We had a great week at home in Chicago, leading up to my sister's wedding. The timing was good because Nolan and Heath both had Fall Break. So they didn't miss any school. But I did. Thanks to my wonderful principal for letting me take the week off. My student's were in great hands with my friend and colleague Anné as their guest teacher. And a week at home with my family was much needed!
So after a lot of wedding prep and packing we were more than ready to take off! Our boys are expert travelers and the airport and flying has really become a breeze.
I packed lunches for the boys to eat at the airport while we waited for our flight. Heath was wearing his "I love my AUNT" shirt in honor of Mallory's big day!
It was so cute to watch Brooks walk the airport…blankie in hand.
He did pretty well on the flight too. We really wish that he would just sit and watch a movie, but he's just not there yet. So it takes a lot of entertaining to get him through the flight, he's a busy boy, but we are thankful that for the most part, he's quiet.
Nolan read to Heath until they could turn on the computer.
The few minutes where he actually watched some shows on the iPad.
Taxiing around and waiting for our gate to be ready in Chicago. Of course at this moment he had to pee…realllllly, realllllly badly. But we couldn't take off our seat belts. So I tried to keep his mind off of it by taking Selfies!
We got in on Saturday night and of course had to start our trip off right with Nana's for dinner! We sure ate ourselves through the week. (as usual)
Sunday would be the only day that wasn't packed with last minute wedding prep or people working, so we planned for it to be a fun family day. It also happened to be our only full day of SUN! So we were thankful to be able to spend the day outside. There is nothing like the midwest in the Fall. It's magical.
Brooks and Grandpa played some ball.
And then we headed to Cantigny.
It was fun for the boys to check out the tanks.
Heath, our little climber, had a blast climbing up each one!
Nolan loved the grenade shooters...
and Grandpa taught us about all the different types of tanks.
Even Grandma made her way up!
Nolan (and Grandma) collected leaves and acorns for their "collections".
We took this picture for Uncle T. Go Wildcats!
It was a beautiful day and the grounds were gorgeous!
All my boys looking for fish and frogs.
See the frog?
Taking a break from running!
These two had fun exploring on their own!
Grandma & Brooksie going for a stroll.
Crazy kid.
We finished our day at Cantigny with a picnic. It was such a good day. Such good memories for the boys…and for us adults too!
That night, Mark and I got a fun night out with friends. My Mom & Dad watched Brooks and Mal & Bob had a sleepover with Nolan & Heath.
And we had yummy food, great conversation, and lots of laughs with life long besties. Kerri, Joe, & OG and Don & Jocelyn. We are so thankful for friends that you can reconnect with over time and feel like you pick up right where you left off. Love these fun people!
Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie, and Flobby had to work for the first few days of the week. So we really got to relax, run errands, play, and chill together. It was nice family time.
One day we went to Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm to pick up small, white pumpkins for Auntie's wedding place cards. I hadn't been there since I was a kid, so it was fun to take the boys.
Happy Jack!
It was a rainy day, but we made the most of it. Unfortunately, when we got there we found out that they had sold all of Mallory's pre-ordered, small, white pumpkins due to a lack of product because of bad weather. What?!!! We were so disappointed! But we let the kids explore a bit before we embarked on our great white pumpkin hunt of '14!
They loved all of the characters!
Love these funny faces!
Mallory and I spent the afternoon running around all over the place in search of small, white pumpkins. We needed over 100. We could find a couple here and there, but knew that in just 3 days, we would never come close to the amount we would need for the place cards. So after a busy afternoon, we had to set our vision aside and come up with a plan B. In the end, it all worked out, and we figured out the place cards, not our original idea, but cute none the less. Even though it was a total cluster, I enjoyed the fun frenzy with my sis. It made for funny memories in the end.
After a crazy afternoon, Mallory and Bob wanted to take us out to thank us (well, really me, ha!) for everything we did to help them with the wedding.
We had a delicious and VERY fun dinner at Mago! We told our waiter that they were getting married that weekend and they brought over this dessert and these awesome sombreros for them to keep! Margaritas and relaxation and lots of love!
Meanwhile, Grandma & Grandpa were living large at McDonalds for the night. Fine Dining for sure. They watched the boys for us while we went out. The boys had burgers, played in the playland, and got Hexbug Happy Meals. But most importantly, they got more time with Grandma & Grandpa, which they LOVE!
Another afternoon, Mallory & I stopped by the florist to pay her final bill for the wedding flowers and to spend some time with our beloved Soo-ja.
That place is like coming home. The smell, the hugs, the flowers, it's just...right. When I posted this picture on Instagram I captioned it with: Triplets at heart. And it's just that. Love this lady and am so thankful for what she has done for Mallory and I. She loves us and supports us unconditionally. We have such good memories with her. She taught us to work hard and to put love into what we work at.
A trip home WOULD NOT be complete without a meal at Portillos. (and Lou's for that matter, which we did complete, but no picture to prove it) Such midwestern girls…we needed to power up for rehearsal with some BEEF!
We enjoyed some family downtime here and there throughout the week as well. We know that our kids will be loved SO WELL when we are home with my family.
They looooove reading books with Grandma. She picked out a special, new book for each of them from her Scholastic book fair and they slept with their new books every single night. So sweet.
During our nights at home, my Mom & Dad also introduced us to one of their favorite t.v. shows- Dr. Pol on National Geographic Wild. It's about a small town MICHIGAN veterinarian. It's totally Michigan, which is one of the reasons why Mark and I loved it. But it's about animals, which throws me for a loop as to why I liked it. But we watched it twice in one week…and it made for good memories, squeamish memories. Animals are just nasty sometimes. Straight up nasty. Ha! But I loved just lounging around in our comfies watching t.v. every night.
We are always sure to snap pics with the fam on every trip. As you can see, Brooks is M.I.A. My friend, Kati, even texted me to jokingly ask where Brooks was on our vacation. Ha! That boy has a mind of his own. And pictures are not his fav. So rather than force it, we choose to just look like a family of 4. Ha! Maybe one day he'll cooperate and pose for pictures. Maybe.
Uncle T. and Auntie Laura got into town on Thursday. And the boys could not have been happier. They are FUNNY and FUN. And they come bearing Legos, which is always an added bonus!
Grandma was sure to fit in dates while we were in town. Isn't she wonderful?!
Nolan's was first. Dunkin Donuts.
His first time.
And boy was it memorable.
We weren't there to witness it,
but somehow,
Grandma was toppled by the table.
She had to pry herself out.
And a mess of coffee and o.j. was left behind.
Nolan was un-phased by it.
Grandma, however, was not.
She was traumatized.
Ha!
Thankfully she left unharmed.
Too bad we weren't driving down Irving Park Rd. at that moment to witness it.
Sorry Momela! Love you!
Heath chose Yogurtland for his date.
And Brooks, poor 3rd child, had a date with the bathtub. He got Grandma & Grandpa to himself for the night, so we counted that as his special time.
And those were most of our random pictures from throughout the week. When we got really busy, I didn't really end up taking too many pictures. I even brought my nice camera, which is now repaired, but didn't end up using it much.
You know you are really having a great time and enjoying the moment when you don't even stop to think about taking a picture, especially in this day and age. I sound so old…ha!
But don't worry…there are plenty more pictures to come. Bachelorette, rehearsal, wedding day! So much goodness! We are so grateful for such an amazing week!
