Road Trip to TN!

Our friends Brian and Erica were getting married in Gatlinburg, TN on November 3rd, so we decided to make a road trip out of it.  We borrowed the big van from Matt's parents and loaded in with Andy and Nicki Bullock to make the 10 hour drive south.  The Smoky Mountains were gorgeous.  We really enjoyed both our trip out and the time we spent there.  The venue was amazing - we all stayed in log cabins in the mountains, with fantastic views.  Our cabin was so huge that it had all of Matt's college friends staying in it (known as the Wolfpack).  People came from far and wide, so it was a fun reunion.  We got to experience some beautiful sights in Great Smoky Mountain National Park and of course enjoyed Brian and Erica's wedding intimate and beautiful wedding.  Thanks to Donna and Emil for watching Luke and Spumoni!

Brian and Erica at the rehearsal dinner

There were wrap around porches on every cabin with superb mountain views.

Three of the four roommates from college - Matt, Eric & Mark.  Justin, the 4th roommate, just had a baby girl in CA so couldn't make the trip.

Katie Brinker and Nicki Bullock

View from the back porch

Front of our cabin

Road trip to the National Park - Nicki, Lisa, Mark, Matt, Katie

Matt, Phil, Mike, Mark

Wedding ceremony.  It was a warm, sunny day - they lucked out!

Our group's cabin from the back.  It was three floors!

Walking into the reception.

Al fresco dining with mountain views, so awesome!

Ken and Adam

The reception was in Brian & Erica's cabin.  Game room up in the loft.

View of the rest of the party from the loft.

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail - a "must see" according to TripAdvisor! 

The tour is about an hour - but the "roaring fork" is the best part of the drive.

Settler homes to walk through - how crazy would it be to raise 10 kids in that  little house?

Water Mill remnants

Halloween

This year Luke was really into trick or treating.  It was adorable.  We weren't sure what to expect, but after the girl at the first house gave him some candy for his bucket, he got the idea!  He would say "next house!" and point to where he would want to go.  A few times he would point home and say "home - eat candy!"  but then we would suggest another house and he would like that idea better.  We tried to get him to say the appropriate things at each house.  Technically, he did it, but just not at the right time.  He would whisper "trick or treat" when walking up to the door, but then was extremely shy once the door actually opened and would say nothing.  Then when the door closed he would say "tank you".  Ha!  The cold evening required us to switch from the traditional silk Chinese outfit that we had planned for him to wear to the warmer firefighter costume (thanks Drew Conklin for lending the raincoat and boots!).  

We allowed him a piece of candy and he was hooked! "It tastes so good when it hits your lips!"  He woke up the next two mornings asking for more candy - uh oh - candy monster! 

Bapa's (translation: Grandpa's) Birthday

Grandpa Emil's birthday was Sunday, happy birthday!  

Some pictures from the past week are below.  Not much new news to report other than Luke's talking explosion.  He repeats almost everything we say now, and is getting slightly better at pronunciation.  He also is starting to have verbal manners.  When we give him something he says "Tank you" and when accidentally hitting me with his toy today he said "sowwy Momma".  He also tells us "I love you", which really warms the ole heart.  

Dinner with Grandma & Grandpa on Monday night

Halloween costume day at music class.

Indian Summer - a gorgeous warm night we enjoyed outside.

hard to ride the big wheel on the grass...

Luke wanted all of us to wear helmets

Visit to the Botanic Garden on Saturday

Last weekend that the train garden is open until May.  It was spookified, see the cobwebs?

Luke's hat matched the volunteer train masters, this volunteer was showing Luke the different train cars.

Nice sunny day, even if it was only 45 degrees.

Isolene made this car out of a diaper box, then Matt turned the box inside out and into a fire truck so that Luke could  color on it.  Luke loves his fire truck

Vroom vroom!

Matt carving his pumpkin, an Elmo holding a pumpkin!

Visiting G&G B for Grandpa's bd.  Had to wear his overalls and sit on his tractor to be like Grandpa.

Walking in downtown Downers Grove after breakfast to see the Halloween theme painted store windows.  Ben and Matt used to paint windows when they were kids.  

Luke has started to learn how to "fake smile" when asked to smile for the camera - a turning point in a child's life I think:)

birthday present - tractor made out of spare parts

We went out to the Lake Forest Beach tonight to see the 15 ft waves, a result of Hurricane Sandy that impacted the East Coast so much over the last 24 hours.

Out for sushi after our beach visit.  Luke likes miso soup and sushi, but I think mostly likes the chopsticks.  

Pumpkin Mania

The past two weekends we have been in town and partaking in all the Fall activities around our home.  Fall is my favorite time of year, so I for one really enjoyed soaking it all in, and we all loved so much family time.  

Luke is pretty much the cutest little boy of all time lately.  All of this talking is awesome.  He is starting to point out everything he sees, like "moon!" and "airplane!", and things he would like to see, like"apple bread" (he helped me make some yummy apple bread yesterday), "more spin" (this one is his new fave, I get dizzy after spinning him only once though!), "mama read" (he is choosing more books these days before bath time instead of iPad time, it is astounding!).  A funny thing he's doing these days is that he is getting "me" and "you" mixed up.  Luke when he wants something he'll say "Cheese! You!" and then pat his own chest to further emphasize that he wants it.  Very confusing because it is already hard to understand what he's saying because his pronunciation is at the early stages, then you have to interpret it too.  It IS kind of a hard concept to explain, we're like "No, Luke, you're "me" and I'm "you."  What?  Part of all the fun of this new stage:)  He also is getting so smart and remembers so much.  Last night Donna was over (Emil is visiting Uncle George in Washington DC), and so she gave him a bath and put him to bed before heading home.  This morning when I got Luke up the first thing he said is "Gram?" and ran into the guest room to see if she was in there.  Super cute!

Our little pumpkin in the pumpkin pile - Isolene took him to the Botanic Gardens

Highlights from two weekends ago...

At the dog park with Grandpa and Gram last weekend.

New dog beach and the dog park - Spumoni loved it

Trying to get back to the car before the rain storm hit.  We made it!

painting a little pumpkin, although he had a brush, it was more like finger painting

Carving his first pumpkin!  Getting all the innards out.

Luke loves to take the top on and off and fit the shape of it back on AND peek into the  inside of the pumpkin.

Hello?!  How is that lighting up?  

And now this past weekend's highlights.....

Donna, Matt, Luke and I hit the Highwood Pumpkin Festival.  Anyone who goes carves a pumpkin and their goal was to have 32,000 pumpkins!  It was simply amazing.  HGTV was even there to feature the festival on one of their shows.

Luke is really into fire trucks these days.  He loved the fire truck and the free plastic fire hat from the local firefighters.

Sun setting on the Pumpkin Fest, time to get Chinese food with Gram!

Mom and Dad came for breakfast and a visit this morning on their way to Chicago to see a show.  Mom read books to Lukers with great enthusiasm!

We went for a little spin on the boat.  Cool hand Luke.

Matt cruisin'

Throwing stones into the water.

Running up the ramp.