linked 52: Shadows

I didn't take a new picture this week.  I didn't have a lot of motivation and I was getting ready for vacation.  I'm headed to Chicago today for about a week.  The kids are coming with and we're going to be hanging at my cousin's house with her family.  I'm so excited!  This photo is from when we went to visit them this past March during spring break.  The 3 boys.  :)

Be sure to check out these other ladies to see what's lurking in their shadows:  Michelle, Stacey, Andrea, Tracey, Heather, Jenn, Jessica, Amanda, Kristin, Amanda, Sara, Tracy, Lesli, Janet, Naomi, Rhonda, Georgia, Heidi, Kristi, and Jean

Sweet and Innocent

So while we were at my cousin's house this past weekend we were playing outside with some sidewalk chalk.  I asked the kids to sit on the step so I could get a picture but Karli and James were the only ones that humored me.  James thinks Karli is pretty cool and often wanted to be where she was.  Out of the pictures of them together this one is my favorite.

Sweet and innocent, right? 

Chicago - part 1

I thought I'd do a post about my trip to Chicago (which I'm still on).  My intention is to do a follow up post but if you know me you know that there is a distinct possibility that it won't get done.  Not finishing what I start . . . something that I'm working on.  Anyway . . .

I took a few days off to visit my cousin Jenn and her family in Chicago. Well, we're actually way in the suburbs, but you get the idea.  We don't get to see each other near often enough so I was really looking forward to this trip.  I have not been disappointed.

We've been hanging out with the kids -- she has 4 and I brought my two.  We're like the Brady Bunch -- 3 girls and 3 boys.  The best part is that they are all 6 and under.  Yep, 6 kids ages 6 and under.  We've got 6,6,5,3,2, and almost 5 months.  Nice relaxing vacation with all those kids right?  In reality the kids have been doing really well together.

We've tried to keep busy.  We had an Easter egg hunt at the house, took the kids bowling, have done a bunch of talking and cooking, had to have one kid (Ryan) get stitches, and took a quick trip downtown.

I thought I'd just include a few pics from that trip downtown.

The 3 boys holding hands while we were walking to get some pizza:

The kids holding up the bean:
(all but the baby)

The gang at the park downtown:

From left to right:  The grownups:  cousin Jenn, her husband Jason, and Jason's longtime friend Casey who was in town visiting on the same weekend.  The kids:  Joe, Karli, Siobhan (in the baby sling), James, Ryan, and Aly.

♥ them!