Last Day of Summer Break!

August 16, 2016:  For our last official day of summer break we enjoyed a fun day at the Morten Arboretum with some of our friends!  Callen was with us because his mom was back to work.  The Arboretum has so many fun things for kids to do... awesome children's gardens and park areas, water to play in, and lots of beautiful plants to see!  We packed a picnic lunch and made a day of it.  Perfect end to summer break! 

This little boy kept me on my toes--he kept trying to run away from me!

Pilcher Park

August 14, 2016:  Another item checked off of our Summer Bucket List!  Pilcher Park is a nature center in Joliet.  We enjoyed a Sunday afternoon picnic and hiking...

Kinnick's friend Aiden came with us after church!

Bollingbrook Nature Center

August 9, 2016:  Bollingbrook nature center was one of the things on our summer bucket list.  We packed a lunch, met up with some friends, and spent the morning exploring & hiking!  They had a fun indoor area to explore some small animals and learn some things about nature.  They had an awesome "nature" playground with little log cabins, instruments made from wood, and lots of things to climb on.  They also had lots of hiking trails and a picnic area.  We had a fun morning!  

Weekend with Uncle Jordan & Aunt Emily

August 5-6, 2016:  We talked Uncle Jordan & Emily into coming to stay a night with us.  We enjoyed some hiking on Friday when they arrived.  We had fun grilling out and playing games Friday evening.  On Saturday we took a trip downtown.  We started with lunch at Gino's East.  Next we headed to Watertower Place for some shopping at the American Girl Doll Store and the Lego Store.  We ended our day with some time in Maggie Daley Park and a walk through Millennium Park.  They had to head back to Macomb Saturday night so Jordan could be at church to work the next day.  It was a quick trip, but I'm glad they got to come spend time with us!

Signing the wall at Gino's...

Hiking

July 6, 2016:

We love exploring places close to home.  Hammel Woods Forest Preserve is minutes from our house and a favorite place to hike!  Our kids hate sticking to a trail--they love going off road, climbing on things, and getting wet.  We love warm summer nights for hiking...