Lite Brite!

Jack found Mommy's old Lite Brite and convinced Daddy to do it with him. After a lot of patience, this was the final product :)

Aunts and Uncles Galore!

The hardest part about moving away from Chicago in February was leaving our amazing friends (and Jack's aunts and uncles). We have been very fortunate to maintain those friendships across many miles and a few weeks ago our friends came to Chicago for a visit and a football game.

Jack loved hanging out with Brendan, even if he was rooting for BC.Alison is one of Jack's favorite people and he can't wait until she marries Brendan next year!
Matt and Meghan have always held a special place in Jack's heart. When their baby boy arrives in February, Jack will have a lifelong playmate!
Tim and Olivia just got married this past summer but Jack wanted to make sure that they didn't get a picture with just themselves!

Our whole gang before the game, including Nana and Papa. We are so thankful that our friends are willing to come visit us and we can't wait until they come again (or until we make it back to Chicago!).

What I'm Thankful For This Year

Handy Manny Daddy

In preparation for the upcoming arrival of the Atachoochie Boys (who, by the way, have names now--Will and Henry!) Daddy installed hardwood floors in the entire downstairs of our house. He worked so hard and the outcome was AMAZING! Jack gave Daddy a new nickname when he was sawing and wearing his goggles--Handy Manny Daddy!

A Robot?

Jack donned this special outfit the other day and declared himself a robot. A pullup (outside his clothes), a life jacket, swim goggles (not shown) and a box on his head obviously makes him a robot :)

Go Hoos Go!

We've been to several football games this year but have only managed one good family picture. We'll try again this Saturday!

Uncle Mark and Aunt Sarah

Uncle Mark and Aunt Sarah came to Charlottesville for Halloween weekend and for the UVA/Duke football game. Despite Mommy being on her death bed with a kidney stone (that's right, not only is she carrying around twins, but she suffered through a kidney stone for 4 days!) we had such a fantastic time catching up with our dear friends. Jack really adores Mark and Sarah and we can't wait for their bundle of joy to arrive in March so Jack and the boys will have a playmate!

To Infinity and Beyond!

We spent Halloween this year in Charlottesville and Jack participated in the annual trick-or-treating on the Lawn at UVA. It was kind of surreal for Mommy and Daddy because when we were in college, we used to go to the lawn to see the adorable trick-or-treaters and talk about how some day we would bring our kids. It was definitely a full-circle moment.

Jack decided when were in Disney World in September that he wanted to be Buzz Lightyear for Halloween and he never wavered. He was decked out!
Jack has been talking about trick-or-treating for months and would often practice on us at home. By the time it was actually Halloween, he was ready! He checked his bag every time to see what kind of loot he scooped!

The obligatory family pic in front of the Rotunda.

Attempting to Pick Pumpkins

When we were in Asheville, we set out on a quest to pick pumpkins. We thought we found the perfect place online and we set off to Skytop Orchard. It was super busy and bitter cold but we ventured out. Unfortunately, Skytop Orchard's website was very misleading. Their "pumpkin patch" was actually just a dozen pumpkins scattered around the grounds and there were no signs telling patrons where to go or what to do.Needless to say, the kids quickly became bored and the parents became annoyed.
So, we set out to find our pumpkins somewhere else. Thanks to Mommy's handy blackberry we discovered Granddads. Jack and Palmer ran a muck amongst the pumpkins and eventually found the perfect ones!
Jack was very excited :)

Baby Hagen!

Jack became enamored with Baby Hagen and he really demonstrated what a great big brother he will make in a few short months. He shared his blankies with her and always wanted to go to her when she was in her bouncy seat to tickle her and make her laugh.He eventually asked to hold her and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He was so compassionate and gentle and concerned over her all weekend and it truly made Mommy and Daddy excited to see him interact with his baby brothers.
This picture just cracks me up.