We're trying to recover from our travel intensive weekend today. I think we're all a bit out of sorts. I know I'm definitely not in the best mood! After a night with a very restless Cole, both he and Accalia were sitting up all bright eyed at 7 a.m. Ergh. I wouldn't have minded a half hour longer. We've been running a few errands today, and it's been one of those days where I really wouldn't mind having one of those dog leash restraint-type things that are designed for kids. LOL! In all fairness, I know loving, gentle parents who have used them for one reason or another, but I can't get past the fact that I'd feel like I were walking Lucy if I hooked up Accalia or Cole to one of those!

Anyway, our weekend probably went better than I expected. We made it to Cory's grandma's in Redfield around 8 p.m. and she had supper waiting for us, even though we had told her that we'd eat on the way. So, Cory and I managed a few bites to appease her. I had completely forgotten that she keeps her thermostat at 80 degrees or higher and didn't have the appropriate clothes to try to remain somewhat cool. I survived, though, mostly by sleeping in the basement with Cole while Cory and Accalia took an upstairs bedroom. Cory was up late with his grandma because one of her sons' lives just a few miles from where tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma City. Thankfully everyone was okay, and there were no injuries or damages to our relatives bodies and property.

On Saturday, we drove about 1 1/2 hours to Cory's brother in Gettysburg. Sadly, the last time we were there was before Accalia was born! Of course the last time they came to visit us (not just passing through) was before Accalia was born, too! Our visit went much better than I thought it would, and Accalia and Cole both had a grand time playing with their three cousins. Mark has lost 50 pounds in three months, and we had no idea! He and Shannon are both on the Atkins diet (which I have a lot of concerns about), and by the time we left I was so sick of the smell of frying meat.

The wedding was nice, too. We drove about an hour to get to it, and it was a decent Lutheran wedding :). The ceremony was about an hour, so the kids were pretty restless by the end of it. Cole stood on the pew facing the people behind us most of the time, grinning and cooing and trying to get someone to smile back. After the wedding, we drove to the reception and sat down to wait for things to begin. The reception area was rather crowded, and there was no room for the kids to roam really, and there were candles and tableclothes and sharp silverware everywhere, and Cory and I just looked at each other and knew we'd all be miserable if we tried to wait around for everything. So we left and headed back to Gettysburg. Apologies to Heidi that we didn't stick around, but I have a feeling we weren't missed :) Heidi looked radiant, and her wedding brought back lots of great memories of my wedding day and the start of my married life with Cory. I felt really old, though, being so nostalgic! At 26, I didn't expect to feel that way attending the weddings of my friends! I guess, though, that since Cory and I have been married almost six years and have two children now, that wedding day really does seem a lifetime away.

Sunday was our travel day back and, of course, Mother's Day. A belated Happy Mother's Day to all of you mamas out there! Even though I told Cory that I didn't want any presents, he and the kids got me "Moulin Rouge" and a basal thermometer. Woo hoo! I'm going to start charting since I'll be using the Fertility Awareness Method (a similar method of birth control/pregnancy achievement is Natural Family Planning). I'd be amazed if I were able to get pregnant right now since I'm not ovulating again yet, but since Cole isn't exclusively breastfed anymore there's a greater chance of that happening. And since I just can't go back on the Pill and really have no desire to experiment with other forms of birth control, I'm going the natural, very effective route.

Oh, I just had to scare what Cory wrote in my Mother's Day card from him:

"Hon - I hope Mother's Day is a great day for you. You definitely deserve it. You are an incredible mother (and wife) and continue to leave me awestruck by all the things are you able to do. Your strength, beauty, spirit, conviction, bravery, sense of humor, creativity and a thousand other things are what I see in you and amplified infinitely when I see you with Accalia and Cole. Thank you for being the mother of my children. I love you."

Aww! Isn't he just the sweetest guy? I'm so glad I snagged him!