A Trip To The Murray Farm '12

Today is a very important day.  Why, you ask?  Well, it's our anniversary.  Meg and I were married three years ago today in Erie, PA.  Are we celebrating together in any way other than facetime?  Sadly, no.  Meg is downtown with Izzy at Comer Children's Hospital, again.  The good news is that they should both be home on Thursday.  Don't worry, nothing serious.  There will be a separate blog post about that particular trip.

Since, I have no wife and only two sleeping daughters at home tonight, I figured I'd better get caught up on the hundreds of photos, sitting on memory cards, begging to be chosen for blogdom.  What did I find for this evening?  How about a weekend getaway for our entire family that we took a couple of weeks ago? 

We packed up the girls an entire truck full of "stuff" and headed down near Springfield, IL to visit with Meg's uncle Buddy and aunt Carollee, as well as a host of other Murrays, at the Murray Farm.  Meg told me about this place when we first REALLY started dating about five years ago, as she had just returned from a trip to celebrate Buddy's 70th birthday.  She's always spoken so highly of it.  Well, it was just as beautiful as she described.  They have about 120 acres, which is plenty of room for a big pond full of fish, three horses, tons of corn, some of the craziest looking chickens I have ever seen, and beautiful sunsets (I actually not posting my favorite one because it's a surprise for someone).  Oh yeah, there was also room to build another house for their daughter, her husband, and their family without being even remotely crowded.  Add in the fact that they have a pool, too, and we'll probably be going back as often as they'll have us :)

***WARNING*** Large quantities of photos ahead

Let's start with the farm.







No fishing for me this trip, but one day...




Uncle Buddy caught a worm!


Tank, waiting for someone to open the gate to the porch.




Bandit


Recent addition


Pool Time!

On Saturday afternoon, we got the girls dressed up and ready to go swimming.  Besides bath time, this was their first time in the water and they did not disappoint!  On all accounts, I think they loved it.  I sensed a little apprehension at first, but not much, and it disappeared quickly.  Even Izzy was having a blast.  We just had to make sure to keep the water out of her oxygen tube!

Kathy and Sophie


Meg, Maddy, and Kelly


Meg, Maddy, Sophie (crying), and Kathy


Sophie and Meg (trying to soothe her daughter)


Sophie (calmed down and ready to enjoy the pool) and Meg


Kelly blowing kisses at Maddy


Maddy, kicking her way to the side of the pool


Meg and Maddy


Meg and Maddy


Sophie, still trying to decide if she likes it


Maddy


Maddy, our goofball


Izzy (laughing really hard) and Meg


Izzy (still laughing)



Sophie


All my girls!






Sophie and Keegan


Maddy with an awesome hairdo.  The best part was that it dried that way and she still looked cool in the morning!


Sophie


Izzy



The rest of the weekend!







Kiel, BJ, Amy, Jack, and Barbie



Sharon and Carolee


Kris and Kathy



Mary, getting her facebook fix


Buddy


Barbie and Sophie


Charlie


Scott and Sophie


The girls






Kelsie with Izzy and Sophie


They look like baby birds in a nest, waiting for their mom to regurgitate breakfast for them


Meg and Izzy


They've gotta sleep some time



Sophie and Mary




Sharon and Sophie





Breakfast time with mom


The clan, well, some of them at least



Kalie getting some Maddy-time


Izzy, checking out the chickens




Buddy




Kris and Maddy








Sophie




Scott, wrangling the mean rooster