This past weekend, August 27 and 28th, we went to Springfield! We visited the Scheels store - it had quite a reputation. Who knew they could fit a Ferris wheel in an otherwise basic sports store?? Well, it was the first time for Matt and Jackie - Gracie and Tyler had already "been there, done that" - which is not to say they weren't beside themselves with excitement over the prospect of riding the wheel again!

The Ferris Wheel!!!!!!!!















Aunt Danielle took Gracie on!!

And Tyler got to ride with his Aunt Michelle :)

I had to add these - the kids are too funny, and Gracie loves to use Charlie as a pillow/footrest!

Tyler *LOVES* his new Bears hat from Grandma and Grandpa - he is the "good guy" and wears it backwards, of course!

The First Day....Getting Off the Bus!

Gracie learns to ride a 2-wheeler

Sunday, August 14th, the baby wheels came off......

Gracie: Doing an impersonation from RANGO

she needs to get into acting :)

June..July... where have you gone???

The story of June and July... using my favorite medium...PICTURES!!

Here is Tyler at the American English show, July 1 in Lisle. He is turning into the goofiest kid!!

We are a Beatle-Loving, Crazy-Dancing, Happy-in-love family!!! (note even little Sophia is getting into the music!!)

Below here we have silly kitty-cat Gracie and her newfound BFF, Liz Todd. Yep, Liz, I posted this one here as well!!!!!! A-hahahahaaha!!!

Hey! Look! It is our new famly portrait!! how we all have changed in the past year.. here, let me go get LAST year's photo and stick it in here for comparison purposes (because no one reads this blog but me, I can do what I want :) )

~~~~~~~~~2010~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~2011~~~~~~

And...we have here... the love of my life. Happiest parents on the block... 'Nuff said!

Okay, so, in the next few days, when i am *not* doing Payroll, i will further update the blog. I have been inspired by a friend of mine that updates a wonderful family blog in a much more timely manner...and she even gives weather updates and has made me interested in visiting Minnesota :-) Life's a garden - DIG IT!!! :)

.

May 9th, 2011: just fun at home

me and Tyler... he is so good at taking pictures with me :)


She says to me "see? i'm going to be a doctor - give me your belly so I can look at it." SCARY!! hahahaahahaha!!!



The 2 ham-bones ...no one likes getting pictures taken like my 2 gorgeous kiddos!!

The backyard is their paradise .....

Gracie and Tyler love to roll down the "hill" behind our house.... they will be out there for hours!

Cute Videos...

Gracie and Tyler, playing outside on Saturday, March 12.

Get Better Soon Danielle!!!!!!!!!!

A photo tribute to our favorite Missouri girl...

Keep smiling Danielle - we are all pulling for you!!!!!!!!!!!

Get that sassy attitude out and tell those docs to make it right!!

More photos from our Feb 5th sledding extravaganza!! These loaded to the site in backwards chronological order.... boo. Moving on...



Here is Gracie, probably right after she almost slid into that tree there...see Video # 2 below! ha!

Matt and Tyler heading down the hill.... i tried to make it easy to see them!

Matt and Tyler, right before the preceding picture!! How adorable are they!?!? Tyler INSISTED on going with Daddy 9/10 times. Apparently, Daddy is the fun one...or he goes faster... or it's because Daddy will pull him back UP the hill, whereas Mommy makes him walk! :)

Before we left for the hill, we spent some time at Grandma's in Lisle. Tyler is a BIG FAN of helping Uncle Dave shovel!! Luckily, Grandma picked up 2 Tyler-Gracie-Sized shovels just for this activity.

And, here is Matt and Gracie exploring the (really gross) sewage pipe under the bridge. They didn't get very far ;-)

Matt - about to sled down the side of the hill - yes, towards the very frozen creek!!! HAHAHA!

My Gracie, doin' a snow angel.........

Me and Tyler, because he likes self-portraits as much as his mother does ;o

Outside Grandma's house in Lisle!
Posing for her mommy...

In all, it has been a VERY snowy February, and I can't say that I am complaining about that at all! Might as well snow... better than it being frigid out there... oh wait, today is Feb 9th, and the high is somewhere around 0 (that is a ZERO), with wind chills around -15 or so. BRRRR!! Give me the blizzard back!!!!!

j.

February 5th Sledding Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Video:

Matt and Tyler head down the hill!!

Video ONE

Video Two: Gracie sledding down the side of the hill, almost hits the TREE!!!!!!!!!! AHHHH!!

Video TWO.

Pictures to come in next post!!

We are at the Lisle Park District hill, where we went to see American English at the Fourth of July. Looks kinda different now,eh? :)

Til next time..

Jackie

Blizzard 2011 - Videos!