I expected to find a wild raccoon in the house

We just got back from a great visit to Maryland.  When we got there I didn't really think about my phone and left it in the van.  The next day I was busy and again, didn't think of my phone but when I went to check facebook that night I saw a message from my neighbor asking if I had gotten her text.  I hadn't and had to go search for my phone.  She knew we were out of town so I wondered if something was wrong and when I found my phone and saw she had called twice, left a text, and sent me a message on facebook I knew something was wrong.  

She reported that after we had left she had noticed that our door was cracked open a little ways.  She decided that when she came back home she would check to see if the door was still open but upon returning home she saw that the door was closed.  The next morning when her husband left for work the door was wide open!  She tried calling me all day to let me know but I never answered.  Even more concerning was that her boys said they saw an older lady (that they recognized as being at our house previously) with a white car had stopped by the house.  

I was super confused and creeped out.  My neighbor and her husband kindly (and bravely I might add) went over to the house to check it out and make sure it was ok.  They reported that everything seemed to look fine.  They locked the door and went out the back door locking that behind them.  

I'm not sure what happened.  Our door is broken and has been broken for a couple of months.  It opens from the inside but not the outside.  Sometimes if you don't lock it, it doesn't clasp all the way and can come open.  Mike was the last one out of the house and said he would lock the door behind me.  Our only guess is that he forgot to lock the door.  As we were leaving we noticed the wreath on the door and since it was already dying I decided to fetch it from the door and throw it away.  I hopped out of the van and threw the wreath away (but only after smelling it a couple hundred more times...fresh pine is heavenly!).  If Mike forgot to lock the door and then I messed with the door when I grabbed the wreath, it is possible that it didn't stay latched and opened without me noticing.  Also, my neighbor said it was a windy day so perhaps the door kept getting blown open and closed.  

Regardless, it was creepy.  

When we got home I wondered if we would find a wild creature from the woods in backyard making residence in our house but it appears that all is well.

Phew.  

Anyway...

Like I said, our trip was great.

We planned a trip to Herr's Potato Chip Factory.  It was a nice, scenic drive through Maryland country.  It was actually a really cool tour that everyone enjoyed.  The boys (mostly Mike) oohed and awed over the crazy amounts of flavoring used and everyone enjoyed getting free samples of hot, freshly cooked potato chips.  Yum!  Grandma and Grandpa chose a smorgasbord of flavored chips and popcorn and later in the week we had a chip sampling party--dill, jalapeno, horseradish, hot sauce, etc.  

Grandma and Grandpa always let the kids play in the hot tub when we visit and that is always a much looked forward to part of our visit.  They miss our hot tub in Colorado!  Piper got to go in too but I didn't get any pictures of her.

On New Year's Eve we met up with the cousins and let the kids play at a blowup bouncy house.  The kids played hard and when we left they were all red-faced and sweaty.  Good thing I have an extra thing of deodorant in my van for stinky boys!

We headed home and had appetizers and the kids played and the adults just sat and talked.  We didn't stay up late.  Jessie and Jason took their kiddos home around 8 and we put Piper to bed and then let the boys stay up and watch Star Wars 6.  We sent them to bed at 10.  It was a pretty chill New Years Eve.

Grandma grew up with a tradition where Mrs. Claus brings candy on New Year's Eve so the kids woke up to a counter full of candy.  Later that day we all went to Star Wars 7.

 When we visit Maryland Mike loves to cook Indian food with his Mom.  They pour over her curry cookbook and choose different dishes.  This time they chose lamb.

 We enjoyed playing basketball at the church a couple of days too.

 We had promised the boys that we would take them ice skating and thought that going with our cousins would be more fun.  We met at the designated place only to discover that it wasn't an ice skating rink at all!  It was this tiny little square, about the size of a small backyard pool, made of teflon squares linked together.  We left with some disappointed kids and walked to the exercise park down the road.  After we had all sufficiently worked our muscles we walked to the candy store on the corner and each chose a chocolate.

We went bowling with Grandma and Grandpa and our cousins on the last day before we came home. 

I didn't live near grandparents or cousins when I was growing up and I really didn't form close relationships with them.   It wasn't until I was in high school that my Grandma Teichert moved down the road from us.  She was divorced, alone, and dying.  I'd go to her house to deliver food and help put groceries away.  At the end, I remember brushing her hair after her bath.  I have very tender feelings from that time.  I only regret that I didn't have the chance to really get to know her before then.  Recently, I found a card my grandma had sent me.  It was so fun to read and I keep it by my bed.  I guess I am ending this a little sentimental because now I have kids who have grandmas and grandpas.  We don't live very close to them and it is hard to make the trips to see them but I am so thankful for every chance we have to let the kids spend time with their grandparents (and cousins).  I hope they can build close relationships and have fond memories of them.