Go Bears!

Mommy and Daddy got to check out a preseason Bears game on one of the hottest days of the year!  Which also happened to be Papa's birthday (Happy Birthday Papa!)  Our friends Steve and Erin hooked us up with great seats and we got to squeeze in a quick tailgate too.  We're practicing for the real thing December 4th.

Great reenactment with black eye and all.  Too bad the real story wasn't this dramatic.  Our friend took a tumble while going for a run one morning...the concrete won that battle.

Tailgate parking lot...great view of the city.

Great seats!

My Lucy even got in on the action before the babysitter arrived.  She had fun running around in Mommy's shirt...

Touchdown!

And for the record, the Bears won :)  Beat the Cleveland Browns 24 to 14.

Birthday Beach Day

These two photographs make me tear up.  A special memory for me...my baby on her tip toes with her Daddy by the shore.

For my birthday, all wishes were granted.  We went to the beach!  We stopped at the Evanston Farmer's Market on the way, and it was packed with people and produce (it does pay to get there early).  Daddy surprised me with a petite cupcake for breakfast :)  And we tried bacon donuts!  (Best of both worlds :) but not an everyday item.)  The weather was gorgeous the entire weekend.  We brought lunch with us and spent the early afternoon there.

The funniest thing we discovered is that Lucy has an aversion to sand at this point in her life.  Maybe next year will go more smoothly, but at least we didn't have to spend the entire time chasing after her...she wouldn't leave the blanket!  She also wouldn't put her feet down...too funny.

High Fives are her new favorite thing!

It was an amazing day.  Proof that Daddy loves Mommy :)  Lucy napped in the car after we left the beach and we drove around the area enjoying coffee in the car.  It was a fantastic day.  And yet again, Daddy made mussels and shucked oysters for us to enjoy together once Lucy was asleep.  A perfect end to a perfect day.

Watermelon

She's slowly learning to like watermelon.  I think she has more fun turning it around and pretending to bite the rind.  She laughs every time...I know she's looking for my reaction.

Every other night I let her practice with a real cup.  She still insists on trying to put her hand in the water, drop pieces of food in it, or pour it down the front of her bib.  It's a fun game as you can see.

Girl's Weekend

Lucy is 18 months old, but I have never spent a night apart from her.  Ever.  This weekend was the very first time I was away, but it was SO worth it.  Lucy got to have Daddy Daughter weekend (spent at a BBQ, a walk with her new wagon, a trip to the hardware store and furniture store, and lunch out...none of which I really have pictures of, but Jay seemed pretty satisfied with getting to spend some quality alone time with her...so sweet).

And I was incredibly refreshed getting to spend the Saturday and Sunday in Lakeside, Mi (just north of New Buffalo) at a cottage with my best girlfriends.  No kids, no babies, just us girls.  The kind of friends you can be apart from for one week or one year, and still pick up where you left off.   It was long overdue, for all of us.  We had some drinks, cooked, played some games, read magazines, swam in the lake, laid on the beach, walked around town, and laughed a lot.  It was just what Mommy needed.

Albion lasagna dinner (made with love by Heather B)

Hilary striking quite the silly pose for my shutter happy self.  She's so silly.

Juli and Heather making Mojitos!

Have already forgotten why the dancing started (not due to alcohol, but Mommy brain), but I think it had something to do with Dolly Parton's song "Jolene"

Spent the night on the beach star gazing (with 'eyes closed' in this picture).  Heather and Ang actually went swimming that night!

We had a gorgeous second day at the beach!  Got plenty of sun, but also fought off our "stalker".  I love all animals, but man I hate birds.  Check him out, trying to be stealth and sneak up ever so slowly on us to steal our food.  He eventually had all of his buddies around us and got waaaay too close for comfort (a few feet away), so I had to throw down...

The outside of our cottage below.  Quaint and clean,  it's all we needed.  What a fantastic weekend.  Best birthday gift ever.  I have quite the special husband to give me the opportunity to take off for an entire weekend to go play.  I am SO lucky.