The Worst Nerd Family Ever

The morning after Daylan got home we boarded the Amtrak and took our first family vacation, well the first one that was not business or going to see family in Arkansas vacation. We went and stayed with the Harris's in Ann Arbor, MI and had a blast. Next year we'll have to go when it's a little warmer. We went to Stacy's son Chase's football game and it was just a little more than chilly, the concession stand kept running out of hot chocolate, but Chase's team finished the year undefeated with a score of 51-7 for this game. I have lots more pictures of the area and the building where Michael Phelps and Chase trained, but those will be have to saved for a later date. But for now here is a family picture we took in the not so hard corn maze at Wiard's Orchard.

Friday night the girls went around the neighborhood to bum candy off the neighbors while I stayed home and passed out the candy again this year.

This is Daylan's pumpkin that we picked at in Ypsalani, MI. We actually had a lady come up and touch it because she thought it was fake.


The wagon only made it to the neighbors house and then Taylor decided it was too inconvenient for going up stoops to get the candy, so they returned it and she hoofed it.



Can you guess what Taylor is? Hint: It has to do with her nickname.


Off to get the booty!

Friday Paige's school had a Halloween Parade for the Kindergarten through 3rd grade. They all got to march around the block and then through all 4 floors of the school, and the principal was encouraging the kids to be as loud as possible.

Paige with her sweater wrapped around her neck...don't ask...


Paige and Stephanie...what is it with her taking pictures with short witches?



Principal Benes having fun leading the Parade and Paige's class.


Ms. Chen (our substitute for 2 months) and the kids making their "scary" faces.

Because of the 13 hour time difference between Chicago and Shanghai we only have about a 20 minute window in the morning and evening that we get to talk to Daylan. The girls and I really look forward to this time everyday. No matter where the laptop is as soon as they hear it ring and see Daddy's face pop up they're right there. And yes, our whole family sits like that...weird I know, but true. Once it hits 8pm and the girls are down for the night I count the day as being over...so...only 4 mores days!!!!!

This next picture is to prove to Paige that Mom does know how to cook and it's enjoyable! Taylor, and Paige for that matter LOVED my pesto pasta, hence the green face.

After dinner Taylor changed into her new Punk Princess pjs and gave us a little runway show. I'm not sure why but right now I'm really drawn to the punk style for the girls...I just need to find Taylor a pair of skinny jeans.


How can you resist this...

Taylor liked staying about 3ft away and just saying "Hi!" to the goats.










Mo and Asher checking out the damage after the goats decided that Mo's jacket would make a good treat. (It actually separated the lining from the shell!)

Thursday Taylor and I went to the Brookfield Zoo with some of our friends from church. We had never been to this zoo before, but we'll definately be going back.









Taylor loved checking out the monkeys of course, but she was a little disappointed that they didn't have dogs at the zoo!

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a couple weeks. Last Thursday I got the call I detest getting. Yup. Microsoft and Motolora were trying to get Daylan to go to China again. At first they asked for the first 2 weeks of November and we were all going to go since Paige had a 7 day weekend in there so she wouldn't miss too much school. When he went back to them the next day they decided to move it up a month. Because China was on their fall holiday we weren't able to expedite Daylan's visa and we literally picked it up at 3pm yesterday just before the office closed. And so he's off... Our car service just picked him up and he's on his way to the airport. The stinking lucky duck is getting to fly first class this morning, although is just to Seattle and then business class from there to Seoul, Korea, and then on to Shanghai, but still nonetheless. He's so spoiled. He'll be gone for 12 days all together (he's coming back early since we already had a trip planned for the weekend he was supposed to fly back). I guess if there is a silver lining it's that my mom is getting to come up next Sunday to help me out for 4 days. Daylan gets back at 8pm Wednesday night and then we are on a train the next morning at 8am to Ann Arbor, MI to go apple and pumkin picking with Uncle Stacy, he's Daylan's awesome Microsoft Mentor that took our family pictures last year at Christmas. Taylor and Paige absolutely love Stacy and his family, we we're all really excited. I'll try to keep you posted on how much hair I will lose over the next 12 days, but hopefully it will go fast. And, don't worry they're still talking about us going again next month.

As tonight is the final night of summer I figured I had better post the last of our summer pictures before winter hits tomorrow. Yes, I said winter, because in Chicago there are only two seasons...extreme summer and extreme winter. Today we all went to church and then came home and took a 3 hour nap. After a much needed nap the girls and I supervised Daylan planting our two new trees and some more winter friendly flowers in our front yard, it was only fair that he got to do all of those after Paige and I planted the 6 bushes and 15 flowers that were already there in 100 degree temps back in July. I'm glad winter is coming only because I love getting to wear cold weather clothes and there's just something special about the holidays in Chicago, it's just beautiful here, and the Chicago Christmas tree is WAY better than the Rockefellar tree in NYC, I was VERY disappointed when we saw it when we lived there.
Anyways tonight we had some of the yummy corn from the previous post and we just had to take pictures of Taylor eating it, it was EXTREMELY juicy!

Daylan works for the greatest company in the world, and no, it's not Wal-Mart. Yesterday was a Microsoft family outing day at the Museum of Science and Industry, and thankfully it wasn't on a Sunday this time, which they normally are so we miss out on all of them because our family doesn't go anywhere on Sunday's except to church. The girls had a lot of fun, and we were thinking...we only took the girls to half the museum, so that when we go back we go to the other half and it's like they're going to an all new museum!

Last year Paige made Taylor a monkey at Build A Bear for Christmas and I'm not sure how she's going to top it this year. Taylor LOVES Macy and carries her all over the house. These two are truly a match made in heaven.

Last Saturday night we watched Paige and Taylor's friends Alli and Ruby Nicoll which the girls all loved. Earlier in the day we got a Stanley's deal on really good corn @ 10 for $1, so how do you entertain 4 kids and a husband? I think the pictures speak for themselves:




Last night we watched two of the cutest kids, Alexandra and Andrew Lopez who just moved into our ward from France. Don't worry, we didn't put them to work just yet :) I'm not sure which aspect of the Lopez family Paige is more excited about...that they're from France or that they have kids her age!