Jay, Susie, Jake & Olivia

No more slacking.....

2010-10-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

Jake on the beach at sunset
Dolphin show at Brookfield Zoo
Jake's last soccer game
Gardening with Grandma Young
Catching a fish at scout camp

For whatever reasons ( Jay graduating, us moving, settling in, new callings, etc..) I have put off updating our blog. So today, on this momentous occasion (10-10-10) I have decided to post again! As I have already said, we have been busy so I think I'll just post some pictures to show what we have been up to the last few months.

The latest happenings

2010-03-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Jake's baptism was great! We had lots of family and friends come for the special event. The talks were fantastic and the spirit was strong!

Medieval Times was AWESOME! The kids were mesmerized with the horses and sword fighting. They gave us crowns when we walked in the door that signified what color knight we should cheer for. We were cheering on the blue knight. The food was pretty good and way more then we could eat. I would definitely go again!

Jake and Jay were able to go to a Chicago Steel hockey game with the Scouts. The Steel won against the Ice by one point. Jake's scout ticket included a hot dog, a drink, a patch and three shots on the ice with the team after the game. They had a great time!

Birthday Boy

2010-02-28T16:05:00.000-08:00

Today is Jake's 8th birthday! We celebrated his birthday yesterday by having a party with his friends. We had a castle/knight theme and six boys came to sword fight and prove themselves worthy of the rank of knight. Jay organized and ran the activities and I made the cake, took pictures and played with Olivia. Olivia was excited about the party and can't wait until it's her turn for a birthday! Overall, it was a fun time and Jake loved hanging out with his friends! Jake is a sweet boy who loves being active and creative. We love him very much and wish him a very happy birthday!

Snowshoeing

2010-02-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

Jake and Jason didn't have school today so we decided to make the most of a snowy day and go snowshoeing. This is our first time and the kids thought it was pretty fun. Olivia only lasted about an hour but Jake and Jason kept going for a couple of hours.

pirate/ spider-girl

2010-02-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

Olivia really wanted to put on this spider-man costume and then she started doing these poses... I had to take pictures!

Disney on Ice

2010-01-24T19:02:00.000-08:00

What a fun time! The kids loved seeing all the Disney characters playing and having fun. Jay and I also had fun and were surprised at how much we enjoyed ourselves! I would definitely do it again!

Christmas in Indiana

2010-01-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

We were able to go back to Indiana and visit all the family for Christmas. We had a great time catching up on everyone's busy lives and just having fun with brothers, sisters, moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas and cousins. We baked cookies (to add to the mounds that grandma Gibson already made) and frosted them with the little girls and the boys played in the snow either sledding and snowboarding down the little hill behind grandma Gibson's house or being pulled on a sled behind the 4-wheeler. Aunt Leslie had a tea party with the girls and Uncles Adam and Joe played with the kids as much as they could. We all enjoyed good talks and lots of laughs with everyone. It really was a great time!

Snow Fort

2009-12-23T15:10:00.000-08:00

Jay and the kids had fun making a snow fort over the weekend. We had wet snow that is great for packing although not a lot as you can see from all the dirt and leaves in the walls.

Making Cookies & Going Sledding

2009-12-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

Sledding is always the best thing to do in the snow. The first real snow we had was last Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, Jake didn't have school (teacher in-service) so as soon as Jay got home, we went sledding. We only stayed outside for about an hour (it was 4 degrees) and then we came home and had hot chocolate and played games.

Last week the kids and I made candy cane cookies. They loved rolling the dough and twisting the colors to make the candy cane shape. They were so proud of themselves when the cookies were finished baking that they ate several as soon as they could!

Star Wars

2009-12-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

Right before Thanksgiving there was a star wars extravaganza at our public library and Jake couldn't wait to go. He wanted to wear his storm trooper costume so bad! He loved posing with the "actors" for this picture.

Gibson Family Pictures

2009-11-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

We went back to Indiana last weekend for the funeral of Jason's grandpa Gibson and as it happened, all the family was able to come in to town for the event. It was a sad occasion but it was great to see everyone. We got some pictures of the gang before we all had to leave again.

A visit to Grandma's house

2009-10-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

We went to grandma's house a couple of weekends ago and the kids had a great time. We were able to go to a pumpkin place that had a corn maze, pony rides, feeding animals (deer, goats & turkeys) and mining for gold not to mention the pumpkins, gourds and mums that you could buy. The kid had lots of fun as they ran around playing with their cousins and feeding the animals. Uncle Adam gave the kids rides on the four-wheeler and Olivia made biscuits with grandma. The whole weekend was great and we are looking forward to Thanksgiving!

Plane Ride

2009-09-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

Jake and I got to do something pretty awesome today, we went on a small plane ride around the city! We have some friends that own their own plane and they invited us to go up with them. We started out by flying over our apartments then headed to the city. We flew over lake Michigan to see the view of the city from that angle and it was gorgeous! The sky was clear and sunny. We couldn't have asked for better weather. We flew back to the airport after flying by the city a couple of times and Todd (he owns the plane) dropped Natalie (his wife) and I back off and took Jake up by himself. They were gone for about a half hour and Todd let Jake fly the plane. Jake even did a 360! Jake thought it was the coolest thing ever!!! Our whole trip (before Jake and Todd went by themselves) took a couple of hours and it was AWESOME! I have to say that this experience ranks pretty high on my list of coolest things that I've ever done.

Soccer starts

2009-09-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was Jake's first soccer game of the season. It was kinda foggy and the field was pretty wet but they had a great game. Jake is wearing a neon green shirt in the last picture and that just means he played goalie that quarter. That was him throwing in the ball. Today's game was alright. It seemed like a lot of the players kept falling on the ground, which does nothing for steady ball movement towards the goal. But they usually seem to have fun no matter the outcome of the game.

Starved Rock and Warren Dunes

2009-09-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few fun things that we did right before school started. Starved rock is a state park that we heard about and thought we'd check out. The hiking trails got to be a little much for Olivia but she did great the first half of the day. The Warren dunes are always a fun place to visit. Our kids have enjoyed the times we've gone and this time was no different.

Route 66

2009-08-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

We took a short vacation this past weekend. We followed the old Route 66 from Chicago to St. Louis. We tried to see as many of the historic sites as we could. It was fun to pass through all of the little towns and stop at the museums and restored gas stations. In the video you'll see the Rich & Creamy ice cream stand (where soft serve was invented), 1933 Texaco Station (the longest operating gas station along Route 66), the Gemini Giant (27 foot tall mascot of the Launching Pad Drive-In), 1932 Standard Oil Station, Cozy Dog Drive-In (where the corn dog was invented, originally called the "crusty cur"), the Ariston Cafe (built in 1935 and kind of smelled like it, too, but the deserts were delicious) and the 1926 Soulsby's Service Station (one of the oldest on Route 66).

We spent a night in Springfield and stayed right down town. All of the sites were within walking distance of the hotel. We toured Lincoln's law office, the old capitol building, the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Lincoln's home. The sites were fun and educational, especially since this year is the bicentennial of his birth. We learned a lot about who he was as a person, not just the myths and legends we're all familiar with. Lincoln built his career there, left for the White House from there and is buried there. It was well worth the time we spent to learn more about this American icon.

We also spent one night in St. Louis. We went up in the arch and the view was magnificent. We also visited Camp River Dubois, the departure site of the Lewis and Clark expedition at the confluence of the Mississippi, Missouri and Dubois rivers. Jake loved the 55-foot full-scale replica of the expedition's keel boat. Then we headed over to Cahokia Mounds State Park which is considered the largest historic Native American settlement north of Mexico. We finally rolled back into town late at night and worn out from the trip but having a greater appreciation of our not so distant past.

First Day

2009-08-26T08:10:00.001-07:00

Jake started second grade today. We went yesterday to meet his teacher and see the classroom. His teacher seems nice and I'm sure he'll have a great year.

Peck Farm Park

2009-08-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went to peck farm this morning to have a little adventure before lunch. We were able to climb to the top to the observation silo and view the whole park. We looked at the animals and artifacts on display in the farm house and walked through the garden. But the best part was going in the butterfly house. There were lots of butterflies to see and it's easy to get real close to them. We weren't lucky enough to have one land on us but Jake had lots of fun taking pictures of the many butterflies.

kids

2009-08-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

I love taking pictures of my kids! I especially love it when you capture their personality. We took these today when we went to the zoo. The weather was great and the kids were happy. What more could I ask for?

Comic Books

2009-08-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

Jake and Jay went to an exhibit about the history of comic books last weekend. They had a good time checking out all the old comics, drawing characters and posing like their favorite super hero.

Cub Scout Day Camp

2009-08-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Jake went to cub scout day camp last week and loved every minute of it! He got to shoot BB guns, try his hand at archery, play games & sports, go on nature hikes, make crafts, learn about knife safety and first aid and perform a skit. I was able to go one day as a parent volunteer and see all the fun stuff they did. Their theme was Pirates of the Caribbean and all the crafts they made went along with this theme. Jake had a great time and he can't wait to go again next year.

Meeting Miss Lori

2009-07-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

We went to the Brookfield Zoo this morning and met Miss Lori who does Miss Lori's Campus on PBS. She did an hour long show of telling stories, singing songs and dancing with the kids. She even picked Jake to be a helper for a song. There was a tissue paper flower activity, stuffed fish and a free story book (for the first 200 people who came). The kids had lots of fun!

Elkhart County Fair

2009-07-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Every summer Jake goes to the county fair with his Grandma Gibson. This year was no exception. Olivia came also as did her cousins on the Gibson side. We spend the whole day there looking at animals, riding rides, eating yummy food and seeing the exhibits. Everyone had a great time and I'm sure it will continue to be an annual event for years to come! Thanks Grandma Gibson!

Going to Grandma's House

2009-07-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

We spent a week visiting Grandma and we had a great time visiting with in-laws and cousins. We went to the zoo, visited Amish country, hung out with friends, and played until we were so tired every night. We always enjoy visiting both sets of grand parents and we are so lucky that they live so close together so we can see them often.

Holiday Weekend

2009-07-08T11:30:00.001-07:00

Jay had Friday off so he took Jake to Six Flags Great America. Jake was able to ride most of the big rides like 'Superman: Ultimate Flight' and 'Batman the ride'. He said that these two and 'American Eagle' were his favorites. The weather was great, not too hot and the longest they waited in line was an hour but most of the lines took much less to get through. They were at the park from the time it opened until almost the time it closed and had a blast! Jake said it was the best day of his life this year! We also went to the Morton Arboretum were they have this exhibit of life-sized animal houses. You can prowl on the prairie, trek through the wetland or romp in the woodland to visit 11 different homes. Our family found this exhibit really fun and interesting. Overall, we had a great weekend!

Lego Mania!

2009-07-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, Jay and Jake went to this HUGE lego expo called Brickworld. This is not put on by lego themselves but collectors and fans. They waited a half hour to just get into the building to see the displays. Jay said there was so much to see it was hard to see it all. I stayed home with Olivia so the boys could have more fun. They spent all day there and had a blast! They can't wait to go again next year.

more swimming pictures

2009-06-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post the last of the swim pictures. During the last week of swim lessons, the weather was perfect! The kids loved going every morning and were sad when the lessons ended. Lucky for us, we have a pool right here in our apartment complex that we go to about every day.

more animals

2009-06-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

We went to Lake View Nature Center today for their Wild Wednesday program where they read stories and bring in an animal. Today was a lynx. There was an adult male and three babies. We got to pet one of the babies. They are pretty animals and the kids loved being up close to them.

Juggling Jake

2009-06-20T07:54:00.001-07:00

Last weekend our library had an ice cream social where they had a guy that did balloon animals and a juggling/ variety show. We got great seats to the show and he picked Jake to be his helper in one part of his juggling act. Jake had a lot of fun juggling the balls.

the stitches come out

2009-06-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

Jake went to the doctor today to get his stitches out. It took less then 5 minutes to get them out. Jake couldn't believe how fast a week went by since he got them. Although it went by fast, I don't think he's in any hurry to have them again!

swim lessons start

2009-06-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of swim lessons and the kids had a great time. I do the tot and parent program with Olivia at the same time Jake is in his lesson. Olivia and I get out 10 minutes before Jake's class so we were able to take some pictures of Jake. They can't wait to go again tomorrow!

Our banged up boy

2009-06-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

Our Jake is such a great sport even when the not so great happens to him. He was playing ninja warrior with his dad last evening, running and playing, having a great time. As he was running he ducked to miss an arch when he tripped on a step and he smashed his face into the steps. Jay thought a trip to the ER was in order. Jake did not break anything but needed to get 5 stitches on his nose and 4 stitches on his eyelid. After being at the hospital for 3 hours, getting shots and stitches, he was in a good mood when he got home, which amazed me. What a great kid!

White Sox

2009-06-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

We went to our first White Sox game this weekend. A friend of ours gave us free tickets and we couldn't pass them up. We got there about an hour and a half early so we could grab something to eat outside the stadium before the game started. We walked a few blocks to a classic Chicago dive to eat hot dogs, hamburgers and pork chop sandwiches. The kids were great and we got several comments on how great Olivia was behaving for being so uninterested in the game. It was a fun family adventure!

Pink Eye

2009-06-03T09:14:00.001-07:00

It all started while we were at church and I noticed Olivia's eye was turning pink. Great, I thought, this is going to be a fun week! I took her to the doctor on Monday morning and sure enough she had pink eye. She does not like me putting the drops in her eyes but she does fairly well if I bribe her with candy. Then this morning, I went in to wake Jake up for school and he had pink eye also! I put drops in his eyes and hopefully everything will be back to normal soon. I heard them talking in the bedroom so I went in there and they were playing legos together so well that I had to take this picture. School gets out in 4 days. I'm counting on them playing together this well during the summer!

2 toots

2009-06-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

There is a cute little diner down town that brings your food to you on a train. We decided to go there on Saturday after playing at the park. We were the first table as it came out of the kitchen loaded with the food. We all loved watching the train, liked the food and had a great time!

Memorial Day weekend

2009-05-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

We went to Indiana to visit both sets of grandparents and had lots of fun!

Legos

2009-05-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

We went up to Northbrook to check out the Lego Master Builder build a giant pirate. They had tables set up so the kids could help build the bricks that the Master Builder was using to make this pirate. After the bricks the kids had built were inspected, they got a certificate saying they helped at an official Lego building event. It was cool to see how Lego builds their giant models that are on display at their stores and at Lego land. Jake loved it!

Grandma's

2009-05-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

We went to grandma's house a few weekends ago and I wanted to post a few pictures of the fun times we had there.

Look who's in the Big Town

2009-05-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

We took the train downtown, saw a few sites, ate lunch and had fun at the Lego store.

Soccer Starts

2009-04-18T17:51:00.001-07:00

Today was Jake's first soccer game of the Spring season. The weather was fantastic and we were the first game of the day. We really like his coach so far and they had a great game!

Spring Musical

2009-04-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Jake had his school musical today. They did songs from Disney's Jungle Book. All the first graders were suppose to wear gray, big floppy ears and a tail to be elephants. I recorded the singing but it's far away and a guy with a bald head was in my way but the pictures I took up close looked really cute! Jake was meant to be an elephant!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T08:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Olivia!

2009-04-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today is Olivia's 2nd birthday. I can't believe that she's two already! She loves her monkey so much that we decided to have a Curious George themed birthday. We really didn't do anything super special. Jay and Jake still had school but we spent the afternoon and evening together eating cake, ice cream and pizza. Well, it's only been two years but they've been great years spent with you. We love you you little monkey!

Dress up

2009-03-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

I think that most kids like to dress up sometime in their childhood even if it's just in their mom or dad's shoes. Olivia has been into taking her clothes off and saying she's going to the beach. The other day she actually brought out a swim suit to put on. Then a few minutes later she came out with shorts on her head saying they were a hat. "Hey, whatever floats your boat", I said. I took a picture and let her play in her own little world. Jake was able to try on a firefighter outfit at scouts and thought it was pretty cool (not to mention heavy). I loved how he looked in it and I definitely could picture him doing something like that when he got older.

Roller-skating party

2009-03-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

I don't get that many opportunities to go roller-skating as an adult so when Jake's school was having a roller-skating party, I was there! We actually went last year (Jake's first time) and had a great time. He had gotten some roller-blades since then with some practice last summer and we thought this time he would spend more time on his feet. He did fall some but not as much as last year. He still said he had a great time and I'm sure we'll go again next year.

Pool party

2009-03-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

We were invited to a pool party a couple of weekends ago for scouts and we had lots of fun except for the part were I forgot my swim bottoms so I had to were my pants rolled up and Olivia's tantrum when it was time to go. She did not want to leave and she cried and cried when I took off her wet swimsuit.

Happy Birthday Jake!

2009-02-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Today is Jake's 7th birthday. He had a Star Wars themed birthday party where he invited five friends to celebrate with him. (One of his good friends even came from Indiana to visit for the occasion!) Of course, there was cake (with a picture of Boba Fett) and ice cream, games (that involved Jedi knight training and skills) and lots of loud, crazy, happy FUN!! It's hard to believe that our oldest is seven years old already. I looked through lots of his baby pictures today to remember all the great times we've had over the years and man, has it gone by fast! Jake is a great kid and lots of fun. He has made us better people and we thank God every day for him.

Monkey Love?

2009-02-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

This girl really loves her monkey! I, mean really, who doesn't? She plays with him during the day combing his fur and feeding him her milk. (The other day I picked him up and realized his fur was all crusty with dried milk and I gave him a bath so he would feel soft again). Then at night she throws her arm around him and cuddles him tight. Today was especially fun since she got a new monkey shirt. She did a lot of jumping (which she made me watch), carried him around, pushed him the the stroller and just love having a monkey on her front. Even though she loves her monkey, we love our "little monkey" more!

Too much snow

2009-01-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

The last month has brought too much snow as far as I'm concerned. The snow plows really have no other places left to put snow and the snow mounds are already REALLY tall as shown in these pictures. Jake has loved playing in it which makes one of us!

Hockey

2009-01-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

Jay and Jake went to a minor league hockey game with the scouts. They had a scout special that came with a ticket, hot dog, drink, patch and 3 shots on the ice with the team after the game. Not only did Jake make one of his shots (it was pretty far away) but he also caught a t-shirt that was thrown into the crowd during the game. He and Jay had a great time!

Sledding

2009-01-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

I really don't care for the cold weather but there are brief moments that I love the snow and sledding is one of them! Jake had a great time but Olivia didn't really want to slide down the hill. She was just happy standing at the top of the hill telling whoever went down to "come on" so they could do it again. We only stayed for about an hour or so before we were cold and ready for hot chocolate!

Christmas with family

2009-01-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

We were able to go to both sets of parents for the holidays. We had a lot of fun visiting brothers, sisters, grandmas, grandpas and cousins. Jake and Olivia loved opening presents on Christmas morning with grandma and papa Gibson. We got them matching jammies and they looked really cute! We baked cookies, played wii, played apples to apples, watched movies, ate and just had a nice relaxing time!

LegoLand

2008-12-19T17:49:00.000-08:00

Jason and Jake went to the Legoland Discovery Center today. School was cancelled because of snow so we thought Jake would like this place. I didn't actually go, I stayed home with Olivia. Jake told me all about the fun time he had looking at all the characters built out of Legos. They took a riding tour in a dragon car that showed Lego scenes. He also watched a 4 D castle movie where the Lego mini figures were the main characters. Jake had a great time and said he would go again if I wanted to see how fun it was. What a nice guy!

Family Pictures

2008-12-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

It's that time once again to get the family all together at the portrait studio and try to take a decent family picture. Olivia would not sit down or cooperate no matter what any of us said or did. She had her own mind set to what she wanted to do. Jake on the other hand would not stop getting his picture taken when it was time to go. He wanted to sit in front of the camera all evening. Considering the crazy time we had, we did manage to get a few that we liked.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T14:56:00.000-08:00

We went to grandma's house for Thanksgiving. The kids had fun hanging out with grandma and grandpa. We watched a couple of movies and relaxed most of the time. Jake also helped make the apple crisp that we had for dessert. Overall, it was calm and uneventful, just how we like it!

Timeless

2008-11-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

OK, I love this picture for three reasons. First, Olivia is just cute despite the bland look on her face. Second, only a little kid wants to put their gloves on while they're watching cartoons. She insisted and I couldn't resist. Third, I use to wear this great velure shirt when I was a kid. Hey, it's not every day you have a treasure like this that your mother saved for thirty some years and actually get to use it.

Weekend Home

2008-11-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

We went back home to visit family and friends this past weekend and had a pretty good time. Jake was able to get together with his uncle Adam and ride a horse named 'Nick' on Saturday afternoon. We hung out over at Jay's parent's house with his brother Ben and his wife Lindsey and his sister Leslie on Sat. night. It had been about 4 months since I'd seen my parents so we had lunch over there Sunday afternoon. It was great to see everyone and we shouldn't wait so long to do it again!

Downtown Halloween

2008-10-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

We went to the downtown area where they had their annual Halloween festivities. They had trick-or-treating, a petting zoo, live music, a costume parade, a costume contest, games and prizes. The kids loved dressing up and getting candy and we liked watching them have fun. It was a little windy but nothing to stop us from having our fun and doing all the activities. Jake was a black ninja and Olivia was a fairy princess compliments of grandma. Thanks!

Boo at the Zoo

2008-10-21T18:07:00.001-07:00

We have gone to Boo at the Brookfield Zoo since we have lived here. Jake loves going and Olivia loved going this year as well (now that she's old enough to enjoy it). They went through a hay maze, rode in a play car, saw pumpkin carving, made a scarecrow (which Jake said looked like Jay), saw the animals and of course, got a goodie bag on the way out. Can't wait to do it again next year!

Princess Olivia

2008-10-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

Olivia has been so much fun lately! She loves to put on these dress-up clothes that grandma gave her and parade around like a princess. She loves reading books and is always bringing them to us to read to her. She will sit for a long time listening to stories. She has also discovered the joy of watching Blue's Clues. If you mention Blue or Blue's Clues, she'll get a big smile on her face and run to the tv waiting for it to come on. We go for walks outside almost every day and she loves pointing out the birds and dogs that go by and saying their names. But most of all she loves it when dad and Jake come home from school and she'll run up to them and give them the biggest hugs!

First day of school

2008-10-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

Since we didn't have the internet when Jake started school, I didn't get to post his first day of school picture. He loves being in first grade. He's in the same class as his best buddy, he has gym everyday and his backpack is really similar to dad's backpack. School couldn't be better for him! He is reading and writing very well (thanks to all day kindergarten and lots of practice at home) and we're really proud of him!

Wisconsin Dells

2008-09-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

We decided that our family needed a little vacation to unwind and have fun so we went to the Dells. We stayed at the Kalahari resort where they claim to have the largest indoor water park and we weren't disappointed. There were fun things to do for every age group and we all had a blast! Jake is the perfect height to go on just about everything and many of them by himself. There were a few kiddie areas for Olivia to play and have fun where the water wasn't very deep. We spent two days in the water park and one night in a royal two room family suite (that they upgraded for us with no extra charge) and since the Dells are a three hour drive from us, we were pretty tired when we got home. We all had fun and we'd definitely go again!

no internet service

2008-09-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

So we haven't had internet service on our main computer since we've moved. We've only had it on Jay's laptop and my pictures are on our main computer. This is why I haven't blog for the last month but I'm tired of feeling like a slacker so here I am doing the best that I can. We've actually done some fun stuff and I'll start out with our trip to Warren Dunes state park in Michigan. We went near the end of August and we all had a great time. Olivia did much better then I thought she would. She loved sitting on the beach where the tide comes in, playing in the sand. Jake just loved swimming, especially under water. We all climbed the big sand dune (Jake actually ran up it) and enjoyed the view.

Fun filled days of summer

2008-08-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

School starts next week so I thought I would make a tribute to our fun filled days of summer. We have been able to do many fun and educational activities while Jason has been busy with school and the kids have enjoyed doing things instead of just sitting at home. Even though summer is coming to an end, Jake is REALLY excited to start first grade.

Lake View Nature Center

2008-08-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Today I took the kids to Lake View Nature Center. It's actually not that far from us and we usually ride our bikes there. Every Wednesday in the summer they have a program called "Wild Wednesday" where they have about 15 minutes of stories/ puppet plays about animals and then they have someone come in with a live animal the kids can see and sometimes pet. Today was a great one! This girl brought in a Wallaby (that Jake is petting) and a Kinkajou (that I'm holding). Most of you know that I'm not an animal person (although they are interesting to learn about) and I certainly don't go around touching animals but today for some reason I really wanted to hold this little guy. He was really soft and I really enjoyed holding him. We can't wait for next week when they are scheduled to have a tarantula!

Children's Museum

2008-08-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

We went to the children's museum today and had a great time! This is one of the places that Jake went on a field trip to when he was in kindergarten. Jake didn't want to leave after 4 hours but what do you do when the baby needs a nap? Olivia didn't really want to leave either but I can only put up with grouchy for so long before I turn into a grouch myself.

Back to Grandma's house

2008-07-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

We went back to grandma's house for a few more days. Jake went to the county fair with grandma and loved every minute of it! Jake also made ice cream (and ate it), had smores on the camp fire with uncle Adam and aunt Leslie, built a blanket fort in the family room with Leslie (and slept in it), went to the lake swimming, helped grandma put up the hammock and found and played with a toad. Olivia rocked in the rocker, played with the water hose, got into axle grease and rubbed it on her body and on her teeth, swam in the lake, pushed around a baby stroller and loved having grandma hold her. We always have a great time when we visit grandma!

Togetherness

2008-07-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

I just love it when my kids have tender moments. By tender moments, I mean no one is crying, screaming, pushing, kicking or taking toys away from each other and they are playing in a harmonious manner. Like this picture. They were playing so good together and sharing their toys. Times like this make me feel happy and content!

Vacation

2008-07-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

We had a great visit to grandparents in Indiana where Jake and Olivia played to their hearts content with their cousins. We went to the lake, rode 4-wheelers, made jam, got pedicures, played at the park, went to the zoo, ate out and just had a great time. Thanks grandma and grandpa!

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-07-15T12:14:00.001-07:00

Sharing

2008-06-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a good slushy from the local gas station, especially in the hot summer. Jake said he'd even share with Olivia because he's a nice big brother. (If only all big brothers could be so nice) She was so excited to get a sip every now and then.

End of the season

2008-06-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

Jake played his last soccer game of the season last Saturday. He enjoyed playing goalie (in the green jersey) and loved getting his metal. It was a good season but we are glad to have a break for the summer.

peeking out

2008-06-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

I'll try not to post too many bath pictures...but Olivia kept peeking out over the edge and laughing so I had to take a picture of her. She was cracking me up!

Lilac Festival

2008-05-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Every year the city of Lombard has the Lilac Festival. It revolves around a park that is filled with lilac bushes that a Col. William Plum donated to the city in 1927 in memory of his wife Helen. It is a gorgeous park filled with lilac bushes and tulips and we took the kids to see it at it's finest. We also went to the lilac parade. Jake had never been to one before and to our amusment, this one lasted two hours. He really enjoyed it!

Locks of Love

2008-05-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

I decided that I was tired of my hair so I chopped it off. I found that I was always putting my hair in a pony tail (even for church) and it was a pain to manage. I'm liking the the new hair so far (it's only been 2 hours) and hope it's easy and cool for the summer. Plus, who wouldn't help out little kids with cancer when all you had to do was cut off your hair.

Another treasure for the Tooth Fairy

2008-05-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

Jake finally lost his other front tooth that had been just barely hanging on. You can see the tips of his adult teeth in the holes where the other teeth came out. He loves sticking his tongue in there (who doesn't) and he still can whistle pretty loud. He sticks his tooth in the turtle's shell and puts it under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy to find. Who doesn't like a little money for something you were going to get rid of anyways!?

Scout-O-Rama

2008-05-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Cantingy park where there was a scout-o-rama going on. We had a blast doing all the different activities. Jake's favorite was the giant ball and Olivia just liked picking up sticks and eating dirt.

Boy loses tooth

2008-05-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

Jake lost his front tooth last Friday after school. It has been very loose for about a week and I kept telling him that I was going to sneak in his room when he was sleeping to help him out. He didn't like that idea. I guess he didn't need help from me after all.

Love is the Reason

2008-05-02T08:49:00.001-07:00

Here's a short video we made, and it's all about us...just the two of us, that is.

Helping at school

2008-05-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

I got to go help out at Jake's school on Tuesday where we were doing math stations. It just so happened to be stuffed animal day and he insisted that I take a stuffed animal with me. Of course, he wanted me to take one of his so that he could have two to hold while I was there.

2008-04-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

Every time I see this picture it cracks me up! Who would have thought that I would have a kid that looks this crazy!!?

Soccer starts again

2008-04-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Jake started his soccer season with 20 mph winds and 40 degree temp. We were all bundled up and still freezing. Jake did score one of the eight goals the team made. (Jake is the kid with the white jersey and brown sweatshirt underneath).

Ben and Lindsey come to visit

2008-04-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Jay's brother Ben and his wife Lindsey came for a weekend visit. As you can see, they had the time of their lives! We did make it out to the Brookfield zoo for some form of entertainment. Mostly we just hung out and enjoyed each other's company.

Spring Break

2008-04-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

We went to grandma's house for the week and the kids had a great time! Jake's adventures included the rope swing in the woods behind the grandma's house and riding the 4 wheeler with his cousin Eden. We also celebrated Olivia's first birthday. Although she liked playing with the cake, she never really ate any of it.