Illinois Family Gathering

Now it was our turn to go to Illinois for the weekend. We meet up with Tom's family at a Park and got the kids out to play with their cousin Jacob and all their Aunts and Uncles and Nana and Grandpa. We were all gathering this weekend to celebrate Grandma Barnett's 90th Birthday!

Ashlyn was soaking up all of her Aunt's love!!
Starting with Aunt Nadine and then charming Aunt Melissa.

Sweatshirt strings are so much fun to babies!!

I love this pictures.
I want to know what she was thinking...don't you?!?

Baby Jacob
It was hard for me to get pictures of him because he was so fast! He is a go go little boy and he is so very cute!

Ashlyn was learning how to go up these stairs. She was so proud of herself when she figured it out!

Trying to get a quick picture. I had to be fast.

My kids lasted for longer then Jacob did so I kept snapping some more pictures!
Ashlyn looks so big to me here.

That night we took the kids to the hotel's swimming pool and they LOVED it!
Here's some moments...

The kids begged that we do this again before we leave so we did get one more swim in as Mommy packed up everything before leaving town.

Babies feeding each other! (LOVE!)

After dinner it was time to snuggle down and try to go to sleep. Try is the key word there it wasn't easy. But I snapped some pictures of the bed time stories being read.
Uncle Jake was so sweet to read a story to Ashlyn.

Nadine reading to Jacob.

The next day to spend some time together before the Birthday gathering we went out to donuts and then headed to an art festival. One of the highlights for my family at least were these birds that they were letting you pet and hold. I was amazed that Dylan was petting them and holding them. I'm so glad Tom took pictures of it or I might not have believed him.

NOW the MAIN event. The reason we were all gathered. We got to see Grandma Barnett. All 5 of her children were there. In the back are Uncle Chip and Tom. Then the girls in the front. You've got Aunt Ginger, Aunt Edye, Grandma, and Aunt Diane.

Since this was a special gathering for us too we tried to take a nice picture of Tom's family too. I'll go left to right. Tom II, Donetta, Michelle, Tom III holding Ashlyn, Becca holding Dylan and Olivia, Jeremy, Melissa, Janelle, Jacob, and Nadine holding Jacob.

We were sad to have to leave. Time with family is never long enough. We loved getting to see everyone and we love you all!!