Good Times on the Patio

My parents' patio has changed aesthetically many times over the years, but the good feeling I get from spending time out there is the same as ever :0)

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Dad grilling:

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Mom hostessing:

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Nowadays, my fun on the patio includes watching Hunter hang out too! (here he is facing off with great-uncle Tom!)

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This has to be one of my all-time favorite pictures. Hunter got ahold of my old catcher's mask from my softball days, and thought it would make a great hockey mask. You know what? It really did.

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On our last night there, we roasted giant marshmallows on the backyard fire-pit:

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Good times were had by all during our trip to Lombard, thanks for having us, Mom and Dad :o)

Bear Down, Chicago Bears

While in Chicago, we had an unexpected opportunity to go to a Bears pre-season game. We jumped at the chance, and had an amazing time with great friends!

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Here is Hunter riding on my dad's shoulders - up in front is our good family friend Anne, season ticket holder since 1981 and purveyor of the evening's tickets. Next to Anne is another great family friend Eric (his wife, Rachel, was next to me :o)

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Hanging out waiting for the game to start, I love this picture!

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Hunter, enjoying his very first Bratwurst! (It was a huge hit, and he continued to eat brats during the rest of our visit to Chicago!)

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Gorgeous view of Lake Michigan and the Shedd Aquarium

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Hunter, watching practice and making his 'Urlacher face'!

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Cutler to Knox ... TOUCHDOWN BEARS!!!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Okay, so we're not leaving, we've already been here for a week, but you get the idea :o)

Last Thursday, I traveled from Monterey to San Jose to Los Angeles to Chicago, with both kids and no Justin... it was an adventure I had been really, really nervous about!

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However, my kids are awesome. No, seriously!

Our good friend and neighbor Maria, and her lovely daughter Miriam, drove us to San Jose on Thursday morning:

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Maria waited at the curb with the kiddos while I checked our bags (thank you Southwest, for not charging for bags). After we were all set, I went and grabbed Hunter and Morgan and we were on our way. Upon entering the airport, I witnessed this:

He is such a little man, I love it!!

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We made our way through security without any issues, although there was a brief moment where Hunter wasn't sure if he was getting his shoes back - once I explained the process he was quite relieved :o)

On our first flight (San Jose to Los Angeles), it was only half full. Even though I didn't have a ticket for Morgan, they let me bring her on in her infant carrier. So the three of us had our nice little row and enjoyed the quick, 1 hour flight.

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We had about a two hour layover in Los Angeles, but as usual, Hunter was super patient! This flight was jam-packed, so I carried Morgan in my lovey-duds wrap . This worked beautifully, because Hunter got to sit by the window and watch movies, while I sat in the middle with Morgan sleeping soundly on my chest. Because of this set up, I actually dozed off for a bit, and then READ A BOOK! It was amazing...

Morgan got upset as we descended into Chicago, I'm guessing it was her ears. Other than those twenty minutes or so, the trip could not have gone more smoothly.

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Did I mention that my kids are AWESOME???

Soccer and Swimming

We have been very busy these last few weeks between having started Kindergarten, Hunter's swimming lessons, and Justin's soccer games, it seems we are always on the go. On Thursday night, I finally remembered to throw the camera in the diaper bag, and caught a few cute shots of Hunter hanging out at the Marines' bench during the soccer game:

Willow!

We feel so blessed to have had our awesome sister-in-law Willow come and stay with us for a few weeks when Morgan was born. Willow arrived a few days before the induction, and stayed for about a week and a half after that. We were completely spoiled during that time, as she prepared all of our meals, kept Hunter entertained, and even did the laundry! On top of all that, she acted as our official family photographer. She captured so many precious moments in that first week - here are some of my favorites:

This was taken as Justin and I were headed to the hospital:

Hunter's first glimpse of his baby sister:

Priceless:

Thank you, Willow, we are forever grateful!!

Six Weeks!

I can't believe we are here at six weeks old already! Morgan is doing great, she's grown 3 inches and put on just shy of 3 lbs since her birth. She is growing and changing so much every day! We are enjoying more and more social interaction each day, including coos, and lots of smiles!

Backtracking a bit -

Ran out of time to make this post before we headed out for 4th of July weekend!

On June 26th, when Morgan was about two weeks old, my mom and dad were able to come out for a weekend visit. It was a quick one, but so much fun none the less!

Sunday morning, we went out the the farmers market for a Monterey favorite - pluots! After that we headed to the pool so that Hunter could show off his new swimming skills for Grandma and Pappa.

On Sunday evening, my mom made pot roast, the same homemade meal she made for me right after Hunter was born. Pot roast is just one of those things that tastes better when your mom cooks it!

On Monday, while Justin was in school, the rest of us went out to the Dennis the Menace park. In the afternoon, my mom and dad took Hunter to see a matinee of Toy Story 3. Monday evening, we all headed over to the Monterey Sports Center to watch Hunter's swim lesson, followed by a trip to McDonald's for dessert (Hunter's choice :o)

While my dad was able to stay until Thursday, my mom had to head back to Chicago on Tuesday morning, but we took some great pictures before she left:

On Wednesday evening, my dad, the kids, and I went to watch Justin's soccer game, and then to Hunter's swim lesson. Afterwards, we headed out to Moss Landing to check out a seafood restaurant my dad had spotted on his drive down to Monterey. This turned out to be an amazing find! Great seafood, right on the water, in a quiet spot far away from the more touristy cannery row and fisherman's wharf!

Thursday morning it was time for my dad to head home. While we always wish their visits could last longer, we are so glad that they were able to make the trip to help us celebrate our newest little addition!