rolling down the hill

Does this picture bring back childhood memories for anyone else? I remember my brother and I doing this over and over at my grandparents house in Palatine. It was a perfect size hill for us back then. When I saw Ty, Maia, and Laine rolling down the hill, it brought me back.

making faces

I love this face...Ty used to make it too.

(Ty-nine months)

in the big chair

I love the over-sized chair in our living room, and so does Ty. He loves to grab a blanket and his doggie, Clifford (aka "Molly") and snuggle up in it. I suppose that now is as good of a time as any to tell you about Molly, I mean Clifford.

Ty got this little, red dog (you can see it in the top picture) when he was six months old for his very first Christmas. Last summer, on our way home from vacationing in Florida, Ty and Mimi met a man and his dog, Molly, in a Wendy's parking lot. Until recently, even though it has been a bit disturbing to his daddy, Ty has affectionately called his doggie "Molly." (I thought it was sweet!) Lately, Ty has seen and read about Clifford, the big red dog, and so Molly has undergone a name change (and, apparently, a gender change, too!) :)

bubbles and the fall

Yesterday, Ty (who insisted on wearing his pajama top with his shorts) had so much fun blowing bubbles with his friend, Laine...that is, until a toy fell over the wall and he went after it. I'm not really sure what happened. I turned around for literally a second, and when I turned back around Ty was gone and the bushes were moving. So, I don't know if he just lost his balance or if he was reaching for the toy that fell. Either way, there will be no more climbing on the wall.

The injuries could have been much worse than they were. Praise God that he didn't break any bones or hit is head. I think the "bush" may have broken his fall a little bit. The bush is actually dried out and has ultra hard sticks shooting out everywhere that could act as miniature swords if fallen on at the right angle. I'm just thankful that he only has some minor scrapes and scratches. (His pajamas, on the other hand, didn't make it out so easy--the shirt now has a huge rip in the back.)

Sunday afternoon swingin'

poppa and nonna

The boys and I took a quick trip to Kentucky for a few days while Corey was in San Diego. We had lots of fun--the boys primarily chased Haley, the cat, and tried to avoid Pepper, the black lab (unless she was lying down). Drew was big enough this time to be dangerous--he would sneak around the corner and climb up the steps (without a plan to get back down, besides falling)! We had to keep an eye on him! We love you, Poppa and Nonna! It was so good to see you!

We also met up with Mimi and Grandpa for lunch on Friday at the Olive Garden to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. It was so fun to be around all four grandparents doting on their grandchildren. It was so sweet!

Saturday afternoon picnic

It was so beautiful on Saturday that we couldn't resist being outside! And Forest Park was calling our name!!! We brought our lunch, a big blanket to sit on, and a frisbee, and we had a blast! Times like that will always be my favorite memories of time spent together as a family.