Happy Birthday Daddy!

Last Sunday we celebrated Jon's 33rd Birthday and watched the Giants game. Thanks to everyone for celebrating with us!

Fall Fun Fair at School

Last weekend at Ava's school we had the Fall Fun Fair. We had face painting, tattoos, bean bag toss, ring toss, fishing for apples and ducks. It was so much fun and Ava got to spend the day with the kids in her class and school.

School Pictures

I had to get a quick one in before we left for school just in case she does a goofy smile or her eyes are closed in the professional ones. I will let you all know how they come out!

A Sunday Treat....

On Sunday we went for a drive to the Sunset Pub and Grill (www.sunsetpubandgrill.com) which is in Lincoln Park. It is a cute little pub that is on an airplane strip that you can see the planes come in and take off. Great spot for kids and the food is pretty good too!

when the wind blows..... sometimes, trees fall....

When it rains it pours!
So I went to work yesterday like any normal day and around 3pm I called to check in on Ava who was at my moms house. She was sleeping but mom asked me "did you just get a phone call?" I said, "what are you talking about?" She said, "A tree fell on your house.... A BIG TREE! Don't panic, I am getting Nan to come and sit with Ava and I am heading over there" Six months pregnant and she's telling me not to panic.... Guess what, I panicked.
As I found coverage at work and rushed home, I pulled down my street to all my neighbors standing in awe, the police and 3 HUGE tree removal trucks. I could only get half way down the street and when I pulled up next to the cop and rolled down my window, I said "that's my house" He looked at me with this face and said "I'm sorry" I threw my car in park in the middle of the road and got out of my car.
I walked down the street and was thinking to myself, "seriously, how bad could it bed?" "Thank god no one got hurt" -- Actually no, what I was thinking was that the tree that fell wasn't even mine and shit, I am going to get stuck paying for it!!! So, when I say a tree fell, I am not talking about some branches or a small tree... I am talking about a HUGE double Oak Tree (one half was still standing and the other half was sprawled out from the front of my lawn to the back- limbs on the roof, on the garage and more)
The police can make the decision to have the rest of the tree taken down if they think it is a threat, which they did and it was down within 45 minutes. After that they started to clean up the mess in our yard.
So, 4 holes in our roof, a ripped off gutter on the house and garage, a trashed yard from where the tree fell and a damaged driveway later, all I am thinking is THANK GOD no one was home. Jon was home about an hour earlier for lunch and if any cars were in the driveway, they would have been smooshed! So, if I recall correctly, it was just about this point in my pregnancy with Ava that Mother Nature decided to mess with my and flood our basemnet.
Let me put it on the record that IF and WHEN we do decide to have a third child... I am going to hold my breath as we get to and through the six month. I don't know what else possibly could happen, but I am sure it will happen to us!
Just remember, sometimes when the wind blows.... trees fall!

When I came down the street and looked at the yard this was the first thing I saw....


This shot is from the garage looking back down the driveway




Standing in the corner of my yard looking back at the house






Removal of Tree #1 that was still standing


Looking out bedroom windows at yard








Can you guess where the holes in the roof are???







Bye Bye Tree #1





Bye Bye Tree #2 (the one that was already down)



Damage to house gutters


Damage to garage gutters




Damage to roof

Damage to driveway

Trip to the Farm.....

Sunday was such a gorgeous day here, Toni and I took Ava to the local farm for a hayride, pumpkin picking, and for some pickles!



Ava not quite sure which pumpkin to chose!


"ok, this one" she told me






Pickle buddies