Six Months!

June has hit the half-year mark, and she's more delightful than ever. When she's excited, her eyes light up and she crinkles her nose and shows off the biggest smile you've ever seen. She's in one of my favorite stages -- sitting up well, but not really mobile yet. She's still a chunk -- tipping the scales at 18 lb., 7 oz. at her most recent check-up, which is in the 90th percentile for weight. She's in the 75th percentile for height.

Chicago Scenes

There was so much we wanted to do on our trip, but it's hard to fit it all in a short weekend. We strolled Lincoln Square and Andersonville, had a sandwich at Costello's and enjoyed brunch at M Henry with our former neighbors and their gorgeous daughter, Naomi. (Their tomato plants were pretty gorgeous, too.) June was a good travel companion, but we left Max with Grandma and Grandpa for this trip.

Smoked

We visited some friends in Chicago last weekend, and our friend Andrew smoked a 13 lb. brisket to mark the occasion. He started it at midnight on Friday, and checked on it every 1 - 2 hours in the middle of the night. He had to rig a special cover during an unexpected downpour Saturday morning. And after 18 hours of tending and rigging and waiting, we feasted Saturday evening, and it was worth the wait. Delish! The accompanying BBQ sauce, jalapeño-cheddar grits, cole slaw and beer were pretty amazing, too. I wish I would have taken photos of Andrew and Meredith's house -- it's a row house built in 1898 in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. They have been fixing it up for several years, and it looks awesome.

Sittin' Pretty

Helping Hands

This could be a really long story, but we had to rebuild a retaining wall on the side of our house after a utility truck backed into it. The contractor we hired quit midway through the project, and Justin and his dad (and Max, of course) are in the process of finishing it. It is looking really good, and I can't wait to post the "after" photos once it is complete!

Family Time

Don hosted the Harrison Family Reunion last weekend, and we had such a great time visiting with all of Justin's family. Don had the perfect set-up for games, food and pool time.

Pool Time

One of the reasons I'm so behind on the blog is because we spend so much time in the pool at Don's house! We are there most weekends and sometimes through the week for a quick dip. The kids -- especially Max -- love being in the water. I highly recommend the Puddle Jumper floatation device for toddlers. Max can "swim" on his own with it, which gives me a little more peace of mind.