Couldn't have done it without my dad. Thanks for all your help!!!
Here it is before...
...and after
Ahh...the sweet smell of Wrigleyville. Brian and I were both so excited to take the kids to our favorite ballpark. As many of you know, we visit a different ballpark every year, so to finally take them to our favorite was very exciting for all of us.
It was very hot this day. All 3 ballparks we visited so far were at least 90 degrees out the day we went to the game. Luckily our seats were in the shade this day at Wrigley Field.
Someone gave us passes for the kids to go down on the field during batting practice to meet some players and get some autographs. The Cubs were done batting, so we were only able to meet some St. Louis Cardinals players. Pretty exciting, regardless, to meet Albert Pujolls and Mark MacGwire.
Waiting for the game to being and enjoying our AMAZING seats.
If you didn't hear by now, they lost this game BIG time. Austin and Brian were sporting their rally caps and it didn't help much at all. The most important part was that we had a great family day together. We love that the kids are both very much into baseball and enjoy watching the games. I need to start my scrapbook this summer of each park we have visited so far.
Austin turned 12 years old this year...YIKES!!! Can't believe this is his last year before becoming a teenager. At the last minute we decided to invite a few of his closest friends over for a cookout the night of his birthday. Of course the day before his birthday I noticed on the weather channel that they were expecting the low to be 92 degrees that day. So several water balloons and super soakers later, the party was a success.
Water balloons always crack me up. They take FOREVER to fill up a bucket full of 30 or so. Then it takes about 2 minutes for them to all be thrown and popped. Love this picture of Madison getting her big brother.
We got Austin tickets to a Cubs game this year for his birthday. He was at Wrigley Filed once when he was so young he can't remember it. So, needless to say, my little sports fanatic was extremely excited about this. 
Brian surprised me on Valentine's Day with Carrie Underwood tickets. To say the least...I was SO EXCITED for this concert. I love all of her music, and like most people, have followed her since American Idol.
The concert was down in Indy, so we made an overnight date of it and stayed downtown. We arrived early so we could go out to dinner just the two of us. I love Indy because it is so small that you can walk everywhere. We walked to dinner, then back to our room to freshen up, and then walked to Conseco Fieldhouse for the concert. The concert was even much better than I was expecting. She is so ridiculously talented!!!! We even managed to go out after the concert together. Not something we get to do very often when we have kids. Loved every minute of this date night with Brian. We decided we liked it so much that we are going to make it a tradition to see a concert in Indy every year together. Thanks to my mom and dad for taking the kids for us for the weekend!!
How could I not post this adorable picture of Molly???
The kids went to the movies with Brian and Jeremy on Saturday. While they were gone, Sheila and I prepared Easter dinner and hid 100 eggs outside. It didn't take them very long to find all 100 of the eggs.
I'm so glad all the cousins get along so well. Of course, I always wish we lived closer to them, but TN will be a nice vacation spot. :) Besides I'm super excited for them and the church that they are starting down in TN. I'm especially excited that by the next time we visit them, their tornado shelter will be installed and ready to use... if needed.
~Cousins~
Madison and Marissa
He shoots...
He scores...
I absolutely love watching Austin play basketball. I hope that he sticks with it for several years. He's been pretty fortunate to be a part of great teams in the last couple years. This year...not so much. But Austin played well, as always. I told him his team can't finish in the top 3 every year.
We were pretty lucky to have great weather in Chicago in the middle of Winter for the day my mom and I took Madison downtown to see Annie. We arrived early by train and hung out at Millenium park. I considered taking Madison ice skating there, but it was so unusually warm out that day the ice was melting, and therefore several puddles were all over the ice rink.
We had a mini high school reunion with 6 of the 8 of us able to attend. First, we picked up Melanie from the airport. My stomach was hurting from laughing by the time we got there, and only got worse as the day went on!!!! I love my friends, and feel so blessed to still have all of them in my life. Laughing is what we do best together!!!! After lunch we headed to Alice's new place in Chicago and hung out with her for awhile. She wasn't able to join us that evening, because as you can see, she is very pregnant right now.
After dinner at a cute Italian restaurant, and a free ride from a perfect stranger in his white conversion van with black tinted windows...we headed up to the united center for the Bulls game. (alive) After the game, we walked to all the hot spots near the united center. We even got Melanie to dance a little :) Jaci's husband, Ben, was our bodyguard for the night. He works at the united Center and even got us on the jumbotron again!!! Thanks Ben!
My Grandma was in town a few weekends ago and was able to make it to see Austin play in one of his basketball games. Colin is our cousin, and the kids always say they wish he didn't live so far away :(
Madison chose TGI Fridays for her birthday dinner with the family. I was surprised to see her actually get embarrassed when they asked her to stand on her chair while they sang "Happy Birthday" to her.
Mom and Dad bought her tickets to see "Annie" in Chicago next weekend. (I get to come too...yay) It was hard for me to keep this secret for so long, because every time she sees the commercial for "Annie" she would BEG me to get her tickets!
Madison used a gift card from one grandma, and some Christmas money from another grandma and grandpa to buy herself this new bike. I was so proud of her for being responsible with her money. Now if Spring would just come soon so she could actually try it out!!!
Talking to Aunt Sheila on her birthday via skype!
She requested cinnamon rolls for her birthday breakfast. Quick and easy was good since Austin had an early b-ball game today. (We made her hat the night before with a friend that slept over)
WEBKINZ!
Carolyn, this picture is for you! The outfit you got her for Christmas is so cute on her!
Christmas was extra special this year for a couple reasons. First, I got to host Christmas dinner at our house for the first time ever. I wouldn't have survived it without the help of my mom and sister...thanks Mom and Sheila! There was so much food here that we had to put a lot of it on the back porch to keep cool through out the day since the refrigerator was jam packed. It was also great to have my sister and her family in town for this Christmas. They are moving from Ohio (2ish hours away) to Tennessee (8ish hours away) We know we won't be able to see them as often, so it was nice to have this Christmas together.
Mom and Dad with all their grandkids.
This will be the last letter my kids leave for Santa Clause. Austin has known since last year about Santa. Madison was starting to question it over the past couple months, but still really believed and was excited about Santa. Long story short...while I was in the kitchen getting things ready for Christmas dinner, Madison was snooping in our storage closet. She came across the same wrapping paper that Santa happened to wrap her presents with this year. She asked me about it and I told her the truth. She was a bit sad, and had MANY questions the following days. I asked both of my kids afterwards if they were mad we taught them the story of Santa Clause, and they both replied "No". In fact, Madison said she can't wait to be a mommy someday to tell her kids about it. I'm sure I'll be sad next year when my kids seem so grown up that they aren't talking about going to sleep early so Santa will come. Or leaving reindeer food on the back porch for Rudolph and the gang. Mostly, I'll miss using the "Naughty List" threat during the entire month of December. My kids are always so well behaved during that month. Haha
My good friend, Sarah, brought back some special advent calendars from England on her last trip there. If you have never experienced European chocolate...then you just don't know how good chocolate really can be. Today is December 1st, so the kids dug in right after breakfast.
Sarah even bought one for Brian and I to share...but Brian wouldn't let me take a picture of him eating his chocolate this morning. haha
Austin and Madison just discovered that the wish bone from our Thanksgiving turkey was finally dried enough to break in half. Here we go...grab a side...pull!!!!
Can you guess who got the bigger side? She realized after celebrating that she never made a wish beforehand. It was sad to see how the expression on her face changed so quickly. Of course, Austin had a smile on his face.