GiGi and PaPa in Springfield

Gigi and PaPa arrived Thursday for a visit to Springfield, and we have had a great time the past few days. Friday I took the day off, and we were able to see some of the sites in the area. We started off by going to Fun Shop, which is what we do every Friday. On the way home, we stopped by Lincoln's Tomb, a very impressive site. Gina and I didn't even know it was there. After a lazy day indoors (because of the rain), we ended the day talking to Ella on Skype.

On Saturday, Mom, Dad and I went to see the UIS campus. It was pretty bare since we are on Spring Break, but they were very impressed with what they saw. After the tour, we picked up Gina and the boys and went to a St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Springfield. The weather was a little on the cold side and drizzly, but the boys loved getting to hear the bands, see fire trucks and tractors, and most all, get candy. PaPa was the head candy snatcher, and he would relay it back to the sidewalk for us. After the parade, Gina and the boys went home for a nap while I took Mom and Dad to the Abraham Lincoln Museum. Once again, we were completely blown away by just about every aspect of the museum. From the holograms to the artifacts to the other exhibits, it was all very inspiring. We ended this day reading books at the dining table with PaPa.

Today we went to church, followed by lunch at Golden Corral. After naptime, PaPa and I took the boys to the mall to ride the Easter Choo-Choo and carousel and play in the playground. It was a lot of fun watching the boys enjoy themselves on the rides and at the playground. We came back to rest and watch some Veggie Tales. Nate took advantage of the downtime to snuggle with GiGi, while Sam tried to stay awake in his rocker.

Tomorrow we head to Branson, Missouri, for a week. Stay tuned for more updates and photos.