Fantasy Football Champion

Congratulations to Mike on another great fantasy football season. He took first place!!!! I think he was very proud that all of his hard work paid off:)

Merry Christmas!!!

We had a fabulous Chritmas this year! Christmas Eve was spent with Mike's family at Shannon's house. It was great to have everyone all together and be able to celebrate what a wonderful year it has been. We had a great meal and lots of wonderful conversation. It was great to ALL be together!

Christmas morning, Riley woke up about 8 and could not wait to get into all those presents! She had to start right away, although she was a little sleepy still and it took her awhile to get happy and enjoy all her new stuff. Santa even managed to fit a bike in his sleigh! She has tried it out in the basement, but I know she is waiting for that first warm day we have to really try it out. After breakfast, we headed to church and then came home to get ready for the next visit.

In the afternoon, we were joined by my family. We had another great time to being relaxed and togther. We spent a lot of time relaxing and talking, and then had a great meal, followed by more excitement of presents. Thank you to my family for spending the afternoon with us and being such help. (More Christmas pictures to come that Dad took. Have not had a chance to put them on my computer yet.)

Thank yo to all for making our Christmas so wonderful! We once again had a great holiday and were so excited to all be together. Hope everyone else cansay the same.

Let's go Sledding!!!

Riley woke up today asking to play in the snow when daddy got home. She kept saying I want to go sledding. I was off but she was going to school still. She convinced me to pick her up after lunch and when we got home she took a little rest. As soon as she heard daddy home though, she was up and rearin' to go outside. I got her all bundled up and they had a ball! They threw snowballs, made snow angels, and even made a snowman. Then it was time for a little sledding. They had a blast and I stayed nice and toasty inside!

Family Rivalry and New Traditions

Last night we traveled to Mike and Shannon's for a little football. The Cowboys were playing the Saints. As you all know, Mike is a huge Cowboys fan and Uncle Mike is a huge Saints, fan so it was only fitting that we watch together. Plus they just finished their theatre room in the basement and wanted to share it with us. The boys had fun watching the game, which fun for us, the Cowboys won, and the ladies had fun all being together. Kelly, Ryan, and Ryder also came so it was lots of fun.

During the game, the kids had a great time and Kelly gave Riley a bang trim and Eli his first haircut. They both did a fabulous job. The little girls played until they were all worn out and then fell asleep on the couch. We even stayed for a sleepover! It was a great night!!!! Maybe they'll invite us back again:)

Auntie Shannon also started a new tradition for Riley. She gave her an "elf on the shelf". In case you don't know what that is, it is a book that tells a story about an elf that comes to live with a family and then each night when the kids are sleeping, the elf reports back to Santa to tell him whether they were naughty or nice that day. And it come with its very own elf to watch your house. It worked great this year. If she was being naughty, we would just say "elfie is watching" and then she would stop. How much longer with that last? Thanks Shannon and Mike for the great new tradition!

Riley's First Movie Date

Today, I had plans to have a girls night for dinner and to see New Moon. For months we have been contemplating taking Riley to the movies and today daddy finally did it! Riley and Daddy saw Planet 51 and she had a great first time. She sat through the whole movie, on daddy's lap, and munched on some popcorn throughout too. Mike said she did a great job and askd questions during the movie that showed she knew what was going on. Riley always makes people laugh and the movie was no exception. There is one part, it is in some of the previews, where the astronaut steps on a duck and it squeaks. Mike said when he stepped on the duck she said out loud "he steppd on a duck!" and people started laughing. We know she had a great time beacause she keeps talking about it and every time we see a preview for the movie, she says, "I saw that one". Now what to take her to see next?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Riley has been so excited to put up the Christmas decorations. She actually began asking yesterday morning about 5 A.M. if we could put up the tree. When we returned home after a busy day yesterday, she said "now we can put up the tree." Mom and dad are a sucker for that little girl, so how could we say no? Before dinner the tree was up and shortly after eating it was very nicely decorated. Riley did a great job putting up the ornaments and only needed a little help. Daddy and Riley put on the star and then we put out most of the other stuff. I am proud to say that I only have a few things left. Mostly the breakable things like my grandma's nativity scene and santa's so she cannot help me with these anyway. She was a wonderful helper and Mike and I were actually glad that she got us moving (otherwise there would still be no tree up). There was only one casualty in decorating and we cannot even blame Riley for that one...silly tree threw a breakable ornament off and it must have hit something on the way down:( Our house looks all ready for Christmas and now it is time to make Riley's list to send to Santa....we have it all ready, but Riley doesn't think we can mail that little hot pink post-it note.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!! We hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday surrounded by friends, family, and great food. We sure did! Over the course of the long weekend, we managed to see just about everyone in both of our families. Thursday was spent having a delicious meal with Mike's mom and sister and their families. We all pigged out and had great conversation. I personally was still stuffed way into the late hours of the night. Friday, we drove to Indiana and got to see a big group of Mike's family, as well as meeting the new baby Hudson. It was a lot of fun to get to see everyone. Even Mike's uncle Jeff was in from Virginia. I have been lazy with my picture taking and the only ones that I took were of Riley holding baby Hudson.

Saturday and Sunday were busy as well. We visited my parents and grandparents and saw Ryder get baptized. It was a fabulous weekend surrounded by all of the people that we love. Now we all are worn out from driving and sadly I am not looking forward to returning to work tomorrow.

Trick-or-Treat

Happy Halloween!!! Today Riley dressed up as a butterfly to go trick or treating. She is still not so sure about the whole day. She got freaked out when kids started coming to the house. Once we were out though, she did a great job and if mom was not freezing would probably have stayed out longer. We walked around with the neighbor and her two kids an Mike stayed home and handed out all the candy. It was a good time. It would have been better if it were warmer, but oh well. I think I am even getting used to this yucky fall weather that we have been having. We hope that everyone had a great Halloween!!!

Pumpkin Carving

Today we carved our pumpkins. Well, Riley was more of "stuck" her pumpkin. She had gotten a cute princess potato head pumpkin kit from Erika, so she was all set to go. Mike drilled some holes, some with Riley's help, and then she pushed the pieces in. It turned out very cute. Then for the first time, she actually scooped out the pumpkin guts. She was having a lot of fun, but it took some time as she was sometimes taking out the seeds one at a time. She had a blast though and I think daddy had fun too.
I took a short video of her scooping the guts too.

Fall Fun

This morning I had an eye doctor appointment and they wanted to check out Riley too (since mommy is so blind!). I was worried that she would not do a good job, but she was excellent!! Did everything that the doctor asked and everything was just fine. Luckily, the doctor also said she does not have an astigmatism, like mommy, so that was even better news. After the appointment, it was off the meet Shannon and pick up Juliet. She has been wanting to go to a haunted house and Mike loves scary stuff, which I don't, so he thought it would be fun to take her. We had some lunch and then off to the pumpkin patch...finally. We had been putting it off since the weather has been so nasty, but today was our last chance. It was muddy and sloppy, but we still had a fun time. While Mike and Juliet went through the corn maze, Riley and I took a train ride. Then we picked out some pumpkins. There was a haunted barn so Mike and Juliet decided to check it out. She changed her mind at the last minute. (The plans for the big nighttime haunted house also changed.)

We had a great time enjoying the fall day and spending time with Juliet. Right now Mike and Juliet are enjoying a scary movie.....but not me. And why do I have a feeling that somehow Mike is going to find a way to take me to the Abyss....the haunted house that he was looking forward to checking out tonight?

Baby Warren

Today the Warren family grew by 1! Mike's cousin Ryan and his wife Kersten welcomed a little boy into the world. Hudson Elliot Warren was born today and we cannot wait to meet him at Thanksgiving. He just missed sharing a birthday with his Uncle Matt and Cousin Shannon by a few hours. Congratulations to the new family!!!!

Happy Birthday Shannon!

Sorry I have not blogged in a long time. We have not done many exciting things and work has been keeping me busy....or just making me not want to go on the computer at night.

Today was Shannon's birthday, so we headed to Granny's to celebrate! It was great for the kids to all get to play together and for the adults to catch up. We had a great meal of spaghetti and GIANT meatballs and some delicious cake. Then it was time to head home and get ready for another week of work and conferences...how is it that time already?

More Pictures Soon....

I will be adding some pictures for the last few posts soon. Picasa does not seem to be working (on mine or anyone else's blog), so I am going to have to attempt to post them a different way. Stay tuned......

Zoo with Lisa

Today we met cousin Lisa at the zoo. It was a blast! Lisa had never been to Brookfield Zoo, so Riley had a great time showing her around and taking her on the carousel. We got to see lots of animals and it was a fabulous day to be out and about. It was also Bear Awareness Day, so we got to see some cool bear things like the giant polar bear skull, and the bears seemed to be in the showing off mood too. We had a great day together. We even got to see the Ensign and Howard families there too....what better day could you have?:)

Magic Capsules

Tonight I decided to bust out the magic capsules. You know, the capsules you put in water and then get sponge creatures out of. Riley had a blast, although they worked to come out of their capsules very slowly. She lost interest after a bit of waiting, but kept going back to check on them. I am guessing they were a hit since they had to come to the zoo with us the next day. Don't tell her, but she lost 2 or 3 of them there. Oh well, it was still a fun Friday night activity.

Saturday Fun

Riley has been asking, yet again, to make another trip to Bouncetown. We made some quick last minute plans and met the Knoll's for a day of fun. Riley and their daughter Clare are about the same age, so they had a blast chasing each other and climbing and sliding. It was great that she had a partner in crime. Mike and Mike, yes they have a daddy Mike too, had a blast. At times, it was hard for Colleen and I to tell who was having more fun, the girls or the daddies!!! Colleen and I as usual had a great time catching up. Their son Danny tried out a few things and baby Audrey caught some zzz's. After a lot of bouncing, we decided to check out the new Sonic. We always see the commercials, but there has never been one around here before. We had a great time spending lunch together, but decided that you go there for the drive-in experience and the slushies:)

First Day (Week) of School

Here is a picture from Riley's first day of school. She really was excited, but did not want me to take her picture, so that is why she does not look happy. She was all ready to go and just a little whining at drop off. The day went pretty well, although she was not yet ready to try other people's cooking and play with all her new classmates. The rest of the week had it's ups and downs. Two of the days she had to be peeled off of me while screaming and other days she said goodbye with just a little sadness. She continues to settle into the routine and each day is doing a little better. She is now testing the waters with all the new kids and trying out all that preschool has. Riley has made a great adjustment and hopefully this week will be even better. At her old daycare it was just one grown up and towards the end, just Riley. Now she has 2 teachers, 2 helpers, and 15 classmates...it is going to take a little getting used to, but that is to be expected. Our little girl is growing up!!!

Three Rivers Festival

Sadly, today is my last day of summer vacation:( We decided to have a great last day and go to the carnival in Channahon. Grammy and Papa Bruce joined us and it was a blast!!! Riley loved all the rides, well except the cars...she went alone and they really whip you around the turns. She also had a great time playing a "carny" game and winning a Dora. What would a carnival be without fun snacks? So of course we had to get a pretzel, some popcorn, and especially for mommy...cotton candy. After a few quick turns on the inflatables, we had to leave because it started raining. Luckily we got a very close spot because by the time we got to the car it was pouring! We ended the day with some good food and corn on the cob, shucked by Riley and Grammy. This was a great way to end the summer. Thanks to Grammy and Papa Bruce for spenging it with us. Now I have to get myself back into work mode. Oh and tomorrow Riley starts preschool...wish us luck:)

There are a lot of pictures....I know. And many of them are courtesy of Papa Bruce.

The new Mr. and Mrs.

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Michael Beavers!!!! Today Mike's sister Mallory got married. It was a very busy, and fun two days as both Mike and Riley were in the wedding. The day was beautiful and everyone did a great job. Riley and Jadyn were too cute as the flower girls. They stopped at every pew to throw the petals at the people sitting there. I captured just a bit of them walking down the aisle.

After the girls made it down the aisle, they did not last long before they had to leave the church and let off some steam outside. The ceremony was beautiful and Mallory was gorgeous, as was the rest of the family and bridal party. The reception was fun and allowed the kids to let off a lot of steam. They all danced on the floor every opportunity they had and ran around all through dinner. Riley's dinner mainly consisted of a butter packet:) It was a fabulous evening to finish off the great day. Riley partied hard until about 11 and then said she was ready to go home. She was so exhausted that she passed out in the car not long after leaving.

We wish the best of luck to Mallory and Mike as they begin their new life together!!
(There are a lot of pictures. Remember, if you see one you like, double click on it and then you can save it.)

Build-A-Bear

Today we took Riley to Build A Bear. We saw it last weekend at Navy Pier and thought that she would really love it. Riley was so excited to go and make a bear. She had a hard time making her choice, but in the end decided on a rabbit. She was a little apprehensive when the stuffing part came, although she did stand on the pedal. Riley also did not want to give the rabbit a heart, but after Daddy put one in, Riley added hers. She has a special two heart rabbit now. Riley did have so much fun picking out the clothes and shoes. Riley decided to name her rabbit Carla...no idea where that name came from...and since we have gotten home it had been all she has played with, so we guess it was a hit. Oh and she also tried to escape taking her nap by coming downstairs in Carla's shoes. Don't know how she got them on because they are pretty small, but she managed to and also walk down the stairs in them. Welcome to our house Carla!

Ready for School

This year when I go back to work, Riley will be heading to a new place. It will have preschool in the morning and then more like a daycare in the afternoon. She is very excited and keeps talking about school. To make it more special for her, we got her a new backpack. She was so excited today when it came in the mail. It made her so happy, that I could not resist taking a few pictures of the big girl. How is our baby that grown up already? We cannot believe how big she is. Let's hope she acts in her best big girl behavior at preschool. Oh and another milestone reached...no more pull ups!!! She has only been wearing them at night for months, but this week we have switched to underpants at night and she is so happy. See more reasons why our little baby is growing up!!!

Raging Waves

Today we went to a water park in Yorkville. My friend Chrissy had gotten us a free ticket through school and on the day that they went, we were unable to join them. Mike and I decided that we would spend our last summer day together (he usually has Mondays off, but not next week) and check out the water park. My friend Colleen and her family are members, so we asked them to join us. They were not able to come, but did allow us to "borrow" their 3 1/2 year old Clare. We thought that if Riley had a partner in crime she would have more fun. Well when we got there, Riley went on one little slide and then decided that she was not going to go on anymore. Since Clare is an old pro, Mike decided that they would go on all the big slides and Riley could just sit out and have her fit (did I not mention that she had a mini-meltdown every time I suggested doing anything). Mike and Clare had a blast together and I finally did convince Riley to float around in the lazy river with me, even though she cried the 2 times the bridge rained on her. We met back up and had lunch. Then it was time for Clare to go home, but we stayed for a while longer. We checked out the "beach" and the wave pool. Then Mike decided that I ought to have a little fun, so I went on a few slides alone and they bummed around in the splash area. The one place that she did enjoy herself. Even though Riley was timid, we still had a fun day and it was good to be together (for the most part) and soaking up the nice summer day, especially since it started off raining and we thought we would have to cancel. Later on tonight, Riley told Mike that she did not want to go on any slides because it was too cold and she did not want to get wet:)

Date Day

For my birthday, Connie and Dan got me tickets for a day at Navy Pier to see Cirque Shanghai and today was the big day! We dropped Riley off at Granny and Papa Dan's for a day of fun and we headed downtown. The weather was a little rainy and dreary, especially for August but we made it a great day anyways. We saw the show....which is amazing...and both really enjoyed ourselves. Then we took a ride on the Ferris Wheel and walked around the pier. After that, we had a great dinner at a table overlooking the lake. To wrap up the day we took a boat ride. It was great to see all of downtown, even though the weather felt a little more like fall. Thank you again to Connie and Dan for the great opportunity, as well as taking Riley for the day and overnight. It is not often, even though we have many offers, that we get to spend this much time to ourselves without worrying about Riley. (Thanks also for the umbrella and coat...I did not think ahead before leaving home, and who knew I would need a coat in August!)

Touch a Truck

Today was Touch a Truck in Channahon. It is a fun day where the kids can climb into all sorts of trucks from firetrucks and ambulances to excavators and backhoes...and everything you can think of in between. There was even a helicopter there. We went last summer with Chrissy and Lucas and the kids had a ball. Thankfully this year was a little cooler and the kids may have had even more fun. In addition to Chrissy and Lucas, we were also joined by Dave, Lesli, Eric, Ethan, and Maya. The kids had a blast and I think the grown ups did too. After the kids checked out all the trucks and honked way too many horns, it was time to go. The grand finale of the day was watching the helicopter leave. It was fun even for the adults. One of the guys was riding on the platform and waving as they flew away. To top off the days events, we had lunch and ice cream at McDonald's and the kids played. Now if only Riley would take her nap...you would think she should be worn out after so much fun.

New Trick

Tonight Mike taught Riley a new trick...sticking the spoon to your nose! Actually in Mike's defense, he told her he couldn't because they were eating, but she kind of figured out the rest. (he still did kind of start the whole thing though) She is just too darn smart for her own good and too darn cute too. Let's hope this trick is forgotten before her next meal:) And it is a good thing that mommy has a good sense of humor too.

Ralph's World

Ralph is a children's singer that Riley really enjoys. His group is called Ralph's World and we have also turned Lucas into a lover of his music as well. Today he had a concert at the Morton Arboretum so we made it a date. We were joined by Chrissy,Dave, and Lucas her friend Sara, daughter Maggie, and her mom as well as her friend Lesli, husband Eric, and their kids Ethan and Maya. We got there early to get some decent seats for the show. Little did we know when picking our spot that it would be super sunny and hot and that the sun would never want to hide behind the clouds. This made for a hot afternoon and some very hot kids!! We still had a fun time and the kids enjoyed dancing and singing. This is our second year seeing Ralph, but Mike said we are sitting the next one out. Little does he know that Riley told we me we are seeing him again next week....where does she come up with this stuff?

Swimming with the Warren's

Today we headed over to Papa Larry's, Mike's dads, to go swimming. They have a beautiful pool and Riley always has a blast swimming. We were also joined by Tara, Brooke, and Curtis. Riley has been looking forward to seeing them all, plus their dog Lucy. It was a windy day but we still had a great time in the pool. As usual, Riley enjoyed swimming with Brooke and also chasing Curtis around the pool. She really is becoming a pretty good swimmer with her water wings. If only she would use her arms more, she would be even better. Riley thought it was extra funny when Brooke held Lucy over the water and she swam. She could have watched it all day! Thanks for the great day swimming and thanks for the weather starting to finally feel like it is summer.

Splash Park

Today we hung out with my friend Nicole and her son Sean. I used to teach with Nicole in Woodridge and do not get to see her very often anymore. We took the kids to lunch at McDonald's and then headed to the splash park in town. Surprisingly we have never gone before but it was a bunch of fun. Unfortunately I forgot my camera....I know surprised me too..so I was not able to capture the fun moments. They had a great time playing in the water and also at the park too. Then it was time to part ways so the kids could take a nap. Riley conked out on the couch for almost 2 hours....guess she was tired! Thanks to Nicole and Sean for spending a fun day with us.

Riley's First Pedicure

Riley has been asking for a while for me to paint her toes. I kept telling her for Auntie Mallory's wedding. Today she got up and said, "can we paint my toes today?" and I figured what the heck. To make it a little more special for her, we went to the store and I let her pick out her very own nail polish (the kind that supposedly dries in 60 seconds). She carried her nail polish through the store and all the way home. When we can home, she was all ready to get them painted. So she climbed in her seat and I filed them. Then I told her she had to be very still and she actually was. She even sat and watched a movie for a bit after we were done so they could dry some more. All in all she did a great job on her first pedicure. Let's see how long they last though....she was already hinting before lunch that she did not like them and wanted it off:)

Another Fun Day at the Zoo

Today we went to the zoo with Grammy, Papa Bruce, Kris, Kelsey, and Nick. The kids had a blast being together and the weather was beautiful. We got to see some old favorites and Riley had a blast seeing some new things too. Today we went into Scales and Feathers and checked out some of the small reptiles and birds. The kids also cooled off in the sprinklers...some following the mom's rules better than others and getting some new wax animals. What would the zoo be without wax animals?? It was a great day spent together in the sunshine. But after the Arboretum and the zoo back to back, this mommy is pooped!!

Morton Arboretum

Today Riley and I met Granny, Aunt Shannon, Juliet (her friend Maggie), Jadyn, and Eli at the Morton Arboretum. The weather was so nice today and the kids had a ball being together. They got very wet in the children's garden multiple times, climbed many things, and were super silly. The grown ups got quite a workout pushing the strollers. You see...the Arboretum has a special exhibit this summer called Animal Houses. The grown ups were all set to hike to see some of them, but when I say hike, I mean hike. Some of it was on gravel roads and a lot was up hill. The kids had fun in the 4 houses we did see, but the grown ups opted for more time in the children's garden as opposed to more hiking around to see more of the animal houses. Today turned out to be a great day! I can only speak for Riley and I, but we had a great time! You will see in the pictures that she was wiped out, but this picture was taken on the driveway and she only fell asleep when we got on I-80 (for those who have never been to our house before, that is only about 5-10 minutes away from home). Think maybe an early bedtime tonight:)

Flower Girl Dress

On August 14th, Mike's sister Mallory is getting married and Riley is going to be a flower girl. Riley has refused to put on the dress, but recently I convinced her to do it with the help of some Oreo's:) She looks too grown up and you better believe that there will be lots of pictures after the big day.

Wisconsin Trip

This past weekend, we went to Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin for little R & R and a lot of fun. Aunt MaryJo and Uncle Denny have a beautiful house on a lake and were gracious enough to allow us to come and stay with them. We were joined on our trip by Kris, Rob, Kelsey, and Nick. Riley was a trooper on the car ride there and back, she hardly even whined. As you will see in the pictures, she was passed out on the ride home. In Wisconsin, we ate way too much food, saw some loons, eagles, and great sunsets, as well as played on the lake a lot. Riley loved going fast on the boat and even went tubing twice....she is not so sure if she likes it or not. I also went on the tube, once with Mike and once alone. Mike was loving his time on the lake taking all the kids tubing, wakeboarding...he still has it, as well as some tubing alone...he survived the tunnel of terror. I had a great birthday in Wisconsin at Little Bohemia. Rob even embarrassed me with a little singing from the wait staff. We rounded out the birthday day with a ski show put on by the Min-Aqua-Bats. It was a fabulous weekend and we can't wait to do it again. Hope you all enjoy the pictures and there will probably be more added once Kris is back and gets all her pictures online.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!! We hope that everyone has a great weekend and a chance to celebrate the holiday. Just a picture of our little "firecracker" to get everyone in the spirit. Doesn't she look so patriotic?

Welcome Ryder!!

Welcome to the world Ryder!!! On Wednesday night, our anniversay, Mike's sister Kelly gave birth to this adorable little boy. We cannot wait to meet the little guy!! Congrats to Kelly and Ryan.

Crazy Drive + Zoo

So yesterday Riley and I had plans to meet Erika at the zoo. We were going along with the plan until I got a flat, I mean a blowout, on I-55. Luckily Riley and I were able to get to the shoulder without any problems and with Mike's help, roadside assistance was there to change the tire. (I did not have my oh so important Allstate Motor Club card with me.) Riley thank goodness was a trooper through the whole ordeal and thanks to the little tv for making this possible. Riley did not like the idea of canceling our plans and heading home, so we carried on to the zoo. We had a fun time with Auntie Bika and got to see some animals, ride the carousel, and have a picnic. We also got to see Grammy and Papa when they arrived for a bonus day of volunteering. Riley did not get a nap and by 7, she was snoozing while sitting up on the couch. It was a great day, minus the adventure we had on the way. Could have done without that. Oh and today I went and got the tire replaced. We also found out what caused our blowout...needle nose pliers inside!! Somehow they must have gotten run over by another car and catapulted into our tire. Thank goodness we were all right and it was the tire and not a window. (it was the tire right by Riley!) Thank you to whoever was watching out for us yesterday!!

Water Fun

Since last summer we have been trying to go swimming with Chrissy and Lucas at their subdivision's pool. No matter when we planned it either rained, had severe warnings of some sort, or the power was out. Well yesterday, we finally had luck on our sides and were able to go to the pool and had a great day. Riley and Lucas had a great time playing in the big pool and the kiddie pool. There was a brief break for our picnic lunch, but all the rest of the time there was spent in the water. They were so busy that I did not have chance to snap any pictures. I was able to cpature just 2 quick ones as they walked back to the car hand in hand. They were just too cute together. Thanks for the great pool day.


Today we put Riley's crazy sprinkler out. She has been asking to do something outside, but kept picking the kiddie pool. This morning she asked if we could put it out. She was a little timid to really run through it, but thought it was a great drinking fountain. She also was having lots of fun turning the pressure up and down, as well as squirting mommy and daddy. She is also just too darn cute in her little bikini. How would we spend our time without her??

Weekend Fun

We had a very busy weekend. Mike's friend's daughter turned 4 and they had a pool party and the ice cream man. This was Riley's first time getting something from the truck and sampled many things. You can see her enjoying her 3rd attempt...the snow cone... in the pictures. After a lot of swimming by Riley, who by the way is a fish and swims all by herself with just her water wings, Riley went to my parent's and Mike and I had a little grown up partying of our own. There are also some pictures in the show of Riley enjoying the boiled icing that she made with Mom. After dinner yesterday, we had some dessert. Part of it was sherbert (part the cake made by Riley and Grammy) and Riley somehow decided that Grammy was incapable of feeding herself, so she decided she would do it. This was hilarious!!! It had us all laughing uncontrollably. Not only was she feeding her, but she was acting the way that parents do when we feed our children. She made airplne noises, told grammy it was yummy, said good bite, and so much more. She even kept wiping her face with the napkin:) I tried capturing the time the best I could...after a lot of laughter before...but as you will hear we are ALL laughing in the background. Hope you all enjoy our little "mom".

Happy Father's Day!!

Just wanted to say agreat big Happy Father's Day to all the special men in our lives!! Yesterday we spent the day relaxing at Grammy and Papa Bruce's. Riley had spent the night there and Mike and I had gone out and had the reminder that we are not 21 anymore. We had a great dinner prepared by mom...chicken fried steak and fried potatoes...and were able to be with most of the Ukockis family. Riley also had a great day. She baked a cake and made frosting with grammy...pictures to be in another blog...and was so worn out that she even asked to take a nap. When we got home, Mike celebrated the day bu cutting the grass. Thank you to all of our "Father's"!

Cousin Zoo Trip

Yesterday we met, Granny, and Shannon, Mike, Juliet, Jadyn, and Eli at the zoo. We were nervous that the weather was going to be very crummy, but it turned out to be a great day. Riley and Jadyn had so much fun being together and checking everything out. They started their day on the carousel and went 2 times in a row...they wanted to go a 3rd, but the rest of us wanted to see some animals. The big destination of the day were the dinosaurs. Jadyn LOVES dinos and she was in heaven. After the dinosaurs, the girls decided to get some tattoos, which you can see in the pictures. Jadyn chose a dinosaur and for some reason Riley chose a parrot...who knows why she chose this. The rest of the day was spent checking out the animals and just having fun hanging out with the cousins. We all had a great day and Riley was supposed to continue the fun with a sleepover, but chickened out at the last minute. It was a still a great day though and we even ran into Grammy and Papa Bruce. They are volunteers at the zoo on Wednesday afternoons and they were hard at work. It was a nice treat to get to see them as well. Thanks for a great day Granny and the Gurley's!!

Here are few more pictures from Riley's actual birthday too. We clebrated throughout the day with her. First it was a candle on her pancakes and breakfast and these pictures are from her cupcake with candle after dinner. She was enjoying all the candle times. She is getting very good at blowing them out. There are also a few of her on the phone with Kelsey. She looked too grown up on the phone and I just could not resist. I think we are in for it when she becomes a teenager:)

First Sleepover

A few weeks ago, Riley slept over at Jadyn's. Ever since she keeps talking about how Jadyn would sleep here. Last night was the big night and what a blast they had! We brought the tent up and they slept in the tent in her bedroom. They talked and giggled for a long time. (We were getting ready to go to bed oursleves and they were just finally winding down.) But they finally went to sleep and then had a great day playing today before it was time to part ways. It is great for Riley to have a cousin so close in age.

Happy Birthday Riley!!!

Happy Birthday to our little girl, who turns 3 today!!! It seems like just yesterday that we had her. She joined us at 20 inches and just 5 lbs. 9 oz. In case you forgot, here is what she looked like shortly after officially joining the family.

What joy she has brought us over these 3 years. It is hard to imagine what our lives would be like without her. She makes each day so much more fun and exciting. And the things that she says are so amusing! Yesterday, we had a little party for her birthday. With Riley's love of monkeys, we decided to make it a monkey party. There was a monkey cake (made by Grammy herself and oh so fabulous!), a monkey pinata, balloon, and a whole lot of monkey business. It was a great day shared with family and special friends. The kids had a blast all playing together. The highlight may have been watching how much fun they had trying to bust the pinata! We figured it would be broken open in no time, but it held on forever. It was a great day for Riley to celebrate with those who are special to her as she turned 3!

Cosley Zoo

On Friday, we headed to a little zoo in Wheaten with Granny (Mike's mom). It was called Cosley Zoo and they had a lot of native animals to the area and some domestic animals as well. Most of the wild animals were rescues that could not live in the wild. We stopped at McDonald's...at Riley's request...and started our time with a picnic lunch. Then we walked around the zoo checking everything out. Yes even Riley walked the whole time. She said she did not need a stroller...she is almost 3 you know! It was a great way to spend the day and it was a nice way to celebrate the first sunny day of the week. Thanks to Granny for the great day!

Rain Rain Go Away....

Anyone living in Illinois knows just how nasty the weather this week has been. With chilly temps and the threat of rain almost everyday, this week has been very yucky. Today started out much the same. When Riley woke me up, she said "Mommy it's raining again! How are we going to take Diesel on his walk?" And rain it did just about all day long. Sorry Diesel, no walk. We made the best of the day though and Riley got the bright idea to do some fingerpainting. Just a few pics to share of her time painting. It never lasts long...she is always ready to be "cleaned up". Such a little princess when it comes to getting messy. She even asked for a paper towel halfway through. She had fun anyway and wrapped up the photo session wearing my sunglasses. I certainly didn't need them today.

Family Bounce

Riley had been asking almost daily to go to Bouncetown, so today she got her wish. It was a great day to go too. It was not too crowded and she had free run of 2 rooms. I am not going to lie, Mom and Dad also had a fun time jumping around and climbing. Mike still wants to get her one for her birthday party:) It was a great way to spend a rainy day as a family. (Great exercise too!)

Shattered by R.I.L.E.Y.

One of the songs that this site plays is Shattered by O.A.R. Riley likes this song and sometimes sings the chorus part. When I was getting the mail, I could hear her singing all the way down by the mailbox. She continued singing, so I figured I would try and capture it. Many of you enjoyed when she sang Katy Perry and the Subway commercial, so I thought you may like to see this rendition too. It is complete with her train horn and wearing her big sparkly rings. I think it will speak for itself when you see it. (Don't forget to pause the music and check out the real song at the bottom if you like too.)

We can fix it right!!

Today we had our very own handy helper....Handy Riley! Mike noticed that 2 of the stakes for the swingset were a little loose, so he decided to replace them. With any job around the house there always is a little helper. Riley turned out to be a big help on this project. She helped Mike pound in the stakes and was a natural pro with the ratchet. The moment was too cute not to video tape. We hope you enjoy seeing her in action. (Remember to make sure your sound is on. Also before watching, go to the bottom and pause the music, so you can hear the video and not the background music.)

4 Generations at the Zoo

Yesterday, Riley and I spent out first official day of summer vacation at the zoo. We were joined by Grammy, Papa Bruce, Nana, and Papa T. It was a great addition to the trip to have Nana and Papa T with us. We started off our day with a tram ride. It was Riley's first and was a great way for Nana and Papa T to get to see the zoo. Then we took some time to see some of the other animals and enjoy each others company. Riley was in charge of picking what we got to see, so here is what she chose: penguins, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, bears, and the goats. And what would a trip to the zoo be without some souvenirs?! When the grandparents and great grandparents were ready to leave, Riley still was not so we had a little mommy daughter trip to the children's zoo. We got to see all the domestic animals up close and she even pet the goats. She was very interested in knowing what all their names were. What a great day we had and what a wonderful way to start off the summer!

GymQuest with Daddy

As many of you know, Mike has been off on Mondays and Riley stays home with him. Each Monday they do something special, just the two of them. Since it was supposed to rain today Mike wanted to find something inside for them to do. Bouncetown was not open, so luckily GymQuest was. (This is an indoor gymnastics place that I had taken Riley to over Spring Break.) After a relaxing morning they went to the library, lunch, and then headed off to GymQuest. As you will see from the pictures, they had a blast! Riley was much more adventurous this time and there were only two other kids there. (I guess the key is to go to the open gym during nap time.) This time she tried the balance beam and some of the other apparatuses. I have yet to talk to her.....she is still napping after her fun day...but I bet she will say how much fun they had! Lucky for me this is my last Monday of work until August, but I guess I am going to have to make myself scarce on Mondays so this special time they have together can continue....or maybe we will just have more fun family time together.

Mom, your car is dirty!

Today I decided that it was time to get all the bugs and grime off of the car. And since it was such a nice day, I decided to do it myself on the driveway (Mike and Riley also came out to help). Riley had the best outfit on and was having such a blast, that I just could not resist getting the camera to capture the moment. To give you a visual while you are waiting for the pictures to load....she was wearing a dress, rain boots, and sunglasses...all while manning the hose! The joys of a 3 year old dressing themselves!!!! Hope this brings a smile to everyone. Riley is our little ray of sunshine that brings us such happiness each and everyday!!!! What would we do without her??

Happy Birthday Eli!

Yesterday we headed to Shannon and Mike's new house to celebrate Eli's 1st Birthday. Everyone had a great time and we all enjoyed seeing their new beautiful house. We had a delicious lunch, yummy cake, and lots of time to talk. Eli enjoyed eating his cake, especially the frosting. It was a great day.

Shannon and Mike had their swingset moved, but their new backyard was not exactly flat where the swingset was. After cake, all the men put on their shoes and went out to "brace" the swingset. It was very entertaining for the women and I could not resist trying to capture the amusement on film. You can see them lifting the swingset, although the pictures do not do it justice. It was also amusing when Uncle Mike and Papa Larry went to the garge to cut the 4x4. Fun for all of us at the party, but I guess this is just something you had to be there for.

Riley was having such a good time that she did not want to leave.....so she didn't ! Shannon invited her to stay for a sleepover and the girls had a blast!! They camped out in the family room and it sounds like they did not want to part ways today either. The girls are all ready for the next one and Riley is planning on having Jadyn stay after her birthday party. Guess we will just have to see...

First Swim of the Year

Today we ventured out for our first swim trip of the year. We went to Mike's friend Tony's house to enjoy their new pool. And for all of you wondering, yes it was heated. Riley and Mike had a blast swimming, as for me, I enjoyed the pool in a chair on the deck. Riley is a regular fish. She was in the water all day and was not afraid of the big slide, as you can see in the pictures. She even went under a few times and did not seem to care. She had the natural instinct to hold her breath even when she went under after coming down the slide. I guess we are going to have a lot of trips to the pool in our future. I cannot believe how grown up she is getting. The first few pictures are from before we left and she even let me put in a ponytail...that really made her look so grown up! Hard to believe that she will be 3 in just a few weeks. Where does the time go? As for me, I am looking forward to summer vacation and being home to enjoy her everyday. My last day is June 3rd and I cannot wait!!!

Sorry

Yes, we are all still alive and kicking! Sorry that I have not updated lately but our modem broke and we have had a heck of a time replacing it. Who knew that they only sold one brand of modem that we could use, that only one company sells, yet they did not even know they had it? Oh well...back in business now. We have not done anything exciting lately, except play outside. I am ready for summer break and the crazy's which have turned into life to hopefully calm down. Come on June 3rd!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all! Hope all the mom's in our lives have a wonderful and relaxing day. We are off to dinner in a little bit with Mike's mom and sister (and all the rest of the respective families). I am very excited for a yummy meal:) And thanks mom for being such a great mom and to Riley for letting me be her mommy...well not like she has a choice:)

What a difference 3 years make!

On Monday, Mike took Riley to the doctor for a checkup. She needed a physical for daycare, so we went a little early, but luckily this can also count for her 3 year checkup. She was 30 pounds and 37 inches. She is doing well and now will not have to go back until she is 4. She really has changed over the past (almost) 3 years. Quite a difference from the 5lb.9 oz. and 20 inch bundle of joy that she joined our family as. She keeps us busy. She has a fabulous memory and a nack for singing. She also keeps us laughing daily with the things that she says. Kids....gotta love em!

Stay Tuned.....

For all of you who check my page without my email reminders, I just wanted to say that we are still alive. Sorry I have not updated lately, but honestly we have been very boring. The highlight of our weekend so far is Riley and me taking Diesel to the vet for his annual check up. He weighed in at a whopping 99 pounds! Guess who is going on a diet?? Then he got a lot of shots and the full work up since he may be almost 7...wow. He was not a puppy when we got him and we will have had him for 5years on the 30th. I promise that we will have exiciting things to blog about soon. One of these days the weather will stay nice and we will get outside. And summer is coming!!!! Last I counted, it is less than 30 days of work (maybe 27 now)....who is jealous?????

Happy Easter!!

What better way to wake up then to the sounds of an Easter egg filled with change rattling in your ear? No way, if you see the smile that accompanies the jangling! This is exactly the way that we woke up today when Riley found some of the hidden treasures on the way to our room. Last night the Easter bunny hid some more eggs around our house. Riley started her day by finding all of them, checking out her Easter basket, and then checking out what was inside. If you were to ask this almost 3 year old if there were any better way to start off a day, I bet she would say "NO". Here is to a great Easter (and Passover) to all!

Easter Egg Hunt

Yesterday we took Riley to an Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by our church. Riley had a great time getting all the eggs to put in her basket. With all the kids there, the hunt took a total of 3 minutes. Yes, you heard me right, just 3 minutes. After hunting, Riley got a chance to see the Easter bunny and then check out what she got in her eggs. She had so much fun, that this may have to be an annual trip.