Zoo Junkies

One of the things I will miss most about summer break are our frequent trips to the zoo. The girls and I love to go a couple times a week. Each time we go, we seem to do something different. Today we met Alicia and Elijah and did pony rides and the Carousel. Delanie preferred the ponies on the Carousel instead of the live version!

Twin Talk

As stated in previous post(s), my girls are obsessed with the Cranley twins. There were some twins at another table in the restaurant where we ate lunch today and I didn't even mention them to the girls. As soon as we got in the car, Emme states, "Mom, I saw some twins at lunch today".

At least 5 times a day, the girls and I have a conversation like this:
"Mommy, do you have a baby in your belly?"
"No, Delanie/Emme, I don't"
"Auntie Sarah?"
"Yes, Delanie/Emme, Auntie Sarah has twins in her belly."
"Tessa, Max?"
"Yes, Delanie/Emme, their names are Tessa and Max."
"Uncle Duke?"
"No, Delanie/Emme, Uncle Duke doesn't have babies in his belly either."

REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT.......

Did I say mention how excited our family is for these babies to get here???

Who doesn't love a good mexcian statue?

*Hint: mouths are full of the gumballs they sell at the register.

It's a doggy dog world

I swear I intervened after taking this picture.

Will work for smores...

Jason and I aren't above bribery. We used the promise of pizza and smores to bribe some friends to help us with our deck project. Our great friends and neighbors, Brad and Lindsey, were a huge help. We also conned Steph, Heather and Ben into helping for a little gooey goodness.

***Crazy to enjoy a firepit in the middle of July, huh? ***

Weekend Warriors

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This weekend I felt like we should have been on the show, "Weekend Warriors". We hadn't touched our deck since we bought the house and it needed some major TLC. Originally when we talked about the project, we were going to replace all the deck boards. After some budget considerations and for the sake of time, we decided to do some power washing and only replace boards that were splintered or weak. We also reconfigured the layout, adding another exit to the yard, a couple planters and two benches. My favorite part of the new look is the black aluminum balusters that replaced the wood spindles. We still have some more power washing to do, will stain the wood in a few weeks, and I have decided to make some cushions for the benches, but I am loving the new look!

Holy Cow!!

On our way home from Chicago today, we promised the girls a visit to Fair Oaks Farm. We have passed it many times on our way to/from Chicago, but have never stopped before today. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was great. I would totally recommend it. We took a bus tour of the barns and milking barn, had some of the farm's own ice cream and saw the live birth of a calf. We will definitely go back soon.

The Oskay Girls meet Grayson and Lillian Mowrey

We spent a few hours today before we left the city with Sarah's parents and her brother and his family. We couldn't miss the opportunity for the girls to meet Grayson and Lillian (Sarah's nephew and niece). Grayson and the girls played like maniacs for a few hours. I just wish we lived closer, they would be great buddies. Then again, there is that minor detail about him being a Pittsburgh Steerler fan....

Party Time for the Twins

Saturday was the baby shower for the Cranley twins. Thank you to Alison and Shannon for helping me host the event. We had the shower at PJ Clarke's in Lincoln Park and they did a great job. The room was perfect, the food was great, the service excellent. It was a great day to celebrate two of the luckiest babies I know. I cannot wait to meet them.

As you can see from the pictures, I allowed Emme and Delanie to attend the shower with me, as they too are so excited about their new friends. They did well for the most part and loved helping Auntie Sarah open her gifts. They kept asking, "when are the babies coming out"...isn't that the magic question?

We've got friends in New Houses

Two sets of our good friends recently moved from their condos downtown Chicago to close suburbs. We had the chance to visit both new houses this weekend while we were in town for the baby shower celebrating the Cranley twins. The Hunt's, who moved into their new home just a week ago, were gracious enough to let us stay both Friday and Saturday nights. Their house is in Glen Ellyn and is just beautiful. They have a basement that Jason is envious of, a great yard and neighborhood and the house has tons of character. The girls favorite thing about the house was one of its occupants: Ethan Hunt. They would not leave him alone! Above are some pics of our visit.

Our other good friends, the Gibsons, moved about a month ago to Elmhurst. They bought a great house, just minutes from the train. They have been hard at work painting, stripping wallpaper, landscaping, etc. I can't wait to see how the house progresses as they continue to put their finishing touches on it.

Congrats and welcome to homeownership, friends.