Our weekend in Chicago!

Chuck and I attended a Trade Show in Chicago to preview the new Fall apparel coming out from one of his venders.  We stayed right in the heart of the city and had so much fun taking in all of the sights!  Being that we were walking distance from just about everything,  we probably put in about 10 miles by the time the weekend was over!!  What stood out to us most is how much art there was to see in the architecture of the buildings, and the sculptures in the parks, and just the whole vibe of the city.   One of our highlights was a boat tour that traveled along the Chicago River providing great views of all of the buildings as well as a little history of the city.  While on the boat tour we spotted a nice little restaurant over looking the river and decided to find it later for lunch.  Finding it from the street was not as easy as we thought........after walking for quite some time and circling back around we finally found it.  Hot and thirsty, we sat down at our table eager for a cold beer and a nice lunch.  The waiter grudgingly walked over to us with his mug of coffee proceeding to tell us that he was extremely hung over and then in a tone insinuating complete annoyance, he asked us what we wanted.  I looked at Chuck and thought........is this guy for real?!?!
The waiter must have noticed the look on my face and then asked us if we had ever been there or heard of the place (Dick's Last Resort).  He then explained that they are made famous for being "Dicks" to their customers.  The rest of lunch was pretty entertaining- he was a dick, but in a pretty funny way and Chuck was also pretty good at egging him on!  We would recommend going there!  Fun place!
We also enjoyed the music in the park on Saturday evening.  It was crazy to see how many people were there and the orchestra playing was amazing.  It was a perfect summer evening.  Following the music we walked back to our hotel just in time to see the fireworks go off at Navy Pier.
The weekend flew by fast!  We took it all in and enjoyed our time together!!  The girls also had a fun filled weekend staying at Grandma and Grandpa Demulling's.  They got to go see the Cascade Falls and swim in the pool and even got a ride in Grandpa's old convertible (the girls are a little obsessed with convertibles right now). 
It was a great way to round out our summer of fun!  Next week is my last week off before heading back to school.  I am so thankful for my summers home!!!!  The girls and I had so much fun together!! 

Chears to 45 years Gramdma and Grandpa Souvignier!

 Congratulations to Bill & Bernie for 45 years of marriage!  Thank you for all that you have taught us by example of what a great marriage looks like! 

 It was so much fun to see all of the grandkids together!! 

 It's not often that I can talk Chuck into a family picture, so while we had the photographer there, we took advantage of it!!  I may have over-done it a bit with the color coordinating!! 

A great day to celebrate!!  That's what life's about!!! 

The girls' first trip to Duluth!

 

What a great weekend up in Duluth!!  We did so much while we were there!  Lots more pics in the picasa web album!  We left Friday morning, got into Duluth around noon and checked into our hotel near Spirit Mountain.  Then we headed down to Canal Park where we had lunch at the Canal Park Brewery and then checked out the shops including Medium Control, where the girls got their Watson the Cat shirts.  The girls were anxious to get back to the hotel and swim, so we headed back for some pool time.  For dinner, we went to Bent Paddle Brewery where we found Nate of Nate Dogs and listened to a fun blue grass band.  Our last stop of the night was the Fitgers deck where Chuck met up with some work friends.  The girls and I hung out for a bit and then walked the boardwalk and got some ice cream.    We crashed after a full day of fun!
The girls really wanted to rent one of the bikes (picture above) and so that was the first thing we did Saturday morning.  We biked out to the lift bridge and watched as it went up and the big ships sailed by.  Then we walked out to the light house and got a few cliche pictures that you have to get when you're in Duluth!  It was time to head back up towards our hotel to Spirit Mountain where we rode the Timber Twister coaster and the zip line down the slopes.  It was so fun....even little Ruby did them both!  Back to the hotel for some more pool time.
Next we dropped Chuck off at his event for work and the girls and I drove out to Park Point for some beach time.  It was so hot and humid that it actually felt good to walk into the lake a little.  Maggie actually went all the way in and dunked her head!  Burrrr!
Another busy day!  We all slept great and got up in the morning to head home and recuperate after our fun busy vacation!  

Summer Fun!

 We went to the Eden Prairie Carnival and had fun on the rides!  The whole family rode the tilt-a-whirl together and I was quickly reminded of how much fun it was, but I don't remember the queasy feeling I had when getting off the ride........I must be getting old! 

The girls did Vacation Bible School the first week school was out.  Here we are stopping for ice cream on the way home! 

We met Toni and the kids at Round Lake Park a few different times for lots of fun on the playground and beach!

Maggie and Ruby sitting in Grandpa's chair at work while we dropped off some lunch for Dad.

Lots of fun at the cabin!  The girls are both old enough now to jump off the back of the boat when we stop to swim (with their life jackets on).  They also love being pulled on the tube, playing in the sand, sitting by the fire, and walking up to the playground. 

GYMNASTICS!!

More fun on the boat!

Happy 6th Birthday Maggie!

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

5 years old

                                                                                                                                     

6 years old

 

I love this caring and thoughtful little girl so much!!  So proud of her!!
She made her own shirt this year with Dad.

 She had a great b-day party in our backyard with cousins and friends! 

Happy 80th Birthday Great Grandma Helen!

Great Grandma Helen is a true example of the old saying "You're only as old as you feel".  She does not slow down and is always on the go.  She celebrated her 80th birthday with a party in New Richmond at the American Legion where tons of friends and family members came.  It was great to see so many of my cousins that I haven't seen for awhile.  Happy Birthday Great Grandma Helen!

Last Day of kindergarten!

Maggie had a great year at Glen Lake Elementary!  Miss Helfinstine was an excellent teacher and she learned so much!  It was so fun to watch her sound out words and realize that she could read!  She is ready for 1st grade!!  The last day of school was extra special for Maggie- it was "beach day" and she also got to celebrate her birthday in her classroom!