Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Fun in the Florida Sun!

Dan, Addie and I were very fortunate to take a mini-family vacation last week to Clearwater, Florida. Thanks to Uncle Matt, we stayed in a hotel right on the beach. It was a nice hotel, with beautiful views, great pools, and easy access to restaurants. We had a very relaxing trip.

Addie loved the pool and the sand - as you can see from the videos below. She adjusted quite well to sleeping in the hotel room with Dan and I - we were even able to watch March Madness and play cards as she slept.

It wasn't fun returning back to Chicago and 38 degrees, but I feel Spring and Summer must be right around the corner. There are lots of videos below - I hope you enjoy!







Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Finally we are getting a wonderful taste of Spring in Chicago. Today it was beautiful. Low 70s. Sunny. A warm breeze.

Addie and I took a walk to the park. It is so funny now that she can actually do the walking herself. Of course even a small trip can become a long journey as she stops to pick up every leaf, smell every flower, and kick every pebble. But as nice as it was out today, I didn't care at all!

I'm posting a few pictures of her in a her St. Patrick's Day green. Tomorow we're headed to Clearwater, FL for a mini-Spring Break. I can't wait!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Visiting Mimi and Papa JR in the Bluegrass!

I was lucky enough to be able to spend a entire week in Kentucky with Addie at the end of February. I never let myself think about missing home, but when I'm there, everything seems so relaxing and comforting. There truly is no place like home.

Addie and I mostly just hung out with Mimi and Papa, although we did have some fun excursions as well. Mimi took Addie shopping for some "gymnastics clothes" and she got two cute and very functional outfits for Spring. One day it was in the 70s, so Addie and I ventured with Papa down to the River Cabin and then to Boonesborough for some time at the park. Addie still loves the swings, and now can't get enough of the slide. Dan flew in on Friday night and we were able to watch Kentucky in an incredible game against LSU. Of course the Cats didn't earn the W, but it was quite an electrifying atmosphere at Rupp Arena.

All in all - both Addie and I had an adjustment period upon return to the Windy City. In fact Addie was so out of sorts, I took her to the doctor assuming she had an ear infection or a molar coming in. After a thorough check-up, the Doctor found nothing was wrong. "Has something changed in her environment lately?" the doctor asked. I explained our week-long trip to the Grandparents. "Well maybe she is fussy because she just misses Kentucky," the doctor concluded. So that was that - I guess it's safe to say we both enjoyed ourselves!

Addie gained some new favorites in Kentucky, too. Mimi gave her a little doll and Addie is obsessed. She loves to feed her a bottle, and is constantly giving her hugs and love pats. It is so cute! Her second favorite - Mimi and Papa's cats, Snuggles and Cuddles. I am posting some videos of her interactions with the cats. It was hilarious to see how excited she was for the little furry ones. Finally, from the pictures you can see that Addie loves Papa JR's pizza just as much as her Mom! With no meat, it made eating on a Friday in Lent quite a treat!