Setting new priorities!

I definately have a few summer things that I want to blog and don't seem to find the time, but it really is Ok with me because we are having a lot of fun this summer and I will catch up when I am stuck inside with TONS of snow outside. 

But for now, I don't want to think about that!!

After T-ball got started our next summer adventure was a girls trip to Chicago!  Tina & Mandi approached me last winter to take our girls, aka "the Triplets", to the American Girl Place Store.  Right away my thoughts were that I didn't think we would go because I felt as if that wasn't a priority.  Well after a couple days I decided to throw that priority list out the window and write a new one.  This time I put a mother/daughter trip at the top of the new list.  I decided that if I kept putting things on hold I was gonna miss out on a lot of great opportunities.  And now that we have done it, I don't regret going for a second!!

We loaded up early on a Friday morning and started out journey to the "big city"!

Here are the girls walking toward on hotel right on Michigan Avenue ( this is the back enterence).

After we got all our bags checked in, and when I say ALL I mean ALL!  You would be amazed how many bags 6 girls need on a ONE night trip!!  We headed straight to our destination....

The moment we walked into this store was the moment I knew that bringing Molly to Chicago was not a mistake.  The term "kid in a candy store" should be rewritten to "little girl in a doll store"!!  Molly was in Heaven!! I have to admit it was a little piece of Heaven for me too seeing how happy she was. 

We had lunch...

Molly got "Maggie's" hair done....

& of course, we SHOPPED!!

I definately think I kept things in check.  I would have loved to buy her all the things she wanted, but wanted to remember that the trip was about spending time together and with our friends and not how much I could buy for her.  She also had been working the past month or so to earn money to buy a few things of her own.  I was really proud of her.

Later that day we swam at the hotel...

One of the girls favorite parts of the trip was when we got back from dinner that night they had delivered American Girl doll beds, milk & cookies!  The were very impressed with that & how someone would have gotten in the room.  I guess that could seem a little creepy, ha ha!!

The "moms" stayed up Really late and talked but I don't have a picture of that :)



The next day we walked up and down Michigan Avenue and in and out of a few other stores...

Made a return to American Girl...

had lunch at Rainforest cafe...

...and headed home, EXHAUSTED!!!!

I will never forget this time with Molly and I hope she doesn't either. 

We were so lucky to share it with our wonderful frineds!!

A League of Their Own...

I am sooooo far behind on blogging!  We have been having a crazy, busy couple of months!  It is Wonderful.  With school ending, summer starting, a couple vacations and the birth of another NEPHEW I don't know where to start.  So I choose Summer Base/Softball!  There isn't much to be told about that, so I thought it would be easy enough to get me back in the blogging mood :)

So although it's "just" another season, it was Molly's FIRST season so it is definately a memorable one.  Molly could have played last year but I was a little skeptical about starting her too soon and so I waited until she was ready.  And this year she was! 

Molly actually missed what was to be their last game while we were in Georgia.  But, when we got home we were informed that that they were gonna have 1 more game at the High School field just for some extra fun and to make the girls feel big time.  So I let all of our family know so if they weren't doing anything they could come out for it.  Both of Molly's Grandma's were there along with Uncle Aaron, Aunt Shannon, Aunt Kara, Uncle Kyle & Baby Jake.  I think Molly's game is what put Shannon into labor because Hank came the next night ;)  Anyway here are some pic's of that fun night!

 Hitting off a live pitch!



Way to be ready Molly ;)

Medal time!!

Molly's very good friend Emili!

& Baby Jakers at the game!  Not to toot my own horn or anything, but this is a Great Picture :)

& Molly got to share this season with her two best friends Eme & Elle!!

And for Emmett's baseball season I am going to get the "Mother of the Year" award.  These are the only pictures I have for THE WHOLE SEASON!!!  Seriously?!?!?

& boy was he a good catcher ;)  You can't even see his face.  For all anyone knows this could be someone else's kid!  Well it's not.  I don't know why I only have these two pictures but that is the case.  I will try to do better in all of his upcoming season :) 

Emmett had a good season.  It is very fun to see him progress as a ball player.  He is just so little, I wish he would hit a growth spurt.  I know he will but until then he will just have to be my "little" boy!!  Ok by me :)

Participating in sports is a big part of our family and we enjoy it so much.  But when we have a break, we enjoy the down time too!  Baseball & Softball only last through June, so we are taking time in July to enjoy other summer activities like boating and swimming :)

Congrats on a great season Emmett & Molly!