Sitting Pretty

Watching a move before bedtime, sitting so nicely together

Sign of the Times

Adam caught Riley playing on Conor's new laptop. These kids love computers, and I don't think we even owned one at our house until I was in high school!

Cool chick

Riley loves to wear sunglasses...and sometimes she will even rest them on the top of her head like mom.

Yummy!!

In honor of Sept 11, we got some red, white and blue Starkiss bars from Dairy Queen. Here are the aftereffects!

We Will Always Remember

The events of 9/11 are something that will never be forgotten. At first, I had chosen not to watch or listen to many of the memorial events on television or radio, because it is just so hard to relive and recall the emotions and fears and to be reminded of the devastating personal stories of tragedy. It seemed easier just to think momentarily here and there about that awful day and the way it has forever changed our world, and move on with my own day to day activities. But it is hard to avoid. The magazine I read before bed. The homily at church about forgiveness. The TV. The radio. It is everywhere and now I can't turn it off...just like that day when I couldn't avert my eyes from the news. Who could forget where you were and what you were doing when you first heard what happened? I pray for peace and healing for the families who suffer this loss every day, for the children who never met their parents killed that day, and for our country. May we never forget those who became heroes on September 11, 2001 and remember to cherish those we love, find inspiration to live our lives to the fullest each moment, and feel proud to be an American.

Firezone Playdate

Our friends Madelyn and Noah invited us to a playdate at a place called Firezone, complete with firetruck, ambulance, firefighter jackets, firefighter pole, and dispatch center. It was a great playtime, and educational too.

Here is Conor giving the dummy CPR while Madelyn prepares the meds and Riley sits ready to assist.

Other Minnesota fun

We followed the NIU football game, all dressed up in Huskie gear (well, at least Daddy and Riley were since they were the only ones who packed appropriately).
Aunt Laura has found a great playground with a splash park near her new apartment that we were able to check out. The kids had a blast, and didn't seem to care that we were starting to get a taste of some cooler fall weather. Can't wait to spend lots of days there with you next summer, Laura!
We also made it to see a softball game of Leah, Andy, Laura, and Nick's. Again, the kids had more fun playing in the dirt than anything else. And a late night at the ball park made for some good naps on the ride home the next day.

This year, our trip to MN was a little different. We extended the trip to a week to allow me to have several job interviews to prepare for our big move. It was extremely overwhelming and stressful, but I was able to make a decision and feel relieved to have one more step behind us towards the next step in our life journey.