When Grandma and Grandpa Come

Our kids had been eagerly anticipating Grandpa and Grandma Young's visit months before they came. Mariah even told Chet one day, "You can ask Grandma for treats whenever you want and she never says no. Even before breakfast!". The girl speaks the truth.  My parents came the day before Tanner and I had to leave for our cruise so I was a little nervous that Austin would be scared but he adjusted so fast to Grandma and Grandpa. I'm sure all the treats had something to do with it.

After we got back from the cruise, I took my parents to DC so they could do some sight seeing there. The first day they did a bus tour to all the main monuments around DC while the kids and I stayed at the Wunderli's and played all day. They have such a fun set up in their backyard: tramp, roller coaster ramp, and zipline. A brand new puppy was the icing on the cake.

The next day the kids and I tagged along on another bus tour that was more of a drop off and jump on at your own leisure.

 We didn't let the rain affect us too much. We got to see most of the monuments from the bus which is the best way to do it with three small children. 

 The headphones and being on the top level of the bus were the best part for Mariah and Chet.

 Changing of the guard at Arlington Cemetery. The kids really felt the Spirit there during that ceremony. They quieted right down. It really is a special thing to witness. 

 Doesn't get any cuter...

While my parents were at the Holocaust Museum I took the kids to the new African American museum. We went to the bottom levels to learn about slavery and segregation. It was sad, but I think it was important for my children to learn how wrong it is to judge someone and take away their freedom simply because of the color of one's skin. I was fighting back tears the whole time explaining things to them. Once you discuss those things with an innocent, prejudice-free child you really begin to feel the injustice of it all. 

The stairs at the museum were their favorite part. All of the employees at this museum were so kind. I was so impressed with that. 

 And Austin got a nice nap while we were there.

After that we walked down to the Holocaust Museum and went through Daniel's Story, which tells a little about what the Jewish people went through from the perspective of a child. So basically the museums we went to were depressing, but a good learning experience for Mariah and Chet.

Before heading home we ate at Union Station. Grandpa disappeared and came back with ice cream bars for everyone. He really knows the way to our hearts.  

 Grandpa looks a little grumpy in this picture, but he really was tickled to see how happy the kids were with the ice cream. 

Austin ate the whole bar all by himself. 

The kids were so good on this trip. They survived on just snacks most of the day and the only time we had a meltdown was when we got back to the car that night and I had the nerve to change Austin into his pajamas. There was lots of screaming and flailing limbs, but considering how good he had been the whole day I didn't mind too much. 

There was lots of rain on the drive home but we made it home before it started to snow. We were planning on going to Kirtland, Ohio the next morning but we woke up to snow and frigid temperatures and decided it might be better to stay home.

We also got to celebrate Grandpa Young's birthday while they were here. We went to a WVU basketball game.

The Mountaineers won the game and we all had fun singing Country Roads as we walked out. 

Austin was much better during this game than he had been the year before. I didn't even get a fat lip. Amazing the difference a year makes.

Our hometown celebrity! Mariah and Chet loved chanting, "Let's go Mountaineers!".

My mom got to go to my Ultrasound appointment and be the first to find out the gender of our baby. After seeing her face I just knew it had to be a boy. I didn't think she would be able to hide her excitement if it were a girl. There have been 8 grandsons in a row on the Young side of the family so we have all been itching for a girl. My mom got a balloon at the grocery store and wrapped it in a box for us to open that night when Tanner got home from work. Then we drove Grandma and Grandpa to the airport. 

And that night we opened up our box and out floated a pink balloon. So we will be welcoming another girl into the Crossley family at the beginning of June! I still am shocked at how well my mother hid her excitement. 

It was so wonderful to have them here for a little while. The kids had such a wonderful time with them and we all felt a little more loved when they left. 

Little Vacay

For several years now Tanner and I have been talking about going on a cruise. So at the beginning of January we went down to Mexico on a Royal Caribbean cruise. 

We went with our dear friends Marshall and Lisa and had such a good time. 

 On the first day of the cruise we entered a spa raffle and Tanner's name was the first one drawn. We were so stoked. And then he got his prize...nail polish and fuzzy socks. It was pretty hilarious. We were even able to convince Tanner and Marshall to do a Zumba class with us. Surprisingly they were the only guys doing it. Sadly Tanner was behind me so I didn't get to see his wicked cool dance moves. But they were such good sports. 

 Shuffle board was a definite hit. Tanner's one regret was that he didn't play shuffleboard more. He really is an old man at heart. 

 Yes thats right, we each have two desserts in front of us...thats what you do on a cruise right?

 At our first port in Cozumel we got to see some cool ruins and learn about the Mayan people. We then went to a beach. The water was surprisingly cold though so I just dipped my toes. But the fajitas were good so I was happy. I'm just there for the food anyways.

This picture pretty much sums up how Tanner and I feel about getting our pictures taken. But thats our cruise ship behind us, so it needed to be documented. On the second day at port we didn't get the excursion we really wanted so we decided the all inclusive beach resort would be pretty cool. Turns out everyone else who picked that excursion did so based on the unlimited alcoholic drinks, not the kayaks...huh. But we still had a good time because if there's one thing we can do it is have fun without getting drunk. We went kayaking, played miniature golf, ate lots of authentic Mexican food and walked along the beach looking for shells. 

After this cruise I have learned that an all-inclusive vacation is the way to go, whether on land or ship. I loved being able to eat whenever I wanted and not having to worry about what to make or cleaning up after. It was glorious. Also, it is so great to be on vacation with people you love. Marshall and Lisa are so wonderful and we had so many great conversations, played lots of games and even made new friends. I also learned that after five days of being away from my children I start to get pretty anxious. 

My parents were awesome and came out to watch the kiddos, who didn't even miss us. I asked Mariah the other day if she did and she said, "No, I did wish I was with you sometimes, because I wanted to be on a boat in Mexico. But we had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa! They spoiled us." Thats what Grandma and Grandpa do best. 

One day we were able to Facetime them and Mariah came onto the screen holding a huge soda. She just raised her eyebrows at us a couple times as if to say, "Yeah, they let us get this and there's nothing you can do about it." . They got to go to McDonalds, get ice cream and donuts and even went to the Children's Museum here. 

 One day Chet insisted on everyone going to the store dressed as cowboys, my dad already does that so it wasn't a sacrifice but Chet loved it.

 Chet loved learning all about being a cowboy.

 After we got home Grandma dressed Mariah all up and did her makeup. Mariah wanted to wear the dress we got for her in Mexico. She was so tickled with her dolled up look. 

Chet didn't want to be left out so I painted a dog face on him. This picture cracks me up. 

Our return flight wasn't going to get us home until one in the morning. There was an earlier flight that would get us home at bedtime and we decided to talk to an airline employee to see if we could get on that flight. At first it was looking like we would have to pay more and we were trying to decide if it was worth paying more for. Then the wonderful Southwest employee talked to her supervisor and switched us at no extra cost. It was one of those little things that meant a lot. 

The night we got home they were all "hiding" and we had to find them. It was such a wonderful reunion. I had missed my babies so much and they were so excited to see us. Austin kept kissing me over and over, giggling the whole time. It was pretty magical. 

It was wonderful to get away but even more wonderful to come home to those we love most.