Midweek vacation

I got to see my family this week! Josh and Krista rode the train up to Bloomington and from there it was a great two days of family. Wednesday we met up with Miah, Jessie and the kids and enjoyed the afternoon together. I let Ben run about with my camera, and these first shots are his point of view. :)



Josh shared with us the video of the show he and Krista are working on right now. Micky's Talent Show has a huge variety of characters, of which Tigger and Buzz Lightyear are two. The blue shirt Ben is wearing - it's a Buzz shirt, if that tell you anything.






Cecilia is walking all over the place and was very interested in the salad dressings from the fridge. It took her a while to participate as she, like her aunt, does not like to get up after a nap.

We all had dinner together and then Josh, Krista and I went back to Bloomington for the night. We explored some thrift stores and book shops before making the trek to St. Louis, then I drove solo back to Carbondale. Lots of driving but totally worth it. It's so rare that we all get to see each other. In fact, this time last year was the last time Josh made almost the exact trip.

Josh and Krista showed me the inside of the tour bus they live in between cities, and I was impressed with how they were able to convert a 45 ft. coach into a home for 12 people. Sleeping nooks, two lounges, and satellite tv and internet. Not like any bus I've driven!

Ben's 3rd birthday party!

Dan and I drove up to Champaign to celebrate my nephew's 3rd birthday. There were so many kids! The pool was set up outside, with sidewalk chalk and bubbles. The parents were filling in the gaps, making sure plastic bats weren't being swung too close to other children and towels were at the ready when it was time to go in for cake and presents.


Ben had an Airplane theme - as that is his passion at the moment. The cake (a few pictures down) was made by Nanny Rebekah and Jessie, and it had a runway and airplane, and all of the kids got to take their own airplane home in the grab bags Ben was happy to give out when they arrived. The big hit seemed to be the blow toy - the kind that unrolls when you blow into it, making it look like a big, long, tongue.




Look at all these kids!





Here's the birthday boy in the captain's hat I was lucky to find. Such a fun birthday!

Violet is ill.

My car is broken.

Dan and I drove to St. Louis yesterday to pick up my sister from the airport. There and back, there was no trouble. The day before I had taken it to get the oil changed and my guys looked it over for me. "Seems good!"

Ciara and I left C-dale this morning, headed to see more family up in Champaign. 15 miles before we reach our brother's house, I lose the ability to accelerate, and I see some smoke coming from the car. After stopping and popping the hood, I see there is some major fluid splatter in the right front, lower quadrant of the engine compartment and both green and red fluid, (coolant and radiator fluid) are dripping madly from the undercarriage. Awesome.

A tow from a dude named Justin and a ride from the bro later, I'm now waiting for 7am on Monday morning for the shop to open and diagnose the problem. I hope something is disconnected and they can put it all together with out much problem. What will probably happen is they discover the head gasket needs to be replaced, the water pump blew, and I have a cracked radiator.

All this means I cancelled the other events that were supposed to take place this weekend in BloNo, mainly collecting the keys from my renters and cleaning my condo. Now I'm piecing together the logistics of getting my sister back to St. Louis for her return flight.

I'm trying to stay positive and remember that this could be epically worse; I could have been in the middle of nowhere; I could have not had family that I can stay with for free while I wait for the shop to open; I could be required to be at work on Monday instead of having time off until Thursday; I could be dirt broke. When I see how bad it could be, I'm pretty happy about the situation.

And then I realize how much I rely on having mobility, and the idea of my car being broke beyond repair makes me want to cry. And so, I put out a call to the Universe:

Dear Universe,

I need my car to work. Please let the mechanic have time to diagnose the problem quickly and let that problem be small and inexpensive.

Super thanks for my awesome family.

Sincerely,
Ariel, Road Warrior

P.S. If you sent me renters soon, that would also be a gigantic relief.

Really, if the worst stuff ends up happening, I have wonderful people that will help make it right. But as Ciara and I were waiting for the tow truck to arrive, I realized (again) how much I hate needing help. I hate being an inconvenience. I, somehow, should have seen this coming and took steps to prevent it. All those times I said I was going to learn more about engines I should have actually done it instead of saying it, and maybe then I would understand what I could do to prevent things like this.

And then I think that I can't do everything by myself. That this is a perfect reminder that even with the many precautions I take to be independent and self sufficient, the world has a way of making people need other people.

Weekend with the kiddos!

Miah and Jessie celebrated being a couple for 11 years this weekend! I went up to Champaign to watch Cecilia and Benjamin. Here are some pics. Cecilia is sick, with a runny nose and a cough. Sick babies are a sad sight. She was out of it on Saturday night, lethargic and wheezy. Ben was a happy two year-old.

(I like this foot picture because I do the same thing, tangle my big toes together.)





I like giving Ben the camera and let him take over. His understanding of how and where to shoot is much improved since November (sans the bathtub shot.)

I need to look up an animated character named Kipper. It's his new favorite thing. That and airplanes.

Champaign!

Photos! Finally, right?

This is my dad holding Cecilia, his newest granddaughter.

Me and CeciliaMy brother, Jeremiah, with his adorable kids, Benjamin and Cecilia.

I've really loved hanging out with Ben. He's two, and all about it. "I do it!" comes out of his mouth pretty reliably, but with some patience his wrinkled brow turns back into a sunshine smile pretty quick.

Today was library day. A good hour with toys, books, and the great wide Out There. After was the park. Parks and kids are like peanut butter and jelly.