Chicago Getaway

Early in July Billy and I went to Chicago for a little weekend getaway.  It was our first time to ever spend a night away from Maryn, but she was in good hands with our precious friends, the Esteps (thanks, guys!).  I can't tell you how good this little trip was for us.  It had been so long since we had extended alone time, we forgot how great it is!  No strollers, diaper bags, sippy cups, goldfish crackers; no scheduling around nap times and early bed times; no meltdowns.  Just a fun adventure in the big city with time for exploring and grown up conversing! We did a lot of cool things.  We took the train to Chicago which was a neat experience in and of itself.  We went to the Chicago Museum of Art (I was in absolute awe of the great works of art there - especially the impressionist stuff), the Shedd Aquarium,   Millenium Park, and Navy Pier.  We also ate some really good food.  Best of all, we had such a sweet time just being together.  We are still living off the relational energy we got from this little trip.  When things at home are crazy, sometimes we'll say, "Remember Chicago?" and we'll both sigh and give each other lovey-dovey kissy faces.  :)  I would say that every couple with small children should get away like this at least once a year - we hope to!  Of course, by the end of the trip we could not wait to get back to our Maryn! :)

This tour boat named "Summer of George" made us laugh :)

Big Girl Bed

We recently moved Maryn from her crib to a toddler bed.  She loves it.  Every night she squeals that she gets to sleep "in my big girl bed!" and every morning she is so proud to wake up in it.  It's pretty cute. She really has done well.  I was very nervous about the transition, but after finding her asleep on the floor the first couple of nights, she seems to have completely adjusted.  Still sleeping 12 straight hours at night.  She's never been the greatest napper, but even naps seem to have returned to her normal routine.

Things like this really make Billy and me amazed at how fast Maryn is growing up.  It's the bittersweet that every parent knows.  I wish I could keep her a toddler forever.  Tonight she did something funny that gave us a little glimpse into her teenage future.  At dinner, Maryn said she was all done and ready to be cleaned up and get down from her seat.  She had a little bit of chicken left on her tray, so I tossed it to Graycie.  Apparently the idea of sharing with the dog was too much for her.  She completely lost it.  But instead of throwing her fit right there, she immediately ran to her bedroom.  After a minute or so, Billy went in and she was sitting on her bed crying.  He asked her why she was sad and she said because Graycie ate her chicken.  Then Billy asked if that made her angry and she replied, "Go away!" while pointing to the door.  She then remained on her bed crying.  We were cracking up.  Talk about drama!  Don't worry, she was happy and singing "Down by the Bay" within a few minutes.  Oh, the joys of raising a girl.  :)

The Great Tree Incident of 2012

I have not totally given up on blogging.  I'm just...tired.  35 weeks pregnant and counting! I'll do a pregnancy update soon, but suffice to say all is well.  And we've been a little distracted with what Billy calls "The Great Tree Incident."  On August 1st, we had been home from a big trip to Oklahoma for less than 48 hrs when a very large tree from our neighbors yard fell onto our house.  Maryn and I were home and it was quite terrifying!  I guess the tree was old and had been affected by the drought.  Here are some shots of the damage:

The tree went through the ceiling of our bedroom on the second floor:

This is what it looked like once the tree was removed.  We had some nice natural light :)

 Maryn's bedroom is below ours, and because there was some sort of exhaust pipe that went from above her ceiling to the roof, her ceiling was damaged as well:

We were very thankful no one was hurt (so glad we weren't in bed!).  We are also thankful that we don't own the home and that we have fantastic landlords, our friends Adrian and Nora, who worked diligently from Colorado to make arrangements.  We were also very blessed by our dear friends the Esteps who immediately came over to help us and who let us crash at their place for a couple of nights while the tree was being removed.  Afterward, the roof was professionally tarped, we closed off the upstairs portion of the house, and we moved into the guest room on the main floor next to Maryn's room.  Then we had to wait a month for insurance and contractor red tape to go through before work could be started on the house.  But despite the stress of the wait, the timing couldn't have been better.  Some friends from church, the Harveys (I also work with Chris, and he's our pediatrician), left for Africa on a 3 week long medical missions trip a couple of days before the contractor started work on our house.  They graciously allowed us to stay in their home and it was wonderful!  They live in Niles about 40 minutes from our house.  They also have 3 daughters and Maryn was delighted to play with all of their toys.

Maryn got to see her first rainbow at the Harvey's house!

 Billy and Maryn took the opportunity to explore some of the historical sites in Niles:

Here's how they fixed Maryn's room:

And here's our room:

After 10 days away, we are so glad to be back in our home and sleeping in our own beds! Stay tuned for more Smith family updates coming soon!

Summer Time, Part 1

I love summer.  Everything is more relaxed and there are so many fun things to do.  Billy finished all of his coursework in May, so he has been doing independent study to prepare for exams in the fall.  This means he is working at home a lot, and has a much lighter schedule.  It has been fantastic.  I'm trying hard to take in all the joys of summer - it goes by too quickly! I'm also trying to learn that an experience does not require pictures and internet documentation in order for it to be real, valid, and memorable for our family.  I've given up seeing every activity as a potential blog post, and instead I'm just trying to live  life alongside those I love.  If a blog post happens, that's bonus. :)

"How short the days are long, how fast the days of slow go away!"

Maryn is growing up so quickly.  Swimming lessons have been a big summer activity - it's one of those parent-child classes where you get in the pool with them.  She is still pretty tense in the water, but I think she is enjoying it over all, and she's learning a lot.  We have this really awesome family fitness and activity center nearby called the Kroc Center with a pretty neat pool. We have also gone there outside of lessons just for fun on a day pass with friends.

Ready to swim!

Playing with Elliott

Pregnancy is going well.  I'm starting to experience various discomforts, but nothing serious.  I'm definitely much bigger than I was at this stage with Maryn, but otherwise the two pregnancies have been very similar so far. We have been talking a lot about baby Hudson, trying to get Maryn excited about his arrival.  She calls him "baby Buh-ben" and likes to kiss and pat my belly.

Me at 20 weeks

We recently participated in this year's Pregnancy Care Center Life Walk in Niles, as we did last year as well.  They raised over $30,000 to fund a new ultrasound program, which is so exciting!

Friends at the Life Walk

With Brette at the Life Walk

Hope, Maryn, and Elliott

We also went to Lake Michigan for the first time, and hung out at Silver Beach with our friends the Esteps and the Gaudets.  It's such a cool place - beautiful beach, splash pad, carousel, restaurants, etc.  Maryn was not a big fan of sand, and then it ended up raining so it wasn't the best experience for her.  But we hope to go again soon.  And we did get some super yummy pizza followed by delicious ice cream shakes.

Waiting for pizza

Olivia and Maryn 

Apple on the beach

We also got a zoo pass this year, and have been a couple of times. South Bend has a great little zoo, perfect for the toddler crowd, and Maryn loves it.  Also, it's only about a 5 minute drive for us, so it's an easy way to get out of the house.

Watching the lion! 

On the choo choo train!

Here are some other random summer pics for your enjoyment:

We spend a lot of time outside on the deck.

Water table fun

Playing ball with Graycie 

Mother's Day 2012

Father's Day 2012

In her 4th of July dress

Shopping at Target

Picnic at Notre Dame

Pool time with Elliott 

Mango Italian ice!

Yum!

We have a busy July planned.  Next weekend Billy and I are going to Chicago for a weekend get away.  Maryn will stay with the Esteps - it will be our first night away from her!  Then we have a 2 week trip to Oklahoma planned.  We can't wait!