Tasha's Chat'N'Chew: MinneTRICIA and the whole gang

I couldn't help but to make a cheesy title out of this part of our vacation. After I dropped Billy off at the airport, I drove the kids over to the Keating's house. My dear friend, Tricia, always puts up with us every summer. We stay with her either before or after visiting with Billy's family in Minnesota. Since Steph is already up there, Gwen flies up to stay, too. And of course, Lindy is now living up in Hutch, so we had a good old fashioned college reunion--I didn't forget about you, Andy ... Andy was there, too. All we were missing was Billy. :( Let's not dwell on that.

When we got there, we sent Brody and Colton down to wake up Gwen! She said it was the best way to wake up.

Sorry it's so blurry ... the boys were moving a lot, and I didn't have flash!

On Sunday, we seriously just lounged around and hung out. We swam in the pool for a while. Colton had fun jumping in to me from the side--his favorite activity. Khloe ... didn't eat sand--not for lack of wanting to ... but for lack of having any sand around the pool area.

Andy with his cutie AJ!

Gwen with Colbie ... Tricia's little one.

Pool girls ... Steph and Lindy with Brody and Cole

Watch out! These two are dangerous!

Khloe playing with Lindy in the pool. So cute!

Playing play-doh with Brody.

It was such nice weather, I think we spent every evening outside! I am so missing that right now. It's sunny here today (which is an nice change), but it is so HUMID--I would die after a few minutes outside ... or at least need a shower.

Cole and Brody driving one of the Power Wheels. Pretty awesome!

There they go!

Beep, beep! Colton gets to drive.

All of the kiddos this year ... quite a bit more than the two we had last year!

Group shot ... I don't know why my children are having such a bad time. At least Tricia's kids are excited!

Love these girls!

My girl

Here we all are ... kids and all. One for each of us when Tricia and I spread our extras around!

Mr. AJ

This face melts my heart!

Lindy with Khloe ... she really liked Lindy!

Is he not just the cutest!?! I love this AJ boy!

So ... Colton leans out of the car to give Colbie a kiss ... hmmmmm ...

So, she climbs in for a ride.

She promptly reaches for the radio button to set "mood music".

Colton makes a move--arm around her shoulder.

And he leans in for a kiss! I would be okay with this scenario in about 18 years!

A little drool ... a little attitude.

My little baseball player.

Khloe and Colbie are two peas in a pod! Those girls are nuts! They are the perfect mixture of sweet and sassy ... and I love it! Colbie taught Khloe some tricks ... as Colbs was already super mobile and ready to walk. Khloe has since taken some cues from her friend and is now getting every where as fast as possible ... trying to climb up on things ... and just generally getting into everything! Those girls had me smiling all of the time. They were too sweet together.

The dolls

The girls playing together ... so nicely.

Isn't she adorable?

Little girls ... so much alike.

Hee, hee!

Colton and Brody got along so well this summer. They played like I have never seen Colton play before. There was so much imagination and discovery! It was super cute to hear them run around the house yelling, "Are there bears in here? No, let's look over there. AH!!!! Run, run ... the bears are coming!" They built a tent fort in the basement together. They wrote on the sidewalk in chalk. They drove around Brody's fun toys. It was a friendship match made in heaven for the two Moms!

The boys giving us cheesy faces!

My Bud.

Going on a "Bear Hunt".

On Monday, we attempted an outing. It was a bad idea. We took the kids to eat at Big Bowl ... my favorite place to eat when I go back to MN. All four of the kids were naughty to the core! We had kids crying, kids getting up from the table, kids spilling water cups, kids screaming ... it was a nightmare. So, we took them home ... and promptly gave them all naps! Andy and Steph came back on Monday night to visit some more. It was fun to have the girls together again.

A little blurry, but the watermelon girls were too cute!

She got into this mess when I wasn't looking for one minute!

Koki finally let Uncle Sean hold her.

I see this face a lot ... and I love it!

Tuesday, we decided it would be better if we stayed at home. The kids played outside, and Gwen, Tricia, and I chit-chatted the day away. It was great to have some girl time. I gave a little "Instagram" lesson to the girls, so we could all stay connected through pictures. Then we had a surprise visitor ... Tricia's little sister, Tara, came with her girls to visit! It was great to see Tara ... that crazy girl! Gwen had to leave that night ... so it was a shorter trip this time, but it was so great to see her.

A great day with my gals!

Gwen and Colton take a ride. My little boy knows how to work someone to push him, so he won't have to pedal.

The girls ride together on our walk.

A little bubble-time!

I can't tell you how many bubble cups got dumped that day ... but the boys did have tons of fun!

Brody pulls out the big wand!

This Minnesota northern grass ... it's soft, green, thin, and perfect to walk or lay around on. I loved squishing my toes into it!

Feeding the koi at a neighbor's house.

My nutty kid puts on my sunglasses!

Brody driving around Tara's kids ... they had a blast trying to "fix" this car every two minutes. Hop out, "fix" it, hop back in, drive for one or two feet ... repeat. :) Too cute!

A little more outdoor time ... and some chalk!

On Wednesday, we got as much play time in as possible. It was our last day at the Keating's house. I had gotten the kids matching outfits, because ... let's face it, I want to do that with my kids--but it's nearly impossible with a boy and a girl. So, I got the girls matching outfits and the boys matching shirts (they already owned their gray shorts).

Khloe's first blueberries (well, whole blueberries). She couldn't get enough!

Brody loved Koki. He hugged her and showed her a lot of attention. It was cute!

Peek!

Here comes trouble!

Those sweet girls!

My Dolly

Close up

They kept running away from us ... so we got a rearview shot!

Those darling boys of ours.

So cute ... so funny!

Okay ... we tried so hard to get a picture of all four of them. I have nearly a hundred pictures of this pose. Faces look annoyed ... Brody is ~~choking~~ hugging Colbie a bit too tightly ... Colton hides behind Koki ... sometimes Cole's hands are around Khloe's neck. It's ridiculous! This really is the best shot ... and it's eh!

I had to throw this one in here, because look at Brody and Colbie! He was hugging her so tightly ... his face is so sweet ... and she looks like she's about to pass out from his love!

The gals chit-chatting.

Every attempt to get a good smiley picture was taken ... it's hard to get TWO kids to smile at the same time without one frowning or the other crawling away.

She wasn't liking the grass at this point.

Not a fan of the grass ... she was trying to figure out how to touch it the least!

This is the face of a sweetie!

Koki ... take a cue from smiley Colbie ... less annoyed--more cheese!

Can you tell how many pictures we had taken? She is done.

"Ok ... one more good one, Mom."

What a strange year of weather ... the leaves were falling already in MN ... only August!

Loveable!

Playing with that chalk again!

Play time together.

Wonderful Mom ... Beautiful Daughter.

A bike helmet on backwards, he says to me, "LOOK MOM! I got two sticks!"

Having fun playing soccer with Brody. It was a great day!

Tricia and I made this the night before we left her house. It's a recipe from Pinterest. The first one I have ever made! It was a cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe. YUMMY!

On Thursday morning, we said goodbye to our dear friends. It was sad. We had such a good time at their house all week! The kids played so well together. I was sad to say goodbye, but we knew that we were going on to see more good friends and family. So ... we headed out to Grandpa and Grandma Heinrich's house for a last goodbye and a few items I was supposed to pick up before I left Minnesota.

Right before I walked out the door. I miss her. :(

Colton got one last tractor ride while we were there.

Khloe was not so sure about that hay! She isn't fond of grass, either.

Koki on Grandpa's HUGE pumpkin!

This face is due to the dirt ... she doesn't like her bare feet in it!

Colton ... looking like a country boy--sitting on a giant pumpkin, eating garden corn in the garden ... so cute!

Ethan on the pumpkin.

Colton eating an apple he picked off of Grandma & Grandpa's tree.

Good old Iowa ... a barn welcome center/rest stop. Hee, hee!

Every summer, I stop by a bridge in Madison county ... yes, one of the Bridges of Madison County. It was a bridge that Gwen and I stopped at one road trip we took in college ... 2001, I believe. So, since we drive right by it most years, Colton and I have stopped and added our names next to the names Gwen and I wrote over 10 years ago. This year, because we were headed to a different city from MN, I wasn't going to pass by this bridge. I just couldn't break tradition! I wanted Khloe to get her name added to our bridge, so I went out of my way ... a few hours ... to add another year to our tradition. It was worth it, for sure.