LSU Nebraska Bandits

If you don't get it...well, sorry for ya.

Our trip to Ohio to watch the LSU vs. Washington game was quite eventful...just the drive was full of adventure (in small bits and pieces).

Thanks, Illinois, for not only costing us about $30 in tolls coming and going, but for doing such a fabulous job warning travelers of i-80 that there was about 1/2 a mile of road work that you TOTAL FORGOT to post ANY signs saying you were TOTALLY 100% closing parts of I-88 and giving NO detour to get back on that interstate. I drove in the grassy median to get onto the other side of an interstate for the first time ever in my life...me and about 100 other cars when we finally got through some corn fields to get back on i-88 and then come to a stand still for 1/2 an hour. Luckily it only took about 20 minutes to backtrack and get onto i-80...my new bff in the world of roads.

Special thanks also to mapquest for telling me that taking i-88 to get to IKEA is the fastest way. Well, makers of mapquest, I got to IKEA just fine ON MY OWN on my way home, taking i-80. So...mapquest, you can kiss you grits.

Other then that adventure, we had a great trip. The kids traveled fine, we stopped and ate at the WORLD's LARGEST truck stop...how many people can say they did that? :)

Once we got to Brian and Kyra's, we stayed up wayyyyyy toooooo late...esp. considering the LSU vs. Washington game did not come on until 10:30 eastern time the next night. But, we all wanted to visit and the kids didn't seem too sleepy, so we had a great night.

Some of you might think it silly to drive 691 miles one way to visit family. Not us. We've got great family and love that we are able to go and visit them. You only have one life to live...why not share it with those who love you?

Saturday we hung out in B&K's great new house (their Baton Rouge one does not shine a light to how great their new one is...maybe we will move next door...), watched lots of college football (what else do you do on a Saturday?), Bart recruited for TWO fantasy football leagues (i-yi-yi...now he's got THREE!), the kids played with Alden and Noah, and we made smores outside on the new patio in the fabulous gas fire pit. All in anticipation of the OFFICIAL beginning of football season.
.Kyra getting the marshmallows just right.

Noah and Al, the exchange student from Spain...these two guys were great at entertaining the boys
Perfectly roasted marshmellow. Well, not perfect, but good enough.Not sure why Ethan looks so pissed off. Probably because we took a break from shoveling melted gooey goodness into his fat face.The leader of the revolution to feed Ethan smores.

The game finally started and we were all ready, though no longer in purple and gold were the boys because of smores and baths, but we watched some of the game and put the boys to bed. The game got off to a shaky start (ha, those of you watching know what I mean...cause it has more then one meaning) but by the end of it, I was in bed and the Tigers came out victorious. The only scary thing that night was when Bart went to check on the boys. Jackson was missing and we could not find him anywhere...we looked all over upstairs but there was no Jackson. We knew he was not in the basement/theater room with us (man, plush recliners, set up stadium style, huge t.v. for game viewing...it was heaven.) and we could not find him anywhere.
For some reason Bart decided to look in B&K's room (it was really late and Brian had went to bed) and found Jackson snuggled up next to Brian in the "big" bed. I wish I'd snuck in and taken a picture, but I am not too sure how much either boy would have liked that.

Sunday we hung out some more, explored some outdoor shopping malls, and had a great time.

The boys were in heaven...video games and kids who wanted to play them with them.

Monday we left early (well, 8 central time) and made great timing. We ate at Johnny Rockets (don't eat there. The food is only okay and it cost way too much...but there was no "fast" food and we wanted to get going) by IKEA and then....then....

I ventured into an IKEA for the first time ever, thus rendering me no longer an IKEA virgin. Yeah.

We got more bowls and cups for the kids dishware set (they have fantastic dishware for kids and it is only $2.50 a 6 pack!) and Bart decided to buy the boys a bunk bed. Maybe I will share more on that later...we are still building it b/c last night I accidentally built two parts backwards and then called it quits.

We are home now...happy football season has begun once again, glad we got to see some of our favorite family, and ready to not go ANYWHERE for quite a while...our car started this trip at exactly 10,000 miles. Know how many were on it when we bought it in June??? 3,500. yep. We like to drive. A lot.

So, what did you do for labor day????