Wrigley with Brigitta

When the opportunity to take in a Cubs game came up with one of our favorite families, Brent insisted that I go. Then it came down to deciding which of the girls should accompany me. My big trip to Utah with Ireland was just around the corner, and since it was a night game, there's no way Sydney could go the distance. So it was between Liesel (who had dance) and Brigitta. We pretty quickly settled on Brigitta, who definitely needed some cherishing.

It was so nice to take in a game!!! When we lived in Boston, Brent and I used to make it to Red Sox games a few times every season and I miss it so much. I tried to talk him into taking the girls to a game this past summer but he felt strongly they aren't old enough to truly appreciate it.

I was so excited to teach Brigitta the little bit I do know about baseball, but I think all that really sunk in is who the pitcher is. Brigitta was so dang happy to be there with me, she could hardly sit still! One of our old friends from Schaumburg posted on social media that he was at the game so Brent gave him our seat number and we got to reconnect. Small world!

We are big fans of Chicago-style hot dogs! Ketchup is so sweet and vinegary tasting, it really doesn't belong on top of a hot dog, but sliced tomatoes are just perfect. I kind of spoiled Brigitta with the ballpark food. We did nachos, giant pretzel, peanuts and of course, soft serve in a little helmet!

We had so much fun hanging out with the Larson's! They stayed all the way through the end of the game which made me SO happy! I know it was a school night, but if I'm gonna pay for a ticket, I'm sticking it through to the very end.

 And what a sweet ending it was! Cubs for the win!!!

Brigitta fell asleep on the way home and it was really, really late by the time we rolled into our driveway, even for me. I'm really glad I had the chance to spend some time with Brigitta watching a game I love so much. 

But for the record, we are still Red Sox fans ;)

Girls in White Dresses

Liesel has not yet hit a growth spurt and so she still fits into her baptism dress. Ireland loves any excuse to wear her baptism dress and it just so happens Brigitta's favorite Sunday dress is white as well. Since Stake Conference is so much shorter than regular church, I decided to capture my girls in their white dresses. 

It's a good thing they aren't shy in front of a camera!

They sure looked cute!

Sometimes having daughters is simply the best!

We are Truck People Now

My parents had some mechanical problems with their truck the last time they went to Utah. It has over 150,000 miles and I think Dad was itching for a new toy so they bought a new truck. The old one was fixed but probably shouldn't do anymore cross-country drives so Dad offered to Reagan. Much to everyone's surprise, she turned it down so he offered it to me and I didn't hesitate to take him up on his offer. I've borrowed it so many times! Not to mention we already had the garage space. I told my girlfriends about our new toy and how I'd always wanted to do a White Trash Progressive Dinner. They all jumped on board, and it is the most hilarious night out I've had in years.

Did you know there are muumuu's so ugly I'd rather gouge my eyes out that cost over $50? I had no idea they were that expensive! And the 3 wolf moon shirt is apparently a thing. Brent was talking to a friend on the train about our plans for the weekend and he immediately asked if he was going to wear a shirt with a wolf on it. I couldn't find a NASCAR hat and if you wear a MAGA hat in the Chicago area, you might get shot so we settled for a 'Murica hat for Brent. The rollers really made my outfit but the socks with flip flops did not work at all. I had to kick them off every time I had to drive.

A traditional Progressive Dinner is a rather elegant affair. A handful of families join at one home for appetizers, another for a main meal and another for dessert. The various hosts make something really fancy and decadent because they are only in charge of part of the meal and the house is scrubbed clean and fine china is brought out. Our White Trash Progressive Dinner was a little different.

First I should give credit where credit is due because Joey and Reagan did this with another family so that's where I first heard about it. The only trouble is finding guests who are game because the invitation itself could come across as kind of offensive.

"Hey, I'm having a White Trash Progressive Dinner and thought of you!" Yeah, that could really be taken the wrong way. Good thing we have some pretty fabulous friends with a pretty great sense of humor.

It was basically a gas station crawl. We started out at Bucky's for drinks. As you can see, they have quite the assortment. Prior to this I had gone off of soda and that was a fast and hard reintroduction to the stuff! One of our friends through we should just get a cooler and do suicides but we don't have a cooler so we just got our own drinks. Brent did mix a few drinks and it was actually pretty tasty!

From there we went to Thornton's for appetizers. We tried a Tijuana Mama which is probably the most disgusting thing I've ever put in my mouth. My teeth could taste it before it even got to my tongue- that's how awful it was!

After that we hit the Casey's for pizza. Some people immediately smiled when they saw us coming, some gave us dirty looks, and some avoided our eyes and tried to subtly take pictures. Tailgating in a gas station parking lot with good friends was so much fun, and I could not stop laughing. My cheeks hurt by the end of the night.

We lost a couple in between gas stations due to a sick kid, so they had to relieve their babysitter. Our last stop was 7-11 for dessert and then we just hung out for a little bit. We ended the night giving a couple a prize for getting the most into the spirit of the evening.

What a great way to inaugurate the truck that had come into our lives! I think we are going to love being truck people!!!

Royal Oak Farm

Sydney really lucked out for her preschool field trip because the weather was just beautiful. Ireland and Brigitta's trips were cold and drizzly. We debated about what Sydney should wear and she insisted on shorts and her "pretty" shoes which became so trashed, we had to throw them away. She relented on a sweater and I relented on her hair. 

I've always found this field trip interesting because the owners of the orchard are unabashedly Christian. They talk about God's glory during the informational video and I brace myself for some kind of backlash, but after 3 visits, I've never heard any! 

Sydney loved the hayride but was pretty eager to get the apple picking part over because the sun was in her eyes.

The week before the field trip, the teachers coached the kids on apple picking and how you don't tug, you twist until it falls off. That way there is minimal damage to the tree and it doesn't knock other apples to the ground. Sydney found an apple that she had to twist and twist and twist until I relieved her and man, that sucker did NOT want to let go! Eventually we got it and she happily added it to the little pile in her bag.

I love that tiny fist!

Sydney was pretty proud of herself.

Royal Oaks has a petting zoo, carousel, playground, and of course a store. I was excited to do some shopping but I knew Sydney needed to see what there was to see first.

The train wasn't running regularly so we rushed over when we saw a group boarding. Sydney barely made it and she was so excited to ride with her little friends! Somehow she ended up with all the boys.

I've had a suspicion that Noah, (the one she spoke so disdainfully about here), has a crush on her. My suspicions were confirmed at the Ice Cream Social. We headed to the car when Noah called out to Sydney and motioned for her to come over to where he was on the swings. Then he went in for the hug, which you can see Sydney grudgingly reciprocated.

Initially, we sat down at a table by ourselves to enjoy our cider and donuts, but then Noah and his dad joined us. Sydney noticed the girls were all gathering at a table and she really wanted to be with her friends, so she asked to move. We excused ourselves and then suddenly Noah wanted to move as well. One of the little girls noticed he was haunting their table and she offered to slide over so Noah could sit between her and Sydney. Noah lit up until she slid over a bit more to make him sit between herself and another girl. His face just fell and he settle for sitting across from Sydney with all the moms. I'm honestly not sure if anyone else (least of all Sydney) caught this whole interaction, but it was hilarious.

We picked up some apple cider donuts, pumpkin flavored syrup and a rhubarb pie to share with the family at home. YUMMY!!!