A Week in PA with Family

It would be hard to include all the details of the fun and chaos from our week in PA. So, I am going to highlight each day of the week and include lots of pictures. Monday, July 16th: Kary dropped London and I off at the airport. I was nervous that it would be difficult to get around alone with London, but it turned out fine. He got scared when we went through security and wanted me to hold him. I managed to carry him, a stroller, a diaper bag, and my purse and make it through the security checkpoint. We waited for the first plane and he was so excited to see the planes out the window. He was dancing around the airport, pushing his stroller and being a little goofball. London cried hysterically when we first got on the plane. He was freaked out and I had a hell of a time getting my diaper bag in the overhead compartment as people filed in and the 11 year old assigned to sit with us complained to her mom about having to see by a screaming baby. He calmed down quickly and spent the flight eating a DELTA cookie and playing with his Cars sticker book~ soooo glad I made that purchase!! We landed in Detroit and our flight to Erie was delayed 2 hours. It was difficult keeping him occupied and he spent most of the 2 hours pushing around little tikes furniture (why was it in the airport??) and playing with a little 5 year old girl as her mom slept. Yeah, her mom slept in the airport and trusted that someone would take care of her daughter...crazy! Glad I was there to keep her safe though. London slept the entire time on the flight to Erie. The man next to us was kind enough to let him stretch out a bit and even held London's stuffed bear. It was cute. London started cheering when we landed and was looking for nana and papa out the plane window...haha. We waited a bit for the stroller and rushed off to see my parents! My mom was the first person we saw and she had the biggest smile. She looked amazing as always and grabbed London's hand. We waited for my luggage and jumped in the car with my mom and dad. London started crying when he was strapped in because he was over traveling at this point. When we got to my parents baby Jude was sleeping but everyone else ran out to greet us. London was a bit overwhelmed but awed by all the attention from family. We hung out and swam and picked blueberries, checked out my parents' garden, had a nice dinner, and relaxed. It was so good to be around my family. Tuesday, July 17th: Today was my brother-in-law's birthday and we planned a trip tp Presque Isle beach. Of course, it took us forever to get packed up but we made it to the beach. When we arrived, some of the beaches were closed due to e-coli warning...eeeew so we picked one that was safe. It was super windy and the sand was blowing so hard it was painful and London would cry every time a big gust hit. We couldn't go swimming past our knees due to no lifeguard which was annoying. London did ok with the sand but wasn't so sure about the lake and waves. I ended up having a svt episode that lasted about an hour or so which made me a permanent fixture on a beach chair as my family had to dump lake water over me...it was freaky but they all dealt with it awesomely. We left shortly after and this day was known to become "the beach trip from hell." We returned to the house and had dinner and "happy cake." It turned out to be a good day after the beach disaster. Wednesday, July 18th: We went to our great aunt and uncle's pool on this day. They were so happy to see us. There were a bunch of other family members there we hadn't seen in a while. Becky and Denny and Uncle Denny also came and it was nice to relax. My dad also took London and I for a go-cart ride int he grape vineyards and that was super cool. We went home and had dinner and swam and hung out. Thursday, July 19th: This was Kary and my anniversary but we didn't even see each other :-( The day turned out to be rainy and cold and a blah kind of day. It was ok though because we were happy to all be together and it was nice to have a break from the intense sweltering NC heat. I was also excited because Kary and Risa were coming tonight. Friday, July 20th: Friday was another rainy day but it was great to have us all together. Kary and Risa were there and it was the first time that our family was altogether in over a year! Saturday, July 21st: Saturday was one of the best days! We started the day going to a shower for my cousin's fiance. We then met up with the boys at the marina and we all squished on the boat (15 people+ fetus!) It was crazy. The lake was super calm and we jumped off the boat and swam. It was incredible. Mason and London had a dance party on the ride and it was hilarious. We went back to my parents' house and had a bon fire and the Grays came over. We made smores, the kids had glow sticks and a bunch of the family set up tents to camp out. The plan was for the Filos to camp but the kids couldn't quite deal with all the excitement. I stayed up late and had fun just chilling with my husband and sibs. Sunday, July 22nd: Sunday we decided to try a beach trip again. We went to 20 mile this time. The lake was pretty rough and the rocks at the bottom were ridiculous but it was awesome to build a giant sandcastle and just hang out on the sandy beach. Kary cut his finger pretty bad on a beer bottle (blood gushing!) and London had a world's biggest poop (good thing until we realized we forgot wipes! Thanks to Filos for being more responsible) We had a nice dinner and spent the evening just hanging out and talking. I went to bed early and London finally cuddled with papa while watching "Chiggington." Monday, July 23rd: We left about 10am to drive back home. The drive actually went by super quick. London was sooooo good and spent most of the time talking to himself and playing with a toy dump truck my mom gave him as we were leaving. It was so sad to say goodbye but we see my parents in about 3 months when the baby is born. It was nice to be home and get London settled, but we will really miss all the fun and excitement of hanging out with all the Chesleys. I LOVE my family! <3