Construction 101

October has been the month of construction/renovation.  We gutted our basement on the weekend of September 22nd and have been working ever since.  Luckily.....I think we are in the home stretch.  I plan to post before, during and after photos when we are done.  Until then I thought I'd post a quick update on what Zach is learning and has found most fun through this renovation process.

#1.  Food is imperative!  If you have volunteer labor then you must be sure to feed them.  Donuts are a great way to start the day!

#2.  Boxes are not only incredibly useful for packaging but double nicely as a car and truck race ramp.

#3.  Shopping at Ikea to fill the new space isn't so bad when you have your own ride!

What Happened to September?

Ok....can anyone tell me where the month of September went?  The weeks have flown by and clearly I haven't posted any updates or photos.  I could go on a lengthy diatribe of what we've been up to but pictures are worth a thousand words, right?  I think the biggest events of the month are that Nana and Boppa came to visit and we decided to move forward in gutting and renovating our basement (I'll do a construction post soon with some before and in progress photos).

A few of the neighbors are trying to teach Zach the ropes or hockey.  He is usually more interested in watching or picking up the puck and throwing it.

This was my very handsome lunch date one afternoon.

Zach is teaching Grandpa/Boppa Jim how to spell.

This is how I found Zach one day after cleaning up our lunch.  He has Rich's iPad and is glued to it.  It took me another 20 min to convince him that we should go outside and play.

Good morning Sunshine!

Swimming pools around here close earlier than I thought so when we went to the pool and it was closed we ended up at the cool playground nearby.  Zach even managed to go down the big slides.  We were caught in a rain shower while there and those things get very fast and slippery when wet!

 This is what happens when a toddler sticks his hands in the wheels of your dirty car.

While Boppa and Nana were here we went to a really cool spot for lunch.  A train delivers the food to your table!

 Boppa and Zach are trying to figure out the heavy equipment at the children's museum.

Oh, and who knew a step ladder could be so exciting!  Zach is very proud that he can climb up and down the step ladder now.  And the Elmo helmet was his idea.  Safety first!

 

SHOES!!!  Zach loves shoes as much as his mom and funny enough he likes his mom's shoes.  He will regret this one day (like when he is a senior in high school)!

Last but not least here is the excitement of our street's block party.  The fire truck was a huge hit!

All the kids on our block....

And Zach is getting a ride from his buddy, Will.  

Now, wasn't it easier and quicker to just look at some photos rather than me blabbing on?

Olympic Dreams

Ok....we may have a future Olympian on our hands.  Question is will it be javelin or pole vaulting??

Back Family Vacation!!

So this post is a little delayed but I've just now found the time and motivation to get our vacation photos uploaded.  Most of you that read the blog were actually on vacation with us so I'll make this brief.  For the few of you that check in on Zach via the blog and aren't actually family, we spent 5 days on Douglas Lake in TN with my extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course Nana and Bopa).  This Chicago contingent had a lot of fun and hope that we do another family vacation in the not too distant future.

Here is a quick photo recap of the trip.

Zach and Rich check out the airplanes as we wait for our flight to Knoxville.

This is our view from the house we rented.

 

Nana made sure Zach and her had some quality pool time.  You know how much Nana likes the water!

  

Bopa brought his boat which was fun for everyone.  I wish I had shots of everyone tubing but these of us hanging out on the boat will have to do.

A highlight of the vacation was definitely the karaoke we stumbled upon at Perkins.  Yes...the same Perkins that many of you know as a family/breakfast restuarant.  Grant was an instant star and was even videoed by the DJ.

Kim knocked an item off her bucket list and belted out an old school country tune.  You rock Kim!  Andi, also showed us some great vocals and moves but Zach was on the run at that point so I missed out on getting a photo.

I couldn't resist heading back into the town of Dandridge on the last day for a fun photo opp.

On our last day of vacation we had some time to kill before our flight so we headed to a mall in Knoxville to get out of the heat.  Zach had a great time riding all the fun kids rides.  And we even got to ride a train around the mall!

On to the next adventure..........

New Set of Wheels

Zach got a new set of wheels this month.  Yep....another mode of transportation for the little guy.  We are hoping he stays happy with his new ride but he tends to like to get out and push them instead. 

 It is exhausting being towed around!

On another note Rich and I took a quick trip to Colorado to celebrate the marriage of our friends Henry and Sarah.  The best part is that they are moving here in just a few more days!

The ceremony was in a beautiful park in Breckenridge and Sarah had a beautiful dress but I didn't get a better shot than this. 

 Mark and Amy drove up from Denver.  Amy made us laugh all weekend long!

 Sarah and Frank were in from Seattle and it was so much fun to see them.  I think it had been over 4 years since we last got together.

 These were the handmade flowers that the bride's mom made for all the groomsmen.  The bride's bouquet and the centerpieces matched as well.

 A quick shot of us.  I think we are clearly having fun.

 Oh, and we made a quick stop in Boulder where I found humor in some of the CU gear.  I really wonder how I didn't end up bringing this home on the plane!

 In the meantime, Zach hung out with his grandparents and played in puddles and pushed around lawnmowers.  I think he had a fun weekend too.

Trot Little Horsey

This video wouldn't upload with the previous park video so sorry for the back to back posts.  No trip to the park is complete until you can get your horse up to a full gallop!

And don't be fooled.....this was not comfortable but is sure made Zach happy. Clearly he is very strong!

Saturdays Shenanigans

We were lucky enough to have our friends Henry and Sarah visit this weekend.  And in fact the best part is that they are moving here!  Yippee!  I finally get one of my CU boys in Chicago!  Anyway, Zach didn't see that having Henry and Sarah round should put a damper on any of his fun so we made a group trip the park where Zach thoroughly enjoyed himself.   We even managed to get a little footage. 

Zach finally likes the swings again!

Later in the evening Henry was kind enough to give a tutorial to Zach on the game "Bags".