Happy 3rd Birthday!

It's the birthday girl!!! The big 3.

Silly Thanksgiving kids

Silly Thanksgiving Kids!


Girls day in Chicago! First we took the train from Crystal Lake to Chicago. We went to State Street and saw the Christmas windows at Macy's (formly Marshall Field's) then we went over to Navy Pier to the Children's Museum. She had a great day - no nap! On the train when we got to Fox River Grove (2 stops from ours) she fell asleep. I had to carry her to the last spot at the train station - it seemed like the longest two blocks in the world.

Seanie went with his friends by himself for the first time. Megan was bloody Mary and Mason was a clown.
This is too scary...is this Alex or Jim?
The little devil herself!

Happy Halloween 2009

Emilee was going to be a ballerina, but it was tooo stinking cold so we found Sean's old Devil cosutme and it was toasty warm! She was an angel last year and devil this year ...very appropriate.
Seanie with all his loot. This was only one of 2 bags. He sorts his candy every year ... has every since the first time trick or treating!

Tractor driver Emilee

Pumpkin patch Kids
Seanie the photographer - Emilee says no more.
Dance to the music - tap, ballet & tumbling

Emilee, Baby Shelby & Nikki
Emilee & Jakie in the baby pool
Mia, Sean & Devin having ice cream. You can set your clock by ice cream time of 9pm in this household everynite! What a favorite tradition to remember.
Jakie pulling Emilee in the wagon designed for dolls or teddy bears. She is the only one small enough to fit in it.

Emilee was deathly scared of Grandpa Smoke's big truck. She did not even want to sit inside...she must have been switched at birth and is not my daughter. Emilee and Jake played Candy Land together...it was funny to watch a 3 yr old and 2 yr old play. Baby Shelby and Emilee were the same size! Shelby is 10 mos and weighs 20.5 lbs - Emilee is 2.5 yrs and weighs 22 lbs. We went to FL without any Binkies, but we came home with 2 (little thief). Emilee got some new cool sunglasses and mom got bit by a Fire Ant at the rest stop without even going in the grass or leaving the parking lot.

Emilee loved the Kitties and Molly the "puppy". She couldn't get enough of the pets while we were in Florida. She loved swimming in the kiddie pool and hanging with "mimi & devin".

The Heat Index was 106 degrees on June 23 - so we headed to the neighbors pool party. It was fun!

Sheila and her kids came to visit for the day! Alex took the twins out in the Kayak and they tipped it. It was a great day!

So you live an hour from the City of Chicago and never really know what you are missing. I traveled to the City everyday by train for 5 years and its amazing all the stuff you see and do in that time period but mostly is the things you miss...

Emilee's first train ride! We missed the train in Fox Lake by literally 2 seconds. So we ran to the car and drove to Crystal Lake to catch the next train. When we arrived at the station we walked to Michigan Ave. On the way we had to stop for lunch - Alex's pick - Panda Express - yuck! Our destination was the Shedd aquarium for the opening of the new Oceanarium. It is free all week dont ya know? Well we did and about a million other people. When we got there at about noon the line was out the door and down the museum campus all the way to Soldier Field. If you are familiar with that area of Chicago - that is a ton of people. The tour guide stated the wait was 3.5 hours. We took a democratic family vote and decided against waiting. We tried the field museum and that too was a huge wait. So we walked along the lake front - it was a beautiful day - not too hot, not too breezy and not too cold. We played in Grant Park and watched them set up for the taste of Chicago and we played at the Bean and at the giant water features. It was a great family day for us! Sean liked it so much he recommended we do one a month. Mom plays hookey from work and Alex and Andrew hang out. So Mom suggested we all pick a destination/activity for a month so Andrew has July...where will we go?