Time for another update. Last week I took Angelina in to see our new family doctor. Her official stats for her one year check up are 20 pounds 9 ounces and 31 inches tall. The doctor said that puts her in the 90th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight. To compare, Trinity was 19 pounds at 28 1/2 inches tall. We keep telling Trinity she needs to be nice to Angelina because she's growing bigger all the time!

I also found out that they have a shot clinic the last Wednesday of the month for Warren county, so the girls are all caught up on their vaccinations. We were a little behind so poor Angelina had to get 4 shots - yikes! But after vaccines, and doctors visits, and a 30k mile check up on the minivan, we were off to Chicago for the weekend. Actually, just outside of Chicago in Naperville. We visited one of my girlfriends, Chris, from the singles group at Calvary who has also gotten married and moved away from Phoenix. It was so good to see an old friend again and we had a really nice time visiting with her and her husband Kyle. Trinity still talks about the cat Lucy and wants to go back and visit the cat house. (her words!)

Saturday, David and I took the kids into Chicago and visited the Navy Pier. We rode the carousel and visited the Chicago Children's museum. Wow - was that a great children's museum - made me want to be a kid again! On our way out of town we happened upon a pizza place (imagine that!) and had some of the famous Chicago stuffed pizza for dinner from Giardano's. Sunday we went to church with Chris and Kyle. Before the service, one of the church staff came up to us while we were waiting and introduced himself and talked with us a little. I remember thinking, hey, he has the same name as that famous Christian guy. Turns out, he was that famous Christian guy - Josh McDowell - who was the guest speaker that day. What a great weekend to be there. He gave a fantastic talk. Very eye opening and I would think, almost burdensome to men. He was talking about how all the studies are showing how critical the father is in his children's life.

Anyway, we saw in the Sunday paper that the Cubs are in the playoffs, thus the title for this post. A good weekend for everybody. :) Sunday afternoon we walked along the river walk into Naperville and to a park to let the kids play. Trinity of course met and pet every dog that was walking the other way.

Back home on Monday, I received the reward every mom loves to receive from her child. We were playing on the trampoline when Trinity spontaneously gave me a hug and said, "I love you mom. You're my best friend."
It's all worth it right there folks. :)

In other news, I pick up my training materials tomorrow for my new job - school bus driver.
The opening is for a 1/2 hour route. So I will work from 7:15 - 8:15 in the morning and 2:00 - 3:00 in the afternoon. I can take the girls with me on the bus and Trinity is already excited about getting to ride a real school bus. For my 2 hours a day I'll get paid $616 a month. (it may be a little less since I didn't start at the beginning of the school year) It's a set amount that you can get prorated out over 12 months if you want, so you always have the income coming in. That means that I will get paid even when there are holidays. There is also the opportunity to volunteer for field trips and eventually a longer route if I was interested. I'm thinking that's a nice little supplemental income for a couple hours a day when school is in session. Step one is to get my class B, CDL license. I pick up the study book for that tomorrow.

David is still enjoying his job. There is the potential that the guy running the painting operations may be leaving and David might have the opportunity to take over. We are waiting and praying to see if that is what God has for David or if he should seek a job with the John Deere plant.

We had a date night at home the other night. We put the kids in bed then sat in the back yard out by burn barrel. David got a nice fire going and we roasted marshmallows and star gazed together. We have a beautiful view of the milky way at our house. We could hear cows mooing from a pasture somewhere over the hill behind the fields. I told David, "Gee, I was wrong. Here I've been telling everyone how quiet it is out here!" Yes, that was rife with sarcasm. Then I called out, "Hey, neighbors, can you turn down your cows? We've got kids trying to sleep over here!" ha-ha! We do not for one second regret moving here. We always feel so good coming home. As much fun as it is to visit places, when we cross back into Iowa, we're happy.

And now for the pictures:
Here I am on the carousel with the girls. You can hardly see Trinity because some lady got in the way- oh, wait - that lady is me! (ha) Anyway, all three of us were waving to daddy as we went by. Angelina has just started doing the wave. (and I call it that b/c it's that royalty wave as though her throngs of admirers were out there amongst the peasants)

The Chicago Children's Museum had a special Curious George exhibit - much to the delight of Trinity. She just loves watching Curious George. Here is Angelina playing doorman at Curious George's apartment building while Trinity checks out the mail boxes.

Girl meets monkey. BFF.

Angelina the firefighter. We almost had her trusted dog Trinity, but alas, getting two kids in place at the same time was not to be that day!

Here Trinity was being a cross between a bee and a butterfly. Made me think of a couple I know - Madam Jeanette Butterfly and Mr. Mark Bee :) She even had purple wings! (and you would have to be a part of my family to understand that, so if you don't get it, it's not b/c you are missing something!)

Big George came out to greet the kidlings in the afternoon, and after initially crying when seeing him and refusing to go near, Trinity not only got a handshake and a hug, but wanted to go back for more. :)

Here's mommy showing Trinity how to use the tools of the trade to uncover dinosaur bones at an archaeological dig.

Trinity and Angelina fishing.

Trinity still fishing. I didn't think we were going to get her out of that place. The only way I could get her to stop fishing with the nets was to show her the fishing with the poles. She wasn't interested in anything else in that exhibit and she worked determinedly at catching fish. Mind boggling. Maybe she will enjoy the real thing just as much - if so, she will make her daddy very happy!

That's all folks!

Grace and peace be with you!

Posted in: on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at at 10:17 PM