matt in the same place
Hayley and Annie just emerged from one of the large slides
A very crackery UV
See Jen's blog for pictures on the trolley and some cute piggyback ride pictures.
Comments
What a find on the Bertha Staack/Pressler headstone, too. Glad you are being so diligent. Thank you!
Hope you are doing well after the bank thing. Keeping you in thoughts and prayers that something just right will come along.
I'm really glad we checked everything off our list of things to do and that you had a great time. Is it sacrilege to post a picture of you posting jovially with a headstone? Just wondering;)