We're back!

Well, we've been back for a while now... I don't know if any readers of this blog are Harry Potter fans, but if you are you know that the 6th movie is coming out in the middle of next month. Last summer Drew and I made a deal. He would read the Twilight books if I read the HP books. So he read the Twilight books and I'm behind. I'm 1/2 way through the 5th book. I'm trying to be done with the 6th before the movie comes out... Drew says it's impossible and he might be right, but I always like proving him wrong. (Like when he told me there was no way I could cut our food budget. I loved the look on his face when he realized I was able to almost cut it in half. I'm hoping to see that face again, but it means that certain things are being neglected. Like the blog.) So here are a few happenings.


We left sunny hot Lincoln for a getaway. I needed some time to recharge so we went home (well to our first home. I'm not sure that I've considered Chicago home for a while). This is what we got

cold and rainy. I packed summer clothes for our kids and we froze most of the time. Drew and I spent the day downtown a.l.o.n.e. one day. This was our view. It was a little disappointing, but it was nice to have a day to ourselves.

We also had our first camping trip all by ourselves. We spent a few days in Nauvoo. It was great, but summer found us there. It was amazingly hot and humid. I thought that Molly's hair was starting to straighten, but with all the humidity she had a nice fro going. Molly and Gabe both did way better than I thought they would. I was so proud of them.

We got bunk beds! I've been thinking about bunk beds for a while now. My parents had this one in the basement. How could I pass up free? I think it will be a while before we get a mattress for the top bunk. Right now I have the toy basket up there. Molly really likes climbing to the top, but she has no idea how to get down. She fell off yesterday. It hasn't phased her she's still jumping and acting like a lunatic up there... As they say kids will be kids.

This has been my view the past few days. All of the sudden everywhere I turn I hear CHEESE CHEESE. If I don't stop and pose she gets a little moody with me. If Molly is one thing it's persistent. She has started talking a ton. Most people probably don't believe that because she's so shy when she's uncomfortable, but she really is. It's fun listening to her. She loves singing and she wants you to repeat everything she's telling you. Sometimes that's a little tricky. I do love it that she also expects Gabe to repeat things too and he now says cheese to her whenever he sees the camera. This also delights Molly to no end as she takes pictures of him and then shows them to everyone. There's Gabie...

Gabie as Molly calls him and he calls himself now has two teeth. On Monday Gabe pointed to a picture of a tooth and said teeth. It was exciting for me. Drew looked at me and asked if it had just really happened. He cracks me up. He's standing by himself more and more and has started to attempt walking. He's so funny. The second he realizes he's not holding on to anything he sits. He's like a moose, he's big and can crawl faster than anything. Sometimes I get a little worried that he isn't walking yet, but I keep telling myself it's a spectrum. Molly walked 3 months early so at 15 months I'll start to worry. I'm also sure that when he does take off I'll be sorry that I wanted him walking.