Impromptu Illinois Trip - Part 1

With two little ones and a baby in utero, we decided early on that we weren't going to make our usual trip to Illinois this summer. Though we wanted to see everyone and be with family, the idea of a 12+ hour drive sounded daunting and we didn't think we were up for the challenge - until a few weeks ago that is when we were faced with a new motivator. 

Dave's mom was put in the hospital by her doctor for some kidney issues, fluid on her lungs, and heart problems back in July. She continued to struggle with health issues even after released from this initial hospital visit and was finally diagnosed with Light-chain deposition disease - a disorder that affects the organs, especially the kidneys. They began to treat her with dialysis but also found that she had Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, that is thought to be the cause of the Light-chain disease. The new plan was to begin chemo treatments immediately to hopefully help with both problems.

With all of this happening so fast, we definitely felt an urgency to visit. Since I was already in the beginning of my third trimester, we decided to drop everything to head to the Midwest immediately, unsure how much longer I'd be able to travel. Though we were pushing it somewhat, the trip went very smoothly. Dave's grandma and sister's family were also able to come at the same time which made it very special to have everyone together, something that hasn't happened for about three years. 

With Grandma McKinstry needing lots of extra rest and running to doctor appointments, dialysis, or chemo almost every day, we had a very low key agenda. This made it a lot easier on us as well, having some laid back time for the kids to play at their house and hang out around the hotel rather than being on the go so much. I know I for one definitely appreciated the lounging around and having cousins available to help entertain my two busy little people. Just having some different toys to play with instead of the "same ole same ole" helped keep the kids' interest too. It was sweet to see them play with things their daddy used to enjoy.

Grandma and Grandpa McKinstry saved a few toys from Amy and Dave's childhood, including this Little People garage. All four of the kids enjoyed it, but it was especially a favorite with the boys.

Since we won't be able to make it to Lydia's and Luke's birthdays in the fall, the trip gave us an opportunity to go ahead and give them their presents. These provided another good source of amusement.

Caleb and Uncle Dave helping Luke build his new Hot Wheels track

Lydia and Hadley tried out the new Cootie game together.

There was a local park within walking distance that was a nice escape at times after we'd been in the house all day and the kids needed to expel some energy. Our children get to experience a lot of the places around my hometown that are nostalgic for me, but this was a rare opportunity for them to become acquainted with somewhere their daddy spent hours playing as a kid. While a few new pieces of equipment have been added, a lot of the original pieces still remained. I loved it! The kids' expressions in these photos show that they did too.

For the first time ever, we opted to stay at a hotel versus at my in-laws house so that my mother-in-law wouldn't be burdened with a bunch of extra and could rest better. One of the bonuses of this was access to an indoor pool in the evenings to exhaust the little ones before bed. It also gave me an opportunity to do some exercising like I normally do weekly at a rehab pool nearby which I think helped me not to be so stiff and sore like I sometimes get from traveling.

Caleb was a bit nervous at first about the four foot depth and clung to Aunt Amy.

Luke stayed close to Keith too but it was fun to see Lydia's swimming skills; she is becoming quite a little fish.

Trying to get Hadley to pose for a picture when she was anxious to get in that water!

Hadley's float only lasted a short while because she didn't like to stay restrained. She even climbed out of it at one point, thinking she is bigger than she is. Caleb was happy about his life jacket though and very comfortable swimming about on his own once he learned it would keep him afloat.

On the second day, once everyone was rested from traveling, we tried to get some family shots while everyone was together. Caleb was only a few months old in our last whole family shot, so I was happy to have an updated one. Keith took the photos for us, and even with running to jump in a few, I think he did a nice job.

4 generations

While we were on a roll, I snapped a few more of these cuties for good measure.

That afternoon, it was back to the park!

 

And, the pool!

Amy's family and Grandma Swan headed home early the next day but we stayed on for a few more since we'd come so far. For more pics, stay tuned for another post about the rest of the trip...