Friends forever

This week Katie and I spent our last GNO (for the immediate future, anyway) avoiding all discussion of any impending events and instead indulged on hot pumpkin ginger tea (um, yum), sushi and cosmos. It was awesome. We only came near tears a few times and instead enjoyed our evening out without being interrupted, ignored, climbed on or shouted at. We even stayed up waaaaay past our bedtimes!

I'm not sure what I'm going to do without my best girl. She is my rock. She keeps me sane. She is the one I can go to with anything and everything, whether it's wondering aloud about the consistency of my kid's bodily fluids, complaining about the fact that they NEVER sleep or being thrilled with the progress Wade is making in reading. I'm not sure what my kids are going to do without her either. Lily constantly tells me that she doesn't like Ford (all lies), Jack is her friend, but Katie is her favorite. She and Lily's two grandmas are still the only people Lily will willing go to and stay with besides me. I know we will all survive the distance, but it will be hard not being able to set up an after school play date for Sonic slushes at the park or go on a crazy weekend adventure. To the zoo. In the freezing cold with the possibility of rain.


Speaking of crazy weekend adventures to the zoo in the cold:

We really wanted to make one last trip to Sea World with the kids this year. But, lo and behold, THE NIGHT BEFORE (pretty awesome pre-planning, wouldn't you say?), we checked the hours and it doesn't open until noon. Great. There goes our getting up at the crack of dawn so we can be back by midday plan. So we did the next best thing, we drove an hour and a half to the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. And it was wonderful. Not only was the park nearly deserted (maybe because it was in the 30's...?), but it was just the right size, and the animals were super close. Plus there was a pretty cool playground that the kids loved. The kids did great, we stayed warm, the rain stayed away, and everyone was happy. Katie and I only came near tears a few times (what?!) as we thought about the inevitable- that this was going to be our last play date for a very long time. I love these boys as much as I do my own. I hate to think that they will grow any older without me being around to see it. But as Wade explained to Lily in the car this morning, "Ms. Katie has to sit next to Mom because they are friends forever, I have to sit next to Jack because we are friends forever, and you have to sit next to Ford because you are friends forever. That's just how it is." Yes it is Wade.

Doesn't everyone enjoy a little group hug!?

 

Enthralled with the macaws

I thought these guys were pretty awesome. Can't remember what they are called, but that they are in the guinea pig family and they look just like giant guinea pigs!

A little cave with a viewing window to see the crocodile. So cool!

Alligators. Or crocodiles. I can't remember...

Look how close these cougars were!

Black bear

This slide was so neat. It went right through the otter exhibit.

Right before she flew out and bumped her head.

All my babies

Awwww, sweethearts!

The giraffe feeding station is open from 9:00 am until "too hot."

Giraffes!

 

Sweet boy <3

Photo courtesy of Jack

Everyone loves Katie!

Lions

 

Jack (finally) got to see an orangutan! Really close up!

Dance party!

 

Love him <3

Maruszak Farewell Tour

It has begun. We have started making the rounds, seeing friends and doing all the "lasts." I haven't let myself stop and think about it yet, but I know in my heart of hearts that we have already seen some of our friends for the last time. I'm not going to kid myself, I've moved once, and I know how hard long distance relationships are to maintain.

However, sad news aside, we are excited, thrilled even, to begin this new adventure. For that is truly what it is. Who else in their right mind would move away from their friends and family and their place of living for the past 10 years to dive into an unknown? Yeah, us. As Mark would say, he is a wandering soul. And I'm not far behind. We both moved to TX from MI, because, well, why not? So really this is nothing new, but now we have our kids in tow. But no worries, we are not going to drag them all over the country, we plan to stay firmly rooted in Woodland Park. At least until they are in college :-)

So this last weekend we had a blast in Walburg (some of us enjoyed ourselves a little more than others wink, wink), for the beginning of what Mark has deemed- The Maruszak Farewell Tour. Drinking German beer, eating German schnitzel, listening to country versions of 70's songs with a few German polkas thrown in. What's not to love about the Biergarten!? The kids danced all night, and the grown ups chatted. And ate. And drank. Plus the kids fell asleep in the car on the way home. Winning all around.

A little light technology distraction while waiting for their dinner

Lily and Christen, dancing the night away

Umma showing the kids how it's done

Uncle Ken & Umma dominating the Chicken Dance

 

Then I has a fantastic GNO at the Melting Pot with my Gracepath girls. I have loved getting to know them this past year, and am super sad that just as we begin to connect with each other and grow closer, I'm heading out. However, as we firmly discussed that night, it's not goodbye, it's see you later.

Melissa, Me, Kimberly & Brooke

Field trips for all!

Wade has his first school field trip yesterday. Of all places, they went to, wait for it....

Sweet Berry Farms!

I guess we just cannot get enough of that place.

I must give them credit though. For all of the times we have been there, we have never been to the "field trip" area and every activity over there was new to us. Wade got to paint a pumpkin (which he collected during a wagon-pulling, pumpkin-picking race), pump water for a floating jack o'lantern race from an old water pump, shuck (is that the right word?) kernels of corn from the cob with an old machine run by a hand crank, take a hay ride, complete a (different) corn maze, and best of all, he got there by his first ride on an actual school bus!

He had a lot of fun with his classmates, I'm so glad he got to go on this field trip before we head out to CO!!

Pumpkin race!

You don't fool around when you are painting a pumpkin.

Corn-kernel removal thing

Listening to Farmer Betty

On the hay ride. I only get goofy faces when I ask to take a picture with him.

Lost in the corn maze. Children of the Corn anyone...?

Water pump race!



Wade & his buddies

Goofy kids!

Lily was not to be left out of the whole "field trip" thing. So, we scheduled a tour of Eileen's Colossal Cookies for her! So fun, very yummy & found out that they have 50 cent cookies for kids on Mondays AND a drive thru! Could it be any easier to get a few treats for everyone? I think not...

Tour of the kitchen. They hand make everything from scratch- yum!

Getting her own cookie personally decorated

Mmmmm!