Fri. Oct. 1, 2010 - Illinois!!!

Playing with Molly

Pulling her baby around in a tiny wagon

Traveling around Grandpa Kelly's farm in style...being pulled by daddy while sipping water

Coloring at a little table and chair

A sleepy toddler after a busy day

Riley loves the 4 wheeler, especially all those buttons

Hanging out with Great Grandma Jean

Mommy, Riley and Great Grandma Jean

Grandpa Charlie, Riley and Mommy

Sitting on a rock eating an apple straight off the tree

Wow, those are some muddy shoes

Grandpa Charlie, Riley and Grandma Shelley

Touring the horticulture center children's garden with Grandma Cathy

Princess Riley instructs her subject

Grandpa Dale, let me help you with that chord

Smiling with Great Grandpa John

Mommy, Great Grandpa John, Riley, Great Grandma Charlotte and Grandma Cathy

With her great grandparents

Getting a ride from Grandma Cathy

Riley loves other kids, especially 2nd cousin Sophie

Great Aunt Maggie, Sophie and Riley

Happily pulling her toy dog from Great Grandma Annetta

Great Grandma Annetta, Riley and Daddy

We enjoyed our visit with Great Grandma

Daddy was very proud that Riley was especially interested in Noyes Lab, the chemistry building at U of I where Chad spent a lot of his time

Running around the Illinois quad

Riley and Mommy in front of Follinger Auditorium

Riley is so helpful, she rearranged Grandma Cathy's pantry!

The Freese Family

Making Play-Doh creations with Mackenzie and Lizzie Sidman

Riley quickly figured out the key to Sadie's friendship, treats!

Running up and down Winnie and Bill's little hill was a great way to burn energy before we got on the plane to fly back to CA

We had a fantastic week in IL. Riley has changed so much since our last visit and those changes because very apparent as we watched her play with relatives and friends. The biggest difference is probably that she is walking (running) and so really got around. She loved running outside, using her mobility to explore new houses and playing with the dogs and cats. I'm not sure how much she remembers about our visit in April, it was hard to tell if she recognized everyone, but she did great with the constant influx of family members. With a few exceptions she wasn't shy and went to new people with a friendly smile. She loved the attention and was so happy to have so many playmates.

This was a working trip for Chad, he was recruiting new engineers to come work at Clorox. We didn't get to see him all week, but Riley wasn't nearly as upset as she has been in the past (I'm sure all the fun and people devoting attention to her was the reason for this). When he finished working the 3 of us were able to spend some time on the U of I campus. Its amazing how much it has changed since we graduated, there are lots of renovations and new buildings. Riley kept walking up the stairs of Noyes Laboratory, the chemistry building where Daddy spent so much of his time. Do we have a budding engineer? It was very special to watch Riley run around on the quad that we walked for so many years.

Before we flew out of Chicago, we spent some time with Chris and Heather Sidman and their daughters Lizzy (almost 5) and Mackenzie (2). Riley enjoyed spending some time with other kids, although she had some issues with sharing. Its tough to share after a week of complete spoiling from grandparents!

Riley and I only have a few days in CA before we head to Washington, D.C. to visit Aunt Amy. Chad will join us later in the week (another business trip) and when he's done working we'll be able to do some sightseeing. I can't believe we are doing back-to-back trips but this is just how it timed out. We're just so grateful to have these opportunities and a toddler who happily goes along.