add another state to the list...

a few weeks ago, oakley and i made the trek up to minnesota, where our friends live.  brian was going to the ohio state/nebraska football game and camping with some of his guys, so we thought it would be a good time to go see the hebert family.

the crazy thing about this family is this:  when i was fresh out of college, they had their first baby and needed a nanny.  i couldn't find a teaching job in kansas city, so i decided to nanny for the time being.  hannah, their first, was a wee four months old when i started watching her, and i was with them for right at a year.  we went through a lot together...all of hannah's "firsts", they supported me through brian's and my engagement, the news of amber (hannah's mom) getting pregnant with their second baby, the list goes on and on.  i also met a couple of great friends through them.  we have quite a history and hannah and i are "soul mates," as amber says.  paige, keith and amber's second girl, came along just after i left, but we have kept in touch through the years, and i feel like those girls are my family. 

anyway, we left early friday morning and drove 6.5 hours to their beautiful, historical home in a small town outside of st. paul (i think it's st. paul).  it was an amazing home, like one you would see in a magazine.  oakley loved the playroom, of course!  we had so much fun catching up with the hebert family and hope to go back with brian soon.  oakley still talks about "pannah and paige" often.  he loved those girls!  by the way, hannah will be 7 in february and paige just turned 5.  they are so grown up!!

here are the things we did that weekend:  played at teddy bear park. ate at a small, local diner for dinner.  filled bags of candy at a candy shop (YUM!).  watched movies.  waffles and scones for breakfasts.  fall festival downtown, complete with dancing, face painting, a picnic, and the pumpkin regatta.  naps.  soccer and frisbee in the backyard.  meals outside.  awesome, catch-up conversations.  laughing about things we did in the past.  pumpkin patch and hayride.  driving/crashing battery-powered jeeps (oakley's favorite part that he still talks about!)

oakley was pooped and slept for days after we returned.  ok, not really days, but he was worn out.

brian was happy i didn't buy this racoon tail hat.

from left:  oakley, paige and hannah at teddy bear park

sweet hannah-banana

walking from the park to dinner

cute little paige!

at the fall festival

this gives you an idea of how huge the pumpkins were!

and the watermelons, too

the heberts let oakley borrow their tiger costume so he could dress up, too.

watching the lift bridge go up for the boats

dancing it up

captive audience

o was so excited to get his face painted!

this girl is so grown up.  i feel old.

thank you, hebert family, for a great weekend!!