it's seriously almost November.

Here's just a little sneak peek back at what we've been doing:

At the beginning of October, Josh and I took a quick weekend up to Chicago with some friends to just hang out and eat yummy food and shop and all those fun things. It was so great to be in that city. I love Chicago. We stopped by the Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair where I picked up an awesome lizard skin belt with a superb duck buckle. I later convinced Josh to run into the American Girl Place store with me and, being the excellent husband that he is, he willingly went. I had no motive other than to show him the production that the place really is and what his future holds for him with two little girls. So when he said, "Let's get Hunts a doll for her birthday," I started crying, to then which he said, "They really should serve beer here." I am such a sap. I cannot wait to give it to her.

The view of Millennium Park from our hotel.


Josh with his espresso at the Merchandise Mart. Remember the espresso?! Well, it stuck. I'm so proud. I think he's at Starbucks more than I am. There's a feat.


Here's the boys (my hubby and my brother) at Oktoberfest right before the Cardinals lost their third game in the Division playoffs. Boy, was that game a major disappointment. We found our Halloween costumes that day, though. That made the trip downtown worth it....more to come on that.


Huntleigh had her first Grandparents Day at Central. I was so proud that my parents could see her and enter into the world of 3K. I am so impressed at how Central really seeks to honor the grandparents of the student body. I gave my camera to my dad to get a few pictures of the morning's activities so at least I could get a glimpse into their time together. There is such limited space on Central's campus and there are so many participants in grandparents day that they make very clear that parents have to stay away for the morning. Here my mom and Hunts are at their activity center.


Huntleigh had her first field trip, which I was able to join, and it was just perfect. Look at this one. She is so scrumptious. We took a little walk from her school across Wydown to Acorn Park and had a little nature treasure hunt and then ate a picnic lunch together. I love that Hunts is in school. I am just so proud of her and can see how she is growing and maturing.


Do you see that look? I couldn't resist putting it on the blog.


This is Mark and his daughter Mallory, one of Huntleigh's new friends, who happens to be the daughter of an old and good friend of mine, Mollie. I've been so thankful for school and the new community of friendships it has brought, some new and some re-newed!


I mean, doesn't this picture just take you right back to your childhood? The parachute was my favorite P.E. activity.


And the treasure hunt bag with the treasure hunter. Good work, my sweet pea.

life is good

with these three babes in my life.

And along another train of thought:

You know you've really given in to motherhood when your little child has diarrhea while she's sitting in your lap and a little soaks through her pants to your jeans, and then you momentarily think that you should change out of those jeans, but then you forget and wear them all day long instead. Awesome.

life

This is my sticker babe. I seem to find stickers all over the house in funny locations. I notice they are most often stuck to my shirt in obvious and embarrassing places...especially when I step out in public. Oh well. This is life.



We've been busy. We've been out of town. And then we've been sick. Does anyone even read this blog anymore?! I have become the most boring blogger. I do want to try to post more regularly. I'm even boring myself. Could the Cardinals have performed worse in the Division playoffs? Seriously. At least we can rest easy for the remainder of the season. I'm a bit tired of hot dogs.

More random thoughts:

I can neither confirm nor deny that this picture of my husband and our friend Tim was taken during the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy in our livingroom on Thursday, September 24th at 8:22 p.m. But man, does my husband look sheepishly cute in this picture.


I felt like I was living in Seattle this past week with all the rain that fell here in Saint Louis. It was too much rain for me for this time of year. I'm ready for some more typical autumn weather before winter decides to settle in.

Huntleigh loves school. Every morning when she wakes up, she asks, "Is today school day, mommy?" I'm both happy and sad when she asks that question. I love that child so much. She is both my greatest challenge and my greatest reward. The Lord knew I needed her to make me more like Him. The truth is, she is really just a. lot. like. me. (Thanks Dad, for the insight.)

I am not complaining, but it is really difficult to be laid waste with a cold and to have two young children who have a lot of genuine needs that keep you from being able to lay down on the couch to watch movies & sleep all day. It makes recovering from sickness that much harder. So this is what it means to die to yourself. Shannon, you know that ten (thousand) times more than I do.

NyQuil is really great.

My house is totally trashed right now. Please do not come over. I would be completely mortified. I'm a perfectionist. But I want to be honest about my weaknesses. Oh....just come over. It would be good for me. It's good to be humbled. Just don't judge me.