Only a few knew about our Thanksgiving Day surprise....
On Wednesday November 27th, we packed our bags and headed to the Denver Airport. We flew into Bloomington, Illinois and secretly made our way to Morton where Matt's parents live. Surprise!!! You've got visitors!!!
Riding the moving sidewalk at DIA.
In preparation for the flight, I went to Target and loaded up on small inexpensive toys. Worked like a charm! Every 20 minutes I presented Sage with a new surprise. He was an angel on the flight there. (I unfortunately cannot say the same about the flight home. In fact, he was quite the opposite.)
Frontier gives families with small children priority boarding! We were some of the first people on the plane. What a service! This made boarding so much easier.
Sage has been on 3 airplane trips in his life: Kansas, California, and Illinois. He's getting quite used to traveling.
Sage arrived at the Diemer residence Wednesday evening. It took him no time at all to bond with his Uncle Jeff, Cousin Cody, and Grandparents.
Sage loved wrestling with Cody.
These two roughhoused all weekend!
The next morning was Thanksgiving. Several guests were expected at the house. We had a very full table!
The Diemer men. Four generations.
One very special guest that morning was Miss Maelyn. Last time I saw her she was only 2 months old. And what a cutie she is! Mae Mae stayed with us all weekend. Her and Sage became best friends.
Another very special guest that morning was my brother Sam.
Nothing like a house full of family on Thanksgiving day.
After the big meal, Sage looked for ways to get himself into trouble.
Knocking over this giant stack of magazines was the first of many "uh oh's" to happen.
Grandpa Gary was quick to reign him in.
After the pie digested and the sugar set in, Sage got crazy!
He used an empty water barrel to roll himself from one end of the room to the other. He also learned to play "rock, paper, scissors." And at the end of each round he would energetically dive (better yet - belly flop) onto the floor rug, as if it were a swimming pool. He was literally bouncing off the walls!
Jeff thought it best to keep him going!
That's right.....Uncle Jeff gave Sage a straight shot of whipped cream! On holidays, all the rules go out the window. And I'm ok with that. :)
The next morning Sage and Maelyn snuck into their grandparents' bedroom. They had a good old fashioned session of jumping on the bed.
Afterwards, it was bath time.
Maelyn weighs about 20 pounds and Sage is just over 27.
You could really see the difference in the nude!
Maelyn was a good splasher!
On Friday, we met up with Sam and Betsy for a late afternoon lunch. This was Betsy's first chance to meet Sage. Unfortunately, he was in a grumpy mood. His nap routine and bedtimes were all over the place. The sleep deprived Sage was quite destructive at lunch. Ruby Tuesday's couldn't wait to get rid of us!
Two little Phish heads. Best buds!
Sage enjoyed playing Grandma's piano.
Friday night we went to Jeff's house for a big family sleepover. Sage sported Maelyn's tutu for a good portion of the evening.
On Saturday, it was back to Grandma and Grandpa's for some outdoor fun!
Sage marveled at Cody's tree-climbing abilities.
Then rode his first four-wheeler.
Then he got a ride on the scooter.
Maelyn tried on Sage's hat.
Wow! Is his head big, or her head small!?!?
Next, Sage got a ride on the skateboard.
And then we had a baby race!
These two were all giggles.
Next was a wagon ride. (The options were really quite endless!)
And finally, we ended the outdoor adventure with some imaginative car play. Maelyn was driver, Sage passenger.
Windows down. Radio blaring.
Later that evening, we went back to Jeff's for another night of trouble-making. Sage got to live the good life at Uncle Jeff's. A cozy chair, snacks, and cable TV!
Look at these two!
Have you ever seen anything cuter!?!?
The face of chocolate milk. These two need agents!
And then it was party time.
Sage donned the tutu again. But this time we spiffed it up with glowsticks. (I hope he doesn't resent me one day.)
On Sunday, we met up with a family friend, Barb, for lunch at one of my all time favorite dining establishments - One World. This was Barb and Sage's first encounter. And Sage was in a good mood this time!
Then it was time for some Disney photo opportunities! The Diemer clan recently returned from Disney World and brought back lots of goodies for the little ones.
These two will really miss each other. :(
On Monday morning we ran out for one last lunch date with Uncle Sam. And then flew back to Denver that evening, departing at 7pm. We finally pulled into our driveway around 10pm. And we were all back to work the next morning. Completely exhausted. But full of love and memories. We had the best time!
And, on an exciting note, Sage has really expanded his language ability on this trip. He now says "car, truck, door, down, socks, and the cutest of all.... Sage!" Yep, he says his own name! And it's so stinkin cute. He makes the funniest face when he says it. He has to work really hard to get the "s" sound out. He clamps his teeth together, and pulls his lips back, and sort of grimaces. But then out squeaks the cutest little "Sage" you've ever heard!
