Spofford Birthday Day/Lake Day, June 2011

The Spofford family is big on celebrations. We get together over 17 times each year for a variety of purposes/events and with a variety of different sections of the family! 

One of my favorite things is go to Seth's uncle's house on Granbury Lake. We meet out there twice each summer to spend time boating, swimming, and celebrating birthdays. (Anyone under 21 and over 65 gets a gift, the rest of us just get a card.) The day is a full one, usually including two meals, several gifts, and lots of people--11 adults and 5 kids, most times. I took my camera this last time and was intentional about capturing some shots of the day. Enjoy!

Austin and Daddy taking a swim just off the dock. Austin had a hat on most of the time during swimming, but I took it off for this photo. Does that make me a bad mom? (Looking at this picture, I wonder why I got in the water. yuck.)

Drying off post-swim... I love how that towel looks in photos, so I was inspired to keep on snapping photos!

And this large shade tree did wonders for lighting. I'm not a photography person, but I couldn't turn off the camera I loved the lighting so much!

Attack of the monster baby!

Look at those Baby Blues! (Which he gets from his Daddy, not his Momma.)

The smoker in the background is cooking our dinner. And, again, I just couldn't help snapping pictures!

He's a huge fan of those two fingers. (again, loving the towel in this shot)

There's something very Forrest Gump about my son from the back. I love it!

And he has one monster cowlick! Even when he had barely any hair, it was there, all curled around to the right.

"Mom, seriously. Please stop?" I can't! the lighting and towel are too good!!!

All the kiddos. 2nd cousins (C & J), Austin, 1st cousins (T, D, & I) (We gave that suit to Delaney for her birthday and I LOVE that she showed up that day wearing it.)

You Can't Go Home Again

The House I Grew Up In

Every time I heard this phrase growing up, I never understood what it meant. I'd think "Of course you can. Just go. If it's still there, of course you can go home again." But now that I've lived away from home (permanently, only visiting for a few days at a time while living out of suitcases) for 8 years, and having recently made my first trip home in 3 years, I know exactly what that phrase means.

You can't go home again. I mean, you can physically visit, but the places, people, experiences will be different because you are different. 'You' have changed; 'Home' has changed. Two changed things coming together again means that things won't be the same. That's what the phrase is about.... That you can never go back to what it was like when that place was actually your home.

Sure, it's great to see family, friends, places, and events that you haven't experienced in awhile, but it won't feel the same. It somehow feels new while feeling old at the same time. Almost like Deja Vu! It feels "perhaps imagined." It feels sad and happy and lonely and overwhelming and nostalgic and might make you want to move back home just as much as wish you could be home again.... In your current home. Where you'll go back to when vacation is over.

I recently went back to WI for the first time in nearly 3 years (2 years, 10 months to be exact), and I felt recharged going there. I had thoughts of how wonderful it was when I was there. But then, inevitably, you start to remember all the reasons you left 'home' in the first place. (If you left home, that is. If not, this doesn't apply to you.) I was left missing more than my own bed. I was missing my friends, my dog, my car, my towels, my neighbors, my computer, my church, my everything. And I realized that I didn't quite fit back there. I mean, everyone was wonderful about my entire trip--my visits with people were as good as I could have hoped for, but then I realize that they've all moved on, and it's my time to do the same. Back to my home. Which is currently in Dallas, TX.

I do plan on making the journey back to WI every other summer, though, because it's important to me that Austin know where his Momma's from, even if we don't live there. I want him to know my cousins, his cousins, (great-)grandparents, and his great aunts/uncles. It's important to me that he know he's part Cheesehead. Even if he was born (and currently is being raised in) Lonestar country. And, I want him to know what it's like for me when I go home again.

Austin doing a little modeling of his new Cheesehead we bought him!

WI Vacation, June 2011: Days #6, 7, and flight home

Friday morning, while Austin was sleeping, Seth and I headed out to do some exploring in Eau Claire. I had heard that a lot of places had grown or changed since I'd been home, so I wanted to see for myself. Our first stop, though, was at Shopko (which is like Kmart or Target), and we totally hit the jackpot! All of their Brewers, Packers, and Badgers stuff was on sale, so we completely stocked up. That's where we got Austin's Cheesehead (it's a baby size), my new Packer's Superbowl Champion shirt, a water bottle for me (Have I ever mentioned how addicted I am to water bottles?), a Brewers romper for Austin, thank you gifts for our two hosts during our stay, and a few other miscellaneous items.

After Shopko, I had wanted to go to the mall, but we didn't have time. We did, however, make a quick trip to Michaels. I picked up some stickers while Seth did a 'store visit.' It was overall a fabulous outing, but it was also just really nice to have some time just the two of us.

We had lunch with my grandma and aunt, and then headed to Colfax for the Colfax Free Fair to meet up with a friend and take Austin on his Merry-Go-Round. My mom's always jokingly called it the Colfax World's Fair. It's quite small, and I had a blast messing with Seth's head all week as to what to expect. Austin even wore Colfax colors--red and white! :-)

First thing, we got a bottle of water while waiting for Gail (and sister and niece) to arrive, and I saw this sign. Woohoo! Finally an explanation! I feel like it's a regional thing, or something, but people down here always talk about funnel cakes, and I respond with (because I don't know what a funnel cake is) "Is that like an Elephant Ear?" And here, at the Colfax Fair was my answer!

After sitting and talking with Gail and Robyn for awhile, we decided to go play a few games (for Austin's sake and Julia's (Gail's neice) sake. Austin reached for the ducks quite well, but had a hard time actually picking them up. We picked up the ones he seemed to 'choose,' and he won a pretty sweet prize!

After playing a few games, we go back to the picnic table to feed Austin, and decide to get some food for ourselves. My mom meets us for dinner, and afterwards agrees to help take pictures of Austin's first Merry-Go-Round ride. He had a great time, but like Momma and Daddy, was ready to go home. We were hot, tired, and fairly dirty from all the dusty dirt. One of my big regrets from this day is that I didn't take a picture of Austin with Gail. Well, not an official one, anyways... That's her arm in the background!

Isn't he just the smiley-est baby ever!?

After a shower, we changed into jammies and pretty much went straight to bed. We spent the next morning cleaning up, packing, putting Grandma's house back in order, etc. My parents picked us up, took us to lunch and then it was off to the airport. Pretty much immediately after they pulled away, we learned we had a 2 hour delay. Boo! Austin was a MESS the entire delay and it was all we could do to keep him managed. But, he must have got all his crying out during those two hours, because as soon as we got on the plane, he crashed. We were fortunate enough to be in a row that was three seats wide, with one empty, and so this is how he spent the majority of the flight.

Seth's dad picked us up at the airport after having dropped Georgia Mae at our house (that's where she spent the week--with Seth's parents) and turned the AC back down to reasonable levels. It was still HOT when we got home, and I don't think the AC stopped running all night, but we did save money by having turned it up while we were gone.

Overall it was a great trip and I look forward to going back again (hopefully) in the summer of 2013! Love you Wisconsin!

WI Vacation, June 2011: Day #6

Day #6, Thursday, was a relaxing morning and then a day spent at my parents' house. We watched tv, played games (Tip-It and Yahtzee), grilled out and ate on the patio before they took us back to grandma's house. We got back just in time to clean up in order to go to dinner at my friend's house. I didn't get a single picture while there, but we had a fabulous time! Despite Austin's complete meltdown due to our having forgotten formula!!

He's definitely a LaPean--driving CASE already!

...and loving every minute!

After we ate lunch, Austin was loving sitting in this chair by himself and decided to ham-it-up for the camera and I was a most willing picture-taker!

"Woah. That's a big dog!"

"He loves me!"

"He's funny... where did he go!?"

"Is he back here?"

Daddy's temporary solution for fussiness.

I asked my parents to pose for a few pictures, and we insisted on them getting one with their dogs. That's Jake on the left (about 9 years old) and Duque on the right (about 3 years old).

And then they agreed to pose with Austin, but he'd already been 'posed out.'

WI Vacation, June 2011: Day #5

Wednesday found the weather rainy and chilly. It was a bummer, too, because other than hanging around the house in the morning, we planned to go to lunch with both grandmas, and my mom. I chose Perkins because I had been dying for one of their chicken ceasar breadbowl salads. Turns out they don't serve those anymore! Total bummer. But... They did still serve their yummy dessert of a giant chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream over it which I, of course, had to order. Mmmmm... It was SO yummy! (Why is it that when I go home half the fun is eating things at places I can't get on a regular basis? What does that say about me?)

After lunch, we dropped Grandma Mattison off (and almost got stuck with the Lincoln in a huge ditch of mud!), dropped Grandma LaPean off, and then headed to Wausau to see Angela. I hadn't seen Ang since my wedding in the fall of 2007, so a visit was long over-due. Babies and The Economy had prevented us from making trips over the past 3.5 years, but we hit the ground running like no time had past!

I had hoped to make it all the way to Appleton to see her new adorable yellow house, but time just kept getting shortened, so we decided to meet for lunch somewhere halfway. Our original plan had been to meet at a park, have a picnic, and allow Jadon to run and play. The cold, wet weather literally put a damper on that, so we went to a McDonald's with a play land instead! Austin was in great spirits all day, and I finally got out the camera to capture some of his enthusiasm.  

Seemingly thrilled to be hanging out in a play land for 2 hours while his Momma chatted with Angela!

SO glad I got a picture of Ang and Austin together!

He was such a smiley show-off that I tried to ham it up with him and get a photo of both of us like that. He wins.

We ended up staying at McDonald's for 2 hours, but it felt like 2 minutes! We said our goodbyes, hopped around puddles and loaded up our cars. Seth, Austin and I got home pretty much right at his bedtime, but since he was wide awake we decided to give him a bath. He's used to getting showers at home, so I had the camera ready to capture anything and everything. He wasn't quite sure at first, but eventually started splashing around, just like in swimming lessons.

 

After a warm bath, it was time to say Goodnight, and he did excellent! Went straight to bed! (Which was something I was worried about given his recent poor bedtimes at home and the craziness of the past several days.) 

Seth, Grandma and I then spent the rest of the night looking through old slides while enjoying cookies and milk. Doesn't that just sound like something you should do at your grandmas?!? There were several shots of my dad as a very young child. One in particular, his 1st birthday, had him sitting in the highchair that we were using while there, and his resemblance to Austin was so striking that there was an audible gasp in the room and Seth and I turned to look at one another. We definitely know where he gets his facial features from! (Let's just hope he gets a little Mattison/Spofford/Houston height! No offense, Dad.)

WI Vacation, June 2011: Days #3 & 4

I didn't get a single picture of our third day. We were too busy driving around seeing sights to pay attention, I guess. We got up in the morning and left Austin home with my 1st cousin once removed (his second cousin) and my grandma. Seth and I went to UWEC's campus to look around. I spent too much time in the bookstore deciding what to buy that we ended up getting a parking ticket with my grandma's car! It was funny.  But I did end up with two shirts and Seth with one shirt. Go Blugolds! (And Go my husband for supporting my school!)

Once we got back, we ate a quick lunch and headed to Menomonie to see my cousin's new hair salon (which is gorgeous!), the airport where my uncle's memorial is, Grandma LaPean's old house, a quick visit with Grandma Mattison, and then we stopped for dinner at my cousin's house. Ted's Pizza... Mmmmmm. Yum. My parents had planned on joining us, but at the last minute some people called wanting to look at the house, so they stayed home. It was a very nice, very relaxing dinner on their porch while Seth got introduced to all sorts of animals (they have ducks and all sorts of things on their property) and we topped it off with rhubarb dessert! (Seth constantly comments on how everytime we go home, someone feeds us rhubarb....It's our running joke. It was perfect that my cousin made it for dessert! It's just not popular down here, I guess. Plus, it's always in season when I choose to go home.)

The next day, Tuesday, we decided to squeeze in a few people-sightings and then we headed to Colfax, to my parents' house to help my mom with some stuff before ending the day at Shelly's house for dinner. Our first stop was back at UWEC's campus to a former boss, Cynthia, whom I have remained good friends with ever since. She was at my wedding shower and even came to Atlanta for my wedding!

Me, Austin, and Cynthia on a beautiful day at UWEC!

I feel about as tired as I look in this picture. Seeing and going and doing over the previous three days had started to wear me out! It's exhausting catching up with people you haven't seen in years! It was orientation week, so Cynthia didn't have much time, and she casually let it slip that she's retiring in 13 days. Well, 13 days from the day we took this picture. Yay Cynthia!

After seeing Cynthia, we stopped by my great-aunt and uncle's house-Marion and Joe. Aunt Marion is my Grandma Mattison's sister. I remembered exactly where they lived though I hadn't been there in many, many years. They hadn't even known I've moved to Texas, and that was 2.5 years ago! It was good, albeit a bit strange, to catch up with them. I had called purely out of the blue that morning to see if we could stop by. I'm really glad I did, and even gladder that I remembered to get a picture!

After spending some time at my parents' house, sorting my remaining things and helping my mom by hauling stuff out to the truck to donate to Goodwill, we watched some tv, and then changed clothes and headed north, to Wheeler, so visit Shelly at her parents' house. She's recently moved back home to pursue a Masters degree at Stout, and I loved being able to catch up with her mom too. Austin is a natural dog person, I think, because he immediately loved their dogs. He got quite fussy at one point and either Shelly or her mom suggested taking him outside, so we got a blanket and sat outside for our dinner. It was perfect weather and Austin seemed to really relax once we got him outside. He LOVED Shelly's gorgeous hair. (Who wouldn't!?)

After eating a fabulous dinner, it was time to pack us back in the car (my grandma's Lincoln, which was the car we drove all week) and head back to Eau Claire. Austin was sound asleep by the time we got there, and went quickly to bed in the Pack-n-Play (which was in our room at the foot of our bed). All in all it was a fabulous few days, but I was glad that the next few days were about to require less on-the-go-ness. I obviously wanted a chance to see all these people, go to all these places, but I was also looking forward to being bored for a couple hours. That's what we got on Wednesday.

WI Vacation, June 2011: Day #2

After my parents picked us up at Katie's house on Sunday, they insisted we stop at this Chinese Buffet in Menomonie before heading to my grandma's house. We were anxious to arrive at her house to unwind a little bit, unpack a few things, and get settled just a smidge before all of the family was expected to arrive. My grandma had planned a family reunion of sorts and the total number of people was right around 30. I had a special outfit planned for Austin, one that his Aunt Cheryl had given him, and despite the craziness of the past day, he was in a great mood!

Austin clowning around on Grandma's rocking chair.

My Grandma LaPean (whose house we were staying at and who was hosting the family event... A LaPean family event) invited my Grandma Mattison to join us for the event, and she was thrilled as she'd never met Austin before. She currently lives in an assisted living facility near Menomonie, and Grandma LaPean lives in Eau Claire, so my dad went and picked her up. (I have always loved how many events have included both sets of my grandparents. I have several memories with both sides present, and I've always cherished that.) Below are a few shots Seth was able to capture as I was first introducing her to Austin. He loved her immediately!

Grandma Mattison and Austin meeting for the first time.

I love this picture!

Just as things were wrapping up, my Grandma decided that we needed to get a few photos taken. I didn't get one of the entire group, but this first one is me and my first cousins. Pam, Trisha, Me, Katie, Alan, and Mike.... with spouses/partners and children if applicable. I hadn't seen my cousins in several years, so it was great to get these pictures. And then I asked if it would be ok if we got a picture of just the second cousins together. Grandma happened to be on the porch when they gathered, so we posed her in the background.

Grandma LaPean with her great-grandchildren: Cody, Louis, Alex, Kaylee, McKenna, and Austin.

The whole time we were taking pictures, the guy across the street nearly broke his neck he was staring us down so hard. Grandma said later that he probably thought she'd died and that that was why so many cars had piled up outside. But, sorry, dude, she's alive and well! (It was funny how obvious he was about watching us!) After we were done taking pictures, we set Austin down in the grass and ended up taking a few 'photography shots' while everyone was saying Goodbye. The only thing I don't like is that his shorts seemed to have ridden up. He's wearing a romper and he looks pants-less!

Once everyone left, it was time to feed Austin, and all the excitement from the previous two days finally caught up to him. It was early to bed for him that night. Which was good, because Seth and I were also ready to just chill for awhile. We'd been going nonstop since we'd arrived, and literally not moving felt so good! Plus, we had a fairly busy Monday planned, so we needed to get our minds in the right place for the next day.

Sound asleep on daddy's lap...