Ben and Jenelle DOT COM

Here’s the complete photo album from our trip!

Last Thursday (the 8th), right after work, Jenelle and I headed northwest to make a surprise visit to Andrew, Holly, and family.  Well, it wasn’t a complete surprise — Andrew & Holly knew we were coming.  🙂

We arrived after midnight, after the kids were already asleep, and settled in to the guest room in the new finished basement.  In the morning, Andrew sent us a text message once Ella & Lily were awake, and we gave him the go-ahead to send them down, telling them that there’s a surprise in the basement.

Wow, were they excited to see us!  Friday was Ella & Lily’s last day of spring break, so it worked out perfectly.  All seven of us (including our new nephew, Kellan) went to the pancake house for breakfast, and we got to hang out with all the kids most of the day.  I’m glad the weather was so nice, because we spent a fair amount of time outside, playing on the swing set and even climbing trees.

The other big highlight of the trip was that Andrew and I got to watch a tradition unlike any other — the Masters on CBS.  Since each adult in the house has a laptop, we set up three of them below the big screen TV to watch FOUR different feeds of golf action at once.  We only had that going for half an hour or so — the rest of the time, one screen was enough.  🙂

The weather also allowed me to enjoy running outside on the bike trail near the house without needing a bunch of layers.  On Sunday morning, Andrew rode his bike alongside me, which made my five-mile journey a bit more fun.

In other news, Andrew and I went to Mystic Lake Casino on Friday night, and we won more than $150 between the two of us at the blackjack tables.  We gave it to Jenelle and Holly, who went shopping with the girls on Sunday while we watched the final round of the Masters.

What a great trip!  We enjoyed every minute.  We left on Sunday evening, and got back early Monday morning.

Back on January 26, Jenelle and I ventured northwest to Marty’s Pizza in Delafield, WI. The occasion was a fun family gathering. Gail, Mike, and Laura drove in from Lodi, and several other family members came from Racine. I don’t eat at Marty’s very often, but their food is quite tasty, so it was quite a treat. It was also great to catch up with relatives I haven’t seen in quite a while.

The restaurant wasn’t too busy because it was a weeknight, so we had a room all to ourselves. After dinner, the family fellowship continued. Jenelle had fun with Mykenna, who is the youngest of cousin Eric and Gina’s kids. Mykenna would stand up on Jenelle’s knees and attempt to backflip while holding Jenelle’s hands. It took several tries, but she eventually was able to do it pretty easily — to the point where she wanted to do it over and over again. Very cute. I got a couple of pictures of it.

Here’s the photo album!

My mom’s parents always throw a great party on Christmas Eve. After a wonderful meal, we all gathered in their living room to open presents and celebrate another exciting year. We gave Grandma & Grandpa our usual gift — a “coupon book” full of things that we’ll do for them throughout the year, including taking them out to dinner, taking Grandpa to Arlington race track, and helping Grandma type reunion luncheon invitations on the computer.

The other highlight is the usual gag gift exchange between Jenelle/Holly and Randy, which I was lucky enough to capture on video. I also included a clip of all of us singing “Jingle Bells”. Check out the video on the movie blog right now! 🙂

It’s almost February, but I’ve got one more Christmas-themed post coming soon!