Checking in....

Here's what we've been up to lately:

Last weekend Rob and I got to meet Baby Gwen.  Bill and Katie had their daughter, Gwen and we were so excited to meet her!  She's adorable...the girls can't wait to meet her when she's a little older!

Rosie celebrated her first birthday and her mommy, Lia, and daddy, Eric, had a great Valentine's Day birthday!!!  Happy 1st Birthday, Rosie!!! 

Abigail had her last dance class.  She loves ballet and tap dancing, but has asked to do gymnastics...so we will try that! 

Last week I took Abigail, Caitlin, and the two kids I watch to Jumps and Jiggles!  We went on the Merry Go Round over...and over...and over!

I don't have many pics of Caitlin cause her new favorite thing to do is look away from me when I'm taking a picture (and laugh because she knows how much it frustrates me)!  With my new camera, I think I'll be able to get better pics.  Here's the proof: 

Last Sunday we went out with my family to celebrate my dad's and my birthday.  We went to our favorite restaurant, Gale Street Inn.  There is a magician there and Abigail was pretty impressed...and even got a balloon! 

That dinner is where I got my new present:

I am so in love!!!!  I have wanted a nice camera since Abigail was born!  I plan on capturing lots of amazing moments with this!!!!!!

And speaking of being in love.... 

How cute is Lucy????  We got to see Lucy lots this weekend and loved spending time with her!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope your day is full of

HUGS  &  

KISSES!!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love,

& 

(I got the most amazing bday gift from Rob, the girls, my parents, my sisters, my brother-in-law, and my niece!  A new camera!!  Like a real one!!!!  I'm having so much fun playing with it today!  More to come on my new camera, but if you were wondering if it works.....)

New Camera

Old Camera

(I will post more about my bday and what we did on valentine's day later...this is just our valentine's day card!!!!)

Dance Class Show

abigail's dance "show"....sorry it's sideways!

The One and Only Miss Oprah Winfrey

Oprah.  I Love Her!  Like Seriously Love Her!  I have been watching her since I was in high school.  When I went to college in Northwestern Indiana, we got both Chicago and Indy stations, so I got Oprah at 9am and then again at 3!  HEAVEN!!!  Since college I have been trying, and trying, and trying to get tickets!

A few years ago, I finally got tickets to see Oprah and Madonna.  But that was back in the days of teaching and something big was going on in my classroom, so I couldn't go.  I always thought I had missed my one and only chance!

But guess what....I finally got tickets!  I found out today I got tickets for next Friday!  They are taping a show that will only air on Oprah.com, but who cares...it's Oprah!!!!!  One (or Two) things....I sort of have to read this book:

Oh, and this one too:

6 days.  2 of greatest books of all time.  834 pages.  Gonna be an interesting next 6 days...but it's Oprah!

(I'm 53 pages into Tale of Two Cities...and have downloaded the audiobook as well so I just listened to a chapter as I washed dishes).

6 days till Oprah!!!!!!  6 days till Oprah!!!!

When I called Rob, he said "Now your bucket list is almost completed!"  Very true, now if I can just get to Europe, I'll have my bucket list completed!!!! 

She only has 43 shows left (What?????  Who's counting??????)...and I will get to be at one.

I'm freaking out!!!  What am I going to wear?????

Oprah!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Ears, Ears, Ears

We have been busy, but my camera has not been coming with me!  So no pictures.

Last week was the week of ear infections.  Caitlin woke up Tuesday morning with a burst eardrum, so we headed to the dr to get her on meds.

Friday we took Abigail in for her follow-up (she has been on 3 rounds of antibiotics for an ear infection)...not only has her ear infection still not cleared up, it's actually spread to the other ear.  She has had this ear infection for almost 2 months.  So, looks like tubes are in Abigail's near future.  We are on our final round of anti-biotics, but the dr said if it didn't clear up on the first 3 rounds, this 4th round probably won't make a big difference.  Since Abigail doesn't have a fever or seem to be in much pain, they aren't rushing to get the tubes in, but at the end of the month when Caitlin goes to her ENT to get her tubes checked, Abigail will also go and we will schedule tubes surgery then if the ENT thinks it's the best plan.

So that's been our "ears" fun!!!

Last Friday I took the girls to open gym at a local gymnastics place.  Abigail loved it, so I think instead of signing her up for her next round of ballet/tap, we are going to switch over to gymnastics and see how she does!  Caitlin is still in gymnastics and likes it too, but we have missed 2 weeks because of illness and then snow.

This weekend daddy had to work on Saturday, so the "girls" met grandma at the mall for shopping and lunch.  Then, we ended up staying for dinner with daddy and grandpa joining us!  We had sushi and it was GREAT!

On Sunday, we headed over to Rob's Aunt Tina's house for a superbowl party.  It was a lot of fun!  The food was great!  Abigail played the whole time and we barely even saw her...she was very independent!  We also got to see Nana for the 1st time since her week in FL and I'm very jealous of her tan!

We'll see what this week brings...and I'll make sure to take some pictures!

Snow-mageddon

Snow-pocalypse. Snow-mageddon.  Snow-M-G.

Call it what you want, but the Chicago Blizzard of 2011 was one for the record books.  22 inches of snow in about 12 hours!  Cars stranded on Lake Shore Drive and 53 overnight (with people in them)!

We had a great time enjoying our snow day inside our warm home.  It's really the first time I remember where EVERYTHING shut down.  Schools, libraries, stores, businesses.  Rob even got the day off, so we knew it was going to be a fun day!  And the Wennerstrom Family Fun Day didn't disappoint!

Here is a view of our balcony this morning.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of the snow drifts against our garage..they were easily 4 feet!

Snow as tall as a princess!

We decided to make snow ice cream this morning!

Take 1 gallon of fresh snow.  Add 1 cup of sugar, 1 tbsp of vanilla extract, and 2 cups of milk.  Mix and serve!  It was delicious!

Big smiles for snow ice cream!

Mmmmm...

The final product!

During nap time, Daddy headed out to plow.  The bonus of living in a townhome (and paying townhome assessments) is they plow...but daddy decided to get a start on it! He worked.  And worked.  And worked. 

And just when he was about done, the snow plow came!  :)  They actually came cause they saw him and wanted to help...very nice! 

After naps, the wind chill finally reached above 0 (it was a warm 7), so we headed out for the promised sledding/snowman making (although the snow was too soft to make snowmen).

Ralphie's brother from Xmas Story

"Sledding" with our fun neighbors, the Staniaks!  Nothing says "family fun" like using the drift against the new construction homes!  But hey, it worked!!!!! 

So cute!

Daddy is a master hill builder!

And of course, every sledding day must end with hot chocolate! 

We had a great day enjoying our snow day!  School as already been called off for tomorrow...and it's supposed to be COLD here (30 below tonight).  Another day of fun activities in the house!