Tanners

Our annual mecca to Tanner's was super special because Stella and Briggs were with us!

 They love the goats!  Secretly, I would totally own a few goats...they are so cute!

...and dang it, they keep growing

Feel the love! 

Chicago

Oh the lights of the city always dazzle me.  We followed up our Iowa weekend with a few days in the city.  We explored the underground ped way (who knew there was a whole world underground?!) and the Maggie Daly park.  The kids could have played for hours! We hit a few landmarks too (the bean!).  Thanks Aunt Sandy for playing tour guide!  Can't wait until next time!

A House Divided

We spent a weekend in Iowa with the Campbells for the Illinois vs. Iowa game.  It happened to be Iowa's homecoming and Auntie Amber and Uncle Brian offered to drive the kids over early so they could catch the homecoming parade.  Needless to say I had no idea what kind of abuse they would expose our young innocent children to!

I mean what is this? Only at an Iowa parade.  And my children are only smiling because they had no idea what was behind them!  Thank you Iowa Alumni Association for sponsoring this float!

 Well long story short Illinois kept it close, until we didn't and we lost.  Go Hawks!! No, we did not say that!  And even though they made it to the Big 10 championship game and had a wonderful season, blah, blah, blah...we really only wanted them to make it to that game to see them get beat.  Go State!  (really we did say that - love you Aunt Sara!! Go Sparty!)

Cousin Love! 

It was ok that the Illini lost because we headed back to the hotel and stripped our orange and blue off and put on our Cardinal gear, because surely they would beat the Cubs.  And yet again we had to quickly change our clothes, as the Cubs beat us too!  Not a great fan weekend for us Paulis but we had a blast!

Halloween 2015

We had to pull out this old classic for Auggie!  Go Illini!  

 Ok, moving on past our adorable dog, what about this Mary Poppins and Burt, the chimney sweep?!

He was actually saying "my ladies..."

The umbrella and purse prop were a gift from Mimi when she took Elizabeth to see the broadway production of Mary Poppins.   

Burt does his own make-up

Hallzooween - and these are your FIRST place winners (in their age category), they beat the 3 Little Pigs

I can only take credit for the idea and the do-dads on Mary's hat.  Ima gets all sewing credit.  She did an amazing job and this project even inspired a new sewing machine purchase! They proudly wore these costumes as a matched pair and they were practically perfect in every way!

Illinois Game

We took the kids down for an Illinois football game a few weeks ago. We took them for a mini  tour around campus.

AniSci building - future study hall of our future sibling vet team!

 The bronze tablets in the graduate library have the names of the top 2% (I think) of each year's graduating class.  When I was telling the kids about daddy's name being on there I asked them each privately, "who's name do you think is up there with daddy's?"  Grant (bless his heart) said "mommy's!"  Elizabeth, who apparently has heard this story said "Brant!" (which is the correct answer and college roommate of Brandon's)

Trying to get a closer look.

Pointing out exactly where his name is. 

There are two little dots up there on the front steps of Folinger hall.

We also went inside Lincoln Hall.  Brandon has no recollection of the story to

Rubbing his nose for good luck! 

rub Abe's nose for good luck.  I had chemistry in Lincoln and needed all the luck I could get!

The game was against Nebraska.  It felt like we might have a fighting chance but then we lost the ball with 5 minutes to go so we took off.  We were freezing cold and Grant had fallen asleep!  We got in the car just in time to turn the radio on and hear the fireworks.  Illni win!! It was such a good walk down memory lane and fun to share all of our stories with the kids!

Finally Installed!

We have worked on getting the monument at Kenny and Robin's burial site all summer.  It was finally installed a few weeks ago, right before what would have been Kenny's birthday.  We celebrated with cupcakes and sang happy birthday in remembrance of him.  All of the real flowers had to be cleaned up at the cemetery, but Amber made a beautiful fall arrangement of silk flowers.

Down on the Farm

Grant helping with the fall tillage.

The kids spent a lot of time on the farm this year.  The grain bin conversion is finally finished and they think it is pretty fun to have sleepovers with Ima and Pops at the grain bin!

Nutty Bar break 

Grant's Field Trip

Grant went to Ackerman Farms for his class field trip.  I drove him and 3 of his little friends.  Interesting car conversation! It was a cold, windy day, but the kids had fun!