After a morning of board games Dad took Macie and I to the ice skating rink!
Macie and I couldn't wait to get out on the ice.
We were ALL grateful that they had skate trainers...
After multiple laps around the rink using trainers we both tried it on our own-man, ice skating is hard!
After ice skating, we went home to eat an early dinner made up of my favorite things; bloody filet minion, and broccoli!
Because I didn't want a cake, Mom insisted upon putting a candle on my dinner plate so that the family could sing.
After dinner the family went to get some frozen yogurt! I made sure to fill my cup with vanilla yogurt and tons of fruity, gummy, sticky, candy!!!
We spent the days following my birthday unpacking from our San Diego trip and re packing for our upcoming trip to Wisconsin. This year Mom and Dad decided it would be fun for Dad to take Macie and I to visit his family in Marshfield. We couldn't wait to spend 10 whole days with Dad and the extended Frankwick Family! Mom was a little nervous about her babies leaving for such a long time; she hadn't been away from us for more than 2 days, EVER. Despite her worries, she knew that our time with Dad would be extra special, and she was looking forward to spending some one on one time with the babies.
The morning of our trip came quickly, and Macie and I couldn't wait to get out the door.
At the airport, Mom couldn't believe how grown up both Macie and I have become!
It was hard to say goodbye to Mom and the babies, but we were SUPER excited about all the fun we knew we were going to have.
Dad made sure to send Mom pictures as we made our way to the plane...
We behaved phenomenally throughout the entire flight, but what kid wouldn't behave if they had a belly full of snacks and a movie to watch...
After dropping us off at the airport, Mom took Presley and Nixon to find some fun kid activities at the mall. To Presley's surprise, they found a TRAIN (one of her latest obsessions along with Minnie Mouse and Elsa).
Presley could hardly contain her excitement as they waited for the train to board.
Apparently the smiles didn't stop the whole ride!
Even Nixon seemed to enjoy the ride through the mall.
After taking a couple rides, Mom took Presley and Nixon for their first trip to the Disney store. Needless to say, Presley was overwhelmed with excitement! They spent almost an hour looking through the store; poor Presley wanted one of everything!
On the way out of the mall they stopped at some coin rides and Presley loved the helicopter.
Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, Dad, Macie, and I had arrived at the airport where we were greeted by Grandma Joanie. We were so excited to see her! The four of us stopped at Culver's for some dinner before driving home to Grandma's. Boy was it yummy...
By the time we got to Grandma's house it was really late at night and all of us passed out. When we woke up in the morning we found Uncle Brad sleeping in his room. Eager to spend time with him, we woke him up and snuggled with him while we watched morning cartoons.
Back in Las Vegas, Presley and Nixon were enjoying their time with Mom. Mom strategically planned to run errands at places that they would enjoy- like WALMART! Presley loves shopping there; they have rides, fish, food, clothes- what more could a girl ask for?
While they were shopping, Mom did something she doesn't do often- she let Presley pick out a toy!?!?! Presley couldn't believe her luck, and happily picked a bright green remote control Corvette.
They spent most of their afternoon that day playing with the car...
Now that Nixon is mobile, he like to crawl all over the house. Up and downstairs, in and out of tables, chairs, etc. Mom can't keep track of him these days and never knows where she will find him next...
Because the weather in Vegas has been FANTASTIC Mom took Presley and Nixon on lots of short walks around the neighborhood.
Presley's favorite thing to do was taking hot laps through the tunnel!
In Wisconsin, Macie, Dad, and I spent TONS of time with family. We were thrilled that Uncle Shawn took some time off of work to hang out with us.
He took us to his new house that, for all intents and purposes, was just like a farm; there were animals EVERYWHERE! Check out his HUGE bunnies...
He also has birds, a toad, a cat, and tons of outdoor animals in his yard like deer!
We sure enjoyed spending time with Dad and his brothers!
We made sure to call Mom everyday to update her on all the fun things we were doing, like taking walks, going to the park, and hanging out at the local Zoo.
According to Mom, Presley and Nixon were enjoying the outdoors, but missed us terribly. Looking at pictures you wouldn't think so, they always had big smiles on their faces...
As much as Mom missed us, she was grateful that Presley and Nixon had time to bond with one another. She was hoping that their relationship would grow, but unfortunately Mom says that Presley did not like sharing time or attention with her little brother. Mom is glad that Nixon can keep himself occupied at his high chair while she tends to Presley. He absolutely LOVES to eat anything and everything, and at his current rate of consumption will most likely be a 300lb linebacker (which Dad is not complaining about).
While the little ones were enjoying attractions all over town, Grandma Joanie took us all to the lake to spend a nice weekend with her family.
Macie and I couldn't wait to get out on a boat. When we arrived we were ecstatic to find that lots of our second cousins were at the cabin! We had tons of fun playing with Brayden!
Not only did we get to fish, but we also got to go tubing behind the boat; talk about FUN!!!
Back in Vegas, Presley was enjoying all the undivided attention.
She was treated like royalty throughout the week! Not only did Mom and Uncle Will take her and Nixon to Chuck E Cheese,
but they also took her to Circus, Circus, Circus (the extra Circus in the name is an addition Presley insists on making.)
Inside the Adventure dome Presley rode the carousel over, and over, and over. Poor Mom got REALLY dizzy and was grateful that Uncle Will was there to step in and take some rides.
She had SO much fun riding all the different animals!
Nixon preferred to sit in his stroller and watch all the action and the lights going on around him.
Mom made Presley take a short break from the carousel, and couldn't help but laugh at Presley and her antics.
Presley rode on a few other rides, but was really excited to ride the Thomas the Train coaster. The last time she rode it she was in full blown hysterics, so Mom and Uncle Will were pretty nervous.
She had a forced smile on her face through most of the ride, but definitely was unsure about its speed through the turns...
They ride operator didn't have to stop the ride to get her off early this time, so it is considered it a win! After a few more carousel rides they called it a day. She went to sleep a happy little girl!
That next day Uncle Will and Mom took Presley and Nixon to the Children's museum. Mom was thrilled that there was a new dinosaur exhibit!
Presley enjoyed the little dinosaurs, but, to Mom's dismay, DID NOT like the T Rex or Raptors.
After naptime that day they drove to the Bellagio to ride on some "trains in the air" (Monorails). Presley didn't enjoy them nearly as much as she enjoys the steam trains, but it was still a fun experience.
While they were there they took a stroll through the Conservatory- it was sure beautiful!
While they were down there, they made sure to stop at the fountains to watch the show. Both Presley and Nixon were fascinated by the water and sound.
In Wisconsin that next day, Dad and Uncle Brad took Macie and I to the Dells! We were so excited to go to the Countries LARGEST water park!
Our day was AMAZING!
While we were riding slide and having fun in the water, Mom and the babies were at Nixon's Dr. office.
The dr. said that the shape of his head is looking MUCH better, and he should have the helmet off soon. That made Nixon incredibly happy!
After the dr. appointment, they all went down to Town Square to play at the playground and ride the train! Presley has a blast running around the castles, playing in the mazes, riding the animals, and playing on stage!
The train ride through the outdoor mall was fun for Presley, but for Mom, Uncle Will, and Nixon it was HOT and fairly miserable...
They only made it 3 rides before the heat got the better of them and they went home for some much needed naps. In the afternoon Mom took the babies for a trip to Walmart and Presley was all smiles!
Dad, Macie, and I spent our final days in Wisconsin hanging out with family. We enjoyed our time with Grandpa Jerry, Grandma Joanie, Uncle Shawn, and Uncle Brad, and didn't want our trip to end.
It was really fun spending quality time with my sister Macie:
We made so many wonderful memories, and one of our favorites was roller skating! Dad couldn't believe that we were skating at the rink he used to go to as a kid!!!
It was a fun experience we will never forget!
Before the rest of us came back from our trip, Mom and Will wanted to take the babies for one more fun outing, so they went to the Springs Preserve.
They were shocked to discover that it was really neat! They had indoor museums, animal exhibits, history museums, live shows, and best of all, a TRAIN!!!
It was so much fun that they bought a family membership so that all of us could go again and again and again!
Before any of us knew it, the 10 days had flown by, and we had to pack up our suitcases and prepare to head back to Las Vegas. I was sure that Grandma Joanie's house would be eerily silent once we were gone...
Saying goodbye never gets any easier.
As sad as it was to leave, we couldn't wait to be back with Mom, Presley, and Nixon. Our family just isn't complete without everyone together! We can't wait to see the excitement on everyone's face upon our arrival...
