Lou, Mom, and myself made the annual trip to visit Jim, Jackie, and the kids this weekend.
The weather was blue and sunny-not the usual 1-2 inches of snow that we frequently get when we come to town this time of year.
We were greeted with Max trying to teach Molly how to split wood. She made a good effort, but Max is just a bit bigger ( and a lot more buff) so he could master the task.
One of Jim's new toys is a wood splitter. This made the work of splitting a log so easy- even Mom tried her hand at it.
Another of Jim's new toys is his pretty, new tractor. He can move snow, or just about anything else he wants to with this bad boy!
Of course, our favorite activity is seeing the boys ( and girl), hearing them play piano, and holding the babies. Who doesn't love to hold babies? Even the boys love to reach out and play with their new brother and sister.
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| Roman and Jack having fun |
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| Mom and Nikolai |
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| Lou and Nikolai |
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| Nikolai and new friend |
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| Victoria with attitude! |
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| Squish the sister |
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| Victor and Nikolai |
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| Eddie and Victoria and Nikolai |
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| Jackie and daughter ( only waited 19 years to say that!) |
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| Molly, Jackie, Victoria and new friend |
Since the family is getting bigger, and the twins are so young, Jim and Jackie decided to make dinner for us. Jim prepared a 14lb. brisket. He did a spice rub, smoked it, and took great care to make sure it was the perfect temperature. He also made his famous French bread. Jackie made awesome mashed potatoes and cake for dessert. We had corn from the garden and coleslaw. Home-made homebrew was available for those who wanted to imbibe.
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| Meat Man |
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| Tattooed Meat Man |
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| Family dinner |
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| Awesome food |
The boys are growing up so fast. Max and Molly are running a successful business, Vince is preparing to go to college in the Fall, Tony is learning to drive, and Eddie, Jack, and Victor continue to perfect their wonderful piano playing skills. Roman is getting new glasses soon, and the twins are enjoying all the attention that comes with 7 siblings!
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| Molly and Max-just so darn cute |
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| Handsome Vincent |
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| Handsome Tony |
We were able to catch a glimpse of Vince in action at Dave's County Market. Of course, he is the cutest bagger in the whole store!
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| Vince's Workplace |
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| Vinny the Bagger |
Our visit always ends so quickly, and we always lament having drive back to the city. We enjoy the rolling fields and farms and trees and quiet!
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| Roman's Crazy Cave |
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| Jimamanmaker ( translation: man with lots of testosterone) |
Hopefully, we can stop back in at the end of June on our way home from our vacation.
