Ghosts of Guests Past ~ Ode to the FAM

I'm back at the beautiful game of catch-up/time travel....woooosh, and we're back in the wondrous month of April, for Bugga's second birthday. What kind of mother doesn't blog her son's second birthday when it actually happens?! Well, I suppose I would be that kind of mother. ;) Oops!

Jeremy's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and their 3 darling offspring made the long trek up from NE for the weekend preceding Bug's birthday. It was so nice to have them visit and we had so much fun!!!

Here's Bugga with Jake (left) and Jedd (right). He loves being around his cousins, and these guys are so good to him even though they're older and more able and all that good stuff. =)

This is J's sweet sis Danelle, her hubby Kelvin, and all the kids, including our own, which I enjoy because it makes it look like they have 4 kids. And were there a companion picture of J and I at that same moment, it would look like we have none. HA!

Anyway, something interesting to know about our bro-in-law Kelvin is that he cannot...sit...still. No way, no how, the guy is go-go-go-go-go. And then go a little more. If you please. So you can bet the weekend was full of activity all around. I am by nature a tad lazier...eeek, at least I admit it openly, right?! But even I had to admit, we had a blast and saw stuff here in MN that we hadn't yet seen in our roughly year and a half of state residence, so that was cool.

We went to the cities, of course. We adult females absconded with Grady to IKEA while the adult males and remaining chitlins enjoyed the Mall of America. Then we had some fun--sure, that's how I remember it, "fun"--winding our way through traffic and finally landing near a park, the name is which is very much escaping me.

{I blame whatever happened to my brain after this occurred...for the record.}

We had a grand time exploring, nonetheless. You don't need to know the name of a place to enjoy it, right?! Right! =)

Jake did everything in his power to escape the ruthless glare of the camera all weekend. See here, he's looking away, taunting me. The scoundrel.

Jedd tried to run too, but I can still catch him. ;) Barely.

Jenna, on the other hand, knows how to work it. =) Isn't she beautiful!!!

See boys, does she look like she is in pain here?! It isn't so bad, I swear! Come back and let me take your picture. ;)

To his credit, Jedd and I seem to have a deal worked out, he'll let me take his photo, but he gets to be silly. Personally, I wouldn't want it any other way. Just don't tell him, okay?!

Jenna has her fair share of silly too. It's a slightly more quiet, subdued silly though. =)

We also traveled to St. Cloud, to yet another park whose name has left me. Anyway, it was a cloudy day...yup, on the day we went to St. Cloud...mwahahaha. Oh gees, sorry, the strangest things entertain me. Anyway, we didn't get a lot of good shots that day, but this kind of made me laugh.

Someone is undoubtedly making fun of me here. Either Kelvin or J, not sure. I have evidently blocked those details out too, and would happily be thinking it was all sweetness and light that weekend, were it not for the photographic evidence. Oh well, it couldn't have been that bad. ;)

We did spend a little time at home. This pictures cracks me up, I title it "Like Mother, Like Son."

So that was Bugga's 2nd birthday weekend! THANKS so much to the family for traveling so far to be with him, it really made it so special! =) Can't wait til we see you all again, whenever that might be. Much love and many hugs...