Pumpkins, Pumpkins and more Pumpkins

It is that time of the year again where the leaves start falling, the weather gets cooler and you guessed it...we get together with Aunt Jenny, Uncle Mike and Tristan to have our annual pumpkin painting contest. We were lucky this year, we had plenty of pumpkins to choose from to paint and did not have to go out and buy any. My father grew some in his garden and brought some over in July with all of our names on each pumpkin. We were super excited to get them, thought it was very thoughtful of him and we especially liked that he wrote our names on the pumpkins. Surprisingly, they lasted through the summer and made it to October without rotting. Bob also grew pumpkins in his garden and produced a total of 3. One for Isabella, Baby G and myself. I think we may have had four, but it's quite possible I could have accidently ran it over with the John Deere. Isabella enjoyed picking her pumpkin out of the garden and so did I. There are a few pictures of us snipping our pumpkin out of the garden. This weekend all of us painted our pumpkins. Once we are done, we post the photo on facebook and ask our friends and family to vote for their favorite. The winner receives a prize : ) Something fun that we all do together and the kids love the opportunity to play. Bob and I have been carving/painting pumpkins for 9 years now. We started this tradition together when we were dating. We have a few pumpkins leftover, so I think the Vail family may have a carving contest next. I can just picture Giselle throwing the guts of the pumpkin at her sister now as she carves......she is spiteful like that. Enjoy the pictures.......

A Weekend In St. Joseph, Michigan

Last weekend, we went away with our friends, Eric and Sharon and rented a house on the beach in St. Joseph, Michigan. It was a perfect getaway for our four kids and what made it even better was that it rained the entire weekend. I don't know about you, but when the weather is nice and the sun is shining, we just wanna rock it out. BUT when it's raining, it gives you a reason to RELAX and ENJOY. We played board games. We read stories. We made smores. We built forts inside. We had cooking competitions in the kitchen. We took naps. We built fires, only to be put out by the rain. We visited the beach. For all of 10 minutes until we all got soaked in a downpour. All in all, we had fun, created memories, laughed and relaxed. What more can you ask for?

I Pledge Of Allegiance by Giselle

Soccer Shots

Isabella and Giselle now play soccer! Practice is once a week and the games are on Saturday for the next 7 weeks! Check out the photos of the girls having fun.....

September 6, 2013 - HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY ISABELLA MARIE

Isabella celebrated her 5th birthday with friends and family! On Friday, her actual birthday, grandma chug and grandpa dale came over and showered her with HUGS and KISSES! We spent the day playing and then took her out to dinner. On Saturday, we had a party at the Kohl's Children's Museum, in which her friends from school and cousin came to celebrate with her. HELLO KITTY was the theme and our cousin Lynn made a super special "Hello Kitty, Rainbow Sparkle" cake for her. Check out the inside of this cake! I sent a picture to her, and she made the cake better than a bakery! And BOY was it DELICIOUS! Isabella is growing before our eyes....into a beautiful, young lady......

The Door County Getaway

Framed by 300 miles of scenic shoreline, Door County offers seaside experiences in the heart of the Midwest. For the weekend, we rented a house on the lake and got away from the hustle and bustle. We stopped to smell the "roses" and left our cell phones behind. No internet. No phone. No t.v. But you can bet I brought the tunes because you gotta have music! The girls and Baxie had a great time once they found their groove. We painted, roasted marshmallows, visited a farm, created glass crafts at a marina fest, ate lots of cheese curds that squeaked between our teeth, fed baby goats out of a bottle and played at a park. Most importantly, we enjoyed one another's company as a family and RELAXED. We hope you all RELAXED TOO......

Happy 9th Birthday Baxter Allen

9 years ago today, Bob and I walked into a pet shop when we were dating and decided to pick out a puppy. Out the door we went, with a beautiful yorkie/doxie mix and we decided to name him Baxter Allen. In his first year, he chewed up all of our favorite furniture but we still loved him. Bob worked closest to our home at 9th and Wabash, so he would walk home on his lunch hour to take Baxie for a walk. After work, Bob and I would walk him around Grant park in Chicago and just enjoy the beautiful Chicago nights off of the lake front. Fast forward 9 years later. Baxie has two new friends, Isabella Marie and Giselle Eloise. He has, and always will be a LOYAL, LOVING dog. TO ALL OF US. CHEERS to you BAXTER ALLEN!! May we continue creating memories and sharing LOTS of SMILES! Now go ahead and BLOW OUT YOUR CAKE BIG GUY!! YOU deserve it on your special day. XOXXOXOX