As you can tell, I'm not very good at keeping our blog updated! Sorry! I spent last weekend in Chicago with my mom, sister, Aunt Marilyn, and cousins Corah and Jill -- Corah, Jill, Andrea, and I have been close since our childhood (we're all exactly one year apart), and unfortunately don't see each other as much after going separate ways since being married.
After picking up Jill from Midway on Friday night, we spent all of Saturday shopping at Woodfield Mall in Schaumberg, where we had great success with purchases! We finished off our long day of shopping with a delicious meal at the Cheesecake Factory. On Sunday, we drove into Chicago, and spent the day enjoying the beautiful weather and sights of the city. We couldn't help but admire all of the bright colored mum plants everywhere!!
I had so much fun on our shopping trip prior to my busy week of parent-teacher conferences at school -- I'm so excited that Corah and Travis will be moving to Grand Rapids, and miss Jill so much back in Louisiana! Can't wait until we get together again at Thanksgiving!
We had so much fun spending a lot of our weekend at the fair -- Saturday night, Mike, Ava, and I went through all the animal barns, visited with several people, and ate lots of junk food! Yesterday, we went to the fair again with Mike's family and experienced it all over again (which Ava, of course, didn't mind!). Though Ava and Reese were too young for most of the rides, they found entertainment in petting the animals and sitting on big tractors (you can barely see her sitting on the blue tractor in the picture!). Mike grew up being in 4-H and we hope to have our own kids participate some day!
We decided to stay around home over Labor Day weekend, rather than traveling up North to Silver Lake -- we had plans with friends and family, and I didn't really feel like packing and unpacking before going back to school! We hung out with friends at my sister and brother-in-law's cottage on Hutchen's Lake on Saturday night boating, playing cards, and playing an intense game of Badmitton (Andrea and I are the reigning champs!) On Sunday night, we had a picnic with my family at Tunnel Park. Ava's favorite thing to do with Grandpa and Grandma is ride in their wagon, so we all took turns going for walks. We had fun taking a dip in Lake Michigan, enjoying good food, and playing some Frisbee!
I'm trying to catch up on my blog, because we had to get a new camera! Here are a few highlights from the end of summer...In August, Ava and I were able to spend a fun day at the beach with some of my friends that I teach with -- Megan and her daughter Calla, Haley and her daughter Addison, and Sarah and her daughter Alaina. Haley spoiled us all by inviting us to her in-laws beautiful home on Lake Michigan, where we enjoyed watching the girls on the beach and then had lunch together. It was so nice to catch up before we begin the school year -- Haley, we miss you so much!
