Such a great weekend~

Happy (Belated) Mother's Day to all of you! I hope all you mommas had a wonderful day with your families!
Nathaniel surprised me with a carnation flower (he purchased himself) from school on Friday. He is such a thoughtful and generous kid! He was so excited to give it to me, too. He made sure I didn't pick him up from school that day, so I wouldn't see his surprise.
Friday evening, I got together with my dear friends from High School! It was great to get together and just talk! We went out to eat at our favorite Chinese Restaurant! It was tasty! We had 4 hours (almost) of uninterrupted chat time! It was just great! Of coarse, we could have been there all night. I miss our night time visits to Perkins...where we would be there for hours on end...just talking!
Then, Naomi and I went to Ladies Night Out where we played the famous LNO game "Quelf." This game is so fun! You can read so many posts about the game over at my friend Lisa's blog! We had endless laughter, as always! What a great and therapeutic night! It was great to get together with "the gals" again! I also made the announcement (with wearing a sticky note on my shirt) that I am prego! Yep, we are due for another baby in December! I hope the baby makes it for a tax break! :) LOL~
Saturday, I went to our Ladies Brunch at church. It was a great time! We had the author of Love Letters to your Child there to talk about her book and inspiration! Tracey Finck is an amazing, and talented woman! I was really touched and moved by what she started! I would love to do this for my children. The idea is to write down things your kids say, or achievements they do, or anything that pertains to your child that lifts them up. I love this idea of a "brag book." What an encouragement to our kids! I think this is such an important and POSITIVE thing to do for our kids. I really had a hard time with Nathaniel this morning, and he made the comment that I hate him. This is devastating to hear as a parent, because it makes me feel like I am failing him. I know if I had a special book just about him, I could pull it out, and show him all the ways I am proud of him, and he would have written proof of my love and adoration of him. It is one thing to tell your child about your love, but another to have it in writing! That is something that Tracey said, and I agree!
After the brunch, I rushed home to get ready for a day trip. We went to a train show about 2 1/2 hours away. It was such a rainy day out, so we decided to head out. It wasn't a big train show, so that was sad, but it was fun to just have a travel day. Nathaniel picked out a train accessory for Terry, and bought it with his money. He loves to give gifts. We went out for supper at Old Country Buffet. It was fun to go out, and I like that restaurant. I ran into a girl that I graduated from High School with. It was fun to see her again. I haven't seen her since High School. She is married now, with 3 kids. It was fun to catch up again.
When we got home that night, we got the kids to bed and I went to get a movie. We watched Rendition with Reese Whitherspoon. It was a disturbing movie, and kind of hard to watch. It was about a man that was accused (wrongly) of being apart of a terrorist attack. I know this stuff happens, but it was still hard to watch him be tormented. I think if I knew now (before watching it) I don't think I would have watched it. I had a terrible dream Saturday night because of what I saw. It wasn't the worst movie I have seen, but not a good feeling movie.
Sunday morning, I was told to stay in bed longer. Nathaniel and Terry brought me breakfast in bed. It was very thoughtful. Nathaniel had made me a special card in school, and he gave that to me as well. It was my first breakfast in bed. I did end up bringing it down stairs, so I could eat with Terry and Madelyn. Then, we went to church, and the service was great. 2 girls did a special music with their flute and violin, and that was sweet. After church, we went home for a quick change of clothes, let Lena out, and get diapers changed. Then, we went to Oseola, WI to ride the train. It was so much fun! The kids were so excited. Caleb and Nathaniel had no idea where we were going, so it was fun to surprise them. Terry was asked my the engineer if he and the boys would like to ride in the engine on the way back. Of coarse, he couldn't turn that question down! They had so much fun. The views from the train was amazing. We saw natural springs and waterfalls. Maddie did so well, too! Can you believe we forgot our digital camera!! So, we had to spend $1o.00 on a disposable. Terry really didn't want to spend that on a disposable (neither did I), but it was the very first time the kids were going to ride a train! So, we had to have the pictures. I really hope they turn out for us! After the ride, we went to the DQ and then, we went down on a hike in the valley where there was a big waterfalls. It was so beautiful! I really hope to go back again this summer. Even though there were uber amount of stairs, it was worth it. Then, we headed for home. I gave Nathaniel a much needed hair cut last night, and we all got to bed relatively early. It was a great Mother's Day. I love spending time with Terry and the kids. I know my house was hurting from not being cleaned this weekend, but it was so worth it!