Not goodbye...just see you later.

I had all sorts of grand intentions to take pictures of the kids on the swing set one last time, take pictures with our dear friends one last time, take pictures with Ollie 2 one last time, but as it seems to happen lately, my intentions weren't realized and the opportunities passed me by before I captured anything on camera to commemorate our goodbyes.

We had a wonderful month in Chicago reuniting with Kyle, our friends and neighbors.  We have the most ideal set up we could have ever dreamed up.  To have a fully furnished home (dishes, linens, toys, bikes, books) right across the street from where we used to live to move into for however long or short of a time we needed complete with a lush, green, grand acre-plus yard with a playset and a nice long driveway perfect for chalk art and bike riding is really more than we could have ever asked for.  Barb, our dear former neighbor (technically landlord, but really she's my "Chicago Mom") who lets us rent from her for the summer has been our angel.  I lost count how many times I went upstairs to get my laundry to find it already folded. Once I opened our fridge to find a pan of ribs with cooking instructions ready to go in the oven for Sunday dinner. How did she know I was craving ribs that weekend?  She baked us cookies, cupcakes, had us over for dinner, surprised the kids with gifts, and made me her famous potato salad...  all the while logging 80 hours of work each week, the poor woman.  She is amazing and our family will forever be grateful to her generosity and friendship. Because of her, I am able to have some semblance of normalcy despite our not-so-normal lifestyles insofar as Kyle's work schedule goes. The great thing is I never have to get too emotional about leaving (I hate goodbyes, I avoid them as much as possible) because I know I'll be back, so it's never goodbye for good. Just "see ya later."

Some of the highlights of my month in Chicago consisted of:

• many, many afternoons spent at Turtle Splash with Cade and Savannah
• 3 glorious prenatal massages at Lifetime Fitness (the free babysitting kind of kept luring me back I think...in addition to the opportunity to lie on my stomach, too)
• a trip with Cade and Sav to the Dupage Chidren's Museum
• an afternoon of slip 'n sliding on Barb's hill -- not me of course, the kids and some friends
• a Kane County Cougars baseball game complete with fireworks
• a family trip to Nauvoo
• a pedicure with a friend (while her husband watched the kids--so sweet!)
• Relief Society!  I quite enjoyed it. I've been in the Primary since we moved to Utah in August, which is wonderful, too. But it's always nice to be with the "ladies" every once in a while. 
• A couple Saturday evening dinners out with the sales reps and their families
• a few birthday parties
• a luncheon with my old presidency
• going to the mall playland to let the little ones burn off their energy on rainy days
• quiet nights on the back deck after putting the little ones down
• a movie night in Barb's movie room with Kyle and the kids. We watched  Benji and ate pizza and ice cream -- it was a special night for the kids to have Daddy around before going to bed. 
• a little shopping at HomeGoods
• ice cream at Tastee Freeze -- the local ice cream joint
• Sunday dinners with friends

Unfortunately I didn't . . . 

• make it to the city a single time -- unless you count flying in and out of the airport.  
• take the kids on a train ride
• go out for a slice of Portillo's chocolate cake OR bring an entire cake home with me as a carry-on the airplane, though I so badly wanted to
• read the 8 books I brought. Just 1.
• go shopping in downtown Geneva
• get  a chance to browse the Land of Nod outlet in Naperville
• go on a date alone with my hubby

It was a good month, and just the right amount of time. Just sure wish Kyle and I had been able to get away just the two of us.  Hopefully sometime this month!

--------------------

Cade waiting at the bottom of the hill for his next unsuspecting victim...

These boys had a blast together! Even after Cade and Savvy's little buddy Anthony went home and Savvy went down for her nap, these three kept going strong for another 2 hours!

Now Cade is about to be an unsuspecting victim...

...and he loved it!

We love the Kane County Cougars...mostly for the cotton candy!!

Happiness.