I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse....

My moms side of the family are great historians.  They have tracked our families history for generations.  It's been really neat to follow my roots.  My dads side....well, the closest I've gotten to the history of my dads side is a book called Louisiana Power and Light.  It's not exactly a flattering rendition of my history.  Monroe, Louisiana is where the Fontana family settled after immigrating from Sicily, and since we were close, I thought, what the heck, lets go see what there is to see.

Being good Sicilians, they were all Catholic, and Catholics keep GOOOOOD records!  I got a hold of the perish in Monroe, and I hit the jackpot!  I found birth records, baptisms, deaths, marriages...  It may not seem all THAT exciting, but for me?  Well, I'm a huge nerd, and LOVE research, so this was a big deal for me.  Plus, I was able to peek into the lives of my ancestors, and start in depth ancestry documentation.  I hope to one day obtain a dual citizenship to Italy.  Look for Dominic and Lena Fontana (my great grand parents), and Mary Fontana (my dad's mom).  Pretty neat stuff!

From Monroe, we headed for home.  We were able to surprise Gordon a day early!  Travel is fantastic, but it was good to be back home.

Home, Home on the Range!

Home is a little town in the middle and slightly to the left in Illinois.  My grandmother was born there, my mother was born there, and my sister and I were born there.  I lived in three different houses, the last since I was 10 years old.  Home is familiar.  It doesn't matter that it's small, that it's an hour from a good mall, and that I had five people in my graduating class.  It's still home.  We were lucky enough to get there during the Taste Of Galesburg.  Corn on the cob, spinach bisque, turtle crepes, live music, face painting, and bounce houses were a welcome break!

Galesburg In the Glow found the kids in the middle of hot air balloons!  This happens every year.  My grandpa and dad actually got to ride in the pink/black/white one up front several years ago.  They launch from the part behind my parents house.  Imagine seeing that every summer!  #home #sigh

Annika wasn't sure about getting all the way in the gondola, and I wasn't sure about Gannon being that close to fire.... 

We took a day trip to Herbert Hoovers birth place (can YOU say Herbert Hoover without singing Annie?)

You know those gazillion cousins I mentioned earlier?  We all have pictures just like this, somewhere.  Riding the pig at the Machine Shed is a family tradition!

The tractor ride is another huge perk, since walking around after the tenderloin sandwich and apple dumpling would have been more of ROLLING around.

Since Galesburg is so small, it's important to have an idea of near by attractions.  Bishop Hill, Illinois is a unique village North of Galesburg.  A 30 minute drive, and Gannon got to help weave a rug in a loom while Annika and Siri watched brooms being made.  

Fishing with Grandpa at Lake Story is always eventful.  So far, no ER visits for getting a hook stuck somewhere besides in a fish.  The most successful catch this year was a GIANT chunk of algae!

The kids REALLY wanted to ride a "real" train (because the metro/subway apparently doesn't count).  We loaded up and drove to Aurora, IL where one of two cousins is located.  We were able to take a REAL train into Chicago where we walked to the Filed Museum.  Mastodons, T-Rex's, meteoroids, and the Chicago Bears were fun, but paled to the fun of playing with cousin Ellie.  Aunt Pat and Uncle Rick came for a visit, allowing us to see 3/4 of the Morozink clan (we only missed Jennifer).

Leaving home is always hard.  Not because it's some amazing, event filled place, but because it's home.  I miss my parents and I wish my kids could be closer to their grandparents.  Every Texas sunset makes me think of the wide open spaces, the rolling plains, and .... home.