Sears/Willis Tower

We still haven't completely fixed our computer. While we still don't have our files transferred over from the external hard drive, we do have some new ones from our camera. So we'll simply skip what happened in July (hopefully we'll be able to fill in the gap later), and start with what we have.


Last night we went to the Sears/Willis Tower. We have a pass that my parents got us that will get us into a few attractions around the Chicago area and this is the first we've used. Way fun! (Thanks G&G B!!)
Enjoying the view from Daddy's arms.We went after naps so after dinner and waiting in line, we got to the top just before sunset. It was some beautiful lighting.

Checking it out.

They have a ledge that you can walk out onto and see 103 stories straight down. Here they're taking full advantage of the vantage point.

A few poses.

Family pic.

Ahhhhh!

A view of the city. Gorgeous.

This one you might have to enlarge to get the full affect. Beside the white truck, you can see our bikes parked on the sidewalk. They might be a little blurry but you should be able to make out the blue trailer attached to Tyler's bike.

The reciprocal view of the building from our bikes.

It was a fun evening even if we got home really late. The kids seemed to really enjoy it (that and the opportunity to eat Chipotle and be out way past their bedtimes). Fun was had by all (and Tyler and I rode 17 miles, roundtrip on our bikes; woot, woot!).

Broken

Our computer is broken. It has been that way for almost two weeks. Tyler is in the process of trying to resurrect it but it's taking awhile. After seeing the "blue screen of death" a couple of times, things are looking up and it appears that he will get all back to normal. He's had to completely gut it though and start over so it will be a little longer before we get all our files and pictures back off the external hard drive (as our computer tries to complete the 96 updates to the version of Windows we have). To make a long story short, sorry for our blogging absence and it will probably be at least week (maybe two) before we will be able to post another update.

Fourth of July

We didn't do tons for the Fourth. We ate outside with our neighbors (steak and corn on the cob, very American). After that, we headed to our closest big show, the Evanston show. Evanston is one of the wealthy, northern suburbs (it's where Northwestern University is and is also where Mean Girls is set). We decided to drive a little closer, park and then ride our bikes to a good spot. It was perfect weather for such activities. We ended up with an awesome spot on this peninsula into Lake Michigan. We were right next to where they were shooting off the fireworks but we could see downtown Chicago in the distance. Addilyn is such a good big sister. We rode our bikes and Elias fell asleep on her lap during the ride. She stayed very still and quiet as to not wake him.
We got her out of there without waking him! The kids woke him up probably 10 minutes later by running around and screaming but he was going to get awakened by the fireworks anyway. So cute!

This is probably the best show we've seen. It was 20 minutes long and was very consistent. This wasn't even the finale!

Entertainment

Addilyn and Asher are really good at finding ways to entertain themselves (and us). Here are a few of their more recent ventures (that we have pictures of because, honestly, we haven't been very good about that lately).Addilyn "doing her Greek".

The duo playing with shoes. Adorable!
In case you didn't get the full effect of his awesome ensemble, here's another view. Also, he was using his galoshes properly and wearing another pair of shoes under them.
Stuffing a toucan puppet full of crayons. I guess that's as good of a place as any.Reading with Brittany.
Reading with Nick. Unfortunately, they won't get to do this very often any more as Nick and Brittany have moved to Arizona. We're pretty bummed and miss them like crazy.

Elias Eats (and Such)

As you may have noticed in the past, we like to take pictures of our kids eating. Here are some pictures of Elias trying different types of solid food.
Here is Elias after trying his very first strawberry. We call it the "strawberry carnage" picture.
Mmm...strawberry.
He also tried a slice of cantaloupe. It was an especially nice teething food because it had come from the fridge so it was nice and cool. He also likes peaches. See how happy he is.
But don't try to take that peach away because he'll fight you for it. Seriously, steer clear.On somewhat related new, those teeth we've been watching and thinking were going to come through "any day now" for nearly 2 months are finally coming through. We're thinking all four of the front top teeth will make it through this week. You can just see one of them here.On completely unrelated news, Elias has figured out how to pull up. He had done it a couple of times before but always seemed to be shocked to be standing. Now he know not only knows how to pull up, he knows he knows how to pull up. He's getting to be a pro. He pulls up in his crib, in the bath and on any random toys that will stay still and sturdy enough for him. Yay, Elias!

Kansas Trip

A month ago we were in Kansas for a visit. We did loads of fun things with family and friends. Unfortunately, we didn't take very many pictures. Here are the few that we did.
The kids helped Tyler wash the van one afternoon. Sneak attack!Getting to use the hose by herself. She brings a very determined face into this new responsibility.Elias and I visited Candice and Elliott (and Eric) one evening. The kids got to hang out a little and Candice and I got to chat. It was really nice.
Gotta love that tongue!
We did lots of other fun things like visiting the Smiths (and a sleepover), going to a sprinkler park, the Hope building dedication, a date night and watching some pretty cool storms. All in all, it was a great trip and a wonderful break from the city.

Photos: Part 3

Looking shy.
Checking out the grate (and potentially sticking things in it).
Bikes and bubbles...can life get better: I submit that it cannot!
Walking on the wall along the lake.

Waiting for the train.
Super cute face.
Thus ends my pictures from the cousins weekend. Many, if not all, have been presented on other blogs but these are my favorites.
The end.