~ Part 2 ~

 After touring Kory's campus we came back to the apartment and Kory made an AMAZING Jumbolia for dinner! Anybody that knows Kory knows he is capable of anything in the kitchen, and he did not disappoint, and to top it off we also had artichokes!!! 

 Everyone chowing down!

 Saturday morning we headed out to the "Farmers Market", wanted to show them the amazing food and diverse culture opportunities

 Grandma and Maddi looking @ some homemade cards. The first time we attended the farmers market Maddilyn saw these cards and wanted to get one for each grandma, I told her she can make better ones, I love that she is constantly thinking of them. 

 Norma and Kael shopping, looking for something special! Norma was so fun to have her she played with the girls, brought tons of fun to each adventure, and was fun to shop with!

 Then we hoped in the car and headed to Syracuse to eat @ Dinosaur BBQ and shop at the Carousal Mall. The kids were such troopers!

 The BLONDES! 

We had heard about this amazing WORLD KNOWN BBQ place, so we typed it in to the GPS and headed there... Heard it was to DIE FOR!  We arrived ONE hour after it opened and OH MY GOSH, it was packed, I mean PACKED .... wait time of 2 1/2 hour wait with 3 kids...um NOT!

So on the Mall!

 

 Riding the carousal with Grandma!

 JJ on her horse! Maddilyns picture didn't turn out sorry Maddi!

 We miss them so much. After riding we were off to shop... and shop!

 

 My mom is NOT A SHOPPER! But she is a trooper, and she was such a good sport, thanks mom!

 

AND THANKS TO THIS GUY......

He pushed kids, took pictures, and was a bigger trooper than the kids!

 After a full day of shopping and playing we headed to a fine dine @ McDonalds! 

It wasn't on the schedule but it was perfect, not the best food, but the BEST COMPANY!!

 Sunday morning the kids had their Primary Program and my Mom got to come with us!! Maddi had a speaking part and Kael sang her guts out! Thank you Mom!

 Then we went SWIMMING! 

My kids are fish!

 Liam showing off his suit he hasn't wore for 2 months... excited to put it back on!

 Headed to the pool!

 The water was CHILLI so we spent alot of time in the hot tub!

 Back to the room for baths and PIZZA!

 Sorry mom, you weren't looking at the camera, but we loved every minute you visited us!

 On the last day with our visitors we stopped off @ a costume shop...

Kael with PINK hair...

 Off to Stewart Park! Aunt Norma so so so sweet to keep up with us and play, play, play!

 Liam getting fancy on the slide!

 Maddilyn could tell TODAY was the day that Grandma was going home :( She stuck next to Grandma all day!

 The big kids playing @ the Park!

 Cayuga Lake!

 Playing on the dock!

 The beautiful colors are still here! Me and Kory are so surprised  how long the colors stay here.

 Liam ... my handsome boy!

 Maddilyn is pretty good with the camera, Kory had class all morning, we missed him!

 Liam was done with the picture taking...

 Taking in a little more of Ithaca's BEAUTY... I am talking about these four beauties!

 Lunch @ Panera... yummy soup and pumpkin cookies that were so confusing! The kids loved all the attention and so did I.. I loved having someone to bounce ideas and jokes off of, loved the company. I am a very lucky girl, I have great family! Love you.

Mom & Norma come to visit... Part 1

 We were BEYOND excited to see familiar faces and it makes it EVEN BETTER when its your MOM!!! Moms can make anything better, I hope I can hold up to the standard my Mom set while I was growing up for my children. We were so blessed to have my Mom and aunt Norma fly into Ithaca, so close and really nice! These pictures are long over due and this is only Part ONE.... so many pictures to show and write down so many fun memories!

I will tell you that 4 days just FLY by! So the first picture is of us eagerly waiting for the plane to even be in our sight we have counted down "sleeps" till grandma and Norma got here for a long time. To see the excitement on the kids face was awesome, we had been away from home for 5 months so we were SUPER excited! Our company got into town @ 5 so we checked them into their Hotel and went to grab some food!

 Downtown on our way to restaurant cool cage and good photo op!

 Maddi and Grandma making a new friend.

 Eating @ Taste of Thai !!!! Real Thai food, and not to sure any of us were super big fans! As I go through my pictures I think I remember so many other ones taken, but we had 3 cameras going @ all times so I hope any I don't have my Mom and Aunt will!

 On our way somewhere after dropping Kory off at school and ran into this beautiful find, and water fall with a ton of fun places to take pictures and collect pretty leaves!

 Mom and Norma posing pretty in front of a awesome rock area! They look so good! They were troopers, getting up early every morning, minus 2 hours of sleep!

 The Waterfall we ran into! We were headed to Stella's an awesome coffee shop Kory told us might be good (told to him by some people at school!)

 Liam @ Stella's... food and drinks good, kid friendly ... not so much! But our time was short cause we were headed to pick Maddilyn up from school, I think my Mom was just as excited as Maddi was!

 We played lots of silly nonsense around the apartment, I loved how quick Liam warmed right back up to grandma, you always wonder with them being so young if they will remember! And he did!!

 Ithaca Bakery, yummy Chilli with not so yummy costumer service! I spent so much time on the phone telling my mom and aunt how nice people here were and how many deer live here... so first day we ran into to so many naughty people, people to busy eating their sandwiches to take a picture of all of us in front of the waterfall, and at the bakery mad we ordered so much chilli! So I was off that ALL people are nice here! And don't get me started on the deer.. I run in the morning and ALMOST HIT DEER ON FOOT but is it to much to ask to see some from the car with my family.... YEP!!!

 First day and Liam is tuckered out!!

 From lunch we headed to pick Kory up from school, and take a tour!! It was raining so we pulled out all the umbrellas and endured the weather.

 I loved having my mom there to laugh and giggle and enjoy! She asked for the Ladybug umbrella I offered her the big one! Love her so much! Thanks for catching that Kory!

 All of us on top of campus, I have posted pictures of campus so I will use the picture space for mommy and auntie pictures! DO NOT ASK WHAT I AM DOING.. don't know!

 The older Ladies!

 Super cool library we found thanks to my friend Sara, but the funniest part is trying to get three gitty kids and three gitty ladies QUIETLY up to the spot we took the picture with out making a peep! We took an awesome picture of my Mom and Aunt sitting behind the desk "pretend" studying, but its now on my camera!!!

 A awesome church on campus.. we walked in and looked around. Everything is so old and unique!

 Two crazy Ladies having a good time!

 Maddilyn inside the church!

 Kory was great at taking pictures and capturing the moment, so I took control of the camera the next day!

 Maddilyn set up the way this picture was to be taken!

 

So we decided to copy her great idea! I have so many more picture this is just the first day.... looking at the pictures I want them back again... NOW!