(Grandma) Fun Weekend

Our nephew, Samuel, cannot yet say "Fran," so he calls her "Grandma Fun." We thoroughly enjoyed her visit and hope she can come back sometime soon.

Now to the pictures from the last week.

Last Monday our friends Elisa, Jordan, and Hannah Melman came up for a visit. Looks like they had a good time at Illinois Beach State Park.

Simon and Hannah.



Elisa and Jordan.





Sometimes we catch him sleeping with his booty in the air. I guess it works for him.



To me, he looks so much older than eight months in this picture. And there just might be a resemblance to his Uncle Aaron.



These two can often be seen together.





Grandma Fun finally made it on this post.





No grillmaster is complete without an apron. We have Grandma Fun to thank for this as well.



The last piece of furniture we bought was a patio set. Here's a smidge of it, with some stand-ins to make the photo a little nicer.



Another great feature of the house is the basement, including the pool table that the owners were kind enough to leave behind.



We're still working on crawling, but it's getting closer...



Saturday really made me test my grilling skills as I had to feed 17 hungry people.

Great Uncle Bob Mathieu and Great Aunt Margaret Brauer were kind enough to drop by. Those cupcakes are out of sight, Aunt Margaret!



We were so lucky that Great-Grandma Ilse could come to the BBQ as well.



It's Great Uncle Scott (AKA Corey Hart) and Wendy Yanow.



Very nice shot of daughter and mother.



Simon and lots o' ladies. The birth years in this photo span from 1918 to 2009. Wow!



With Papa and Saba.



Me and my grandma.



Grandma Fun and I saw Illinois Beach State Park for the first time this morning. It's a hidden gem.



After taking Grandma Fun to the airport this afternoon, we played frisbee in the yard. Theo seems to think it's no different than a tennis ball, so unfortunately we'll have to buy another one.



And a final note: Some of you have seen Simon's first tooth. We are pleased to announce we've seen the hole for #2. We'll try to get a picture of the pearly whites, but it's easier said than done!

It's Been a Fortnight

Hey, nobody's perfect.

First, some sad news: Maria, Samuel and Jacob Laven are on their way to a vacation in Iceland and then on to Sweden, but only on a one-way ticket. Dan's going with them to Iceland, then heads back to Vermont to finish up some work, and then back to Sweden to join his family.

We're sad to see them leave the good ole' USA, but we know they are very excited to move and wish them all of the best. And hey, what a great place for us to visit this winter!

We are loving our new house and it now feels like home. Most things have been unpacked, and Theo is getting LOTS of exercise in the yard.

These next few shots were taken 8/8.

How about the yard!



Pals.





As most of you know we finally bought a nice desk. This was right after it was installed and the computer was wired.



And as most of you also know we bought a grill. I am really enjoying using it. And a big thank-you goes out to Great Aunt Karen and Great Uncle Bunk for getting us the cleaning brush. I used it last night for the first time and it worked great!

Now we just need to buy a chicken and test out the rotisserie.



We can't forget the kitchen table and chairs!



I don't have a picture yet, but today we completed the final piece of the house puzzle: patio furniture. You'll have pictures in a few days when delivered.

Last Friday (8/20) Rachel took Simon to Milwaukee where they had lunch with grandma.



Bunk and Karen made a surprise visit for Saba's annual BBQ in Milwaukee last Sunday, and on Monday headed south to visit our new digs.





Mommy and Simon went to the nearby beach on Wednesday and had a great time.



Thursday evening we headed back to the old neighborhood to have dinner at GG and Papa's. Sarah was heading back to Champaign, so this was a quick hello-goodbye.



Keep your hands off my frozen bagel!



Friday night mommy and Simon went to Milwaukee to stay overnight with grandma. Saturday morning they visited the Milwaukee Zoo.







Last night we had the Schlesingers over for dinner. I grilled salami, hot dogs and burgers.

Todd and Simon seemed to get along.



Roxie tagged along to hang out with Theo.

The Village of Country Living

Welcome to Wadsworth! We hope you'll visit sometime soon. We moved in on Monday and all is well. There are A LOT of mosquitoes, but we're working on that.

Before we moved Rachel took Simon to a huge water park in Des Plaines. It was so much fun that a nap was needed.



On Sunday we took some things up to the new house, so GG and Grandma babysat the two kids.



It didn't take long to get used to his new bedroom.



Here's part of the living room and backyard.





Theo's definitely a bit out of sorts, but he LOVES the yard.



His first #1.



Here's a sense of the size of the yard.



The kitchen sink. How did he get in there?