Friday, September 23, 2011

Cub Scouts





Alex recently signed up to be a Cub Scout and since he's in first grade, that means he is a Tiger Cub. His friend, Brendan, also signed up so they can buddy up at events and such. Last night was the first Pack Night, which they have monthly, and Alex was amazed at all the badges older boys had already earned. We are hoping he maintains enthusiasm for this and think it is a good way to make friends, learn new skills, and build self-esteem.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Weeping Willows




Abby started "baby preschool" today, which is formally called Weeping Willows class through the park district. The class is all 2-3 year olds who are potty training so I have nothing but the utmost respect for these fabulous ladies! Abby threw her backpack in her cubby and ran right into the classroom this afternoon, all smiles. She was thrilled to show me her stamp at the end of the two hours and tell me all about her time at "baby preschool". Her favorite part was learning the Itsy Bitsy Spider song and we have been singing it ever since!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Trip to Napa, CA

Atop Sterling Vineyards after the gondola ride, beautiful views!
How can you NOT like traveling with this wild and crazy couple?


Muir Woods National Monument






When Dave and Becca Talley, our former neighbors in Houston and dear friends, invited us to Napa, CA for their 15th wedding anniversary, we jumped at the opportunity. This was their 3rd third trip to the region which meant they already knew their way around and where all the great wineries and restaurants were. What a great way to travel!






We rented a beautiful house together in Napa and enjoyed being able to eat breakfast at home and grill out if we liked. We stayed up late playing cards and haven't laughed that hard in a really long time! The first day we spent touring wineries in Napa, enjoyed lunch at Taylor's Refresher, and celebrated our anniversaries at Michael Chiarello's restaurant, Bottega. Taking the gondola ride up the mountain side to taste at Sterling Vineyards was memorable to say the least!






The second day we toured wineries in Sonoma, CA, lunched at Basque, and grilled on the patio at home. The third day we ventured out to Muir Woods National Monument to hike through the tall Redwood trees. It was beautiful, like everything we visited, and the views from the winding mountain road we took to get there were spectacular! I kept my motion sickness under control, much to the appreciation of all in the car. We flew in and out of San Francisco so it was a pretty drive between the two cities on the way home Saturday morning versus the extreme fog when we landed Tuesday night!



Many thanks to Grandma Eileen, Aunt Nicci and Uncle Andrew for traveling to Illinois and holding down the fort in our absence!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Where Is Abby??

When Abby gets out of the tub she likes to play the "where did Abby go?" game! It is just about adorable as they go through all the places they've been all day where she could possibly still be.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Quiet House

The routine of going to school is good for everyone, but boy is this a quiet house while he is gone! Abby can't wait to get "Aquiss" off the bus each afternoon!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Playing Babies

Abby has started playing with her babies more and is a good little Mommy!

Fall Weather

Who doesn't love playing at the park on a brisk 60 degree September morning?

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Too Soon?