Batsche Bunch: Back Home Again in Indiana...

Walking back from the DQ

We were lucky enough to make a trip back home to Indiana this summer. I wasn't sure it was going to happen since we took a long vacation to Disney and Hilton Head Island this year, but we all made it happen. I'm so glad we did!

We had such a good time. Growing up I definitely took advantage of my little town. I didn't appreciate all the opportunities and morals and way of life that it helped instill in me. I think I thought that all towns were the same and everyone had that same kind of community feel. When I lived there and even soon after I was annoyed at the thought that everyone would know your business, but what I didn't realize was that it wasn't so much that everyone knew your business, but everyone looked out for everyone else. You say hi and wave to people passing by. Now that I have kids I can really appreciate that feeling and sense of safety that a town like Danville can bring. So this trip home was a nice reminder of how lucky I was to grow up in a small town that in whole had a great community vibe.

We didn't do too terribly much. I like to take it easy and go to my favorite restaurants. I like to go to the zoo because it is a real zoo with animals you wouldn't normally see at zoos like dolphins and polar bears. We go to parks and always have to make a trip to the DQ, even though it is painted and now has a drive-thru. That is what we did. We had a lot of family time too. The kids got to play a lot with Mama and Papa as well as Aunt Tina, Uncle Phil and cousins Sydney and Carter. Chloe really is smitten with them all especially my mom, sister and Sydney. It was all about them. I couldn't do anything for her as one of them had to do it. I couldn't even think about taking her out of the car because Mama or Tina or Sydney was suppose to. It was also really nice to see how Sydney interacted and just loved on Chloe. They may be about 5 years apart, but they still play so well together. We are truly blessed to be such a loving family. We also were able to spend some time with both of my grandparents, some of our friends and Zach and I were even able to go out by ourselves to the little bar/pub/burger place on the square.

Now it wasn't all nice and rosy...Levi was just a monster on the plane ride. He is still young enough so we don't have to purchase a ticket for him so he was a lap child..not a very good lap child. He squirmed all over the place and did not leave his headphones on very long for the movie. He also wanted to just keep pushing buttons on the iPad and Chloe was not too excited about it. On the way home he finally fell asleep, maybe for only 15-20 minutes but it was a nice 15-20 minutes. When we were at my parents house the first night Chloe was sleeping on a mattress on the floor next to Zach and I and she didn't go to sleep until about 1:30am!! She has only slept with us about 3 times in her life and 2 were because she was sick and the other was when we had a slumber party. If she realizes that we are in the room she just wants to play and talk and play and tell me how I am holding her animal the wrong way. So it was a long first night, but the rest of the nights we went to bed after her so she was already asleep and we didn't have many issues. I think my least favorite part was when Zach said I couldn't bring any pizza home with us from my favorite pizza place!! I shake my head in disappointment still because if I would have known that I would have ate more while I could. Oh well...there is always next time.

Chloe learned a new hairstyle the "Tina". My sister wore her hair halfway pulled up and Chloe wanted to wear it just like her so it is her new hairstyle. It has actually worked out really well because it is the only hairstyle that Chloe will not immediately pull out. She even had a fun time pulling apart my mom's fake flowers and putting them in her hair. Not sure why, but for two days straight she had to have a flower in her hair. Silly girl! Levi also had some new food. He devoured my favorite pizza, my grandma's 24 hour marshmallow salad, jello salad, strawberries from Grey's strawberry pie and his first ice cream cone from DQ. He was a mess after every meal!

All in all it was a great time and probably one of the hardest times to leave because we had such a great time. Even Chloe was not excited to leave. She did not want to go into the airport or on the plane and she kept telling me and my mom "Please no go home, please no go to the airport" or "Please Mama Please No". She gripped onto my mom at the airport, but eventually came to terms and got on the airplane. Even when we were sitting in the airport waiting for our plane she was telling another lady that she wanted to go back to Mama's house. So I would say she had a great time. We all did and are looking forward to the next time to be together, which will be in just a few short months for Christmas!