November 2012

 Benson started tumbling at the community center. On Monday's we drop Addy off at school and then meet Cailyn and Chelsea for our class. Benson runs circles around most of the kids in there. He has so much fun trying the different courses that coach Brittany sets up each week. His favorite is the huge blow up jumping area and doing flips on the bar. I look forward to our time together each week.

The second week of November I went home for a weekend by myself. It was awesome! I haven't been  alone on an airplane since before I was married. I read almost an entire book on my flight there and took a nap.  I had so much fun with my family. I of course shopped a lot, ate at all my favorite places, made some crafts, stayed up way too late every single night, and met and held my twin little nephews for the first time. I went to a wedding at the Bountiful temple and afterwards my family took me out to dinner to celebrate my birthday early. My family surprised me with a Michael Kors watch for my gift. I love it so much! I definitely need a trip alone once a year!

The next week I got together with some friends to see the late showing of Breaking Dawn Part 2. We had a lot of fun sitting around waiting for the movie to start. That weekend four of our friends rode the train into the city to celebrate Liz turning 30. We had such a fun night! Dinner was delicious and I think Sunda is my new favorite sushi restaurant. We walked to sprinkles to get cupcakes and then walked Michigan Ave and checked out the lighting of the city. It was such a beautiful night and I enjoyed the fabulous company.

Thanksgiving this year was spent with friends from our ward. The food was so delicious and we really enjoyed our time at the Callister's home. We are so grateful for all of our amazing friends here!

July, August, and September 2012

We celebrated with a few of our friends for the 4th of July. We had a low key BBQ at our house and visited through out the afternoon. Later that night we drove to watch some fireworks that were close by our house. We all sat on the car to watched them. Of course my kids were mesmerized by all the bright colors and the loud noises. They love fireworks!

Pretty much all of my free time from about February- July was spent preparing for girls camp. I did the crafts for our stake camp in Wisconsin again this year. We had a great turn out and the girls all seem to love the crafts. We had an amazing opportunity for our girls this year. Each ward was assigned a country and we filmed our girls for the other country to see and they filmed their girls for us. We asked the girls to answer a few questions and to bare their testimonies. It truly was amazing to hear all the responses from around the world. It was a great thing for all the girls to see that they truly are the same. Even though they don't live the same way, the youth are all experiencing similar trials in their life. Each night we would gather on a big grassy area and watch the movies under the stars. It was an awesome experience! Our ward had Zimbabwe and a woman there beaded our entire stake these cute braceltes. Such a fun memory for these girls to have. Our camp was being filmed the entire time by the church so that added a little stress for us. I was trying to stay out of the cameras way because I did not want to be filmed! They are using the footage for training purposes for future girls camp. The youth videos just released for the new curriculum for 2013 has some of our camp footage on it. 

In August my sister Andrea and her husband JC came to visit us. We had a fun weekend with them! We spent two days in Chicago shopping, eating delicious food, sitting in terrible traffic, and checking out the aquarium. This was JC's first time coming so we had a lot to show him. On that Saturday we went to the Arlington racetrack. It was a very big race, the Arlington Million. My kids love to be there and of course it's one of Christian's favorite things to do! We went out that night just the four of us to a restaurant in downtown Naperville. It was fun to walk the river walk with them and stop off at the end to get some treats at Napersweets. Probably my most favorite store here in Naperville!

My kids wait all summer for The Last Fling. We have gone very year since we have moved here and it has become a tradition. Benson was big enough to ride the rides this year so it made it extra fun.

The dragon coaster of course is still their favorite ride! Nothing makes me happier than seeing these two laughing and having fun together.  We got a delicious funnel cake and snow cone to share. It was extremely hot but my kids didn't mind at all! 

We went out on the paddle boats for the first time this year. It was really fun! I was very nervous at first not being able to strap my wild boy down. Benson did great and only climbed around a bit. Addy helped her dad paddle and steer for almost 30 min of our boat ride. It was very relaxing and fun and something I  hope we will do again next year. 

Addy started her second year of pre-school the beginning of September. Her teacher this year is Mrs. Buscher and she has 3 other kids from our ward in her class. Addy loves school and wishes she went every day like all of her older friends do.  We are excited for this school year and look forward to all the learning and things she is accomplishing! She is a very smart girl and she loves to learn new things. She is very interested in learning how to read. I am not sure how to teach her, but I am trying!

My parents visit

We had a great visit with my parents. This was my dads first time coming to Chicago. It was a short but fun weekend! They arrived late Friday night. Addy was so happy to see them both. Of course it was so cold the entire weekend! We braved the zoo Saturday anyways. It was nice to sit inside for the dolphin show and warm up. My kids love the dolphins the most! We ate in downtown Naperville for dinner and made our 1st stop to the candy shoppe.

We celebrated Benson's birthday Sunday. My mom and I cooked all morning. It was so fun trying a new recipe out with my mom. I knew I wouldn't fail with her help! We all ate way too much! ( the taquitos were even better the 2ND and 3rd time) That night we relaxed and watched Despicable Me.



Monday, Christian and my Dad spent the whole morning changing the brakes on my Jeep. As soon as they were finished the girls headed out Shopping. Addy sweet talked Grandma into getting her a dress from the Disney store and me some new clothes. Gotta love that! We took my parents back downtown to Giordano's for dinner. We ordered some deep dish Chicago pizza! Then it was back for our 2ND round to the candy shoppe.

Tuesday we went into Chicago to the Science and Industry Museum. None of us had been there yet. A lot of things made Addy nervous there. Lucky for her, we all took turns carrying her. But she mostly wanted her papa. We didn't make it through the whole museum but we all really enjoyed it there. We went to lunch and then dropped my parents off at the airport. It was sad to see them go! It was so fun having visitors and I loved how much time they got to spend with my kids.

Thanks again for everything papa and nanny! We love you very much and can't wait to see you guys again soon.

Andrea came to visit

A day after I got back from Utah, my little sister Andrea came for a quick visit. She wasn't able to come to Disney World with us because of her work and school schedule, so she came and stayed the weekend at our house. This is her first visit that the weather wasn't super cold. Of course we shopped the entire trip!

Her first day here we went out to lunch and to the outlet mall. She found a ton of cute stuff at the guess store including a purple bag that I wish I would have gotten! That night we made some yummy stir fry and then I went to a friends baby shower. Christiann stayed home with the kids and Andrea and I went to the movies to see Life as we know it. Loved it! Definitely a cute show and of course I cried. It's a must see!

The second day Christian was off work so we went into Chicago for the day. We shopped Michigan Ave and enjoyed being outside in the great weather. That evening Andrea and I went out to sushi and at the last minute went to another movie. I hardley ever get to see movies so it was great! That was the most time I have been without both my kids in a long time. Christian is an awesome husband for letting me get some time alone with my sister!

The last day she was here we slept in and went to downtown Naperville. We walked around the shops and had lunch. We took Addy over to the fountains and to see the ducks. There were lots of red leaves everywhere. So we took the kids pictures and let Addy go crazy in the leaves. She had so much fun!

We had so much fun seeing Andrea while she was here. My kids always love all the attention they get from her. She always plays with them and is so silly with Addy.

Here is my Benson boy at 7 months. A few things about him at this stage:

-He is wearing 12 month clothing

-He weighs around 19.5 lbs

-He is rolling everywhere and pushing himself up

- He can sit by himself until he gets excited and then he falls over

-He is taking 2 naps every day

-Sleeping around 10 hours a night

- He is now sleeping in the same room with Addy and it's actually working out

-Favorite foods are bananas, sweet potatoes, pears, and squash

-He loves to play with Addy. He watches her every move!

26th Birthday

Two weekends ago I turned 26. We celebrated on Sat by going out to lunch to a place called Gordon Bierch. We had eaten there this summer in Kansas City with my family. The food there is delicious! We shared the same crab and artichoke dip we had last time and I also had steak and tempura shrimp. It felt like a real date since Addy slept through the entire afternoon. After lunch we went shopping and picked up the kids a few things. Later that evening Christian took Addy out shopping to pick up groceries for my Birthday meal on Sunday. She was so excited to be able to pick out what cake they were going to make me. She chose a pink strawberry cake and pink frosting with sprinkles. I had a yellow cake on hand so I had Christian switch out the cake so it wouldn't be a pink overload!

Sunday was the big day. Right after church they got started making the cake. Addy was a big help! She loved helping pour and stir the mixture. Christian made me navajo tacos for lunch. (an all time fave of mine!) After Addy woke up from her nap it was time for our party. They decorated a little table by the Christmas tree. They sang to me and we ate our cake and ice cream there. It was a great Birthday weekend with the two I love the most! Christian always makes it extra special!









Thank you to both our families and friends for the birthday wishes and gifts! I was spoiled as usual! Now I just need some time before the baby comes to get some use out of them. I have a feeling I will be a little more occupied than what I am use to!

4th of July

This year we celebrated the 4th of July with a BBQ at my house. Lucky for us my sister and Rookie were still in Chicago and Erin, Nate, and Ella were able to join us. We ate lots of yummy food but unfortunately it rained all day so we didn't get to go to any fireworks. It was still a very fun evening. We will have to try and see fireworks again on the 24th.

We were all busy eating and chatting that none of us took any pictures.
We snapped a few at the end of the night of everyone. Thanks for the pictures Erin!

I have lots of updating to do from our vacation. Between 3 of us we took around 1200 pictures.
Holy crap that is a lot! I will try and only post a highlight of each of our stops.
We had a great time and I enjoyed learning more about the history of The LDS Church.

Memorial Weekend

We had a great Memorial Weekend! It was our first weekend having Christian home with us. It was so nice! I can't tell you how much we have missed having him around. Jellybean clung to him! We both were spoiled having all of his attention. I can definitely get use to having him around more.

Friday night we went to downtown and had dinner and walked around. Every time we go I have to stop at the candy shoppe and get some treats. They have the best chocolate and caramel covered pretzels! Christian and Jellybean got kiwi gilato. It was so yummy! Jellybean ate most of it. :)

Ever since I have known Christian he has wanted to take me to the horse races. For some reason or another we have never gone. Saturday we packed a picnic lunch and went to the Arlington Park race track. I have not seen Christian this excited in a very long time! He wishes he could have been a jockey! It was pretty humid but turned out to be a great day. Jellybean loved it. She was busy climbing and walking everywhere. I really enjoyed the races. It is amazing how much Christian knew about the horses. We will definitely go again.

Andrea came to visit...

My little sister Andrea came to visit us on Thursday. We went to Dirty Dancing that night at The Cadillac Palace Theatre. I LOVED IT!! It was so fun to sing the music. I have that show memorised! Billy (Johnny's cousin that carries a watermelon with Baby) had the most amazing voice! It made the show 100 times better. I was a little worried that the play was going to be a little too risky. But to my surprise it was great! Of course the end dance made the show! My heart raced through the whole thing!!!

We stayed the night in Chicago so I could show Andrea around the next day. Boy does that girl like to shop! We found her so many killer deals on the cutest stuff. She has a funky style which is perfect for the city shopping.

Saturday we took Jellybean to Johansen Farm to pick out her first pumpkin. It was so cold! The wind here makes it 10 degrees colder. They had a petting zoo, pony rides, hay rides, and a blow up playground. We decided not to stay for all the fun because Jellybean was shivering. I was a little disappointed but I'm sure she will enjoy it so much more when she is a little older. We will definitely take her next year!

Fun with Alice

We had so much fun having Alice come stay the week with us. We went lots of fun places! The week went by so fast with our jam packed activities. Wednesday we headed into Chicago and made a stop at the Lincoln Park Zoo. This was Jellybean's first time seeing all the animals. She loved it! She kept reaching for the tiger and the monkey's. It was so nice that Christian was able to get the morning off work to be with us.

Alice, Jellybean, and I went to The Field Museum. I think we saw 3 times as many animals there than we did at the zoo! They had almost every kind you could think of on display. They had exhibits on different cultures of the world. It was really cool to see how they live and the different artifacts of that time. They had a huge dinosaur that had a crooked face. I guess she got in too many fights!

Thursday we went to the Shedd Aquarium. It is so huge! It is right on Lake Michigan which looks like the ocean. Very appropriate! They had these huge tanks that the staff would dive in and tell you all about the animals. There was this cute turtle that was hit by a boat. She swam with her back end up. She basically looks like she is doing a hand stand in the water at all times. It was sad but she got around just fine. Jellybean slept through most of our day there. She did wake up at the end to see an ANACONDA! SICK!!!

After the Aquarium we took a water taxi on Lake Michigan over to Navy Pier.  It's full of fun shops, restaurants, and people.  

We finished our weekend with shopping at the Outlet Mall by my house and finally vegging on my new couch. It's so cozy! Thanks for such a fun week Alice! Come back soon!

Jellybean and I flew back with Alice to surprise my mom for her birthday. I couldn't miss out on the party! It was so fun to surprise her on her doorstep. We have been staying with family since. My poor husband is so lonely in Chicago. I have loved seeing everyone while I have been here. 

GUESS WHO IS CRAWLING!!!

Jellybean has finally figured out how to crawl. We had just picked up Christian from the airport and went to Alice and Rookie's house to visit. She was playing on the ground and went straight for the computer cord. I am so happy! 

Poor little Jellybean caught a nasty virus while we were home visiting. Luckily her auntie Alice took great care of her while I was gone. She was so happy even though she didn't feel good. Look at those little eyes. It's just pitiful!

OUR 1ST VISITOR!

My mom came to visit over Labor Day weekend. It was so nice to be able to show her where we are living. I think it helps to not be as scared for me when you see our surroundings. Who am I kidding, new places are scary!

I picked her up form the airport Saturday night. Thanks to my new trusty Tom Tom, my sister Andy let us buy from her, I made it in one piece. Driving here is scary on the freeways. Lots of construction and confusion. ( Just like home!) I hate that you have to pay to drive on the freeway. We missed a couple of tolls on accident our first week here OOPSIE! It had only been a week since I had seen my mom, but it felt like forever. Too many things had happened without her all ready.

Sunday we went to my new ward for the first time. It was nice to have someone to go to church with. The people in the ward are very nice. I met so many different families that grew up close to me. It was nice to be able to relate. Jellybean looked so cute in her new skirt and tights!

Monday morning we got up early and headed to the train. We were going into Chicago and spending the night. The trains don't run on a regular schedule on holidays, so we couldn't be late or we would have to wait 2 hours for the next one. I bet you know where I am going with this.... Chris dropped the 3 of us off at the station and had to drive all the way back home. You can't park there over night and of course there were no taxi's running. He had to sprint back about a mile. We waited with all our bags on the lawn watching for Chris to come running through the parking lot. The train pulled in early so my mom and I gather all our things and started heading through the tunnel. I could see him running as fast as he could. We would totally make it. We got to the other side of the tracks and the stupid train left us! 6 minutes early! Chris was so upset. He just ran all that way with his shoes off for nothing. So we were stranded with our over night bags for 2 hours. We decided to make the best of it and walk to somewhere close to avoid the heat. Lucky for me it was Babies R Us. Chris sat at the front of the store with our things while my mom and I hit the racks. They had so many good deals. Jellybean almost has a complete Fall wardrobe now!

Downtown Chicago is so much fun! There was lots for my mom to see in just 2 short days. We took a water taxi to get to our hotel. It picked us up in front of the Sears Tower and dropped us off close to Navy Pier. Our hotel was on Lake Michigan. Amazing Views!! We walked all over for to find a place to eat lunch but everywhere was closed for the holiday. We finally found a great Grill. I had a delicious steak! Next we headed to Millennium Park. It's several miles long. It has a huge out outdoor theatre, some crazy art, and several big fountains. It's such a neat park.

Buckingham Fountain is at the end of Millennium Park. For those of you that want to know, it is the fountain at the beginning of Married With Children. (stupid show!) It is big and very pretty!

Jellybean was such a good girl! She loved being outside. She had her feet up on her stroller relaxing the whole day.

Tuesday the 3 of us girls shopped all day. I couldn't resist! Chris worked until 4:00 so I showed my mom around for the day. We were so worn out by the time we got home! All the walking kicked our butts! I was so sad that my mom had to leave the next morning. It was so much fun to have her here for a couple days. I'm counting down the days until Alice comes to visit. That too will be a blast!

It won't be too long until I come home in October for Jellybeans birthday. I'm excited to see everyone even though I will have only been gone 2 months.

Thanks mom for coming to play with us! I loved having you.

Overload Update

July has been a crazy month for our family. I have been in Chicago the last 2 weeks looking for a place to live. We have to be out of our house by the end of July. It's coming so fast! Now that it's down to the end I really don't want to leave. We have such great family and friends here. We love you all so much!!

Hopefully some of you will come visit! There is a ton to do in Chicago. Dirty Dancing starts on Broadway the end of Sep. I can't wait. The shopping is fabulous! My mother in law came last week for 4 days to help me with Jellybean. We hit some good sales! It's so fun because you can walk around for a couple miles and the stores never end!

I have walked so much the last 2 weeks. We rode the trains and walked everywhere we went. My aching feet! It has been so hot and humid there. I don't have hair that works with any of that!

We still are not sure where exactly we are going to live. We want to move out to the suburbs but we haven't found the right house. It is really hard not knowing the areas. It's a big culture shock for us and I want to feel safe. We had a Realtor show us around and that was super helpful.

Hopefully when Chris goes back this next week he will find something.

Here are a couple pictures of us waiting for and riding the train in down town Chicago.

I sold my living room furniture and decided to bring in the patio set. I know it's crazy but what else are we going to sit on? The swing is great indoors. I love to swing and watch t.v.

Who needs a rocking chair when you have this?

This is a picture of the guys hauling away the love seat. That was the first set of furniture
Christian and I purchased together.

I also sold our office furniture. Thanks for your help Alice and Rookie!

We have played many hours of Rock Band at my parents house. I love this game!

Fireworks

We spent the fourth of July with Alice and Rookie. We got some take out from Cafe Rio and headed to watch fireworks. Jellybean was more interested in playing with the grass than anything else. She would pick a handful of grass and then pull each blade one by one. Right before fireworks started the sprinklers turned on. Luckily only the corner of the blanket got wet.

Jellybean and I went swimming with Charlotte & Texi. It has been so hot so we loved cooling off in the water. We also went another time with Shanda, MaLia and Daddy. It was so much fun to see how much Jellybean loves the pool. She would scream and splash and scream some more.

Hope everyone is having a fun summer!