Toddler Summer and Goodbyes

We are going on our third week of Matt away during the week so I've been extra eager to get out of the house and do fun stuff with the kids.

Last week, Meg and I decided to take the kids on a final adventure before they head down south for Dan's new job. We hopped on an early train to Geneva to spend the morning together. The kids were beyond excited to ride the train again. Noah kept saying 'all aboard' before we got on. Notice Isaac putting his little arm around Noah in the shot below.

I was sitting across from Ella, Noah and Isaac. Noticing that she was missing out on the photo op, Lily spoke up and asked that I take a picture of her. Done.

I was truly amazed at how easy it was to travel with 4 kids, three and under. Yes, we contributed significantly to raising the volume level in the car, but other than that, the ride there and back went perfectly.

Once we arrived, we headed up to the bakery in town to get snacks.

Feeling full, we crossed over the Fox River and headed down to Island Park. Again, the kids were so thrilled to be together and to be running, as fast as they could, to the park.

After the park, we walked back across the river, this time under the train bridge, and had lunch at a little deli in town. We killed a little more time by letting the kids play in a fountain. Ella won the award for getting completely soaked.

Here is a shot of Meg and I at their going away party last night. We are so thankful that God has been so clear in providing the right position for the Orrs...it makes the parting a tiny bit easier.
We are going to miss the adventures, the silly play dates, the crazy dinners and everything else! We are so thankful for our dear, dear friends.

Sigh...

Moving on...This morning my neighbor Rae and I took the kids to Morton Arboretum. If you are in Chicago, have kids and have not been there, you really should go. We had the best time and we did not even cover half of the Arboretum!

In the Children's Garden there is a maze...

...and little places for kids to sit.

Ella fell in LOVE with this little house. I'm seriously considering making one for her. Okay, I should say that I'm seriously considering asking Matt to make one for her. I even took pictures from all angles to that I could remember how it looks.

Noah was a little bit harder to capture on film as he was in little boy heaven and constantly moving.

I did manage to catch this shot though.

After that section of the garden, we headed over to the frog pond where you can take off your shoes and wade in the water. Perfect, huh? I tucked Ella's dress in her collar so that it would not get totally soaked.

Noah thought that he should do the same.

Grabbing hand fulls of little rocks, a very Ella-ish thing to do.

Tomorrow we are off to the beach in Michigan. More pictures to come.