Vacation

We left Naperville on Friday night around 8:30pm and we arrived in Gulf Shores, Alabama around noon on Saturday. Jay drove the whole way and seemed to still have energy when we arrived. Jenny did a GREAT job. She fell asleep around 2am and then slept until around 10am, waking up once or twice.
We had good weather on Saturday afternoon and we had almost perfect weather on Sunday. Today is also very nice and we have been able to enjoy the beach as well as the pool. The pool in our condo complex is very cold, fortunately a condo complex a few doors down has an indoor heated pool that we took advantage of yesterday. It was a good way to finish a day on the beach by jumping into the heated pool to get the sand off.
Our condo is nice and the location is fantastic. We are literally on the beach. We can walk out of the condo, cross the pool deck, and be on the beach. So far we are enjoying our vacation, we enjoy it even more when we realize it is snowing in Chicago. I've taken some pictures, but I'll have to post those later.

Children's Museum

Jay's been traveling a lot lately for work, so Jenny and I have been spending some time at the local Children's Museum to get out of the house. The pictueres were all taken there the past week. We had a great time until it was time to go, and then Jenny threw a fit. It wasn't a pleasant departure. We go to the museum fairly frequently during the winter and since we only live a couple of miles from the museum we purchased a membership as part of Jenny's Christmas present. Unfortunately the museum is experiencing some revenue problems due to the economy and there is talk of moving it. I hope not. It's a nice activity when the weather is crummy.

Last week Jay was in Toledo OH, Lansing MI, and Grand Rapids MI. While he was in Grand Rapids he took the opportunity to visit Calvin's campus. I think he is looking forward to walking around with Dad when Dan and Kristi get married to hear Dad's perspective on how the campus has changed.

Last week I got some bad news about my job. I currently teach two sections of Western Civilizations every afternoon. Next year, for a variety of reasons, it looks like I will only be offered one section. I don't think it will really be worth it to drive from Naperville to
Elmhurst, put two kids in day care, and teach one 50 minute class. We haven't figured the cost out, but we're pretty sure I would lose money. So...I might be staying home next year.

We leave this Friday for vacation, and we're looking forward to it. We are planning on leaving Friday night around 8pm and Jay is planning on driving through the night. I'm not sure I am going to be any help. Jay thinks it's about a 14-15 hour drive. I keep reminding him we have a 2 year old and a pregnant woman on board - it might be longer than 15 hours. Hopefully we'll have good weather and good travel!

Auto Show, Blue Man, and Social Studies Conferences

Jenny likes to pretend she is on stage singing. Her repertoire is pretty small: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "Away in a Manger", and "ABC" are her three favorite.

We've had a couple of good weeks here in the Chicago area. The weather has been a little warmer. I'm always grateful when we get a couple of days over 45 degrees. It is a good reminder that winter cannot last forever. We had a good analogy in church last week - just as winter and darkness cannot prevent the coming of the beauty of spring, neither can Satan prevent Jesus from coming again and making everything beautiful.

I went to the Chicago Autoshow a couple of weeks ago (Jay stayed home with Jenny). This has become a fun tradition with our friends. We walk around, check out the cars, sit in the models we like and decide what cars we would buy in the follwoing catergories: under $25,000, under $35,000, and money is no object. My "money is no object" car was the BMW 750. I'm not a car expert, but it was beautiful.

Jay and I also went downtown to see Blue Man Group last Thursday. We first went and had an excellent steak dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, and then we went to see the show. We had both seen a Blue Man performance, but it was fun to see it again. They had a few new acts, and I enjoyed the old ones too. I had a suspicion that Danny was going to propose, so I ran out of the theater as soon as the performance was done, turned on my phone, and listened to the exciting message from Danny. It was a very good evening. The only downfall was that Jay had the hiccups for about 38 hours and didn't enjoy the meal as much as I did. Fortunately a bowl of ice cream seemed to cure him when we got home.

I was reminded today that I really like to learn. I attended a Social Studies conference and heard 3 interesting lectures ranging from the Emancipation Proclamation to the Boxer Rebellion. Sometimes I wish I could go back to school. I think I would get a lot more out of it the second time around.

Four weeks from today we leave for Gulf Shores, Alabama. I've never been, but I'm looking forward to it!

Preschool Information Night

Jay and I had a new experience last week as we attended Preschool Information Night at Timothy Christian Schools. It felt pretty weird to think Jenny will be old enough for preschool next year. We've signed her up for Tuesday/Thursday preschool. We're not sure if she is going to attend yet, it depends on my schedule for next year. Assuming I teach two periods a day again next year, and assuming those periods correspond with the preschool times, Jenny will go to preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays instead of the babysitters house. If it works out I think it will be pretty nice. I could walk her over to the preschool room, go teach my two periods, and then walk over and pick her up. I think Jenny would love it. She knows the teacher real well (she happends to be a good friend of mine), and it seems like Jenny would enjoy it. We should find out within the next two weeks if Jenny is eligible. They take 20 children per session and if more than twenty sign up then there is a lottery pick. Unfortunately, teachers kids are not given priority. We're not too worried. If she doesn't get picked then she will go back to the sitter's house, and she thoroughly enjoys it there too.

We actually made it over 50 degrees yesterday. It was great to be outside again. During the entire month of January it never made it over 32 degrees. Jenny and I are getting tired of staying inside!

We have a few exciting things coming up. Jay won a radio contest and won two tickets to see Blue Man Group next Thursday. We've both seen a Blue Man performance (and enjoyed it), but it's been awhile and we're looking forward to seeing the show again. I think we'll make a night of it and try to eat at a Chicago Steakhouse somewhere. We're also making plans to attend the Chicago Auto Show again. We go every year with a group of friends and it's always a good time. Over spring break we are heading south to warmer weather. We've rented a condo in Gulf Shores Alabama with some friends and we're looking forward to sitting on the beach for a week. Of course, I'll be eight months pregnant, but I can sit on a chair and read while Jay chases Jenny around and builds sand castles. Regardless, we will see the sun and hopefully feel it's warmth. I'm really looking forward to spring time!

Winter

Jay asked me why my elderly mother's blog is 8000 times better than mine (okay, I inserted the "elderly" part). I've attempted to add a background, but I'll have to get the background site you all use for your sites.

We took very few pictures of Christmas. It's a good thing you took some, otherwise we would have no documentation that we celebrated Christmas this year.

Below are a few random pictures.





Some of the Cousins



Jenny and Daddy playing Wii



Jenny and Daddy

Jenny thinks Sunday and "pretty dress" are the same thing. But when it's -3 degrees outside we make her wear pants under her dress.

Koolhaas Thanksgiving - East

Steve and Alyona came about 10:30pm on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday we all went to church. During the first song the pastor stopped the singing, asked us to start again, but to clap with the beat. Our row was not too excited, and I believe Steve let out an audible moan, but to their credit, Jay and Alyona gamely clapped along. Steve and I did not. After church we headed back home. Steve and Alyon took a walk outside (it was in the low 40's) and took a tour of downtown Naperville while we got lunch together. We had a lovely meal together, and after some tasty dessert provided by Steve and Alyona they took off back to WI.

I am addicted to the Twilight series, and stayed up way too late reading because I had to know how it ended.

This morning Jay was up by 4am to go and battle the morning shoppers looking for good deals. To his credit, he actually found some. This afternoon he is running a colleague and his family to the airport, but I think he would much rather be taking a nap.

We're looking forward to a quiet weekend!

September

Jenny typing on her computer.

Jay and Jenny taking a Sunday afternoon nap.

We joined Jay's sister and her family and some friends at a pool party last weekend. The water was very warm and there was a variety of things to do. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of Jay going down the water slide.