Game, Set, Match

I had one goal this summer.

GET MCKENNA POTTY TRAINED

sweet sweet victory in only ONE day!!!

Earlier this summer we tried, but I'll be honest, neither of us were really into it and we easily went right back to diapers.

So about two weeks ago, I was looking at Pinterest and saw a link to a blog that talked about how to potty train your child in one day. 

http://www.themoesfamilyintexas.blogspot.com/search/label/Potty%20Training

It renewed my drive to get McKenna potty trained.  On Monday, July 16th, Ben went to spend the day with my mom and potty training boot camp began.

It was a big girl day, just the two of us, and that's all it took.  I couldn't be more proud of my big girl.  She's made it through the zoo, play dates, trips to the store and library, all with no accidents. 

I'm one proud PROUD momma!!!

Now if I could just get her off the floor and sleeping in her big girl bed!

Catch Up

Today is July 30th. Seriously. It's already July 30th.

Before you know it summer will come to a close and school will be back in session. I have a couple of meetings this week already, so the real-world is definitely looming.

Summer has been a busy one.  A wonderfully busy one. 

Here's a bit of what we've been up to...

keeping cool in this crazy heat


7/11 Free Slurpee Day!


McKenna & Ben invited Trippy to come too


No school means getting to go to Daddy's softball games


Put me in coach...I'm ready to play!


foreshadowing...Brayden, Benson & Baseball


conquering JumpyHouse fears at Tucker's Bday party


loved EVERY minute


my babies? nope... my big kids


Benny doesn't care that he gets to sit in a Jeep...he doesn't want his haircut!


27 months old and her first haircut...if suckers are involved she's a happy girl


blondies


always snacking


tickling the ivories with MiMoo


splash pad fun


splash pad safe zone


playing in the puddles at MiMoo's school


obsessed with Bats


McKenna is so ready to ride bikes with our neighbors


so ready


popscicles...


are...


yummy!


Cosley Zoo


Neigh!


oh how they love animals


lunch break at the zoo


visiting Daddy at work


summer reading program at the Oswego Library...McKenna's picture of her favorite part of the book "David Gets In Trouble"


Today is July 30th.  It's ONLY July 30th, right?  We've got plenty of time and plenty more to do!!!

Happy Summer, everyone!

West Suburban Living

We had the honor of being asked to be part of an advertisement for Hinsdale Center for Reproduction. The ad ran in the May/June issue of West Suburban Living magazine here in the Chicagoland area.



We will be foreve indebted to HCR for our family. We can never thank them enough.

4th

GBA! God Bless America!

Our annual trip to Arlington Race Track with my Dad was upon us once again.

This year it was just a few of us. Mom, as always, was attending her NEA Representatives Assembly in Washington D.C., Lizzie is currently living in San Francisco, and the Samples decided to opt out this year due to the extreme heat.

It was definitely hot. 100 degree hot. But that didn't deter race fans one bit. The place was packed! We were prepared for the heat with a cooler full of water, squirt bottle fans, and even a makeshift water table/pool for the kids. As always, we had a blast betting on the ponies with Dad.

It wouldn't be summer and it just wouldn't be the 4th of July without our day at Arlington.






Ben loved watching the tractor drive by ... he ran up to the fence every time he heard it coming!





The kids loved sitting on the fence watching the ponies race. Benny yelled and pumped his fists as they ran by us EVERY time. It was the cutest thing. It's an understatement to say that he had fun watching them run.


The best thing we brought was this tent, which was Brian's idea. It was a perfect way to get the kids out of the direct sun and heat. McKenna sat in it for the longest time playing games on Aunt Krissy's iPhone.


Dippin' Dots with Aunt Krissy



GP & his #1





The kids look red in the pictures but I'm happy to report that it's just because they were hot, not because they're burned. Our continuous layering upon layering of sunscreen, the tent, and many trips to the air conditioned clubhouse proved positive! They didn't get a spot of color!

What an awesome time once again this year!



Thanks Dad!

French Lick

Our best friend, Brad's family has owned a timeshare in French Lick, Indiana for many years. In high school and college, Brian & Brad would enjoy a nice week of golfing, swimming, and hanging out relaxing. I even went one year. Wish I could find the pictures. :)

Fast forward about 14 years ... Brad & Megan now have a timeshare of their own. They invited us down this year for a nice week of golfing for the guys, swimming for the kids, and hanging out relaxing for Megan & I ;)

Nothing like spending a week with our best friends...we had an awesome time!


on our way!


a split second of patience while we unpacked the car and put stuff away


the boys turned our diaper runs into daily nature walks....future eagle scouts?


heading down to the pool...thank goodness for strollers...those hills are crazy!


first day...it was raining, so we swam in the indoor pool, affectionately called the dolphin pool


jumpin' girl!




back from the pool...checking emails

Water park fun...











by our expressions you'd think this slide was fast and steep...haha!



We spent the majority of our time swimming at the pool. The kids had a blast!











We took a break from the pool and went to check out some trains.


don't worry baby girl...we won't let it take you away


B4


Engine, Engine Number Nine Eleven










kisses


Grandma Sassy & Grandpa Jimmy babysat for us a couple of nights so we could have Parents Night Out

We headed home on Thursday morning after a nice relaxing week of vacay. I know there will be many more years of enjoying French Lick with our best friends.

On our way home we took a much needed pit stop at Fair Oaks Farm. We have passed FOF on 65 in Indiana for many years and was really excited to stop to see what it was all about.