Old School Park...

Another one of my favorite photo session locations is a park down by our cottage in Pana, Illinois.  The park is like the parks we used to go to - metal slides, swings that seem to reach to the sky, merry go round and all!  I love this recent pic I took of Lucas there:

It may not be the safest park, but I hope they don't change it!

How I am feeling this week....

Why can't people just be nice?  It's much easier.  Really.  Especially adults - our kids are always watching. So sad that this weekend I had to answer questions to my six year old like "why doesn't that man like me?"  

All so someone can puff up his chest and feel like a big man.  Well you know what I say?  Screw you.  Hurt me?  Shame on you.  Hurt my child?  Prepare to have your eyes clawed out. 

I know I am supposed to forgive.  It is so hard though when no one is asking for forgiveness.  Sorry.  Feeling a little defeated this week. 

Happy Halloween - a ninja and an astronaut

Still miss you like mad pops!

Hanging with my guys....

Aidan decided tonight would be a great night to surprise Nate with a picnic dinner at the forest preserve and to fly a kite...so we did and had a great time!  I of course couldn't miss an opportunity with such a great natural backdrop (and lighting!)...so here are a few of my fav's: 

Lucas kept wanting me to take pics of him with his mad face...then he made daddy do it too!

Mandarin student...

Aidan has been taking mandarin classes at our house once a week for about six months now...he seems to really enjoy it.  His teacher emailed me these pictures she took of him last week - so cute!

He can count to 100, sing two songs and knows many "pinyins".  So proud of my guy!

Summer Project...before and after..

So I finally tackled a project I had been thinking about since we moved into this house....here are before and after pics...

So this was the dining room when we bought the place.  Phase one was replace all walls, re-do floors and get rid of lovely closet doors to the kitchen...

I wanted to add a board and batten treatment to our walls so I learned how to use a miter saw!  We also cut the legs on our bar height table and purchased new chairs.  Our dining room at this house is much smaller than at our last home, so by shortening the table the room actually feels bigger...

 End result: 

 I am pretty happy with the end result and proud of myself for accomplishing it!  Now that I know how to use the saw there is no stopping me!  :-)