Thanksgiving 2017

Thanksgiving weekend was really nice.  Unfortunately, Emil was still in the hospital from his back surgery, suffering some awful recovery set backs.  We visited him in the morning on Thanksgiving before heading up to Wisconsin for our traditional bowling and gluttony combo.  We enjoyed a great day after Thanksgiving (the first time in 10 years I haven't had to take a vacation day to have it off!  Woo hoo for Abbott!!) with Mom and Dad and saw the animated movie Coco with the Mackus crew. Saturday we got our Christmas tree and spent a fun couple days decorating it and enjoying some just-us time.  

My little turkeys

Melissa about to get a strike

the peanut gallery

Mom and me - thankful to be there with her!

Dinner at second-cousin Jan Casper's house

Bryson holding down the kid fort in the all seasons room

Sleeping in the same bed at G&G's house.  They're so sweet when they're asleep.

Breakfast out!

Grandma & Grandpa picked this restaurant out special because of the fun pancake options she knew the kids would enjoy

At the park - shielding each other from the chilly winds

Top of the hill

Dog park hike

Helping G&G put up their Christmas tree

Making Christmas cookies with Grandma

Snuggling with Dad during a movie

At Uncle Dan's after the movie

Reading stories with Grandma.

Back at home - making banana/raspberry creations

The banana slice stack is always fun

A little game we like to call "roll the half rotten pumpkin to your sibling"

Picking out the best tree ever and best wreath ever from the Knights of Columbus.  We know Emil will be back there helping us in the lot next year!  

Claire still really enjoys all of her ornaments.  It is in her DNA.

Luke's Polar Express train set from Santa last year was put away with the Christmas decorations so he was so excited to get to play with it when we took it out this year.

Luke's year to put the super special angel on top of the tree.  This is the angel that was my father's when he was a child, then on my tree as a child, and now on my children's tree.  You know I'm all about TRADITION!!!

Really fun last minute decision to eat at an awesome sushi restaurant with the kids.  Matt ordered a lot of fish!

Selfies with the phone

Matt is still the designated hair brusher every day.

Our tree looks so beautiful.  Love love love this time of year.

Waking up on Sunday to our awesome tree with the sun streaming in was quite a delight.

The kids and Matt thought up very creative Magnatile houses that the train gets to break through.

Christmas cookie time at our house, too!

Silly face!

Quiet Weekend

This week back in November was pretty low key.  Just fun with friends and settling into the cold / Fall season.  Emil had his long anticipated back surgery, too, and it went well.  Now just the recovery period to get through.

In the rush of the mornings where I'm getting ready for work, Luke is getting ready for school and Matt is getting Luke breakfast and making his lunch that Claire is the only one who is able to just chill out (her preschool doesn't start until 12:30).  Sometimes she just chooses to snuggle herself up on the bench!

Luke forgot to do his homework one night so was quickly doing it in the morning before school.

Madhouse playtime in the basement with the slack line up and the bounce house that no longer holds air very well.

Friday night I went to yoga at the top of the Sears tower with some girlfriends, so Matt & Steve and the kids did make-your-own-pizza and movie night at our house.

Movie time

Yoga at the top of the Willis (Sears) Tower was fun, but the cloud cover meant there were no views to enjoy

Skydeck was kinda creepy!

Matt and I watched an episode of "Shameless" in the hot tub.  We're shamelessly spoiled!

Craft time with the kiddos.  Luke checked out a book of Fall crafts from the library and so we did one of them.  We collected leaves and then applied them with wax to candles.  

Finished works of art

Apple pie making on Sunday, yum yum.  Finally using the giant bag of apples I bought when I was with Mom in WI a few weeks ago.

The patient

Pulling the kids around the house

Anteater game still a crowd pleaser

Purdue Reunion

This November weekend we had grand plans with our Purdue college friends and their families to attend the Purdue/Northwestern football game in Evanston.  We had three friends and their families come up from Indiana and the Western suburbs to go to the game after a fun day at our house, then stay overnight.  Unfortunately the combination of the game becoming a night game (boo for all the young kids we planned to take) AND it being unseasonably cold and wet that night meant there was a smidge of a change in plans.  The guys went to the game and the girls and kids stayed back.  We had a blast, though, and so did the guys.

The Brinker's and their three girls came up from Fort Wayne

Claire, Samantha and Elizabeth

Addie and Luke coloring together

Trevor and Olivia Bullock join the part-ay

My girls!  Nicki, Hannah and Katie

Mike is so cute with his three girls

Braving the cold - Mike, Andy, Matt, Eric

Hot tub night with the Bullocks and Freemans

Cub Scouts Raingutter Regatta 

Grandma Della Visit and Supper Club Dinner

This first weekend in November was fun because we got to spend the day with Grandma Della in WI.  For her birthday the past few years we have gifted her with our presence:)  She says she prefers that over some "thing" we may find for her.  Anyway, we come up and spend the day with her and take her to dinner.  After the afternoon visiting with her at her house, we invited my parents to join us for dinner to visit with them, too.  It was nice to see them, and they kept the children distracted at dinner so I could get some good quality time talking to Grandma.  I learn so many fascinating things about this wonderful lady every time I have the chance to talk to her.  Since I'm writing this in the beginning of February, 2018, I already know now that Grandma has just been diagnosed with Stage IV cancer.  Obviously this is incredibly difficult news to absorb and come to terms with.  More on this once I get to the mid-January posts!  For now, we are grateful that so far she is not in pain and we still have some more time with her.  This evening back in November was a lovely memory, not only from the great company, but because the supper club was so great.  I love a Wisconsin Supper Club, and not just for their amazing Old Fashioned's!

Eloise Hartman art birthday party.

Supper club fun!

XOXOXOXO

Soccer on Sunday, the ritual of helping put on the giant socks over the shin guards

Bowling in the basement

Daddy did Claire's bun for ballet after watching a video on You Tube on how to do it

ice cream with Dad

Movies in the hot tub