John decided to take Friday afternoon off work, so we got to Illinois in time for a delicious dinner at Great Grandma and Grandpa Drake's house with lots of cousins and aunts and uncles. It was a beautiful day and the kids and fun playing out in the yard with cousins. 
Saturday we went to Washington Park and O'Charley's with Great Grandma and Grandpa Beagles and Uncle David. Then we spent the afternoon at their house playing cards. Laura and Andrew had fun listening to Uncle David read and picking strawberries from Grandma and Grandpa's garden.
In the evening we visited with some good friends from Springfield, the Yeagers. The kids all had a great time together.
Jim and Maureen's family were staying in El Paso this weekend also, so the kids had some fun times with cousin Audrey cousin Abby. As the two night owls, Bridget and Abby had some good bonding time, and Abby is now one of Bridget's current favorite words.
Instead of an early exit Sunday morning, we stayed to help John's brother Carl move into his new home in Bloomington. Andrew and Laura were excited to see cousin Ben and cousin Ella for the first time since Christmas, and we're all happy that they're going to be so much closer now. Laura was a little disappointed that Ella wasn't moving in next door to us.
