Kara and I finally had the opportunity to pack up the girls and visit the Witte's in Louisville! We had to borrow a minivan so we could all ride together (5 girls total) but after a short hour + drive, we arrived to Casa de Witte for our overnight of fun!

When we first arrived, we decided to go outside and enjoy the Wittes back yard. Sophie made a b-line to the table and chair.

Then we all started playing...

Bret and Maria got a lovely new swing...that apparently Vincent enjoys...

The giant blue ball was SO much fun!

Sitting, gossiping...

Maria made a delicious lasagna dinner that Lauren LOVED...

...but even after 2 helpings of lasagna, there's still room for leftover mac 'n cheese!

Vincent has a fun alphabet toy on the fridge (mommy bough me one when we got home)...

Whitney and Sophie playing with Vincent's cool toys...

Lauren observes...

Then she finds the pots and pans cabinet...

Maria lets us get in her cabinets!! Mommy doesn't let us.

We had fun the next morning getting into more cabinet shenanigans...

Vincent's morning attire...

Our neighbors - fellow twins - celebrated their FIRST birthday this weekend! We had fun playing with all their toys and friends and relatives. Thanks for inviting us Karis and Zari!

Karis and Zari in their pretty matching b-day outfits (eating Cheerios).


I didn't want to play. There were too many people there!



Even Scott (Zari and Karis's daddy's name is Scott too!) tried to hold me, but I wouldn't have it.


But, after the cake...



...and seeing Karis crawl around after us...


...and sissy playing...


I started to warm up a bit.



Sissy decided to keep going up the stairs, which mommy wasn't too fond of...


...so I was a good girl and just watched sissy get in trouble.


Then we got to go out on the deck and see all of Michelle's pretty flowers!


"Uncle" Gary (not Jaden/Dalen's daddy, another Gary!) left his cooler out, unguarded...


...so we took out some of his beer and shook it up real good!


Whitney bonded quickly with Papa Bertolone (Michelle's daddy)...


...and then with Michelle's brother!


We had a lot of fun, and by the end, I even made a new friend.

I absolutely LOVE going "home." I was born and raised among the cornfields and farmland of Northern Indiana, and some of my fondest memories are of being outside. The air is different in the country. Fresh. Calm. I find myself less stressed when I'm there. There are no sirens, honking horns or beeping of construction trucks. No traffic, no road rage, no crowds.

The girls love to visit my family - but mostly love to play in the wide vast of grass, landscaping and nothingness that is "home."

Now that we can walk, we explore every inch of Pampaw's yard.


Great-Grandma Zumbaugh helps me cross the big rocky drive...


Pampaw!


Pampaw has a big pond and a little pond. We saw so many frog's in the big pond!







Pampaw's little pond has lots of fun pebbles...






There were pretty lilly's too...


We all "helped" feed the Koi fish...



I tried to pick up these big rocks, but they were way too heavy...


Walking in the soft grass is fun!


All the cousin's came over and we played with them in the yard...


Harley and Sassy played with us too!




I like Cousin Vince.


"Look! MORE corn!"


What's everyone looking at?


We saw our first crop-dusting airplane!



Mamaw gave us our very first fudgesicle's!


This was after I had my first of 2 head boo-boo's of the week. The fudgesicle helped. Lots.


A perfect spot to relax...



Cousins!



“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.”

~ John Ed Pearce