Adventureland Trip!

What fun we had! Sorry for the week hiatus...just been busy, busy, busy!!! We had a great time in Des Moines at Adventureland! Just one thing was missing...Jeff...AKA, Daddy. Yes...that is right. I got Jeffy sick. :-( He was just too sick to go. He thought he could go and help me out...he said he would stay in the hotel room though when we went to the park...but he also didn't want to be around my mom being sick...so we just decided...after he threw up in front of me...that maybe he should stay home. Sooooo....I UNpacked his things for him, got all 4 kiddos in the Denali and off we went! I got a little lost getting there. I know...those of you who know my anniversary present came with a GPS are wondering how in tarhill did you get lost. Well...I haven't had time to figure out that darn GPS thing...so I mapquested...and mapquest was oh so wrong. I ended up in a part of Des Moines that I would really rather not see again. It was about 9 pm when I decided to pull over in a VERY LIT parking lot and turn on the GPS. Thank goodness for GPS because by 9:30 we were rolling into Arby's parking lot for a VERY late dinner and then headed to our hotel where mom and dad were waiting. We ate, and just as we were finishing, my sister, brother in law and their 3 kids rolled in. We had MaKenna's birthday party...VERY LATE...and all turned in to our respective rooms. It was great. All the kids were so tired that they pretty much passed out immediately and I was able to take a nice, quiet shower...ALONE! :-) The next morning, I got up, got everyone ready and was down stairs for out Continental breakfast by 9:00...before anyone else in my family! HA! When Jeff isn't slowing me down, the Filleman's CAN be on time! SERIOUSLY!! You all think it is me!! IT IS SOOOOO NO ME!!! I can never get the man out of bed!! Anyway...by 9:45 after a hearty breakfast (and by th way, Major seemingly LOVES biscuits and gravy! I had to cut him off he was eating so much and so fast!!! A boy after my own heart...and Jeff's heart...we are a biscuits and gravy kind of couple...none of our other kids though...weird), we headed out to Adventureland which was right across the street. We could hear the roar of the roller coasters out our window and even see the faces of the people riding it...though their faces were a tad blurry! ANY HOO...we had a great day riding rides, eating...riding more rides...eating...etc. Nana bought all of the boys (except Major), and all of the girls...the same shirts...well...boys had one type, girls had another...and surprisingly, it was MUCH easier keeping tabs on them!!! We'll be doing THAT again FOR SURE! Major rode his first ride...there are pictures to the left on the second slide show from our weekend trip...his first ride was the Carasoul! I know I spelled that wrong..I have NEVER been able to spell that word. He also loved the balloon ride, the trucks with me, the train and I took him on the miniature ferris wheel...

which he also loved. MaKenna rode the same rides she always does...she loved the balloons also and the boats...and this year she was big enough to ride the water rides with me!! She wasn't so sure about the raging rapids one...but LOVED the water slide thing...the big yellow one that looks like a water slide and your in an enormous raft. She could have gone on other rides...but opted out. She just stayed with the normal rides...frog hopper...trucks...etc. Cam and Jake stayed crazy with their spinny rides...yuck...and Cam loved the roller coaster. Jake stood in line for the roller coaster but when they got up there, he chickened out and just crossed the tracks to the other side and waited. Jake's favorite ride was the Falling Star. He lovd it!!!I didn't go on the Space Shot this year...the line was too long, but I did make it on the Splash over. It was the first ride of the day for me...and I got BEYOND soaked. I was soaked the ENTIRE day...NO JOKE! It wasn't a hot day, so I just stayed wet....but, I must say...it was well worth it!! You can watch it on Youtube...it isn't me on the ride...but it shows what the ride does...FUN!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJ1GxXiNx8
After a VERY full day...we retired to our rooms. I was a bit crazy as the kids were still on their ammusement park "high", and I was TIRED. There was a bit of yelling...but they all...I mean...we all survived. We left the next morning after having a birthday party in my mom's room for my mom's 30th birthday! We ate lunch in Council Bluffs, and we were home by 2ish.

Jeff was happy to see us...he was having some cabin fever. So...he hung out for a couple hours and then he went off to sit in his tree stand and kill a poor unsuspecting deer. He obviously was feeling better. That is okay though...I just bathed the kids and got them in bed...it was a much needed early bed time! :-)

So, we had a GREAT time...we ALL survived...and we will be doing it again next year for the fourth annual Stutzman-Flanigan-Filleman Adventureland trip...hopefully with Jeff in tow!

Now...MaKenna's birthday was great...she got so many horse's and Hannah Montana things...she was in hog heaven...or is it horsey heaven! She also got a round Princess Castle tent. It is in the corner of her bedroom. She sleeps in it EVERY NIGHT!! Don't think I am a bad mom....she actually sleeps there all night and doesn't whine about coming into bed with us, or the boys. She LOVES it! I think she feels safe because it has a velcro latching door on it. She tells me as soon as I cover her up and kiss her goodnight..."Lock the door mommy." I figure she will outgrow it...and if she doesn't...then her high school girl friends will just have to get used to sleeping on the floor in MaKenna's Princess tent!

MaKenna's OTHER birthday party is tomorrow (Saturday) night. Aunt Dixie, Aunt Tini and Matt, Emily, Troy, Bright, Olivia, Deana, Rich, Gabriel, Hannah, Nehemiah, Allyson, Tom, Sydney and Samantha will be here! She is looking forward to it! Miss Deana is baking her a Pink Poodle cake...per MaKenna's orders!

Kenna is such a sweetie though. She eats her fruit snacks...and every day she says, "mommy...do you know what this fruit snack says? It says I love ______." The blank is usually, mommy,daddy, Cammie, Jakie, or Major. She is very sweet! She has her moments as does any four year old...but a little girls sweetness is so different from a little boy's sweetness. Don't get me wrong...my boys were and are very sweet...but it is different. You out there with different gendered children know what I am talking about! She is becoming more independent too...which is great...but also sad. She doesn't want to ride in the double stroller to walk the boys home from school anymore...she wants to ride her bike now. Of course Cam or I usually end up pushing her all he way home, but...the fact of the matter is...she is becoming independent. :-( She STILL calls Macaroni and Cheese, Macatoni though!! Ahhh...my little girl! She LOVES to play...as does any kid. She LOVES to play with me though. I try to remember that the laundry and dishes can wait...but sometimes it is hard when things are piling up. But more and more I let them go and just do them after bedtime. She loves to play horsies and barbies. Or...she will say, "now you be the daddy and I'll be the mommy." Today was sooo cute. I had quite a few errands to run, Major needed to get some blood drawn (iron is low), and I needed to pick up my breast cancer walk packets, meet mom at the mall for lunch, grocery shopping, etc. Now...I am not one to let my kids take their toys outside of the house....I wasn't raised like that, and I didn't feel it was right....but.....Everywhere we went, she had her little play stroller with a little pink bear dressed in a karate outfit that Jeff got for her on her birthday at the grocery store out of one of those "claw" games! She pushed that darn karate bear all over Omaha today. At first I didn't want to "deal" with it. But I had to quickly remember that she is just trying to be like mommy and it won't get in the way. So, while I pushed Major in his stroller, MaKenna was right next to me like we were old friends, pushing her pink karate bear around. I have to say...I was very proud of the smiles and whispers that men and women alike gave to eachother because of my daughter and her little pink bear! There were men opening doors for MaKenna and her bear, and they would forget about the real mommy and her real baby!!! :-) It was precious and it will be a memory that will be forever in my head! I may let her do it more often!

I will stop rambling! Look at the pictures on the slideshow!! They turned out pretty good! I have a lot more to catch you up on, so I will be back...hopefully soon!!! Hockey starts tomorrow for Jeff and the boys!!!!! YIPPEE!!!! Now we will have ABSOLUTELY NO DOWN TIME!!!! It is definitely NOT for the weak at heart!!! GOOOO HOCKEY MOMS!!!!!