The Daily Bailey-Scott,Greta,Addison & Caroline

December Happenings

2012-01-25T11:21:00.000-06:00

Here is what was going on with us in the middle of December...

I went into their room when they were supposed to be sleeping and this is what I found! They love each other so much already :)

Caroline giving Addison a ride in their new sled they both got for their birthday.

Another birthday present was a bubble machine for the bathtub. They LOVE bubbles! Here is Addison all smiles.

A new favorite activity of theirs is painting. A nice bonus for me is that they stay very clean because they don't like to get any paint on themselves so there is not much of a mess when we do this activity.

Caroline

Addison

There was a shower for Elsa and Matt at their friends place. It was a lot of fun!

Singing happy zero birthday to the baby

Predictions of the gender on the left and possible names on the right. Some of those were pretty funny.

Sisters

For the Christmas program I managed to get 2 little pigtails in both their hair! The first time!!! That only took more than 2 years!!

Gwen front and center at the Christmas program

Addison and Caroline were old enough to participate this year by just a couple weeks. Addison did not even attempt it but Caroline went up there with the teacher. You can kind of see her behind the other kid at the bottom left corner. After they finished singing "Away in the Manger" she yelled "again!" Of course, she did not sing herself but she wanted everyone else to sing it again.

This year's Christmas dresses. I was way busier with caramel orders and other stuff this year so I did not have a chance to start them until the Monday before Christmas. I was so happy to be able to finish them and I am really happy with the way they turned out.

Dress 1

Dress 2

The pattern called for a zipper and in the past I have always skipped putting the zippers in but this time, since the neckline was so high, I could not just skip it. The zipper and I had lots of issues and I did not have the time to figure it out so I put in this lace up back instead. I actually prefer it over the zipper and will keep this in mind for the future!

Caroline

Addison

Addison and Caroline Turn 2!

2012-01-14T15:31:00.001-06:00

Addison and Caroline turned 2 on December 8th. What a joy these 2 years have been! Of course, those 2 years have not been without their twists and turns but I would consider it an overall joy to know these 2 little girls. It is an incredible journey to watch kids grow up and to know that you have a profound place in their life. It melts my heart every morning to see how excited they are to see me or Scott. I love the place we are right now with them. Every day seems to bring something new. They are learning new words at an incredible speed and speaking short sentences. They are both becoming more and more silly though you really only get to see it if there are not too many people around or if we are at church on a Wednesday night. I am thankful that one of the few places that they are comfortable in is at church. Addison tends to talk in silly voices and Caroline likes to make silly faces and dances. They like to sing and while we can't always understand the words they are singing we usually know what song because they can hold a tune. They both continue to be shy which is ok. I have learned to embrace this trait and have been thankful in many public situations for it. We are so thankful and blessed that they are in our lives.

Here are some pictures from their birthday:

Breakfast

Coloring their birthday crowns. They actually loved this more than I expected.

They have been loving their frog and duck lately

Addison

They loved brushing their teeth that morning for some reason

Caroline being silly

Addison all smiles

Birthday high fives!

A dinner treat, pizza!

I included this picture because this is the evil stare that Addison give to people sometimes and I can't believe Scott captured it! It is really creepy in person!!

Cheese! (Caroline)

They loved their birthday ice cream and blowing out their candles. Well, Caroline was able to blow them out and Addison was very close a few times.

Caroline getting ready to blow the candles out.

Addison

Addison loved her ice cream.

We had a birthday party the following Saturday and here are their cakes. I want to be sure they each have their own special cake :) They did not enjoy having people sing Happy Birthday this time though :( Oh well.

Addison and Caroline with Scott at the party.

End of November

2011-12-27T13:22:00.000-06:00

This is what we were up to the second half of November and beginning of December...

Playing Ring Around the Rosie together. It is pretty humorous to watch this.

We had a fun playdate with Ainsley one morning

Addison playing dress-up

Addison

It was so great to have them over and spend some time together with our kids when it was not for a birthday party or some other get-together. Also, A & C were loving their hats for some reason that morning.

At the park playing with bubbles...they love bubbles!

Grandpa and Addison

Caroline having her baby pray. Too cute!

Addison like to help Scott with his tea

We held a Thanksgiving dinner for Scott's family the weekend before Thanksgiving because his mom was going to to be working on the actual day. An overall success for our first time hosting Thanksgiving! I felt like such a grown up :) Of course though I only took pictures of the table. Go figure.

Christmas tree shopping at Home Depot the day after Thanksgiving has become our tradition. This was the first time we brought Addison and Caroline with us and they had a great time!

The Lucia breakfast/program was at the beginning of December. I once again sold caramel at the boutique afterwards and had more success than last year!! In fact, I received so many big orders because of it that my holiday season was a bit more busy than normal this year. It was great to have more business and having people say they were looking forward to my caramels.

The Lucia program. Sonja is actually the last one there walking up to her spot. I love how much this program has grown since my days of being in the Lucia court. Fun times!

Christmas Picture Failures

2011-12-22T22:32:00.000-06:00

As you can imagine, it can take a few pictures in order to get a good one with both Addison and Caroline looking at the camera and possibly one of them smiling. I will take what I can get! The funny thing is that the picture we ended up using was a set-up that Addison and Caroline created on their own. Nothing was posed. It was just what they were doing at the time. Go figure. Here is only a fraction of the pictures we did not use.

Set-up 1: Across the street from my parents house is the community house. Behind it is this beautiful scenery. There are a lot of wedding receptions that happen back there and I can see why.

Set-up 2: Playing with leaves in my parents backyard

(we considered this one)

Set-up 3: At church in the sanctuary

(we considered this one too)

This is the set-up Addison and Caroline created.

The Winner!

Picnic with Daddy

2011-12-22T22:00:00.000-06:00

It is time to play some catch-up on this blog. I am beyond overdue! November and December have been very busy for me, for good and fun reasons, but busy nonetheless.

Scott took Addison and Caroline on a picnic lunch at the park early November. They had a great time and it gave me the alone time to get some things done. Addison and Caroline love spending time time with their dad!

Addison

Addison in back and Caroline in front

Caroline

Addison

Addison again

Addison in back and Caroline in

Halloween!

2011-11-21T21:43:00.000-06:00

We had a great Halloween this year! Addison and Caroline were hula girls. Their costumes came straight from Hawaii...thanks mom and dad! I had a whole other costume lined up and purchased but as soon my parents gave us the hula outfits I could not resist. It was a great night :) They got a lot of candy that we (mom and dad) got to enjoy :) This might be the only year that happens!

Dressed and ready to go!

Our first stop was at my Aunt and Uncle's who live just down the street from us. My cousin Jenny was there with her son Nolan. Cutest bat I've ever seen :)

Addison

This was the best picture with them. Oh well.

Next stop was Cam and Linnea's to go trick or treating. Here is Sonja as Darth Vader. It was her idea. Love it!

Gwen as a snow princess tap dancer (I think I got that right)

Naomi...can you get any cuter?

Cam as a doctor

Caroline has her bag and is ready to go!

Trick or treat

Addison had her bag like this the whole time.

I have Caroline (big surprise) and Linnea has Addison

Addison

Our last stop was my parents house to say a quick hello and to let them see Addison and Caroline in the hula costumes they got for them. I have great memories of stopping over at my grandparents house on Halloween when I was little that we had to do that as well. I love traditions :)

Goebbert's Farm 2011

2011-11-07T09:58:00.000-06:00

Last year we went to Goebbert's with Elsa but this year we went with Linnea and her girls. We went on a Wednesday and it was so much less crowded than a Friday. I still love this place and recommend it to anyone in the area. Addison and Caroline definitely enjoyed it more this year too.

Last year we skipped the giraffes because I did not want to take the stroller up there when it was so crowded but we went this year and they did not disappoint. So cool to be so up close to them!

You could buy carrot sticks to feed to them. This was as close to feeding them as Gwen and Sonja got. Addison and Caroline would not get close to them.

Their selection of animals is crazy to me. They have a lot of regular ones like deer and barn animals but then they have animals like tigers and bears. Oh my!

Kangaroos were there...obviously

Llama

Zebra of course

Exotic bird

Deers and Addison

Gwen petting the cute piglets. I would have taken one home if they let me and if they could guarantee they would stay that size.

Gwen helping Caroline get a better look at a turkey

Baby monkey

Baby yak

A cow mid "moooooooo." Addison was just to my left when I took this picture and the "moo" freaked her out! What was even better was that this cow got all the other barn animals wound up because they all started making noises including the donkey! It was comical hearing them go all at the same time.

Pony rides for Gwen and Sonja! Sonja was very excited because her pony pooped right at the end :)

Addison

These pumpkins were a foot short of Addison and Caroline

Gwen and the giant pumpkins

Leaves!

2011-11-04T17:37:00.000-05:00

Last year Addison and Caroline could care less for leaves. This year they can't get enough of them. We can't walk to the car without them picking up a handful of leaves along the way. Here are lots of pictures to show just how much they love the leaves...

Addison

Addison-------Caroline

Caroline

Addison

Squirrel eating a cheerio

Addison and Caroline LOVE squirrels

Gwen :)

Addison

Scott and Addison

Caroline

Caroline---Scott---Addison

Scott and Addison

Addison

Addison----------Caroline

I love Caroline's "cheese" smile for the camera. I think this is the best one yet!

Kisses from Caroline

Scott and Caroline

Still Scott and Caroline

Visit to Texas...Part 3

2011-10-27T15:43:00.000-05:00

Our last day we went back to New Mexico for a winery harvest festival. I was kind of surprised that there was a vineyard considering most people don't even have grass lawns. However, it is pretty green all along the Rio Grande valley so that is where the vineyard was located.

Scott and I went to Cattleman's Steakhouse for dinner that also had all these random animals around. It was interesting to walk around to see them and take in the scenery. This was also the location of some movies.

All in all, a great trip! Thanks again Bill and Mary.

Visit to Texas...Part 2

2011-10-27T12:25:00.000-05:00

After we poked around White Sands National Monument for a while we headed over to the White Sands Missile Range. This was definitely very interesting. It is crazy to read about the missiles they have created and tested here included the atomic bomb. They also did some early rocket launching from this site too.

They had a display outside of several different missiles and information about them. It really was very interesting.

The same type of casing the atomic bomb was put in that was dropped over Japan

I enjoy taking pictures of animals if you have not guessed already. I like the challenge.

This one is for you dad...a water tower. Sorry the picture is not too great because we were in the car but I thought you would like it.

Next we went to the town Mesilla, NM where Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced to death. However, he escaped. It had a very interesting "Old West" feel to the town still.

The building where his trial was held

Across the street was the jail

On our way back to the house

Driving through the mountains instead of around them this time.

The conclusion of our trip coming soon.....

Visit to Texas...Part 1

2011-10-27T11:43:00.000-05:00

Scott's dad and wife gave us a trip to their place down in El Paso, Texas as a Christmas present last year. Finally, we were able to get down there at the beginning of October. It was a great time and a nice get away from Addison and Caroline. Thank you Bill and Mary for the trip and hospitality and thanks to my family for babysitting our girls so that we could go on the trip!

Out their front door and gate

The view from their front door. Not too shabby.

The first day we took a scenic driving tour around El Paso. This was interesting to me because I have been to El Paso a couple times but always went immediately to Juarez, Mexico to build houses. It was nice to actually be in El Paso this time.

The buildings you see is downtown El Paso. Just beyond that is Juarez, Mexico. It was interesting getting this perspective because I remember being in Juarez and seeing the downtown area from where we were building. They are so close together. On the right side of the mountains you can see some writing in white. It says "CD Juarez, La Biblia es la verdad. Leela.” which translates to “Ciuadad Juarez, The Bible is the truth. Read it." It is too bad the drug cartel does not take this seriously. Instead, they are ruining the city and smuggling drugs into the U.S.

A cool building downtown El Paso

A cross on top of a mountain in Juarez

On the west side of El Paso. The mountains in the distance are in Mexico.

The second day we went to New Mexico. Our first stop was White Sands National Monument. It was very cool and interesting. Worth the trip if you are ever in the area.

We found this little guy right away

The souvenir shop

Scott and his dad

Fox prints

It was beautiful

Scott wanted to run up and down. Crazy

This is Henri, Bill and Mary's dog. He was in heaven here.

They sold sleds in the souvenir shop. It was not exactly like sledding on snow, it was a lot slower, but it still looked like fun.

Part 2 coming soon....

Kuipers Apple Orchard and Pumpkin Farm

2011-10-26T09:19:00.001-05:00

We went to Kuipers on one of our great warm October days. It was perfect and Addison and Caroline really enjoyed themselves. I have a feeling this will become an annual outing. It was worth the drive out there.

This was after an hour long wait for the tractor to take us to the orchard. I was impressed with how well they did especially because we had no snacks and nothing for them to do.
Addison-----Caroline

Finally on the tractor...Addison and Daddy

They could not wait to start eating the apples!

Daddy and Addison

Caroline

Caroline especially liked playing with the apples that were already on the ground

Caroline sometimes looked she was attacking the apple when she would take a bite.

Caroline

Addison

Caroline in back and Addison in front

Addison

Wagon ride to the pumpkin patch

Caroline looking at ducks and other animals

Addison

Sunflower

Addison loved the petting zoo. She had more confidence going up to animals and petting them. On the other hand, I was holding Caroline the whole time. She preferred the animals at a distance.

Addison going to pick out a pumpkin

Caroline

Addison

Addison----Caroline

(I can tell Addison is on the left because she walks with her left arm out and swinging...it's cute)

Caroline

Addison

Picking out their pumpkins to take home

Addison----Caroline

Addison

This was the best shot I got

Addison----Caroline

Again, this was the best one we got

Addison---me---Caroline

They loved this little maze. At first they followed each other...

...but eventually they started going their own way.

There were a lot of pictures that were either far away or had their backs turned so I thought you might be curious as to how I can tell who is who in the pictures. Most of the time I can just tell who is who based on their face, size or certain things they do like Addison's arm swinging while she walks. I also rely on my memory of taking the picture and I have become pretty good at clicking the "save" button when I take certain pictures so that I can label them correctly later. However, because of this, I have to be sure to do a post and label them pretty quickly so I don't forget. So there you go in case you were curious.

And oh yeah, here is one thing that came out of the apples, a yummy apple pie from scratch!

Da Bears, Hula Girls and More Randoms

2011-10-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

I have been procrastinating so here is a long overdue post...

These pictures were from the second home game of the season (Bears vs. Packers). I wanted to test out my camera so I took a few more pictures than normal.

Waiting in Wrigleyville for the train

Field Museum

Chicago

New spaceship stadium meets old cool stadium

My parents bought these hula outfits for them when they went to Hawaii. I am pretty sure these will be their Halloween costumes this year even though I bought something else. So cute!

Caroline....."Cheese"

Caroline in the complete outfit.....Thanks mom and dad!

They have discovered my shoes now....

"Cheese"

We randomly lost our power for 7 hours one night but fortunately, because of our wedding, we are always prepared with these great candles

Randoms

2011-10-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

Lots and lots of randoms. Since getting our new camera I have been taking a lot more pictures trying to get a better feel for the functions. Here are several pictures from home and when I babysat for Gwen, Sonja and Naomi. I just have to say, I have such great nieces and daughters. You would think just me taking care of 5 kids 5 and under (including a 4 month old) would be challenging but it really isn't. They are all such great kids and get along so well (for the most part).

Not a great one of my but I love Addison's expression

Me and my ladies :)

Caroline searching for gold!

Caroline...she looks so sweet here

Addison

I was doing a series of timer pictures with Caroline and Addison decided she wanted to get in on the action

Caroline

Caroline has recently been dancing with her arms like this and we had no idea where it came from until Gwen told us she taught her the chicken dance. Ha, too funny.

Caroline snuggles

Caroline

Addison loves to wear that particular piece of Tupperware on her head as a hat. It fits just right :)

Beautiful Sonja

Linnea and Cam have taken out some baby toys for Naomi to start exploring and Addison & Caroline have been loving them! Fortunately, they basically weigh the same as an 9-12 month old so they can still use them. Here is Addison in the jonny jump-up

Addison in the swing

Naomi now eats cereal but she makes feeding her a bit messier and longer because she puts her thumb in her mouth between each bite....Arg!!!! But very cute!

Caroline's turn in the jump-up

And Caroline in the exersaucer

Naomi is the sweetest baby you will ever meet. This is not even coming from a biased opinion (though I do have one of course). Her only flaw is that she does not take a bottle. Otherwise, she sleeps great, is very content when awake and loves to smile.

Cute boots

Naomi not only tolerates Sonja being in her face but loves it!

Addison loves to point out planes when she hears or sees them. They both have inherited my super hearing and it is proved over and over again whenever they can even pick out a plane noise when we are inside.

Caroline

Addison

Cousins :)

Sisters :)

Snack time

I absolutely LOVE this picture of Gwen.

21 Months!

2011-09-22T10:58:00.000-05:00

Addison and Caroline turned 21 months on the 8th of September. What!?! They continue to grow every day and become more and more fun to be around. Their little personalities are becoming more evident and they continue to become more silly which always gives us lots of laughs. It is such a joy for Scott and I to watch these 2 become more and more like little ladies.

At 21 months both Addison and Caroline like to talk though we still can't understand them for the most part but they do say too many real words for me to even list. They have started to put 2 words together now so they are right on track which is something I was nervous about since twins often have delayed speech. They are very good at listening to directions except when it comes to running into the street which makes us very nervous sometimes. They LOVE to swing at the park, watch Elmo (Sesame Street), read (they are a lot better at taking turns in my lap now), play with play doh (without eating it!), and just be silly whether that be through actions or different voices or laughs. After a nap you can often hear them laughing with each other as they jump in their cribs or do goofy things together like pat the other one on the head or hold hands while leaning their head backwards. They like to run after each other around our kitchen/hall circle and laugh at each other when the other one does something funny. They are really starting to have a lot of fun together. They continue to get better and better at sharing and are not hitting each other as often which means less time outs in this household lately :) They continue to stack blocks and they love taking care of their babies. They are starting to enjoy art projects more which I really appreciate and I am sure I will appreciate even more as we head into colder weather. They enjoy running after bubbles and wearing shoes. They LOVE shoes! They also like pointing out body parts, making animal noises and practicing their golf swing which daddy likes :)

They both have some things that each of them like to do individually. This is not to say that the other one does not do it at all but there seems to be more interest in one over the other. Addison LOVES playing in dirt especially if it is very fine and dry. She also likes to paint and you can often find Addison walking around with a stuffed animal. Caroline loves to dance, blow bubbles and do somersaults which can make us nervous if she decides to do one on the couch! You will often find her running all over the place. I would say she runs just as much as she walks even if she is just going 5 feet away.

That is Addison and Caroline in a nut shell right now. I am sure I have left some things out but I covered it for the most part. Overall, we are really enjoying watching our little ladies grow! Here are a few pictures of them over the last month or so (disclaimer: these were taken with the old camera)

Scott has a set of NFL helmets that they love playing with. Thanks to Grandpa, their favorite thing to do with them is put them on their ears. It is pretty cute :)

(Addison-------Caroline)

They love shoes. Even when they don't have any other clothes on they still want their shoes on! Shoes are the only thing that I always put away so that they don't see them and want to put them on. I am just afraid that their feet won't develop correctly if they wear their shoes all the time.

Watching a thunderstorm at 10:30am. It was a dark one! They still enjoy hanging out with minimal clothes on which is the very reason that I am not really teaching them how to take their clothes off. That is a skill I really don't mind if they are slow with.

This is how Addison often tells us that it is time for a nap :) Can't get any clearer than that!

Being silly with their blankets

(Caroline----Addison)

Painting! Addison loved it but Caroline basically just whined the whole time and did not know what to do with the stuff on her hands.

Caroline helping Addison out with her hat. They can be really considerate of each other sometimes.

Addison and her beloved dirt!

Addison talking on the phone. They both love talking on the phone and when asked who they are talking to they both often say "daddy" but will occasionally say "Elmo."

Climbing on a tree near our condo

(Addison-----Caroline)

Caroline

Addison

Addison in front and Caroline in back

I just threw these last couple in because I like them. Here is sweet Naomi. I don't think it is possible for her to be cuter or happier.

Cousins!

(From left: Caroline, Sonja, Addison & Gwen)

New Camera!

2011-09-21T13:56:00.000-05:00

I have had an itch to upgrade our camera for a while now so that I could take better quality and more artistic pictures. Fortunately for me, our old camera broke a couple weeks ago. Scott agreed (thank goodness) that we should do a major upgrade and after a lot of research we ended up with the Canon Rebel T2i. We just got it last night so I have not had much time with it yet but so far I am in love! This morning I took Addison and Caroline to the park and it was a perfect opportunity for me to take the camera for a test run. I stuck to the automatic functions so that I could get a feel for them. I am really am happy with how easy this camera has been to work so far and I have just scratched the surface! Here is just a selection (I took a lot of pictures) from our time to, from and at the park. Enjoy!

Chicago Air Show Through Gwen's Eyes

2011-09-19T21:52:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we went to the Air Show in Chicago and we got there just in time for the thunderbirds. We had great seats which was awesome but Sonja, Addison and Caroline would not agree. They were literally just above the tree line directly above us sometimes! I was not really able to take any pictures but Gwen was happy to fill in and take them for me. I think she did a great job! Here are just a few that she took.

Babysitting

2011-09-19T11:39:00.001-05:00

I am a little behind but a few weeks ago we had the pleasure of babysitting for our nieces Kate and Sophia. It worked out to watch them at my parents house so we also invited Gwen and Sonja over to play since they are the same age as them. They always have a good time together which is fun for Scott and I to see. So here are a few pictures from out time together.

Silly faces! Sonja is showing Sophia her silly face.

Addison

Kate and Gwen got a kick out of this

Addison

Gwen pushing Sophia and Sonja

Kate loved holding Naomi.

It was a fun day!

Family Wedding!

2011-09-01T15:33:00.000-05:00

Family weddings are the best! My cousin, Rob, got married a couple weeks ago. It was a blast. Congrats to Rob and Tosha!

My cousins

We (the family) sang the benediction

The happy couple!

Naomi all smiles of course

Silly faces :)

My parents were married in the same church 35 years ago!

The candle in memory of my Grandma

Meanwhile, Addison and Caroline were having a great time with their grandparents. Thanks again for babysitting and the great pictures!

Caroline's first corn on the cob. She did a great job!

Kisses from Henri

Playing with Grandpa Bill

Stacking blocks with Grandma Mary

They loved pushing these chairs around in the kitchen

A Day at the Races

2011-08-12T08:44:00.001-05:00

The other weekend we took Addison and Caroline to Arlington Park. We live so close we thought we would take advantage especially since you can go after 4pm and get in free! It was a good time, though it was pretty hot and humid. Addison and Caroline seemed to have a good time.

Watching the horses who just ran a race come back

Addison loved it!

Caroline on the other hand was kind of nervous to have the horses so close to her

Ready to watch the race!

Caroline had fun sitting on her own bench

Thankfully, Caroline's head did not get stuck

Addison looks so small!

Love this one!

It was a fun day at the race but hopefully the next time we go it will not be so hot!!

AFTERGLOW 2011!!!

2011-08-06T11:49:00.000-05:00

This post is overdue but I procrastinated because there are so many pictures to choose from. Enjoy Afterglow 2011!

I put everything out on the lawn before I packed it all in the van. I could not believe how much we were bringing for 1 week!

Rob caught this snake!

The first morning I peered into the trees and found these 3 baby birds nestled up together. So sweet :)

Let the frog catching begin!!! A big hit with the kids as usual.

Gwen and Addison

Caroline

Addison

Sonja showing me the frog that she (I) caught. One of the first things she would say to me every morning was "Greta, can we catch some froggies?"

Showing Addison the frog

Beach time! They had to warm up to it the first day but after that they had lots of fun. Here is Caroline.

Addison

Caroline

Addison kept creeping farther and farther into the water. This was where she stopped.

Addison is the one splashing. That is the face that they both make when they are serious about their splashing.

"Great" Scott (my uncle) caught a bass. We asked Addison if she wanted to touch it. She just smiled and then slapped it on the gill! It was funny.

Playing in the pool we brought by our cabin.

(Caroline-left, Addison-right)

Of course I added some frogs to make the pool more interesting.

Mr. Nolan. He is getting so big!!!

We went for a walk around the lake (1.6 miles) which ended up being very long because they wanted to get out of the stroller a fourth of the way in. We eventually divided them because they were the slowest when together.

Caroline Addison

Caroline watching the slick track

Addison digging in the rocks which was a favorite activity of hers that week.

Still watching the slick track

I caught a bass! Woo!

Snack time in the play house

Addison

Caroline

Scott and I were fortunate enough to be able to go to dinner at White Stag Inn. So yummy!!!

After dinner we went into town for ice cream and came across this street festival. It was fun to people watch :)

More beach time

Addison

Addison-close, Caroline-far

Gwen laying out in the sun. It starts so early!

Sonja

After a car sickness incident (one of many in the past 7 months) we decided to turn the car seats around. We have had no issues since then which certainly makes me happy!! This was a game that they started playing on our way home where they would grab each other's hand and start laughing. Good times :)

Time with Caroline

2011-06-30T22:53:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday Scott took Addison to an eye doctor to get her lazy eye and eye sensitivity checked out. Turns out she just has a muscle imbalance that we have to watch over the next couple years that is affecting both issues. However, the Dr. did not even see the lazy eye so it really is almost gone so that is good.

While Scott and Addison were gone I had the morning with just Caroline. It was great. I love the rare times when I get just one on one time with one of them. I know that having one child is hard too at times but it feels like a break to me when I have just one of them so I love these times which I can count on one hand how many times I have had them. So Caroline and I walked to the store and she walked the whole time there and back. It is only 3 blocks but that is a lot for an 18 month old and one of those blocks is really long. Then, I was probably more excited than her about this, but she got to sit in the front of the cart while shopping! She did enjoy herself though. It was a great little morning that we had at the store and at home.

We got these camping/beach chairs for Addison and Caroline which are SO cute! I can't wait to use them! They seem to love them too.

Their new fun thing to do it to hang from the table. They are pretty good at it actually.

Caroline caught me taking a picture

Caroline

I made these cupcakes for a lunch that me and my siblings did in honor of our parents 35th anniversary!!! I can't even imagine being married for that long! Fortunately, they are a great example that we have in our lives of what a loving and healthy relationship looks like. I dyed the frosting a coral color because coral is the traditional 35th anniversary gift. Happy 35th mom and dad!!!!

Babysitting

2011-06-27T20:28:00.000-05:00

The other week Scott and I had the pleasure of babysitting Gwen, Sonja and Naomi. We were Naomi's first babysitters! We had a good time with the Johnson girls as always!

Any time Gwen and Sonja come over they end up playing Mario Cart. Who can blame them!

We joke in our family about how the 3rd kid is the "perfect" child. Well, so far Naomi is fully living up to that title!!! She was a doll the whole time.

Usually the tunnels also come out when Gwen and Sonja are here. Fortunately, Caroline and Addison love them too!

Addison (standing) was creeping forward with her knees bent like that saying "baby baby." It was really cute.

I was able to capture lots of smiles from Naomi. She is one happy baby and so cute :)

Watching a movie on the couch. I definitely loved having the one-on-one time with Naomi.

I caught Sonja in this really sweet moment. She kept gently stroking Naomi's head. She is such a loving big sister.

We had a great time babysitting! It is always fun to get together with cousins and see them all having fun with each other.

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

A few days late but Happy Father's Day to a great father! Addison and Caroline are so lucky to have such a loving, fun and caring father like you :) They love their daddy!!!!

I am bad at thinking of taking family pictures. Finally on Father's Day I thought of it.

Great Grandpa is very popular with his Cheetos!!! A very messy snack for me to clean up but they loved it.

Rockford Airshow

2011-06-20T13:34:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago we went to the Rockford Airshow. I have not been for a while but I remember going as a kid and always loving it. In my option, this airshow is better than the Chicago one for several reasons. First, it takes place at the airport so all the planes in the show take off and land in front of you. Second, they have old and current airplanes and helicopters all over for you to look at and go in some. Very cool. Lastly, there are pyrotechnics. You can't get better than a wall of fire bomb simulation!!

Grandpa and Gwen. It was really hot that day!

Addison

My grandpa was wearing his WWII veteran hat. I was neat to see how many people came up to shake his and thank him for his service.

Sonja

Grandpa and Cam

Naomi...some of the planes definitely interrupted her beauty sleep

Some of the show

It was so hard to get some pictures of this fast F-15!

Bomb simulation!

Wall of fire!!! Great way to end the show

Here are some of the planes that they had on display

Yikes! Do you see that machine gun at the nose of the plane!!!

The F-15 landing

The pilots

Sonja and Gwen got to experience what it was like to sit in the pilot seat of some planes and helicopters.

And so did Cam!

This was in a cargo helicopter. It was crazy to see all the wires and tubes that were exposed along the wall.

Had to take a picture on the way out with this random guy dressed as Superman

Then a tractor ride to our car

Back at our Grandpa's house. Caroline giving Naomi her pacifier. What a nice cousin.

Then we had dinner at Stockholm in. Caroline on the dala horse :) A great way to end a great day!

18 Months!

2011-06-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

Addison and Caroline turned 18 months old on June 8th! We are loving this time in their lives. They are so fun to be around because they are becoming more and more goofy and their personalities are really coming out more. There is better communication as they continue to say new words and become better at expressing what they need/want. They love to chase each other around, read books, dance, watch for birds, squirrels and trains outside, play on the playground all by themselves, sing baa baa black sheep, do the motions to the Itsy Bitsy Spider, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes and Away in the Manger. They also love to take all of their toys out of their baskets in order to get in and out of the baskets. Because of this game I cam constantly cleaning up after them! They still continue to be shy around other kids and adults that they don't know or see all the time but it does not take too long before they warm up. However, they don't usually cry when they see people they don't know any more. Currently they don't like to walk on the grass barefoot but they tend to warm up to this too after a while. It is just fun to see them get older and older!

We went to the Dr. for their checkup yesterday and they are doing great developmentally. Addison currently weighs 17 pounds 9 ounces and is 29.5 inches tall. Caroline weighs 18 pounds 12 ounces and is 30 inches tall. So the difference between them continues to be the same. The Dr said that they are in a "normal" range for their height and age but still at the low end and they continue to not make it on the chart with their weight but are following their own curve so they are healthy. They are long and lean!

Here are two of my pet peeves at the moment...the first is that people continue to think that they are boys. Come on! How much more girly do I have to dress them??? They still don't have much hair, I get it. I am just over it. The worse is if they are wearing the same thing (again, very girly clothes) and someone asks me if they are a boy and a girl! I just say politely that they are both girls. The second pet peeve that has been happening more lately are comments about how good they are at walking which is then followed by asking how old they are said with shock. I get that they look a lot younger but not that much that it would be so crazy to see them walking. I guess they are currently wearing 9 month clothes and 9 month olds are not usually walking. ok, I'm done.

Here are some recent pictures of them playing and just being them! We love them more and more even when we think that is impossible!

Addison started giving hugs with her arms instead of just putting something on her shoulder to hug them. Though, she still does that too. Here she is giving Caroline a hug.

And Caroline pushed her away. Silly girl.

Addison tickling Caroline

Caroline likes to hoard her snacks!

Addison saying "cheese"

I love catching them doing something together which is often. They were just hanging out together on the coffee table.

Reading at church together. Caroline saying "cheese"

Playing with water on a hot day

Addison

Caroline

This is a new game that Caroline and I play. I say "strike a pose" and she does a quick pose with her hands near her face. Too cute.

Strike a pose!

Snack time together on the treadmill. Again, Addison saying "cheese"

Memorial Day and Mayfest

2011-06-06T16:01:00.000-05:00

We had a fun filled Memorial Day which we spent at my parents house with my family. The day started with a parade. Here we are about ready to leave.

At the parade with Sonja and Gwen too! Addison and Caroline had fun waving and clapping at people as the parade went along.

Cam staying out of the sun with Naomi

An afternoon nap outside

Gwen and Sonja trying to stay cool

This past weekend I introduced Addison and Caroline to Mayfest. Scott was golfing so I braved it on my own. Well, not totally. I knew that Elsa and a bunch of other friends were going to be there if I needed help. It was a great success! We stayed there until 9pm (2 hours past their bedtime) and I was trilled they lasted so long. We all had a great time!

Here is Addison cheering Leah. Don't worry, the mug is empty :)

Caroline pointing

Playing

Miss Ainsley was there too!

Mr. Nolan was there as well. So not only did I have friends there but Addison and Caroline did too. So fun.

Celebrating Gwen!

2011-06-02T20:31:00.003-05:00

Gwen turned 5 on May 2nd! I can't believe she is already 5. Just crazy. We had a great time celebrating her with family a couple weeks ago. She still does not like Happy Birthday being sung to her so we did not. Gwen also had her first ballet recital before the party. It was just a joy to watch her and she really did a great job! She was even right in the front and no longer the girl who hates being in front of people. I was so proud of her! Not to mention how cute she was!! We love you Gwen!

Here she is after her recital. How cute was her costume!

Gwen and her friend Elsa

Her hair in a bun.

Did I mention that the party had a pirate theme...some party attenders dressed the part.

Addison and Caroline's shirts had a skull and crossbones on them so they were dressed up too :) This was Caroline (right) smiling for the camera.

Mother's Day

2011-05-14T19:38:00.000-05:00

This year for Mother's Day Addison and Caroline were old enough to paint cards for all the Grandma's that they have. Here they are hard at work. Both of them did a great job but Caroline really had a good time.

Caroline Addison

After church we went to lunch at Hackney's with my whole family on the my dad's side. I love getting together with all my aunt/uncles and cousins. It is so fun that as we welcome spouses and kids that this group just keeps getting bigger and bigger. After lunch we went to my grandparents house to just hang out with each other. I love being there with my family at their house. It makes me think of when I was growing up and we would spend almost every Sunday there playing with our cousins after church. Their house is such a special place to me. It was a great Mother's Day spent with family, Scott and my 2 beautiful daughters :)

Naomi in a cradle at my grandparents house

Apparently this is becoming a tradition because here is Caroline in the same cradle when she was 3 weeks old.

Naomi is just so darn cute!

Fun in the backyard

Attempting various groupings of sister and cousin pictures. These next few I love the expression on Sonja's face.

Caroline was not so happy about the cousin pictures

Gwen is such a great and loving big sister. Well, we already knew that.

Johnson family of 5 :)

Sonja and Nolan. They actually stayed like this for a little bit

Fun Times

2011-05-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

Some randoms...

Addison climbed up in the chair at church and Emmett decided to join her. At first Addison was not happy about it but she eventually calmed down.

Then Caroline joined her.

The other day I heard some giggling coming from the play area. I came around the corner and saw their feet hanging out of the bookshelf.

They were pulling themselves to the back of the bookshelf cubbies, looking at each other and laughing. They would then scoot back, drop back to the floor, look at each other and do it again. It is really funny to watch them do this.

More fun times at the zoo. This time we went with Elsa. It was a lot of fun and nice to have an extra pair of hands and eyes.

This was the first time I have seen a peacock with the feathers out like this!! It was so beautiful and definitely the highlight of this zoo trip.

Naomi Linnea Johnson!!!

2011-05-03T08:02:00.001-05:00

Naomi Linnea Johnson is here!! She was born Saturday night at 8:31pm and weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces. She is just adorable. Congrats to Cam, Linnea and big sisters Gwen and Sonja!!!

We were able to go meet her Sunday afternoon when Addison and Caroline were taking their naps. When we got there Gwen was looking very happy holding her new baby sister. She loves Naomi!!

Gwen was very excited and made sure all of us noticed when Naomi was holding onto her finger. So cute :)

Love her!!! She was so light. I can't even believe our girls were a few pounds lighter than her. Crazy

Happy Mormor and Grandpa

Scott holding Naomi. This would not have happened if we did not have kids of our own :) He is a pro now!

I think everyone has agreed that she looked like Sonja with Gwen's coloring.

Happy

She is just too cute. So far she has blue eyes and I would expect them to stay blue.

Can't wait to introduce Addison and Caroline to their new baby cousin!! So far they love looking at the pictures of her :)

New haircut and fun with dogs

2011-04-30T22:34:00.000-05:00

About once a year I get sick of my long hair and decide to chop it off. Well here it is!

Cool girl Caroline

It was family day the North Park's baseball game so we decided to go and cheer them on

Then we had a BQQ at a friends place. They have a dog that Caroline and Addison had a lot of fun with.

They also loved the doggie bed

Next up...meeting my new niece Naomi Linnea. Pictures to come soon!!!!!

Fun Times

2011-04-30T10:46:00.000-05:00

Here are just some randoms and some pictures from some playtime with Addison and Caroline's friend Ainsley.

A new twist on a pull-up

I think it is funny how I happen to have all these pictures of them "working out." Caroline looks so long in this picture!

Caroline being silly

Caroline watching a train go by. She actually has great balance but don't worry, I don't let her do this often.

Fun with their bookcase. Caroline is definitely catching up with her ability to climb things.

Our friends were over last night with their daughter Ainsley who is 7 months younger than A & C. It was fun to see them interact because it was the first time that all of them had been together since Ainsley started crawling. I see a great friendship budding :)

She is too cute. Look at those eye lashes!! I love this girl :)

Learning to share very early on

Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T09:33:00.000-05:00

I admit it, I woke up at 4:30am in order to watch the royal wedding. I have to say, I am very happy to have done that instead of taping it and watching it later. I loved knowing that I was watching it live and it just seemed so magical. A real life fairytale. I could not imagine being Kate and knowing that when you left Westminster Abbey that you would be a part of the royal family. That is crazy. It was a joy to watch and I am thankful that it was so public.

How beautiful was her dress!

While I was alone physically watching this wedding before the sun came up I was not totally alone. I loved that my friend Stacy was also awake and watching in CA so we were texting back and forth throughout the ceremony. Also, Addison and Caroline were up by the time they appeared on the balcony. I confess, I made sure they watched the tv when this happened and that they waved at the couple. I wanted them to be able to say some day that they watched that part even though I am sure they will not remember it :)

Baptism and Easter

2011-04-28T12:36:00.000-05:00

Nolan Evenhouse, my cousin Jenny and Kevin's little boy, was baptised on Easter. Can you think of a better day to be baptised! He was the ideal baptism baby and a joy to watch as this significant step in his faith was taken.

I think he was playing airplane during Pastor Pete's blessing. He is too cute :)

And here are Addison and Caroline's Easter dresses! These dresses had less pieces than their Christmas dresses but there were more details to get right. They are not perfect but they turned out well.

I chose this pattern for 2 reasons. The first was this neckline.

The second was for the twist the straps make in the back.

Here they are in their dresses giving each other an Easter morning hug :) Caroline is in the yellow one and Addison is in the green one. Even though I made these dresses the smallest size available they are still big on them. That only means that they will get to wear them for a while!

Playing

Giggling

Snacks at the very same table that Linnea and Jenny used to eat at growing up at my Grandma and Grandpa's house.

The man of the hour, Nolan. Cousins playing :)

Enjoying the Weather...a couple weeks ago

2011-04-23T23:15:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago there were several days in a row that were just beautiful and warm. It was great to get a taste of spring before it went downhill once more. We definitely took advantage of the great weather while we could!

Swinging in Linnea and Cam's backyard

Swinging with Gwen. Not sure about that smile from her though!

Chillin

Exploring the flowers

A perfect ride for 2

Spider with a very pregnant Linnea and Sonja

Gwen entertaining Addison, Caroline and Ellie at dinner time

At Brookfield zoo in the goat petting area

Caroline LOVED the goats which really surprised me. She would follow the goats around even though they were 2 feet taller than her and would go straight to their heads. That of course made me a bit nervous since I did not want her to lose a finger.

Addison was a bit more timid. Here she is finally reaching down to touch this one after watching Caroline pet it for a while.

Addison watching the sheep

Caroline doing push-ups with daddy

Caroline has been giving kisses a lot more than usual these days. She even gives kisses to Addison! Although, I am not sure how special this is since she randomly kissed my knee this morning. Still cute.

For our cousins get together I made these chocolate dipped cookie dough balls. YUMMY!

I added some white chocolate to make them pretty

Relaxin having some milk

A picture by Caroline. We are now at the point where I can't pull out the camera before she is storming towards me ready to take it out of my hands.

More working out. Addison lifting weights

They love necklaces. I got this picture as she was running towards me for the camera.

Some Randoms

2011-04-09T16:38:00.000-05:00

Here are some random cute pictures from the past month. Enjoy!

Lounging around with Caroline on a Saturday morning

Gossip time at church with Addison and her friend Ellie

Nolan....he is getting so big! What a cutie :)

Addison's fish face

Fun with Great Grandpa! This is Addison's new funny smile.

Addison had lots of fun with Great Grandpa!

Clapping in baskets

Addison has been really curious about looking outside lately. This is how I would find the poor girl many times trying to watch what was going on in the world. Not very comfortable.

Now we have a stool and turned over pot so that they can both get up higher and look outside. They love watching squirrels, cars and trains go by.

Giving each other a hug....how cute is that!

This is the face we now get from Caroline when we say "smile" and she sees the camera.

SPRING!!!!!

2011-04-04T20:47:00.000-05:00

Is there any better feeling than when you know spring is here?? The answer is NO! Seasons are something that I really missed when I lived in California and I appreciate them so much more ever since I moved back. You just can't beat the feeling of putting winter behind you and having the sense of renewal and a fresh start. I love it!

Something else I love is taking advantage of the warmer weather with Scott, Addison and Caroline. This past weekend we went to the park and I loved how much more the girls were able to take part. Last fall they were a bit timid about climbing on playground but now they are all for it. They were even able to climb all over the big kid stuff! This spring and summer are going to be filled with a lot more activities than last year and I am really looking forward to it.

Here are a few pictures of our fun at the park.

Proof that spring is here!

Watching a train go by...Caroline wasn't feeling it.

North Carolina Vacation...Part 2

2011-04-02T16:01:00.000-05:00

Part 2....

After the aquarium we stopped by a lighthouse that my mom wanted to see. Fortunately, we did not make a special trip, which we were planning on doing, since it was surrounded by scaffolding. It was still nice to see though.

That afternoon was warmer so we went down to the beach. It was fun to watch the waves and to see Gwen and Sonja running away from them.

Addison liked watching the seagulls

Pool time again!

Another afternoon we went to see this lighthouse which was a lot more successful than the first one.

Me and Caroline

Sisters

Here is the whole gang. It took me 3 tries before I was able to set the camera and run into place in enough time before the picture was taken!

Addison and Caroline's new sandals

Another view of the lighthouse

Cousins! Linnea might have a better shot but this was the best one that I could get

Addison trying on Grandpa's glasses

Caroline trying on Mormor's glasses

Linnea and I gave our mom these hometown puzzles for Christmas this past year without talking to each other. Since we can't return them I thought it would be fun to have a race. So it was me and Linnea against my mom and dad. Linnea and I won! The picture below documents the status of our puzzles when we finished.

The last day we were there was the best weather.

Caroline had a great time at the beach this day. Addison didn't care for it so much.

Caroline

Sonja and Caroline playing

No trip to the beach is complete without someone being buried

Caroline giving Addison some love taps while I pack up our stuff the morning we left.

Overall, it was a great trip but Scott was missed during our many adventures. We look forward to lots of spring fun together that we were not able to do with the girls last year.

North Carolina Vacation...Part 1

2011-03-29T16:44:00.000-05:00

In the middle of March I went on vacation to Duck, NC with Addison and Caroline, my parents and Linnea, Gwen and Sonja. Scott and Cam had to work and they were missed (as well as Elsa, Matt and Eric!). It was a great time full of new activities with the girls and time spent with family.

Here we are at a gas station. This is how I gave them some of their meals. For the most part, Addison and Caroline did a great job on the road which was around 18 hours one way. I was very grateful for that because it could have been a really long drive otherwise.

Our first morning there which was a beautiful warm day! This is from our balcony looking out to the outdoor pool and ocean.

Addison and Caroline have been to the ocean before but when we were there it was so cold and windy, plus they were 3 1/2 months old, that we did not go to the beach. It was a lot of fun seeing them play in the sand and slowly warm up to it.

Addison ate bit of sand and had a reaction that made me think she didn't like it. However, she then put a finger full of sand right back in her mouth. Oh well. Caroline was smart enough to stay away from eating the sand. Smart girl.

Something we have not done much of is swimming. Last summer it just didn't happen since they were still pretty young and I didn't want to go to the pool by myself until they were able to walk. This was another activity that they warmed up to the more they did it which was almost every day! This is Addison in her cover-up.

Caroline in her cute swimming suit

Caroline again

Warming up and a snack after swimming

Sonja having fun

Addison has been really into feeding other people lately. Here she is feeding Caroline a Cheerio :)

Linnea and I have the same taste in cute swimming suits :)

Peek-a-boo

There was this platform in front of the fireplace that became the stage for Gwen, Sonja, Addison and Caroline. It was a great place for my girls to practice getting down from something and they were pros after just 1 day!

Cousins :)

Addison sitting on her soon-to-be baby cousin...fun time with Aunt Linnea

On one of the rainy days we went to the aquarium. I have wanted to take them to the Aquarium here in Chicago for a while but due to how far it is and the cost we just have not made it. Addison and Caroline loved it and really watched the fish. It makes me look forward to many trips to the zoo this season!

If you have not noticed, the turtle is right there!

Me and my girls!

Gwen and Sonja had a fun time too!

Touching the stingrays

This shark tank was so big!! It made Addison and Caroline look so small.

Here we are having lunch after the aquarium.

Stay tuned for part 2 of the vacation.....

15 Months

2011-03-05T10:45:00.001-06:00

Addison and Caroline will be 15 months this coming Tuesday! They had their check-up yesterday which was the first one I took them to alone. Up until now, Scott has been able to come with me every time which has been great but because of the flooding going on in a few states he needed to stay home and work. It was definitely not the smoothest appointment (which included 3 shots each) but we got through it.

Here are their numbers:

Addison Marie

Weight: 16 pounds, 7 ounces

Length: 28 inches

Caroline Sere

Weight: 17 pounds, 13 ounces

Length: 28 1/2 inches

The Dr says that they are still not on the chart but are following their own curve which is all that matters. Though small, they are growing just fine! At this rate, they will not be 20 pounds until they turn 2. Since pediatricians are now recommending that kids be rear-facing in their car seats until they are 2 and that they at least need to be 20 pounds it is looking like the car sears will not be front facing for another 9 months!!!!! Argg.....going to NC in a week is going to be a long ride! 18 hours.....well, it has to be better than 24 hours when they were 3.5 months!!!

They are definitely getting older and we are having so much fun. They are walking now and I learned earlier this week that Addison could care less if she sees me or not before taking off to explore. So far I have loved their independence but I have a feeling I am not going to enjoy it as much now that they are able to get from point A to point B a little quicker. We took a stroll to the park the other day and they played on the park for the first time! Addison could take it or leave it (maybe because it was not super warm out) but Caroline had a lot of fun going up and down the slide and climbing. I am looking forward to many more trips to the park this spring/summer and doing more than the swings. They are also talking more these days and imitating us which can be really cute and funny. Addison says ball and Caroline says ball, hi and bye. Addison loves to throw balls and then chase after them while Caroline likes to throw them and then kick it.

Both of them have been in kind of an annoying stage since they turned 1 where they get frustrated about not being able to communicate that well and things like hating putting their coats on as well as getting buckled into their car seats. At this age this seems to be a pretty common from what I hear from other mothers. I have also heard that around 18 months is when the real fun begins. Since I came home from CA I have seen a positive change in them and they just seem older! Now we just have to continue with teaching them how to share and to tell them why it is not ok to hit their sister in the face!!! Oh the joys of sisters :) Their pediatrician actually told me that we can start doing time outs and I ordered a discipline book (123 Magic) that she recommended and has received very high reviews. I can't believe they are old enough to grasp discipline! We will see how this goes.

Here are just a few pictures of what we were up to in February...

We moved them over to the counter to eat! They seem so much more grown up eating there.

Grandpa Bill stopped over for dinner one night. Addison LOVED sitting in his lap and was having fun.

Elsa and Matt's friends that they worked with in Bolivia came to visit. (For more info on their visit you can look at Linnea and Elsa's blogs). Here was the only picture I got from the visit but it was so nice to finally meet them after hearing so much about them. I felt like they were my friends. Here are Lily and Gwen looking a bit concerned for Caroline.

Ha, you can't even tell Linnea is pregnant in there (less than 2 months to go!!!!!!! woo hoo!!!!!)

Addison and Caroline have been busy feeding their babies and taking them for rides around our condo in their strollers. They are surprisingly really good at steering the strollers around corners.

And the new activity that they can do is coloring!!! I am so happy they are able to do this now :)

Unfortunately, they also are still interested in eating the crayons too!

The finished products

Playing dress up at Linnea and Cam's. Addison looks good as a redhead!

Their new favorite place to play.

Trip to CA

2011-03-02T15:32:00.000-06:00

A little over a week ago I was in Santa Barbara, CA for a nice long NPU girls weekend. This was my first time away from Addison and Caroline and to be honest it was a needed break from them. Hey, I need a vacation too!! It was great to be with my college girlfriends again the way we started without boyfriends, husbands or children. We had a great time!

The Mission of Santa Barbara

It was kind of cold and windy if you can't tell

Here is the group that stayed at the hotel (Bethanie, Annie, Lori, me & Britta) We are waiting to get picked up by our chauffeurs (Jonny and his friend David) and Stacy and Annie for wine tasting.

Waiting for our lunch to be made before heading out to the first vineyard

I really wish it was not raining and cloudy but it was pretty and fun anyways

First winery

I love this picture

Annie -- Britta

Second winery

Third winery

Fourth and last winery. This one was fun because it was really laid back and had a surfer feel. Different than any other winery I have been to.

This was actually one of the vineyards they used to shoot the movie Sideways

The side view from our hotel room.

The view straight out from our room. Not too shabby.

A little glimpse of our hotel. It was actually really long so there was no way I could get the whole hotel in one picture.

The 3rd day I was there it was actually sunny! Across the street from our hotel were all these tents with people selling things. It was nice to walk along and look at everything with the sun on us and the ocean right next to us.

It was still a bit chilly but it was nice enough with the sun out to go to the harbor. We had lunch and then walked down this pier.

At the end of the pier

Still at the end of the pier. In between the sailboats is our hotel.

Walking to the seals

"Pups of the ocean" This is what we called the seals so that Lori would get excited about seeing them. She LOVES dogs.

Mama and her baby to the right

And no trip out here is complete without a celebrity sighting. We are at LAX and this is Rick Fox's car! I was too slow to get a picture of him so his car will have to do.

We Got Some Snow

2011-02-16T14:44:00.000-06:00

I am sure most of you have heard of the 3rd biggest blizzard that we had here in Chicago a week and half ago. If you have not, I am not sure how you missed it because it was pretty major.

It started on a Tuesday afternoon. Here we are watching the snow as it started to fall. I guess Caroline was more interested in watching Addison. People as us all the time if they have different personalities, here is an example of one little thing, Addison does not mind hats or hoods on her head and Caroline takes it off ASAP.

The aftermath....here are some pictures from around our place

This is the side of our building. Normally there is a sidewalk in front of our cars but it was buried under 2 feet of snow.

Poor car. Bad idea to park on the street that night.

The front of the building. The snow drift was about 4-5 feet.

A view from our front door

We had to drag the girls out there. They were not so thrilled about putting on the snow suits but they were fine once we were out there.

They did not care much about being out there and it was actually pretty windy still. They just sat right on top of 2 feet of snow and barely sank into it.

Caroline

Addison

Scott showing both of them snow. They were at least interested enough to hold out their hand and touch it.

We are looking forward to next winter when they will find playing in snow a bit more fun. Of course we are looking more forward to spring, summer and fall first :)