Rock Island County Fair

On one of Grandma's days off from work, we decided to take the girls to the fair to visit the animal barns. Unfortunately we didn't plan well enough to see that the midway didn't open until the evening, but that didn't stop us from having fun. We visited the cows and the pigs, but the most exciting barns were the horses and the baby animal barn. Evalee had to visit each and every horse in its stall, saying each time, "Look at THIS one!!" She loved looking at the chickens and feeding the goats, and her favorite was a tiny baby goat they had loose for kids to see and pet. When it was time to go, Eva scooped that little goat up like it was the cat and said, "Okay come on! Time to go!"

Members Only Night at the Zoo

Although I am pretty bad at reading my e-mail sin the summertime, I happened to catch an email about a new members only event that Niabi Zoo was hosting by RSVP. So, I decided on a whim to RSVP -- we're always up for a trip to see all our animal friends.  W were expecting it to somehow be a bit of a money-maker for them, after all they are a business, but when we got there we were pleasantly surprised.

There was just the right amount of people there. It didn't feel like a ghost town, but we didn't have to wait in long lines for anything. Best of all, the zoo had set up so many fun things to do that were totally free. We all got a free meal from the kitchen, got cups of oats to feed the animals at the petting zoo, and we could ride the train or the carousel as many times as we wanted. They had also rented an inflatable slide and bounce house the kids could take turns with. We were there for almost three hours, and I think we could have stayed for another hour or two and kept pretty busy! It was so much fun to just let Evalee pick where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do next -- it was a night where I didn't have to tell her "No, not this time." Every once in a while, it's quite fun to be that parent. Isabel was just content to people watch from her car seat, as long as we kept a steady supply of cereal for her to eat in her tray. It was a night full of smiles, laughs, train snuggles, perfect weather, and good memories. You can't ask for much more than that.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our zoo membership again this summer -- taking trips often with Grandma and a few times just as a family. Eva knows the zoo so well she can navigate completely on her own and recite to you the exact order of the animals if prompted. Still, it never seems to get boring. This year we are sad to see the zoo prepare for the departure of the elephants -- Eva's favorite -- but we know it's what is best for Babe and Sophie. Every time we make sure to come say goodbye to them one last time just in case we don't make it back to see them before they are gone!

Daddy's birthday

This year for Daddy's birthday we drove up to Bolingbrook to visit Aunt Ashley and Uncle Trevor and see some of our friends from college. It was nice to see their new house and catch up with people we don't get to see much anymore. Evalee attached herself to Bailey the moment we arrived and didn't slow down until we left the next morning. She left with scratches and bruises all over her legs and arms, but I don't think she noticed a single one of them. We left early (or as early as we could with two kids) so we could visit my soul sister Katie and meet her new little girl, Natalie. We all instantly fell in love, and I think Izzy was amazed to see someone smaller than her. Katie and I slipped away for a quick trip to IKEA (and I do mean quick -- who does IKEA in 20 minutes?!) before we took off from Elgin to Bolingbrook. When we said goodbye it was hard to believe that the next time we see Aunt Ashley and Uncle Trevor, they'll have a new little baby with them too! We can't wait to meet her!

4th of July

The 4th of July was different this year because I agreed to help a group of my 2015 European travelers sell Sno Cones at the Orion fireworks. So we abandoned tradition and headed to our hometown to see what they had to offer. Despite Daddy being a bit stressed having the girls all by himself at the start of the night, it proved to be a fun night. The night begins with a lighted parade, which was the highlight for Eva, and the walkers through candy, glow necklaces, and Freeze Pops, three of Eva's favorite things in the world. The fireworks display is at the high school, and it was pretty impressive for such a small town. Although I kind of missed the family fun at Matherville Lake, it was fun to celebrate the holiday in our town.

Eva and her BFF, neighbor Natalie