Summer Fun

It has been way too long since I have had a truly positive post that shared photos of everyday life here in the middle of the cornfield!  Life took a detour and on that detour the road construction was long and bumpy and hard to deal with but it also brought a new perspective for my life and the direction I want to travel!  So, having said that, we have done some fun things this summer and now in one long post I will share with you in photos what we have been up to when life was not getting in the way!

We had an awesome time on our day trip to the Windy City!  The bus dropped us off at the Museum of Contemporary Art and the colorful steps immediately caught my eye!  Next we have the Diva wearing her new Bitty Baby from the American Girl Store and looking at the "big girl" dolls that she would like to have when she gets older!  Next is this handsome guy!  I am a sucker for a bully baby and he was so sweet that I wanted to bring him back with me!  Of course the Diva is posing with her baby who she named Gia!  Who can resist cool architecture?  Not this girl!!  LOL!

Here is the Diva with her baby!  The next photo was from a parade we saw a few weeks back but it fit so I stuck it in!  She is just so stinkin' cute!  Sorry, my humble opinion here!!  Next is the sign above the door to the store of the day and then there is the bag that I built my outfit around!  I LOVE this bag!  It hold my D700 with lens attached, a flash, extra lens, cards, batteries, my phone and my wallet so I was set for the day!!   And then we have just a few of the girls and their loot from the day!

Grandma called on Sunday to ask if we would join her for the final day of the fair!  The Diva was all to eager to oblige!  Here are the Diva and Gma together.  Next is a turtle that was up for grabs in a game!  You know those games where you can win a goldfish, well, they upped the anti with these cute little turtles!  This guy was happy to pose for me!!  LOL!  Grandma and the Diva decided to do a little shark fishing and hooked two with one cast!  Then came the gambling!  Oh yeah, the Diva loved picking numbers and putting her Grandma's quarters down and then, of course, throwing the ball into the ring was a highlight too!

This collage is full of the things I loved capturing from the fun day at the fair!!  I have always loved the Ferris Wheel but no one would ride with me!!  Chickens!!  The turtle made this one cause he was just too cute!  Then there were the ducks!  I love me some ducks!  Could have something to do with one of the Diva's nicknames, Duckie!  She got that one the day she was born when the doctor said I see duck fuzz as her head crowned!  And who can resist a girl and her Grandma having fun together?

Well, I need a nap now because this journey down memory lane has tuckered me out almost as much as the original trips did!!  I am sure there will be a few more adventures before school starts!  The Moody Teen goes back on the 16th (his 18th Birthday) and the Diva starts preschool on the 31st!  Wow, where has the time gone??

It's Over

I think I knew it would end this way but held out hope.  I went back to the doctor on Monday and then played the waiting game all day until they called me back just to tell me that my levels had dropped and now I would be monitored until they dropped back to ZERO.  The good news is I will be getting poked less but the bad news is that I lost the baby!  Someone told me that grief comes in waves and boy were they ever right!  I can be fine one second and a blubbering mess the next!  I am, however, going to survive because I have to take care of my family!

Here is the deal for me:  I am amazed by how badly I wanted this SURPRISE baby!  No, we were not planning on a third child but when it happened we got excited!  I know I am old but come on, babies are gifts from God no matter the circumstance!  I mean if I had actually planned my kids, they would probably not be here!

The very worst part for me was explaining it all to the Diva who was more than excited to be a big sister!  Explaining that the baby is in heaven with Papa was tough!  She still talks about her little sister!  She was sure it was a girl!!  LOL!  I used the illustration of Waterbugs and Dragonflies to explain it to her!  I have had the book since the Moody Teen was about 5 and have used it to explain death to my children many times over the years!

On a happier note:  The Diva and I will travel to the Windy City to The American Girl store on Tuesday with a group from church (we rented a coach bus)!  She is so excited!  She will get a new baby, we will lunch and shop until our feet hurt!!  I cannot wait to take her up in a skyscraper because the other day she was at the doctor (on the 2nd floor) when she climbed up on the bench, looked out the window and declared, "Wow, I can see the whole world from here!"  I laughed so hard I thought I would pee myself!  LOL!

I am taking my camera in my beautiful new camera bag that I built my outfit around to capture all of our adventures!  The best part is that I don't have to drive so when the day is done and I am exhausted, I will be able to chill on the ride home!  Well friends, consider your self up to speed with life from the middle of a cornfield!