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Daddy is home - yipee!

Josh got back to Ames yesterday afternoon...and Keatin has been loving on him ever since.

The weather was gorgeous today...and we played outside tonight until Keatin was nice and stinky and ready for a bath. :) She spent quite awhile crawling on daddy in the grass.

We are glad Josh had such a great time celebrating his birthday in Arizona...but we are also happy he is home!

missing daddy

Josh is in Arizona for 5 days with his parents at their future winter home...enjoying his early 30th birthday gift from Keatin, myself, and my parents (June will be crazy busy for him). He went to Arizona last winter as well...but this time has been a bit harder for Keatin...she definitely realizes he is gone. The last 2 mornings and yesterday after her nap, the 1st thing she said when I went in to get her was "where's da-da?" Last night after her bath, she said "i want da-da"...they always cuddle on the couch before bed. Anyways, took this video for Josh this morning at breakfast...we hope you are having fun golfing!

another nice weekend

A few minutes ago...with friends gone home and Keatin in bed...Josh said to me: "I really enjoyed our weekend." :) And he is SO right - it was another wonderful weekend! Wonderful company, wonderful weather. :)

Our good friends from Cedar Falls came down for the weekend - Aaron, Trish, Lane, and Emerie. They got in Friday night around supper, and left this morning. We had a really nice time...just like we always do. :) Lane is really funny, and was a great friend for Keatin to play with...and Emerie is just a cute, happy baby...I may have heard her cry 2 times. :) We grilled out, went for several walks, went to the park 2 times, and played outside A LOT. After the Carlsons left this morning, Josh, Keatin, and I had a picnic lunch...Keatin took a long nap...Josh and I did some outside work this afternoon...and we made another yummy supper for Becca and Lyle. I am kind of wishing the weekend could go on for a few more days... :)


Friday night...all the kids are clean and ready to go to bed!

Saturday at the park...I am sure Keatin is licking her snot...her nose has been running constantly!!!!!



This morning...we were outside again...and I convinced Lane and Keatin to smell the pretty flowers. :) Keatin REALLY got into the smelling part... :) :)

Cars...and hopscotch :)

If you are a car owned by Josh and Megan Barber, this was a bad week for you...

Wednesday, I drove home from State Center and went straight to the fitness center. Worked out for no more than 45 minutes...ran back out to my car to go get Keatin...car wouldn't start...wouldn't even make a sound. SO...Josh picked me up and we would come back later to jump the car, take it home, and get a new battery...no big deal. Except later, while jumping the car, it wouldn't jump. Car stayed in the gym parking lot overnight, was towed the next morning, and was in the shop for 2 days...thankfully, it only needed a new battery (last week). This week it needs to go back in for new transmission fluid...apparently, the fluid is black and tar-like...not a good thing. While the Solara was in the shop, I drove the Maxima to work and Josh was able to have several VERY brisk rides on the motorcycle. :)

Saturday morning, we headed to Hy-Vee to get groceries. Afterwards, I drove the Maxima home with Keatin and Josh ran a few other errands. We had a WHOLE list of car/outdoor projects we wanted to get done this weekend. Josh got home awhile later and went to back the Maxima out of the garage so we could start working...Maxima wouldn't start. Amongst a litany of words I won't repeat, Josh hooked up the jumper cables again...Maxima wouldn't jump (I suggested maybe the cables didn't work...I got a dirty look). Cursing, he left to get a new battery for the Maxima...which he replaced himself...and made him feel very manly. :)

We hope our car troubles are OVER! (Remember, the air is not really working in the Maxima either...which we discovered on the way to Chicago).

We did accomplish our car and outside tasks this weekend...it felt good. Keatin even "helped" some. :)







Sunday was gorgeous...we just couldn't go inside! Look what I made for Keatin. :) Isn't she good???? Too cute!

Mrs. DeWild :)

This post is for my friend Becca. She is due to have a baby in June, but has been away from work the last couple days...he doctor wanted to monitor some contractions she was having. Things are looking good and she hopes to be back next week, but I know she is missing her students...and they are missing her...so enjoy Becca! :) :)

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!

We are back in Ames...safely home from our trip to Chicago...and it was wonderful! We stopped at G &G Heeren's today for lunch/a break from the car trip.

Here is our little Easter bunny out by the barn. :)





The 2nd half of our trip was just a fun as our first...although it rained for the majority of the day on Saturday. We were able to see one of Josh's other friends from childhood/Maquoketa on Saturday afternoon - he and his wife/daughter live in the suburbs of Chicago. We hung out, grilled out, and watched the NCAA BB games. The girls played in this blow-up, jumping toy most of the afternoon/evening...Josh is now convinced we need one. :)

Easter Trip to Chicago - Thursday & Friday Morning

We are in Chicago for a family trip over the long Easter weekend! My college roommate Katie lives in Evanston with her husband and 2 boys...and Josh's best friend from Maquoketa (Tadd) and his wife live in SW Chicago...so about a month ago, we decided it was time to take a road trip and come for a visit...and it has been a WONDERFUL time so far!!!

We left Ames on Wednesday after work and drove as far as the Quad Cities to spend the night at G & G Heeren's house. Before we even hit I-35, we realized the air didn't work in the car...I guess Josh hadn't used it yet this spring. SO...we were quite steamy for the 1st part of the drive...and Josh got to get up at 6 am on Thursday morning to take the car to the Nissan dealership in Davenport. I guess some clap or hose is loose or something???? Anyways, they filled it up with free-on, it has been working since...but we need to get the part replaced at some point. We thought it was maybe an ominous start to our trip...but it has been SO much fun! Keatin played outside at the farm on Thursday morning while we were waiting for Josh to get back with the car. She found the Easter Eggs on the tree, so we played with those for awhile. It is supposed to be raining Sunday, so probably good we did some pre-Easter "hunting." :)

"Gam-ma...fix it." :)

"Cheese!" :)

Finally, we got on the road again for the remaining 3 hours of the trip. Keatin was a dream in the car...could it be the DVD player that consistently went back and forth between Mickey and Elmo?????? (You do what you got to do, right???) :) We even got Keatin her own Mickey and Minnie when we stopped for lunch outside of Chicago! She LOVES them and even slept with them last night.

When we got into the city, we headed straight for Evanston to see Katie, Owen, and Ben. The weather has been FABULOUS...so we were off to the park to play! Keatin and Owen LOVED the swings...they kept Josh busy for quite sometime. :)

Josh also gave them each a "ride" on this jungle gym slider-thing. :)

Keatin liked digging with the shovel to pick up wood chips.

After a long time at the park, we threw all the kids back in their strollers and walked down to the lake. It was GORGEOUS...the water was SO blue. Keatin had passed out in the stroller, so Katie snapped a quick picture of Josh and I...oh, and Lola - the Walsh's dog. :) After supper with the Walshs, we were off to Tadd and Michelle's to spend the night!

Tadd and Michelle both had to work today, so Josh, Keatin, and I met up with Katie and boys again at the Lincoln Park Zoo. This was Keatin's 1st trip to a zoo...and she LOVED it (so did Josh)! :) It was fun to watch him pick her up so she could see all the animals and they would spend lots of time pointing and looking at different things. :) She loved this lion...she even said "why-won" and "raar."

Next, we looked at some "daa-daas" (AKA - wolves). Keatin wanted to stand up on the fence like the big boys...

Keatin and Owen did lots of holding hands...not going to lie, it was adorable. :) Owen kept telling Keatin - "come here friend." :)

OK - Josh took this picture of the hippo... Really Josh? :)

We looked at lots of fish...Keatin loved them...

Keatin and Owen at the farm part of the zoo...

Keatin and Owen, in their shades. :)

Lincoln Park Zoo was a blast...and again the weather was amazing. Keatin started to hit a wall around 1, and came up to me and said "na-night." So...we headed out so she could get a good nap. We are back and Tadd and Michelle's...just relaxing. We are planning on getting some authentic chicago pizza tonight. It has been a great trip so far!!!!!