Tough Mudder

On August 25th, Todd, Geoff, and Heather finally got to run in Chicago's Tough Mudder event.  I was so relieved that Geoff was diligent in training for this race--I was so worried he'd sustain an injury if he just showed up cold turkey! 

The Woodhouse siblings arrived and they conquered!

...and goofed off a little bit! 

 Unfortunately, the race wasn't very spectator friendly, but the girls were troopers while we waited for the gang to finish the race!

Ready to take on the last obstacle at the finish line!

The big finish!

The crazy thing is, they said they were even muddier during the event--the last two obstacles had water to help rinse off some of the accumulated crud!  Great job Woodhouse clan!

Woodhouse Siblings Visit

Heather and Todd came into town for a wonderful visit that included flying, mud, and a little bit of catching up and playing games!

We went to iFly in Naperville where Heather, Todd, and Hylie suited up for an adventure.

Lillian kept watching the fliers and saying "I do that".  At one point, she even hopped on the bench to show she had good flying form.  Maybe in a few years, kiddo!

Hylie loved her experience--except for when the instructor took her flying high in the tube--but we are so proud of her trying out this amazing feat!

Some Wonderful News

We are delighted to share that another little Woodhouse will be joining us the end of February (...okay, most likely the beginning of March) 2019!

The girls helped us put this little puzzle together, Hylie realized the message it was sending right away!

Hylie's 6th Birthday!

On August 17th, we certainly enjoyed spoiling our big six-year-old!  We kept it low-key and just celebrated with family, but it was complete with Hylie's favorite meal, cracker (breaded) chicken, yummy chocolate cake, and oodles of presents.

I think Lillian approved of the cake!  Ha ha!

We love you, Hylie and look forward to all your adventures as a six-year-old!

First Day of School - 2018

I wasn't sure what to expect on Hylie's first day of First Grade.  All summer long she was agonizing over the fact she'd be doing FULL-DAY school.  Yes, I was touched she was going to miss me...but there aren't any half-day options anymore, kiddo!

Hylie managed to smile all morning long and willingly got on the bus, but the best part was all the smiles she had at the END of the day!  She loves her teacher, her classmates, and even admitted that the day didn't seem THAT long after all.  Here's to a wonderful school year, Hylie!

Camping Adventures

At the beginning of the summer, we asked the girls what activities they would like to do and immediately Hylie piped up with her request of CAMPING!  She loves camping and also got Eliana just as excited about the big event.  All summer long, the girls were diligent in doing their chores so they could earn stickers on a camping chart for s'mores, water balloons, bubbles, a scavenger hunt, ice cream on the way home, and glow-stick fun.  August 9th couldn't come fast enough...but when it did, it came with a bang!

That's right, our little trip was accompanied by some pretty heavy rains at the beginning, but luckily the skies opened up and we were able to follow-through with our camping extravaganza.

Hylie loved every second, Eliana wasn't really sold on the idea of camping and kept asking when we were going to go home, and I think Lillian is still trying to figure out what all was going on.  Ha ha!

The looming clouds about 10 minutes before we arrived at camp

Eating dinner in the car while it stormed outside

The rains finally cleared so we could set up the tent and pull out the glow-sticks!

Don't let this picture fool you...the only one who actually slept that night was Hylie.  Lillian started crying when it was time to settle in for the night, so she and I spent a few hours in the car to try to keep the noise from our neighboring campers, and Eliana kept getting up and walking around showing NO interest in sleep.

We can always count on Dad to keep the fire going.  We had amazing s'mores at night and yummy eggs in the morning!

The beach definitely did not disappoint...but Geoff and I have already decided that if another camping trip is requested for next year, it will take place in our back yard so we're close to regular beds should the need arise!

Mom and Dad July Visit

After the reunion, Mom and Dad Nelson were so kind to swing by our place for a few days.  It was nice for Mom to see our new home and Dad was amazing (as usual) and helped with house projects. 

Grandma also shared her amazing hair skills on the girls

Once Eliana and Hylie's hair-dos were complete, Lillian didn't miss a beat and marched right on over to Grandma and said, "My turn!"

Needless to say, she was thrilled with the results!

Grandparents never seem to run out of time or attention when they are around!  Thanks again for the nice visit, Mom and Dad!

Minute-to-Win-it - Nelson Reunion

Can't have a reunion without Minute to Win it, right?  We sure love these silly games!