We learned the Ford kids were moving on a little earlier than expected. Our plans were to try to squeeze in another visit over the weekend, but instead… we realized we needed to hop over tonight, after work, to see them once more before they left.
The Ford kids are visiting the area, and Liz and I got to take them out for a day in Chicago. We had a lot on the agenda, and really went from place to place to try to do all the things.
I had a lot of fun playing ping-pong with both Sebastian and Paige. They’re both quite formidable, and we were all pretty evenly matched.
Liz decided to get in on the phone, and played a few rounds with Paige in the garage.
Brandon set up a slack line (and is something to behold, watching him run and leap onto the thing).
A big event that many of us were looking forward to this weekend: Tricia, visiting with the kids. It’s been ages since Liz and I have seen Paige, Audrey, and Sebastian… and it was a mini-reunion of sorts when they all arrived.
It’s tough to only see family via video, and doubly so since it’s been harder to see the Fords. But video has gotten better over the years, and while it pales to being in the same room… it’s still something that can connect us, despite our distances.
The ladies, checking out some family photos on Tricia’s laptop. For some reason, my iPhone added this extra blur/gauze to things and this looks like a ridiculous stock photo.
After arriving, we got a tour of the new place. And ended up in the basement, watching a bit of TV. We ended up sitting at the basement bar, watching the second half of “It’s a Wonderful Life” – which was a nice thing to do, as we were visiting for our “Early Christmas” celebration.
We are on a bit of a road trip, visiting family in both Valparaiso and Indianapolis. Last night, we stopped to stay the night in Valpo and visited with Tricia (who is in town with Sebastian, Audrey, and Paige).
In back, that would be Sebastian putting on his Darth Vader helmet. I wish I had some video/audio to share, because in addition to changing his voice… it also spits out Vader quotes. Which, coming from his short frame, was actually just hilarious.
A large part of our early visit to Atlanta (in addition to the fact that we can’t make it there this December), is that we were in town to celebrate Kirt’s 60th birthday party. Anne had set up a surprise party, and Kirt was none the wiser.
After church, we went out for a late brunch. Kirt and the girls ended up playing a really silly game (where they pinched his mouth, and forced him to talk and make farting sounds). They were in absolute stitches for a really long time, and it was hysterical to watch both him and their reactions.
An early Xmas in Atlanta, with the Ford kids in the midst of opening up their gifts.
A dangerous combination: children and sprinkles. The containers for sprinkles have extremely wide spouts, and really are designed for adults. When a kid gets a hold of one of these things and pours, the sprinkles just come out like they’re pouring water.
One great gift that the Fords got was a Karaoke set. Shortly after it was plugged in, all the kids began taking turns singing songs. As you can probably imagine, it was both awesome and incessant for the remainder of the day: