Thursday: We drove about 8 1/2 hours to Bloomington, IL. My brother Jamie helped us out by driving from Michigan to northern IL to pick up my grandfather and bring him to Bloomington to see us. Sarah Kate did pretty well on her first major road trip challenge. When we got to the hotel, the boys were thrilled not only with the hotel, but also with the indoor pool, which they enjoyed with Daddy. We had dinner with Jamie and Great-Grandpa, then put the kids to bed and visited for awhile.
Friday: We spent the morning in Bloomington with Jamie and Great-Grandpa. Christopher was ecstatic over Fruit Loops at breakfast, and Will had "cake" (coffeecake). Then they hit the pool again, this time with Uncle Jamie, who got a workout with two boys hanging all over him! We had lunch at Olive Garden, said good-bye, and headed to Indianapolis. That evening, Noel had meetings to attend, and I met my friend Ashley for dessert while our awesome babysitter Dre stayed with the kids.
Saturday: Noel spent the morning at meetings, and the kids and I spent the morning at Ashley's house with her 4 younger kids. It was a madhouse, but the kids had a great time! After eating lunch with them, we headed back to the hotel for some much-needed naps. Christopher and Noel went to the Indianapolis Speedway to watch qualifications for the Indy 500. Christopher loved watching the fast race cars and made a new friend, Tommy, who shares his birthday. Late that night, things took a small turn for the worse when Will woke up with a fever of 102.
Sunday: Noel and I were thankful that Redeemer Presbyterian has gone to two services since we left! Since Will was sick, Noel headed to the early service and got back to the hotel just in time for Christopher and I to go to the late service. It was wonderful to worship with our former church family, and Christopher and I even sat in our old pew. :) That afternoon, I got to visit with my friend Linda and her three beautiful teenage daughters. Noel and the boys swam in the hotel's indoor pool. And that evening, Noel and I had a great dinner with several of our friends. It was so fun to see everyone again! While we were at dinner, Christopher managed to pull a loose tooth at bedtime. Noel had promised him $3 instead of the usual $2 if he pulled it on our trip. I guess the Indiana Tooth Fairy has higher rates!
Monday: We had planned to meet friends at the Children's Museum, but Will's fever was persisting, so we decided an open-air activity might spread fewer germs. So we headed to the zoo! It was HOT, but the boys loved it. Sarah Kate came with us for awhile and then was rescued by Dre, who took her back to the hotel for a nap. We touched sharks, sat in the "Splash Zone" at the dolphin show (but only got splashed once), saw all the animals, and rode the train and carousel. Will was asleep in the car before we were a block away from the zoo! After much-needed naps, the boys and I got in one last hotel swim. That evening we had dinner with Dre at our old favorite, Macaroni Grill, and Noel spent some time with his guy friends.
Tuesday: We ate breakfast at the Cracker Barrel that the boys could see from the hotel (Will had been asking for pancakes for days, but didn't really feel well enough to eat them), and headed for home. It was a 12 hour trip, but the kids did well. Overall, it was a great trip with happy memories, even if it was a little lacking in sleep. :) We hope it isn't another three years before we get back to see our Hoosier friends again!
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