July

Man, July was a super busy month. Maybe that's why it feels like it was over in about 5 minutes. We had so much fun hanging with friends, enjoying Chicago's summertime activities, hosting family, and celebrating birthdays. More on June's birthday soon, but in the meantime, here's a glimpse at July. Don't forget to check out all of our pics from 2017 here (there's some cute videos sprinkled in that you won't want to miss).

July kicked off official barbecue season. We've hosted and been to friends' houses. And thanks to our new outdoor furniture, we've been able to eat many of our own meals outside this summer. Our outdoor dining set has been a very welcome addition to our home.

Grandma Kay visited in early July to kick of June's birthday month celebration early. We got a chance to take the girls to the children's museum where they had a blast--as always!

the face-painting station was a huge hit! Check out a video here.

I feel like we've visited a million parks this summer. We've celebrated birthdays and had playdates and hikes and adventures. It's been so much fun being able to spend this summer at home with the girls. We've really been able to take advantage of all Chicago has to offer.

When Aunt Chele was in town, we treked to the suburbs to check out a new nature-based playground called Bison's Bluff. It was a lot of fun and we're looking forward to returning when it's not super-crowded with day camps and when we're dressed more appropriately for the 85* weather.

Last weekend was the girls' annual Family Festival at the daycare. For the 3rd year in a row, we enjoyed games, food, a bounce house and winning prizes. We won passes to the Brookfield Zoo, and we can't wait to go!