Happy Birthday, Ryan
Today is our "baby's" 28th birthday! Wow.....seems like yesterday (well almost) we were blessed with our little "surprise"!
We've had a busy, fun weekend starting with Friday morning when we left home with Liam and Connor and drove to Chicago and Misericordia. We had a very good lunch at the Greenhouse Inn with our niece Jennifer's family (16 of us). After lunch we were given a private tour by "Mary", I was overwhelmed with the beauty, resources, residents, support, and so much more of this phenomenal facility. To give you a quick background on this wonderful place......Misericordia is home to over 600 adults and children with developmental and physical challenges on 31 acres on the north side of Chicago. After being on a waiting list for over 10 years, our niece Jennifer (Mark's sister Doris and Rich's daughter) has now lived here 8 years.
We then drove to Villa Park to visit another niece, Jennifer and her baby girl, Leia. The boys had not met their little cousin and were indeed "smitten". Fun time watching them interact with her and
later asking their Mom and Dad for a "baby"!!!
Sweet picture of Connor and Leia
"We want one just like you, Leia"!
Miss Jenny and her little cupcake
At 4:30 we were off to Rockford and big reunion with Mark's family. Not sure how many were there throughout the weekend, but it was a bunch and we had so much fun. Had pizza Friday night at our hotel, played lots of cards and games and of course, non-stop chatter. Mark and the boys swam, too.
Saturday after breakfast, we ran a few errands and checked out the big Coco Key Water Resort at the Clock Tower Inn. We shopped a little and the boys got goggles and I enjoyed Crimson Ridge (fantastic shop). Then back to hotel and met Anne and Patrick and we walked to Thunder Bay Grille for delicious lunch. They took the boys and spent the afternoon at Coco Key and Mark and I were back at hotel playing cards and visiting.
We all went to 4:30 Mass at St. Rita and what a surprise after Mass to have 2 cousins come up and say "Hello" - hadn't seen Mary Sue in years and years. I did see her sister Judy a few weeks ago at the Uptown Grille - both are fellow Sublettians.
Judy and Mary Sue
Had a private room at The Machine Shed with bountiful family-style dinner and very good comfort food! We were honoring 4 graduates this year and celebrated more back at hotel with 4 cookie bouquets, pictures and gifts.
The 2013 graduates
Hannah (college), Megan (high school), Theresa (college) Tom (college)
with their cookie bouquets
Mark's Mom enjoyed the weekend with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren! It was a wonderful family gathering!
We stopped in Mendota at Ron and Vicki's and soon joined by Bob and Linda for good chatter and delicious lunch. On our way home we saw so much water standing in the fields - unreal and the farther south, the worse it was. Gosh....weather is so strange....when we got home at 4:15 it was 61 degrees and raining.....ugh! Going to go down in the 40's overnight!
Busy Monday and Tuesday coming up plus finish packing and be ready to leave Wednesday morning for Florida and then back to the boat for the summer!
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