Navy Pier and special lunch

Last weekend, we took the kids to Navy Pier for the first time. We only had about an hour, but it was a blast!

 We took them on the big ferris wheel and saw a beautiful view of the city on a gorgeous, sunny summer day.

 Then, we went to The Quay restaurant nearby to meet Taylor's fiancee's family.  It was great meeting Jess' parents, brother, and sister-in-law.

 We then took the kids to see Taylor and Jess' apartment in the city.

 We ended our downtown outing with a quick visit to the condo I used to live in and where Kevin proposed to me 10 years ago!

Jelly Belly Factory and Libertyville Days

We had a fun outing last Friday and went to the Jelly Belly Factory for a tour and tasting with the kids' Godmother Erica, Erica's mom, and God sisters Eva and Sofia.

The kids loved tasting all the different flavors at the tasting station.  They even had gross flavors that they thought were hysterical - like soap, boogers, vomit, and dog food. Yuck!

From there, we went to the Libertyville Days carnival and the kids got to go on a few fun rides.  What a great day for everyone!

Father-Son Building Project

A few weeks ago, Kevin and Clayton did their first Father-Son building workshop at Lowes.  They built a simple wooden airplane.  He was SO excited and so proud of his work!

Girls Day out!

I got to have a much anticipated "Girls Day Out" at the Cubs game with Erica, Adri, and Vayram. We ended our day with Lou Malnati's deep dish and Molly's cupcakes. Delish!

Farm Party

We were very fortunate to attend the Crown Farm party again this year.
                                  


My little southern belle







They LOVED feeding the cows...

...munching on popcorn

 jumping and climbing on the inflatables...

riding the horses...

 eating delicious ribs, corn, and cookies...

 ...and ice cream too.

 And Miss Sienna stole the show with her cuteness!

Thank you Crown family, Aunt Meredith, Caroline & Keat, and all the others that allowed us to join in the fun!

Planting Attempt of 2012

The vegetables we planted last year were a dismal failure. We yielded about 5 green beans, 2 teeny tiny carrots, and 1 tomato.   This year, we're trying our luck at sweet potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, and basil.  Since planting involves digging in the dirt, Caroline and Clayton love it.  Austin (my only semi-clean child) did his part as well and didn't seem to mind getting dirty.

Winnetka Children's Fair

Last weekend was the Winnetka Children's Fair. My mom and I took the kids for a few fun rides. 

All the kids wanted to go on the swings that spin around. At the last moment, Austin started crying, so I quickly sat him on my lap instead.  Oh my gosh. I was dangerously close to losing my cookies.
Who would have thought that a ride on the spinning swings that 3 year olds enjoy would be too much for me! I am getting OLD!