August

08.02.13  For Peter's 6th Birthday this year we had a Lego Star Wars Birthday party.  We created light sabers out of pool noodles, crayon Lego mini figures, rubber band guns to knock down Darth Vader and Storm troopers.  The cake looked like 4 Lego Blocks.  The kids were given Jedi vests and they had a list of things to do to complete their Jedi Training.  They had to begin by sharpshooting the storm troopers.  Dave made each kid a rubberband gun and they shot at storm troopers and Darth Vader set up on the table.  Then they went out and destroyed the chalk drawings of the death star with water balloons. Next we took our Lightsabers and some balloons and practiced "mastering the force".  Then they returned inside for cake and ice cream and opening presents.  After all the party was done we awarded those who had come with a goodie bag and a certificate of completing their Jedi training.

08.06.13  Today was the last day of mom's morning out group.  Every week we get together and 3 moms stay and all the kids too, and the other mom's are given a couple hours to go shopping, clean the house, work on a project or just do nothing at all.  It has been great and both the kids and the moms love it.  It will be sad that it is ending but school starts in a couple weeks and we need to get ready.

Esther was invited to a party for one of her friends.  It was a princess party and they decorated the hats.  I thought she was so cute and so I took this picture while she was playing on the swing set at the party.

08.10.13  We are entering a new phase in our life.  We are moving Esther into a big girl bed and since the girls share a room, they got a bunk bed.  We were super lucky that we were able to find this bunkbed set with a dresser, bookshelf, and a short wide dresser.  It had 4 pieces along with the bunk bed.  They are nice wood and very sturdy.  We bought them for $600.  A really good deal and the girls love it.  Esther made the transition very easily.  I think she loved the idea of a new bed.  Plus after about a half dozen books she doesn't mind going to bed.

08.15.13  Our Indiana Dunes trip now will probably have a new stop.  Liberty and I decided that we needed to get some of the most amazing gummy bears.  This factory is just 20 minutes away from where we go to the beach.  It is located in Merrilville, just south of I-80/94 and the Indiana Dunes.  We got way too much candy and had a fun time trying to decide what to get.  And YES they do have the best Gummi bears I have ever tasted.  And I don't like Gummi Bears all that much.

The dunes were beautiful and the weather was perfect.  The beach wasn't very busy.  It had been fairly cool all week but although the water was a bit cool, it didn't stop anyone from going out and playing.  It was a perfect day to bury your friend, build castles and dig deep holes.

08.17.13  Our dear friends the Kimberlings are moving back to England.  Today was their son Levi's baptism and a little going away party for them.  We have loved this family and will dearly miss their family not only in our primary but in our life.  Angelika and I have been spending the last week making a tote bag that we have been meaning to make for over a year now.  And with their family moving the time was now for making it.  I hope that they do well in their new home and job in England but they will be greatly missed.

08.19.13  It is hot!hot!hot!  and that means a slip and slide is just in order.  The kids went back and forth many times and had a great time.

08.23.13  Our ward has a fun tradition of having a cupcake social in August.  We can choose from many kinds of cupcakes to make.  The instructions and all the things to make them are there.  You just pick up some cupcakes and start playing.

08.23.13  We took Dave to dinner at Lonestar steak house.  We had free dinners for the kids.  We had really yummy steaks and enjoyed a nice dinner together.

We have free passes to a jumpzone and so I took the kids and played for awhile.

08.24.13  Today was the first day of the fall soccer season.  Both kids played really well and had fun playing in their first soccer game.

08.25.13  We celebrated Dave's birthday with a yummy dinner and cake.

08.26.13  Today we got to go over to the school and find out who the kids teachers are for this year.  Kirsten will be in Mrs Yeagle's 3rd grade class and Peter will have Mrs Duffy in 1st Grade.  Kirsten had Mrs Duffy for 1st grade.  It will be fun for the kids to get back into school and enjoy their new teachers.

Since many of the Naperville schools are back in session and we still have a couple of days left before school starts, we decided to go to the Naperville Children's museum.  We had free passes from the Library program and so we thought we might use them before they expire.  The kids played and had a great time.  They were soaked from playing in the water section and so we returned home.

08.28.13  And thus begins another school year.  The kids were super excited and enjoyed getting ready for school.  We had pancakes and everyone gathered up their supplies and off we went to school.  Kirsten's class entered first and then we got to go in and "help" Peter get settled in.  Then Mrs Duffy tells the kids that she needs to tell them a secret and so the parents have to leave.  I have to say I was almost skipping on the way home.  It was great to get them back in to school.

08.29.13  The school has their annual opening ceremony.  With the new principle it was short and sweet with nothing extra.  Mrs. Regina Leeberg is the new principal and she wanted the kids back in the classrooms and learning.  So after the flag ceremony and the song, they were back into class.

08.31.13  As a last hurrah to summer, we went to a basketball game.  It was the Kane County Cougars.  It was also Star Wars night.  So we saw lots of Lukes, Leahs and Darth Vaders.  I should have taken a picture when we walked by the Darth Vader or when I saw the Sith walking around.  They had fun games between the innings and the kids had a pretty good time.

July Happenings

07.01.13  For some reason the kids decided that they needed to "dig" the tree out, or maybe it was just to tempting to get in there and dig in the dirt.  Funny thing is they pulled out all the snow shovels.  Good luck with that kids.  Also as we have been investigating this huge storm that knocked our tree down, I noticed that the club house had some damage.  I am assuming that the wind pulled up on the tree house and because it is secured in the ground that it damaged the wood because of the strain.  It must have been some wind storm.  I kind of wish we had been here just so I could know the force of what happened. 

07.02.13 The tree guys were here and lickety-split they had the tree taken down.  They cut the tree down with chainsaws and then shredded the wood up.  They were gone in just under an hour.   They have to come back and take out the stump when they have the stump grinder.  The found a nest in the tree and left in on the fence.  Now we have to repair the fence or temporarily fix it so the dogs don't come out and it doesn't get knocked over by kids or another wind storm.

07.04.13  Dave has been working on retiling the bathroom and area under the washer and dryer.  He has been working really hard on his hands and knees for the last couple of days.  I got to cut the tiles for him.  I think I got the easier job.  It was pretty fun to work together on a project.

While we were working the kids were playing around in the hose.  It might have been better to have them get in their swimming suits but I think they had a bunch of fun playing with the neighbor kids with the hose.  We celebrated the fourth by wearing our new shirts that mom made for us with her silhouette machine.  I think they turned out pretty cute, don't you?  We had a nice cake with strawberries and blueberries to celebrate the 4th.  Later we met with our ward at the Ty Warner Park fireworks celebration.

07.08.13  The kids put together a play for Family Home Evening tonight.  It was the beginning scene from Ice Age.  The kids were dressed as various characters from the movie.  Kirsten designed and drew the background.

07.10.13  Another day at the pool.  I had to take a picture of Esther.  Kirsten put the cute braids in her hair today.  Good work Kirsten.  Nice face Esther.

07.11.13  Yep, it is 7-11, time for our free Slurpee.  The store near us had closed so we had to go a little further away, but not really that far.  We enjoyed our flavors and found that our tongues were a different color.  We try and remember to go every year.  Oh thank heaven for 7-11.

07.13.13  Today was a big day for the Anderson clan, hair cuts for all ($6.99 cuts at Great Clips) and Esther's FIRST HAIRCUT.  She was really good.  The lady cutting her hair was really impressed.  I think she looks all grown up now.  Where did my baby go?

After our trip to get our hair cut we went up to Fox Valley Trolley Museum in South Elgin.  The kids loved it.  It is short trip down the tracks but a fun time.  I think the favorite part was when the kids (and Dave) got to pull the trolley whistle.  Toot! Toot!  It was amazing to see all the fun train and trolley things that they had around the museum.  Afterwards we had ice cream cones, it looks like the kids liked them.  Yum, Yum.



07.16.13 Dave took a really short business trip to Savannah Georgia.  He drove all day Sunday to get there.  He did his work.  Then on the return trip he decided to take 2 days to get back.  On his way back he stopped in Asheville, North Carolina and visited the beautiful Smoky Mountain National Park and drove part of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  He talked about how beautiful it was and I am sure these pictures don't tell all of the story.  We may have to take our family there next Summer.  Beautiful!


07.17.13 When it is hot we take a trip to our favorite splash pad.  The kids were having fun and even mom was getting hot and decided to get wet.  I had to laugh because right after I took this picture the kid that owned the orange bucket took it away from Esther.  I continued to take pictures and she just sat there and pouted and cried.  I guess she doesn't mind sharing other peoples things as long as they don't take them back. :)

07.19.13  The Parker's and Anderson's decided to go on an adventure to the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art.  Kirsten has been really interested in gems, rocks and other various stones.  We found this in our Passport to Summer booklet and with the recommendation from a friend we head off to find it.  The main level has all the rocks and a small museum that explains all the various stones and minerals and how they carve some of them.  Then the second level has the amazing pieces that have been carved.  My favorite was the Last Supper.  It was white and beautiful.  This picture doesn't do it justice.  We had fun and I think most of us enjoyed the trip.

 

07.20.13  We decided to take our bikes on a trip to Waterfall Glen.  We rode our bikes to the waterfall and then played around on the rocks.  Esther must be part mountain goat like her siblings.  They were all climbing around on the rocks and enjoying the nice day.  Mom got to tote both Peter and Esther back up the hill.  Phew, that was a work out.  It was so fun to go do something like this as a family.  Maybe next time Peter will be riding his bike and we can all do it together.

 

 

Part of living in the great ward is losing some amazing friends.  The Chandler family is off to a new job closer to family in Idaho.  We are happy for them but sad that we can't keep them here.  Tonight was a great night to spend time socializing and having fun together.  We wish them well and hope they have safe travels.

 

07.21.13  I think Esther is ready to go to church.  She came down this morning with these accessories on and her backpack.  She is so adorable.  I love that she is always putting on shoes that belong to someone else.  But personally the two different ones got me this time.

07.23.13  The kids have been begging to go to another baseball game and Dave found that the Dupage County Hounds were having a $2 per person night and so we decided to go.  We left our house in shorts and t-shirts not knowing that it would get cold.  Good thing we were only about 10 minutes away so I could run home and get jackets and blankets for everyone.  I am pretty sure we would not have made it very much more then the 3rd inning with the temperature so low.  Of course it was probably only 68 or something which is beautiful, but when you are not expecting it you are cold.  I have to keep reminding myself that it is really July and that we should be melting and not putting on jackets. 
We got really good seats, like behind the catcher and front row.  Because they are actually college kids playing in a summer league, we were very close.  It was fun to watch the boys hitting the balls and running around the bases.  They are really good and won the game 5 to 0.

 

07.24.13  Success!  Dad took off the training wheels for Peter and after a little coaching Peter was off.  He loves his new found freedom.  He feels a little wobbly at first but once he gets going he does awesome.  Way to Go PETER!

 

07.29.13  For Family Home Evening we took a trip to Herrick Lake in Wheaton.  It was the perfect night.  The lighting was amazing.  The kids had their bikes and Dave, Esther and I walked around the lake.  The temperature was amazing.  I asked Dave to take a couple pictures of me and he took one that I just love.  I think the lighting and colors are just perfect.  I wanted to be in the pictures since I had been taking most of them that night.