My New Venture

So, I've started a new venture with a great friend....check it out The Candid Camera

Happy Birthday, Mae Mae!

This past weekend, Papa Bob hosted a SURPRISE birthday party for the Mae Mae in our lives.  He did a GREAT job at keeping it a surprise, and my little ones did a GREAT job keeping their tiny lips sealed too!

I think she was truly surprised...

 A nice group of friends and family came out to celebrate a wonderful woman!

I won't tell here on the blog... 

No party is complete with a visit to the local bar "Bob and Ringo's" -- full of taxidermied animals and where you can sign your name on their wall....

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 Even the littlest party-goers had fun!

This one is for you, Mary! (I think the most avid blog follower I have!)

Happy Birthday, Mae Mae!

Little Brother growing up...

After crawling (or falling?) out of bed twice today, we decided it was time to let Little Brother grow up a bit.  Despite me wanting him to be my little boy forever, I know that this too shall pass.  Tonight was a developmental milestone: moving into a big boy bed!

 Daddy and Little Brother taking off the front of the crib and putting up a little railing.

 Gosh -- he sure looks like a big boy now!

 Even Big Sister was excited for him!

So far, so good!  He went to bed without complaints and started reading his books and fell asleep rather quickly!  Hope the following nights are as easy as tonight...

Winter FUN!

A day off of school often requires lots of strategic planning and entertainment to keep my two kids from literally beating each other into tears.....so, this day I decided to invite some friends over and they kids played so well together!

 making snow balls...

 turning them into a snowman!

 FUN!

What a lovely site!

Only in Illinois...

Only in Illinois can you go from this:

and this:

to this:

and this:

over night!

Merry Christmas, 2011

Merry Christmas from the "We Are Reilly...." clan!

It's been a wonderful year! Let's see where to start....

BIG SISTER: she's in 1st grade at the local Christian school and LOVES it. She asked me the other day about the little public school near our house, "Mommy, do the children there get to open their Bibles and talk about Jesus?". I told her "No, they don't get to do that at that school." You should have seen the look of disappointment on her face! She is always telling me how lucky she is to be in a school where she can talk about Jesus. (she doesn't quite understand the price tag that goes along with that yet.....) She is currently take a ballet class and piano lessons and just completed her 1st piano recital -- she was very nervous about playing in front of other people, but she did great and is excited to keep taking lessons! Her ballet recital is in the spring, so I'm sure we'll have to work through some jitters when that times comes. She loves all things art-related and drawing and writing stories.

LITTLE BROTHER: is into ALL things sports! We firmly believe that God has gifted him with some athletic ability. When he turned 2 years old, he picked up his sister's right-handed metal golf clubs and hit a golf ball off the tee with the golf club turned backwards -- he was hitting left-handed....AND he made contact with the ball and it went flying across the driveway! We looked at each other and our jaws dropped....it was a moment I will never forget. Through the year, he has picked up baseball (doesn't like using a tee -- you MUST pitch it to him....and he hits it about 80% of the time!), football (I have told Daddy Reilly that our son will not be playing football -- too much risk of head injuries, but he can play in the yard or the basement with daddy all he wants!), soccer, basketball and frisbee (since daddy plays frisbee too). He pretty much goes with the seasons and whatever sport is currently on TV is his sport of choice. It's interesting to watch him, yet I really believe that such interest and ability at this young age can only be a gift from God.

DADDY REILLY: still works downtown Chicago, so it's long days for him -- leaving around 5:30AM and not getting home until 7PM. Little Brother misses him a LOT -- he is heard saying, "I lost my daddy" quite a bit these days. When not working, Daddy Reilly enjoys playing bags with the neighbors once a week and playing ultimate frisbee on the weekends with a group from church. He's waiting for a local pond to freeze so he can play pond hockey with church -- not sure with the warm weather we are having if they're going to get many games in this year.

MOMMY REILLY: still works at the local hospital part-time as a Speech Therapist and picks up extra hours doing home health and helping out at some local nursing homes. Her work days go from 7AM until 6PM -- by the time you factor in dropping off kids at school/daycare and picking up after work -- so, it's long hours for her and the kids on those days. She has started up a little photography business with a friend from work, but the mantra is, "this is JUST a hobby", who has time for a 2nd job with 2 small children and a busy part-time job? She used to play ultimate frisbee with church too, until a knee injury held her back. She now has 2 tears in her meniscus and is meeting with an orthopedic surgeon at the end of the year. Not sure what will happen, but we'll know more after that appointment. It might be shaping up to be an interesting 2012.....


This Christmas, we are REALLY excited to be waking up in our own home on Christmas morning. I don't think that has happened since before we got married 10 years ago (by the way, it was our 10 year wedding anniversary this year!!!).

So, as we reflect on 2011 and prepare for 2012, we want to wish each and everyone of you a happy, healthy and peace-filled year ahead! To quote Big Sister's memory verse for December (and the Bible),

Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Little Boys...

What are little boys made of?

Pre-Holiday Photos

Each year, it's my goal to get a good family photo for our yearly Christmas card to family and friends....so, on a beautiful autumn afternoon, we headed to a local park....

...and got some GREAT shots! I'm so happy with how they turned out....I'll have to post some 'blooper' pictures too -- they are funny in themselves! Now, it's going to be hard to choose which ones to make into some sort of 'masterpiece'.....oh, and I now have to decide which one(s) to make into a holiday greeting card.

But, you all (those of you reading this...) get a sneak peak into what is coming in the mail soon...

Who are these cute kids????

Don't they look like they just LOVE each other? Well, you wouldn't know it each morning and each evening as we get ready for the day and wind down from the day....but, they sure put on their best faces for the camera...

A true sports FANatic!

Little Brother has been asking daddy for about a month now for a "tiny football helmet", he cried each night when daddy came home empty handed. He constantly asks, "why you not buy me tiny football helmet?" Today he even told the librarian when we were at the library, "my daddy gonna buy me tiny football helmet when I get 'this' big" (holds his hand above his head). So, imagine the surprise when daddy came home tonight.....

Look at that precious face....he's SO EXCITED!

Even Big Sister was excited to try it on!

Even talking to his Mae Mae on the phone, he has to have a hold on the "tiny football helmet"

....and reading books before bed, yes -- the football helmet is on! It's in bed with him right now....I'm thinking it will be attached to his head when he wakes up in the morning and I go get him out of bed! :)

CONSTANTLY playing football....