Summer into Fall

Crazy girl!

Lake Michigan

Me and the boys, Lake Michigan

A & C, Lake Forest, IL

A & F in Lake Forest, IL.  A town perched just above Lake Michigan with some of the nicest homes I have ever seen.

Home for at least two years while M is in school

C downtown Lville

Love the view behind me, looking out from Grandeur Peak

We've been here now for five months and it has been wonderful.  We had a very busy summer full of school, our Thursday farmer's market, visitors, trips into the city, days at Lake Michigan and a much needed trip to Utah to see family and friends.  We have grown to love our little town and really feel at home.  Fall is here, the leaves are changing and many people have warned me about  the cold winter that is quickly approaching.  I keep thinking, how bad can it be?  Apparently pretty cold since some friends have told me I won't want to take my kids grocery shopping in the winter, it's just too cold.  What the heck do people do, become shut-in's?  I'm starting to think so.  So, what else to do than buy my kids the puffiest, thickest, warmest coats I could find.  Michael laughed when I brought home new coats for the boys.  They can't really put their arms down, look down,  see their toes or get up from laying position while wearing their coats, but thy will be really warm when we have to battle the cold.

We were out running errands one day and when we got home I turned around and saw the boys holding hands, so cute.

An alley that had a farmer's market in it from end end to the other, so fun.  Lake Forest, IL

Popcorn party on the kitchen floor

Michael and I hiked Grandeur Peak in Emigration Canyon with my sister Michele while we were in Utah.  It was so nice to see the mountains again.

 

We've made some friends since being here and we had some friends move here from Utah shortly after us. It is nice having some old friends in a place where everything has been new.  Annie starts preschool in two weeks and it cannot come soon enough.  Annie can be my biggest helper and is so sweet with boys most of the time.  But she can also turn our house into utter chaos and have both boys stirred up in a matter of seconds.  She is ready for some time away from me and the boys and I think we will have some pretty peaceful mornings around here too.

Michael is doing so well in school and really enjoying his program.  He has made some changes in his schedule so he can study in the early morning and then spend the nights and weekends with us for the most part.  It has been wonderful, we missed him a lot during the summer when he was always hitting the books.   Yesterday we took advantage of a beautiful fall day and drove an hour north to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  It was a cute, touristy town with cute little shops and restaurants.  Our friends came up with us and between us we had two 3 1/2 year old girls and three boys who look like triplets (our twins plus their little boy).  Of course we got a lot of stares and comments like "wow, looks like you've got your hands full" and people asking if there were twins somewhere in there.  The kids were all so well behaved for the day and the lake was so beautiful with all of the trees surrounding it with their changing leaves.  I love living in a place where you can get to many states within an hour or so drive, it makes taking day trips very easy.

This is downtown Lville.  I love our little town and it's charming buildings.