Our Long Weekend In The Windy City...

I haven't been a very good blogger lately, but I'm trying. Really, I'm trying.
Our trip to Chicago this past weekend was FABULOUS!!! I think I've mentioned before that Preston won this trip through work, and he SO deserved it...and I'm SO STINKIN PROUD OF HIM! This was his first year with the company and he made Winner's Circle...quite impressive if I do say so myself.
Anyhow, we had such a good time. It was nice being able to get to know some of the people Preston works with. I think there were about two hundred people (including spouses) who went on the trip, including the Gordon family, which was so neat. We stayed in The Intercontinental right on Michigan Avenue and it was beautiful, not to mention walking distance from just about anything you could want to go do. They pampered us the whole weekend, and the food...OH THE FOOD! We were treated to some of the most delicious meals Ive ever had, and we were also able to attend The Taste of Chicago, which just happened to be going on while we were there!
We spent one day looking around the always super-cool Field Museum (I haven't been since the 5th grade,) and that same night his company rented out the ENTIRE Shed Aquarium for a dinner/dance partaay...I totally got out there and cut a rug. Not really. But I will tell you it was quite fun watching the other people, the much older people (some who may or may not have had a few too many drinks) get down on the dance floor.
I would love to tell you that I took a lot of awesome pictures, but sadly, I only took about four. To be honest, we did a lot of walking and I didn't feel like lugging it around, but of course now, I'm regretting that decision.
The best part of our trip: being able to sleep in as late as we wanted every morning and taking naps every day...In my book, there's not much better than that.
And what would be a vacation without some kind of airport drama? Oh yes, its quite a story, and if I see you soon, I'll have to tell you in person, because its much too long for me to get into right now. I will tell you it was nothing short of RIDICULOUSLY DRAMATIC, like something off of a movie actually...and it does involve Preston and I SPRINTING through O'Hare airport only to miss our flight, getting our next flight cancelled by the airline at the last minute, lots of tears on my part, and having to spend an extra night in Chicago (without any of our luggage) and fly into Lexington (not Louisville) the next day. Oh no...I'm not lying, although I wish I was.
Like I said before...other than our going-home airport drama, we had an amazing time. Chicago...we'll be missing you.

Happy Father's Day...

To the THREE BEST DAD'S I know!!!!!

Counting...

Just a few of the MANY things I'm thankful for on this Wednesday evening...


My HUSBAND, who WORKS HIS TAIL OFF EVERY SINGLE DAY to provide for our little family. Really, he's the hardest working man Ive EVER met in my life...and I so admire him for it.

The lovely yellow roses sitting on my counter top, which the previously mentioned young man gave me last week. He still hasn't forgotten they're my favorite.

My CHURCH.

LIGHTNING BUGS. You know when you're little, and they just seem so magical? Well, I got to experience that all over again this past weekend with Sawyer. It was SO awesome. It was just getting dark outside and they were all over the back yard, so I grabbed a bottle and called Sawyer outside...she was SO EXCITED. She ran all over, catching as many as she could, and when we took them inside and shut all the lights off, it got even better...I'd forgotten how neat those little guys are!

AIR CONDITIONING.

My FRIENDS. I know some the sweetest women on the face of this planet.

My FAMILY.

My Sawyer-girl. What a joy she is! She's the brightest, funniest little thing Ive ever come across. She keeps my on my toes...and in an almost perpetual state of laughter. The things that come out of that child's mouth!

GOOD CONVERSATION.

The fact that my car is now out of the shop, and that having it fixed didn't break the bank.

My HOME.

The POOL, and how Sawyer loves it just as much as I do.


And Most of all, for this:
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7

There's A Ham in Our Tub!

Swim Little Fishy...

Sawyer LOVES LOVES LOVES being in the water! She's been a "water baby" since she was old enough to sit up in water, and I cant even tell you how happy that makes me. Last year we started taking her to my grandparents neighborhood pool, and from the very start she couldn't get enough. She was too little to really learn how to swim, so I got her a life jacket to wear, but it didn't really do much...I still had to keep hold of her the entire time we were in the water. It was fine, but I could tell- being the independent girl she is- that she wanted to be able to do more by herself.
Fast forward to this year...My grandparents pool opened this weekend, and we've already been twice. Sawyer is even more in love with the water, if that's even possible. Before we went out there on Wednesday, I decided to run to Target and buy some arm floaties and give those a try. She was SO excited about wearing them because there were several other (older) kids who had them on, so she really felt like a big girl. After about 15 minutes of working with her, helping her realize she wasn't going to go under if I let her go, she GOT IT! From then on, there was no stopping her...she was swimmin' all over the place! I honestly couldn't believe I was watching my almost 3 year old doggy paddle across the pool...it was just so neat. so of course I had to break out my camera! (You'll have to excuse the not so great quality of the pictures, these are just taken with my little point-and-shoot. I don't like getting my other camera too close to large bodies of water OR splashy toddlers. Ha!)

The Mini Daredevils...

Alright, so these pictures don't even do this post justice, but I had to write about it anyways, because it was just too funny. Kendall spent Tuesday with us, and after the girls took their nap, we went outside so they could play in Sawyer's little blow up pool. By this time, Leah had come over and we were sitting on the porch talking while the girls played in the yard. All of a sudden, we hear VERY LOUD splashing, and when we looked, we couldn't believe our eyes. Kendall (aka Evil-Kanevil) was literally FLYING off the top of the slide that goes down into the pool! I don't mean just jumping, I mean full out belly flops (legs and arms out behind her back) into the water. It was HILARIOUS! Of course, Sawyer followed her lead, but she wasn't brave enough for the belly flop...she played it safe and landed on her bottom. Still...I couldn't believe I was watching two little girls pulling those kinds of stunts! They're fearless I tell ya...
I scrambled to get my camera, and I did manage to get a little video of all the action, but of course, I'm having trouble getting it on here. I'm determined though, so wait for it!

Slumber Party, Round Two...

Sawyer's best buddy Kendall got to come spend the night with us on Friday! Sawyer was SO excited, and they had such a good time playing together. It was really warm out Friday evening, so they got to swim for a while, and later, after their bath we finished the night off with a movie and popcorn. They both went to bed without a single peep, and ended up sleeping later than usual the next morning...probably because they'd worn themselves playing so hard!
We're already looking forward to our next slumber party!