Just Better

And we may have harumpfed a lot during our two week find a house and move now experience, but we definitely won a better kitchen.  No doubt.

I laughed a lot for three days when I cooked on a stove top that didn't slant...

And we didn't kill each other!

Even better.

(We may have wound up with about two and half times the previous bedroom and four times the previous bathroom as well...)

 

Having a lease so we can enroll the children in school for next year--key.

Always, I Open My Mouth

We joined the Boy Scouts Sunday for skiing one last time before the end of the season.

And I think we're getting the hang of it!

Spring Fever is Beginning now

And when we returned home late Sunday evening, we did not have to meet this.  This was mostly gone.  Although the records are in, and February 2018 is on record as one of the top 10 snowiest in history.

 

Not having to shovel was good.  Because when it was the boys' turn, it took them two hours to do the drive.

I'd look out the window and they would be shoveling.

Later, I'd look out the window and Ben would be shoveling and Nick would be hitting him.

I'd look out the window and Nick would be shoveling and Ben would be laying in a snow bank.

I'd look out the window and they would both be gone, disappeared.

I'd look out the window and they would be shoveling.

 

Eventually, they got it done.

Waterparks

When we weren't in the snow, we were here.

 

My personal favorite--the waterslide that shot you into a funnel, which you turned through like going down a toilet bowl.  Then you actually went down the drain and flooded out into the landing pool.

 

We slept well over the weekend.

Day 2: Tubing

And on Day 2: We took our time getting out in the morning and chose to tube for the majority of our day.

 

Pushing each other off the top for a good start at things.

 

Getting ready to go with mom and dad (the added weight can't be beat).

 

 

Seriously--we knocked through barriers, and if you can hear Patric we overtook the boys.

So Many Inches

Friday.  Snow day except for the Army, of course.

So we shoveled out.

 

And the neighborhood dogs played while we were all out. 

We laughed at the Alabamians in the snow.

The neighbor came over and helped with her snow blower at the end.

The other neighbors good naturedly wondered how we earned such help and why they weren't allowed to sleep in? Bring some muffins and it would have been a block party.

 

 

Saturday, we shoveled for the second and third time.

Because of course the Army was working over the weekend.

 

By Sunday, the fun had officially worn off.

Way Back 2017: Happy Birthday Boys

It was into downtown Chicago on the boys' birthday for some puzzle room fun.

 

In a pretty cool old building, where we had to ring someone to come operate the elevator for us.

So we could go up and be locked in a room in that building.

Then we had1 hour to figure out all of the clues to unlock the door and escape.

All while a zombie was chained in the corner but was released a foot further into the room every ten minutes.

We escaped!

The key here--we listened closely to our briefing, and it turns out the zombie can be distracted by show tunes.  The girls set out to distract that zombie from the beginning while we ran after clues.  And by then end, we were pretty much in a puzzle room having fun chatting with a zombie.

 

We hear there is another version of this based off Devil In The White City around here.  On the list for our cold winter activity.

 

(That's not our fifth child; that's our second Ben.  He hangs around a lot and we like him.)

Way Back 2017: Christmas

Union Station Downtown Chicago.

 

Where we met grandma Montana!

And I found myself saying, "Now you'll smile, Nicholas?"

To which he replies: "It's grandma, mom.  Of course I'm going to smile."

Well done, Nick.

And we ventured out not very much--it was cold.

We have seriously set some sort of long-term cold weather record as of January 6, and we're looking forward to 30 degrees tomorrow.

That was okay--the living room with a fire was just fine.

 

We did get all dressed up and went out for Christmas Eve service.

But we took our pictures indoors.

 

Where there were also stocking sack races.

And Ben photo bombing the air rifle gift for Nick.

I was a little nervous that our new neighbors were going to kick us out of the neighborhood when we got that.  Then it turned out the boy across the street got one too.  We're going to play Hatfields and McCoys some day if it is ever warm enough.

 

There was Mexican Train in the living room.

 

And there was relaxing in the living room.

And it was perfect. 

 

Elaine could run this place

Cold and rainy outside?

Wear your warm jacket under your rain jacket. 

We've totally got this Northern weather.

 

But start the day with apple pie made for your family.

Seriously, she took a cooking class, came home and made us breakfast two days later of cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling. 

The Bulls

Four free tickets to a Bulls pre-season game from the neighbors?

Yes!

Aldia at a birthday party with mom as taxi, left four for the game--perfect amount of tickets.

 

Elaine--definitely the most excited for the game. 

She heckled the teams along with the best of them. And she single handedly cheered the Bulls to victory.

 

And then taped all things she brought home to her door--calendar, shirt, tickets, the parachute she caught with the things.  And yes, she even taped her cup up there.

 

We Found Take Out!

Chicago Style

Vegetable Garden

At the school, definitely not our house.

At the school just across the park that the ladies will go to this fall.

We just need to get them registered.

One thing at a time.

Six Days in June

They went flying.

 

We waited.

 

They pet cows.

 

We waited

 

They had a garage sale.

 

We waited.

 

They built a patio.

 

We waited.

 

They went to the library.

 

We waited.

 

They went shooting.

 

 

Our stuff arrived!

It's Official

We are now the Chicago Outfit.

Chicago

Our new neighbors...

 

...will probably wonder about us.

 

We managed to play and explore our new neighborhood, meet some new friends, have a water balloon fight with them and a soccer game in the park.  And generally relaxed without any furniture a couple of days.

 

The big move--too dang soon, yet not soon enough.

It took a week after returning to get used to the heaviness of the air here again.

My Dream Kitchen

Beautiful.

Food Prep separate from washing dishes.  Double ovens.  Gas cooktop.  Farm sink.  Countertop height island.  Storage.

It will remain a dream, and I will create here while we're in Chicago. 

But it does have a double ovens!

 

And it's pretty dang cute.