Wedding in Wisconsin

Paul's childhood friend Luke married Michelle yesterday so we traveled to Wisconsin for their celebration! It was a beautiful ceremony and reception and we really enjoyed catching up with the families from Paul's hometown Mount Vernon!
The ceremony was held outside at Olbrich Botanic Gardens, and then a reception followed inside one of the buildings. Michelle looked lovely in her dress--very elegant and sophisticated. Luke was handsome as well!



The reception was really nice--the cake was beautiful and the decorations were charming. We especially loved the favors--take home chinese boxes that guests filled with a variety of chocolates! So it was a wonderful day filled with friends and laughter and we had a great time. (No dancing for us though--it was getting too late!)

Nesting

A bird decided to make her nest in our hanging basket. Here is the result of her decision--baby birds. It's very exciting to see, although I am terrified to water the basket for fear of drowning the babies, and our poor plants are dying! The kids think it's cool! I think the eggs were a lot prettier than these brand new birds!

Sunday Dresses

Nana made these dresses for the girls when she was out visiting. Afton picked out the fabric and the pattern and voile! Afton and Halle always look so cute when they're dressed alike--I'm taking advantage of it now, because I don't think it'll be many more years before Afton does not want her little sister dressing like her!

Bun in the Oven!

Okay, I've given them a few days to get the word out themselves, so if you haven't heard the news yet, it's their fault! I can't hold it in any more! Ryan & Ruth Ann are expecting baby #3 in January! Congratulations to them and since we also know what a 3rd kid means, we also wish them good luck!

Sarah and Andrew's downtown tour

Sarah and Andrew came to visit. Their first day here, we headed into Chicago to do the "touristy" activities. Our favorite thing for visitors to experience is the architecture tour. It was a beautiful day and is always interesting to see Chicago from the river! We also made a quick trip to the Field Museum where we saw Sue, the T-Rex. It was a long, fun day!

Ballet Camp

Afton signed up for Ballet Camp this summer--4 days of crafting, dancing, and snacking to the music of Barbie's 12 Dancing Princesses. It was too much to resist! On the first day, she jumped out of the car and started walking across the parking lot before I had even finished parking!

Nominee for Best Dad Ever!

I know all of you may argue for your own candidate, but we've got a rare example of husband and father. Paul is a devoted dad and husband, and especially on this weekend which is Father's Day and the U.S. Open, he is taking care of me after my eye surgery. He always puts our needs above his own, works long hours to provide for us, and also puts in many hours serving the Lord. He gets up in the middle of the night to get me an aspirin, takes the kids so I can have time off, and sacrifices his own personal time so that we can all be together. I am grateful to have such a great man as my husband and the kids are sure lucky to have him as a dad! We love you Paul and hope you have a wonderful day and that you know how much we love you!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the great men in our family--we feel so much love and support from our grandpas and great grandpas! We hope you have a great day Grandpa Bunting, Grandpa Walker, Grandpa Pat, Great Grandpa Bunting, Great Grandpa Johannesen, and Great Grandpa Van! We love you and hope your day is filled with great things!

Happy Birthday Spencer!

We hope you have a wonderful day! We're excited to see you in a few weeks! For those of you who don't know Spencer, he is an amazing brother and uncle, a fantastic piano player, a fierce skier (or so I'm told--I'm not near good enough to go with him!), and an all-around good guy! He makes us laugh and we're always glad to spend time with him!

Oh Sure, this comes out THIS Summer!

One of my favorite stores, Ann Taylor Loft, has just launched a maternity line. This would have been perfect timing, last year! When I told Paul, he asked if I wanted to get pregnant again. Although I was tempted, even I would not have a baby just so I could wear cute maternity clothes. This post is for all my friends out there looking for great, stylish maternity-wear! Please buy from them so if and when we do have another, they will still carry maternity!

Little Trooper

We've already commented on what a happy, easy-going baby Halle is, but she really proved it this past week with all our traipsing about Chicagoland. She relaxed in her stroller, ate when we produced food, and occasionally napped away while we continued our day. She only had one breakdown in the car on the way home after a long day. But, just like our pictures, she bounces back happy and relaxed!

Nana and Courtney Visit!

Nana and Courtney came to visit this week and we packed as much as we could into their trip! On their first day here we visited Shedd Aquarium and saw dolphins, whales, seals, otters, turtles and millions of fish!

One rainy afternoon, we went to the Kohl's children's museum where the kids grocery-shopped, experimented with water and bubbles, pretended to be veterinarians, car mechanics, and sandwich makers.




We also discovered the Jelly Belly Factory where we went on a free tour after which we each got a free bag of Jelly Bellys and then shopped in the store where we spent all our money on more Jelly Bellys.

On their last day here, we went to Brookfield Zoo and stayed until they closed--we could have spent even more time there because it was so big and had so much to do!


We had a great time seeing Chicago attractions and when we weren't out and about, got in some sewing projects, Matt's last soccer game, school, and church. To Paul's disappointment, we didn't get a batch of cinnamon rolls made--luckily, we're heading up to Washington this summer and I'm sure he'll get some then!