The Tables Turn

Parker was having a great time playing at the park and yelling "Hey! Look at me - Parker!"  Then he was running around saying "Run, run, run.  Go, Parker, Go!"  It was all fun and games.  Then he was driving the play firetruck and this is what he said to me.

Parker - Mommy. Over there.
Me- What?
Parker - Mommy.  Over there!
Me - No hunny, I'm going to stay here in the shade.
Parker - Mommy.  Wanna spank? 1-2-3. Get a spank.

He walks down the steps and hits me on the butt, and I start laughing out loud.

I took it as a compliment to our consistent discipline ;)

Our "Neighbors"

Dan and Katey Haskell have been great friends of ours for about five years now.  Dan and Ryan actually met in college, although they didn't go to the same school.  They have traveled the world together and have grown a lot in their relationship with God along the way.  Kate and I met at her wedding and became fast friends shortly after.  She is a super encouraging friend and I can always count on her for a good laugh...and a great nutella frappuccino!  It's kind of funny how different we are, but for some reason we work really well together.  She encourages me in my walk with the Lord, to be a better wife, mom and friend, and to shop at TJMaxx ;)  Oh, and Josiah and Parker are bff's so, that's a major plus.

We do a lot with the Haskells.  I mean, they are practically our  neighbors now that we live in Wheaton.  (20 minutes is considered neighbors right?)  Here are some highlights.

They came up to the Arlington Heights Fest and the kids got to ride some carnival rides for the first time.  I can't believe I'm to the point in my life where I used my free ride passes on the Merry-Go-Round instead of the Inverter.  

It's so funny how watching your kids have fun is even more enjoyable than doing something for yourself.

They rode the merry-go-round once and the fun slide once.

And the car ride at least 10 times.

 Then we went to Ryan's firehouse.

As if that wasn't enough fun for one day, we ate at PeiWei AND got Menchie's Frozen Yogurt after.  Wow.

A few days ago, Kate and I took the boys to a splashpad.  Josiah jumped right in.  Parker found the train and a steering wheel so I had to peel him off and run him through the sprinklers to get him to play in the water.  After that, they would just go back and forth between the water and the train every few minutes and it was a good time had by all.

Friday night was double-date night.  We went to Top Golf in Wood Dale.  It's a 3-tier driving range with live music.  We have always wanted to go and none of us ever have, so we decided to meet there at 8.  Apparently it's a pretty popular because it was a three hour wait!  We played bags, ate cheese fries and killed time until 11, when we finally got to golf off the third floor.  It was pretty sweet.

Great form

Good form    

Needs some work, Kate ;)

Can't wait to go to the USANA National conference in a few weeks with these guys!  Love ya!

Potty Training Games

I have been reading a lot lately.  I finished reading the Hunger Games Trilogy and then I went right in to How To Potty Train in 3 Days.  So, after much research I said...."Let the potty training games begin!  And may the odds be ever in my favor."  It's been almost two weeks now and I think it's safe to say they were.  Parker is doing so great and we couldn't be more proud!  He took to it right away.  I think it's because he likes the "special treats" so much.  Ryan picked out peanut butter M&M's for him.  The best part is that after he goes on the potty, he picks out a special treat, and then gives one to Ryan and I, and whoever else is over.  Yummm.

I think I will take this opportunity to update on the other things that Parker is doing lately.  Ryan and I feel like he has grown up so much this summer.  He still loves to drive everything, play with tractors and read books, but he is so much more advanced.  He uses his imagination to tell us where he is driving and he has Farmer and his animals take turns driving the tractors. He will say, "Mommy, Farmer drive the tractor.  Farmer, wanna drive the tractor?  Ok." And then he'll walk him up to the driver's seat.  So cute.  He can recite almost all of the lego fireman book, and he loves singing the ABC's, although he only sings about 3/4 of the letters.  Often times in the back seat he will say, "Mommy, I sing the ABC's Mommy."  "Daddy, you sing the ABC's Daddy."   He likes to say your name at the beginning and end of every sentence.  He also likes to introduce us to people.  He went up to some guy at the pool and said, "That's a mommy.  That's a daddy over there."  Then the guy asked his name and he told him!  I guess we'll have to start reading and memorizing Don't Talk to Strangers.  At the end of everyday, we sing songs together.  We always sing Rat-a-tat-tat.  He likes to pick out the animals and we do the sounds.  Then he sings "two by two."  And the thing that melts our hearts the most is when he says "I love you soooooooo much."

Helping "Nama" practice before church.  How sweet is that?

You are such a blessing to us, Parker, and we love you more than you know!  You have brought so much joy into our lives and we are beyond thankful that God entrusted you to us.  

Family Farm Fun Day

We have been begging Dave and Joei to come out to my parents with us for about two years now, and they finally decided to take our relationship to the next level and come out for a visit!  It was such a great day.  The boys rode horses, fixed the canoe, climbed the grainleg and went fishing...

while Joei, myself and the kids played, laid out, sat on the "veranda" (as Joei likes to call it.  It's a wrap-around porch), and found old windows from my parent's barn that we fell in love with.  We all went swimming together 

and Parker showed Ella all of the fun things to drive... like the new combines!

We ate Oreo's at Great Grandma's house and sat on the porch talking while watching the fireflies.  It was pretty much the best day ever.

Miracle Baby, Levi

Brittany Tollberg has been a friend of mine since middle school, and she is part of my BFF "Home Edish" group.  Her husband, Andrew and Ryan have become good friends over the years, and there was a while there when we were hanging out with them every week because they lived so close.  Anyone who knows Brittany, knows that she has always wanted to be a mom, and now she is!  She had a normal pregnancy, and awesome labor, but suddenly things went downhill when Levi was born.  He wasn't breathing when he came out and was rushed to a hospital in Madison where he spent the next 40-some days of his life.  After several tests, ultrasounds, x-rays, scans, and surgeries, Levi is home and is doing really well!  The fact that he is healing and developing so well, even though they still have no idea what happened, is nothing short of miracle.  We went to visit them a little over a week ago.  It was so great getting to see Brittany and Andrew back in their own home, and telling how God was in control the entire time.  Levi is SO adorable!  He is doing everything he should be doing at two months old and seems to be thriving in his new environment.  It was very encouraging to spend the evening with them and see how God has strengthened them and so many others through such a rough time. 

Fourth of July

This year, we went boating with my sister and her family for the 4th.  It was over 100 degrees by 10:00, but we lasted on the river until 3.  Parker loved riding the boat. 

And driving it, too.

We stopped frequently at sand bars so we could swim around and stay cool. 

 Ryan did some wake boarding, the adults knee boarded, and we all rode the tube.  Even Parker!  He rode with Ryan and Alaina, and we were going really slow, but he enjoyed it. 

Later that night, we went to see fireworks in Byron.  Parker kept saying "I see fyewoks up in the sky."  And after the first one went off he said, "All done fyewoks.  Time go bye-bye." He enjoyed sitting on Papa's lap through most of it.  I love the fourth!

Michigan Wedding

On July 1st, Ryan and I rode up to Benton Harbor, MI with Joei and David to go to our friend Kyle's wedding.  It was held at the Blue Dress Barn. 

It was by far the THE CUTEST wedding I've ever been to.  Every single detail was well thought out and the barn setting was really pretty.  We had a great time hanging out with David and Joei, and we also got some inspiration for some cute decorations in our houses. AKA - Mason jar mugs with a small strip of chalk paint, table runners, log centerpieces, and different things you can do with an old lattice window.  Ryan and I also said that we should have a 25th wedding anniversary party in my parent's barn.  We pinky swore on it, so, we'll discuss it again in about 20 years ;)

 

 

The bride and groom left around 8:30, so we did too, but we didn't head straight home.  We set out to find some dunes!  It was the PERFECT summer night - full moon, hot air, and not a cloud in the sky.  We pulled into a neighborhood and found a walkway to a public beach.  Once we got down to the water, we walked for probably a mile.  Then we found some dunes, so of course we had to run up them (which took several minutes) and leap down them (which takes 2 seconds).  Running down dunes is one of my most favorite things to do, so it was perfect ending to a great day.  The boys took a dip in the lake, but it was a bit too chilly for Joei and I :).   

Moving again?

Yes, it's true.  We've moved again.  We really thought this was the year to buy a house, but after much prayer and searching for the right place, we were feeling like God was telling us to be patient.  We have no idea where we want to live, and the last thing we want to do is settle on a place just because "it's the time to buy."  We ended up finding a condo to rent in Wheaton. 

The packing process always stinks, and I was worried that Parker was going to feel uneasy when he watched us packed his things up, but Ryan had a genius idea.  He gave Parker a marker (that rhymes) and let him "label" the boxes just like Daddy.  Amazingly enough, he kept the marker on the boxes only, and it kept him busy for quite a while!

Then we set up a little tv-watching station for him.  Looks pretty comfy right?

We've lived in Wheaton a few weeks now and love it.  It has new wood floors and a new kitchen, it's two stories, and it's in a very great neighborhood in Wheaton.  I think it's safe to say that we will stay here until we buy a house.  We are also renting it for about $400 cheaper than anything else in Wheaton.  God always provides, doesn't he?!

My brother-in-law, Karl gave me an Illini Gnome as a house-warming gift.  Parker calls him "Noah," because he has a big white beard, and likes to give him lots of rides in his blue truck.

 And my sister-in-law, Malinda, got Parker and easel.  He loves coloring with the chalk, especially when Daddy is drawing with him. 

Shedd Aquarium

This week has been a fun one, too.  We relaxed at home during most of Monday, until we realized we are moving this weekend and should probably start packing.  We got a good start that night.  Tuesday I had Bible Study and we went to the Haskells for the afternoon.

Wednesday was Shedd Aquarium day!  This is one of things I was really excited about for the summer.  Parker has been really in to dolphins lately, so I was anxious to see what he would do when he saw a real one.  It just so happened that Dave and Joei weren't busy that day, so they came with.  We all packed in to one car - the guys talking fire in the front, the kids watching Little Einsteins in the middle, and Joei and I eating Oreos and laughing in the back =)

The place was packed since it was free general admission week, but it was still a good day.  Ryan, Parker and I went to the aquatic show.  Parker enjoyed seeing the dolphins and he clapped through most of the 20 minute show.  Then we went around to see the other animals.  He liked the penguins and the turtles a lot, too.

Waiting in line for an hour when it's 100 degrees...great fun.

Sum Sum Summa Time

I love summer.  I always have.  What's not to love about not working, laying out, and going swimming at your family pool with your cousins everyday?  My summers look a little different now than they did ten years ago, but I love them just as much.  The first Monday that I was done with school, I went and bought myself a 18 month planner...starting in August of 2011.  (I got it for 50 cents since 12 of the months have already passed ;)  Then I wrote a list of all the fun things I'd like to do and found dates for most of them.  So far so good!

Week 1
Ryan was in class in Glenview all week, so I filled our days up to make the week go faster.

-Tuesday -We played with Audra, Grace, Abby and Christian.  Parker especially likes to drive their barbie jeep.  He doesn't care that it's hot pink.  He's just happy to "drive to Papa's house."  That's where he says he's going almost everytime he's behind a wheel.

- Wednesday - We went down to my good friend Angie's in the morning for donuts and coffee, and then headed to the pool for a few hours.  It was a perfect summer day and a bunch of my bff's were there with their kids.  Parker totally loved splashing in the kiddie pool and going down the slide.  I also got a pretty solid start to my tan!

- Thursday -We played with some cool toys from the DuPage County Children's Museum that they brought to the library.  Then we sat and read some books.  Who knew going to the library could be so much fun?

- Friday - We went back to Phillips Park with Lesley and Levi McCord.  Parker could hardly wait to show Levi the big fake elephant.  We went through the zoo, played at the park, ate a picnic lunch and then played in the splashpad.  Levi had a blast in the water.  Parker was a bit hesitant.  Then he found a little tractor sitting in the middle (that apparently belonged to no one) and played with it on the side.  He would find a tractor at a splashpad...  The Haskells came over that night for supper and lemon shake-ups.

- Saturday - Ryan was on shift, so we went home for good old, German Valley Days.  If you'v never been, I will just tell you that German Valley has a lot of pride, and they put on a pretty decent festival for a town of 400.  Parker loved watching the firetrucks and tractors in the parade.  He did not, however, like the people that were dressed as dogs.  He was crying hysterrically when they walked by. After that, we went swimming with a bunch of my family at our pool and ate a stack of Oreo's at Grandma's house.  Finally, we headed back for the delicious pork-chop dinner.

Week 2
Ryan had class all week again.

- Monday - We brought supper to Mike and Deb's new house and helped them move in.  Their place is so cute!  I can't wait to hang out there all the time.

- Tuesday - I went to my first mom's Bible study at church in the morning.  I'm very happy to be in a mom's group for the next couple of weeks, and there's free childcare!  Parker loves playing in the church nursery, so it is a win-win.  We headed to Joei's after naptime.  Parker and Ella had a great time playing while Joei and I chatted.  We spent the night there since Ryan and David were both on shift, and played the next morning, too.

- Wednesday - We met up with my friend, Katie Drach, and her friend Michelle in downtown Naperville.  Ryan got out of his class early, so he was able to meet us too.  We got Red Mango and walked to the park.  Parker is getting so brave now - climbing ladders, going down slides, and running all over the place while we watch from a distance.  I love watching him have so much fun and interacting with other kids.  He usually finds some cute little girl to chase ;)

- Thursday - We needed a day to chill at home, and that's just what we did.  I put a bunch of containers of water out on the deck to see what he's do with them.  Who needs a pool when you have a bucket?

- Friday - We went to Centennial Beach in Naperville in the afternoon because Ryan got home really early.  It's a big beach that turns into a pool that is built out of a quarry.  It's pretty cool.  Parker walked right into the water with no hesitation, and wanted the water to be right up to his chin the whole time.  Then we put a life jacket on him and took him into some deeper water where we tossed him around and splashed in the water.  It was such great time as a family after two weeks of not seeing much of Ryan.  After the beach, we went to Cici's Pizza.  It was Parker's first buffet, and we were kind of grossed out by the time we left (as I usually am when I leave a buffet place).  He had his own plate, some bites of ours, and dessert.  He slept reeeealllly good that night.
- Saturday and Sunday - Parker and I went to Byron Friday night because Ryan was working a 48 over the weekend.  We spent Saturday with Nat's family and my parents, and then went to the Glendennings for a Father's Day cookout the next day.  As always, we had a great time with family.