Giddy Up!

Last weekend we drove out to Arlington Park 

for a little fun at the horse races.

We'd never been to the race track before,

but Mila's friend Ash and her Daddy 

are seasoned pros and explained 

how to place our bets.

We let Mila choose the horses each race.

She usually picked number 5, 

because (as she will tell anyone who listens)

5 is her favorite number.

Sweet Willow slept the whole time.

Mila enjoyed walking around with Daddy 

and checking out the horses before each race.

 The grounds are really beautiful, filled with flowers 

and tributes to the rich history of horse racing.

 And to top it off, we left with a net profit of $50.

What a fun afternoon!

Big Sister, Little Sister

Mila stayed with family while we were in the hospital,

so we couldn't wait for her to meet her little sis 

when she came home a few days after Willow was born.

 The first words out of Mila's mouth were,

"Aww, isn't she lovely?!?"

 Big sister has been very gentle and "helpful" so far.

 Mila grew a little angry when she recognized a 

baby blanket wrapped around Willow that used to be hers... 

...despite never caring about it before,
she said, "Hey! That blanket is very special to me!" 

We promised not to let Willow use it again.

 Other than that, big sister has been nothing but sweet. 

 We're so proud of both of our girls!

She's Here!

Willow June, our highly anticipated newest addition, 

joined our family on August 8!

 She was born just before 8pm,

and just like her big sister...

 ...she weighted 6lbs 14oz and was 19 1/2 inches long.

 We are so thankful to have such a healthy, 

beautiful little girl.

 She smiled before we even left the hospital.

(We don't know if that is even possible, 

but she certainly makes a smiley face a lot.)

Since Daddy's first name is William, 

just like his father, his grandfather,

 his great-grandfather and so on...

we named her Willow in tribute. 

Her middle name is our way of feminizing "Junior".

Welcome to the world, Willow June!

Silver Lake Sand Girl

Mila LOVES to roll around and play in the sand...

 ...so we really enjoyed spending a weekend with her

 grandparent's at Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan last month.

 Her cousins Joshua, Luke & Henry (and Aunt Rebecca

 & Uncle Brad) came up for some fun too. 

 She loves when Grandpa takes us on boat rides...

 ...but isn't quite ready for a tube ride like Daddy & Henry.

It was a nice time--

filled with love, laughter, sand & sunshine.

Picnic In The (Best) Park

We love evenings spent picnicking in Chicago's 

expansive Millennium Park during the free concert series.

 Mila wore her bathing suit in preparation 

for splashing in the Crown Fountain.

 Giving her very pregnant Mommy some love...

less than 3 weeks to go!

 Mila's friend Aislan's bubble gun was a huge hit!

 Sweet girls and their Daddies.

No trip to Millennium Park would be complete

 without a stop at "The Bean"!

Tourists In Our Own Town

 We love showing off Chicago to out-of town visitors. 

We almost always stick around the neighborhoods, 

but this time when Mommy's best friend Lindsay 

and her sweet 6 year old daughter Ava came to visit, 

we spent our time hitting up all the toursity places little girls adore...

When it comes to restaurants, most downtown spots are not our first choice...

but friends, we can let you in on a little secret: Bar Toma.

We all enjoyed our meal, complete with what Mila and Mommy

think is the best chocolate gelato in the city, before 

heading to the American Girl Store.

The next morning we spent a few hours at 

Lincoln Park Zoo. 

The weather was perfect and many of the animals were out.

The carousel is always Mila's favorite part. 

 Next, we shot down Lake Shore Drive to Navy Pier

where we had lunch at Riva's. 

When faced with all the junk food, chain restaurants, 

and overpriced options at Navy Pier, Riva's is one of the better bets. 

The girls enjoyed checking out Build-A-Bear and the candy store,

but for a special treat, we rode the famous ferris wheel. 

The girls were not the least bit afraid.

Tickets were $6 each,

but the line went very quick and the view from 

the top was spectacular.

Visit us again soon, Lindsay and Ava!

Sidewalk Painter

For some quick and easy fun for the kids, 

try mixing equal parts cornstarch and water.

Divide into cups or a muffin tin and add food coloring. 

Grab some brushes and let 'em paint the concrete.

Mila loved this project because she could help from start to finish. 

She's always asking what two colors will turn into when 

mixed together, this was a fun way to experiment with that.