The Spink Family

Rainy Labor Day

2011-10-23T21:43:00.000-05:00

Pretty in pink and ready to play in the rain (Don't worry, she received a pair of rain boots for her birthday. Next time we play in the rain, she'll be more properly dressed.)

Allie washed her hands before going to play in the rain...because she LOVES washing her hands

Sisters and rainy day playmates

Twirling with the umbrella...what a princess does in the rain, right?

Giggles...nothing is more fun than getting soaked!

Allie had a rough few days involving several falls and leaving her forehead with some lovely bruises.

Drenched!

Allie + Yogurt + Important Phone Call for Mommy =

2011-08-24T12:26:00.000-05:00

First Days of School

2011-08-20T14:00:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that August is here and school has started. Caitlyn is in the 3's Class at her preschool now, and she is loving her new teacher, Ms. Denise. She is becoming so much more independent as she now gets out of the car with excitement and walks down the sidewalk with confidence. It's really hard to believe she will be four years old next month!

Ready for Preschool Orientation

Allie is 19 months old now and learning new things every day. This is such a fun age and stage (my personal favorite), and I love to watch her vocabulary and skills grow. She is just as verbal as Caitlyn was at this age, and she will do anything to get a laugh. She loves to swing, play hide and seek, swim, and watch movies (well, the first five minutes, anyway). While Caitlyn is in preschool, Allie gets to stay home with me - lucky her! I'm enjoying having some one-on-one time with her and getting to know her without anyone else vying for my attention.

Such a ham!

Sweet Sisters

First Day of School

Caitlyn has been asking for a while now to take ballet classes, and we have found a class that is just right for her. She is beyond excited...the class doesn't start until the end of August, and she asks me every day how many more weeks until it starts. We bought her required outfit, and she wants to wear it every day. I'll be sure to post more pictures once she gets started.

Excited ballerina

I noticed that Allie is not wearing shoes in any of the pictures above. That seems about right.

Summer Highlights

2011-08-15T22:40:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick view of our summer in pictures:

My wonderful grandparents came to visit in May. They helped us replace all the interior doors in our house! (And when I say "helped us," I mean that they did most of the work while we learned a lot.)

I got to help out with Southwood's VBS again this year...Pandamania!

We did lots of swimming, in our kiddie pool in the backyard and at community pools that our friends graciously invited us to. This picture just cracks me up.

The girls played "Princesses" a lot, too. Allie is learning to tolerate Caitlyn dressing her up.

We read lots of books and laughed a lot, too. These two sisters really love each other!

Allie's hair is long enough to put up in pigtails now. Pretty cute, right?

Will and I celebrated our 7th anniversary this year. We are so thankful for all the ways God has blessed us and our family.

We got to take a much-needed vacation to NYC while the girls stayed with my parents. We had a wonderful time - the highlights were seeing Wicked on Broadway and biking through Central Park.

We got to spend some time with the Creedle family to celebrate Great-Granddad's 90th birthday and Great Grandmom and Granddad's 60th wedding anniversary. Pretty special!

We also went to Lake Martin with the entire Spink family, but somehow I managed not to get any good pictures...

Summer 2011 was wonderful! The Lord has blessed us with wonderful friends and families, and we are thankful to have spent time with many of them in the last few months. We look forward to what the next year holds!

The Story of the Little Pink Cast

2011-03-09T11:42:00.000-06:00

It was Presidents' Day. Caitlyn had the day off from preschool, and the weather was unseasonably warm. I thought perhaps we would call some friends and go to the park to play late morning. After cleaning up the kitchen and picking up the toys downstairs, I headed up the stairs with Allie to get her dressed for the day.

And that's when it happened. I tripped on the next to last step and flung myself and Allie down. My first thought was a relieved, "Thank goodness she didn't hit her head!" She had a scratch on her face - I think it was from my own hand grazing her cheek as I tried to break our fall. She was crying pretty hard and seemed to be in pain. I put ice on her cheek, gave her some ibuprofen, and tried to calm her down, but she was inconsolable (and I was pretty torn up myself).

That's when I stripped off her pajamas to check for any signs of bruising or bleeding. Everything looked fine except her right foot. It was red and quite warm, but not swollen. She wouldn't let me touch it, even to put ice on it. As she began to calm down I noticed she wouldn't put weight on that foot or even crawl on that leg. And I knew something must have been broken (cue second round of tears for mom).


Shortly after it happened Allie fell asleep in my arms. She hasn't done that since she was tiny.

Fast forward several hours and doctor's appointments (and tears) later, and it was confirmed. She had two small fractures in her ankle and a bright pink cast from her toes up to her mid-thigh. She was surprisingly brave through most of the day, but she stayed snuggled close as we went to each appointment (which is unlike her). We had a follow-up appointment after a week, and the x-rays showed another crack in her tibia closer to her knee (just when I thought the tears were behind us). Thankfully, her original cast was protecting it just fine and it was aligned correctly and healing appropriately.

An exhausted Allie is sporting her newest pink accessory.

She is handling life with a cast really well. The first few days were hard. She had trouble sleeping and didn't use the leg much. But over time, she adjusted to the extra weight and is now crawling with ease and even pulling up and "cruising" around the furniture. We have been so blessed by all the family and friends who have called, prayed, visited, brought us meals and flowers and balloons, and offered words of encouragement. We are doing so much better and hope that the cast will come off in just a couple of weeks.


One of Daddy's socks keeps her toes warm (and protects the floors).


After a few days she was already able to pull up and put weight on the cast. She'll do whatever it takes to "share" some goldfish with her big sister.

Stirring things up: Double Chocolate Brownies with Caramel Frosting

2010-12-15T11:38:00.000-06:00

I've also found more time lately for cooking and baking, just in time for the holidays. I love trying new recipes, and when I discover a good one, I always want to share.

Below is a recipe I made recently to share with some friends. They were some of the best brownies I've ever eaten. The recipe came from The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook (you can almost never go wrong with Southern Living, right?). It's one of my favorite cookbooks...it has great pictures and helpful tips for people like me who need lots of help.

Double Chocolate Brownies with Caramel Frosting

2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate
2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet baking chocolate
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans, divided
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Caramel Frosting

Melt chocolate squares in microwave or double boiler, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

Add flour and salt, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla, 1/2 cup pecans, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spread batter into a greased and floured 13x9-inch pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans and 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Spread evenly with Caramel Frosting.

Caramel Frosting

3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
12 large marshmallows
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar and remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 234 degrees (soft ball stage).

Remove from heat. Beat at high speed 5 to 7 minutes or until frosting thickens and begins to lose its gloss. Frost brownies immediately.

Getting back on track (I hope)

2010-12-09T15:35:00.002-06:00

Here we go again...

I am finding that life is getting a little easier these days now that Allie is almost a year old, and I occasionally have some free time. I'm hoping to catch back up with blogging again, if for no other reason that to update our families and share pictures.

Since I'm not good at keeping a scrapbook or even photo albums for my children to look back on, this is somehow my record of their early years. Therefore, I need to catch up from the last year or so. (I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I can't leave huge gaps in the record...it would drive me crazy).

So, over the next few weeks, I hope to catch up on pictures and happenings from 2010 in hopes that I can start fresh in 2011 and stay current. That is, until life gets busy enough that this gets pushed to the back burner once again. (I'm not an optimist...)

So, here goes...

Catching Up: February 2010

2010-12-04T21:23:00.005-06:00

Allie's first couple of months were cold ones. It was a good time of year to be "stuck" at home with a newborn, although I was ready to get out of the house and get back to life as I once knew it.

We did take advantage of being stuck inside and used the time to potty train Caitlyn. We had tried once before Allie was born, and didn't succeed. This time Caitlyn was ready, and it only took her a few days to get the hang of it. She still wore pull-ups at bedtime and naptime, but did great during the day. I read the book Toilet Training in Less than a Day, and although I didn't follow it to the letter, I found it really helpful.

Caitlyn loved to watch the snowflakes fall, but never lasted long if we took her out to play in the snow. For the most part we stayed bundled up inside.

I love the tiny infant stage where they fall asleep in your arms. I miss it now that she's older.

Tiny one-month old Allie is swaddled up like a baby burrito. I wish I could sleep like that.

Uncle Peter came to visit and meet Allie. He's a natural with his nieces.

Caitlyn got to celebrate Valentine's Day at school and made her first shoe box for keeping her valentines. She was so proud of it and spent lots of time taking out all the cards and looking at them and then returning them to the box.

Allie was super-cute in her Valentine's pajamas.

I tried to take some pictures to use as a birth announcement, and I loved this picture. We never sent an announcement, though. I just didn't get to it...sorry, Allie. We still love you.

A lot can happen in a year.

2010-08-30T15:27:00.006-05:00

It's been a while...

We had a baby (in January). She's amazing and perfect (we still think so, almost eight months later). Her name is Allison Jane, and she was a tiny little thing, weighing in at 6 lb. 5 oz.

She is now almost eight months old and continues to be a delight and a blessing to our family. She is sitting up on her own and threatening to crawl any day now.

Caitlyn has been a wonderful big sister and tremendous helper. Allie lights up when Caitlyn enters the room, and she watches and mimics so many things Caitlyn does, especially her laughter.

Caitlyn has been going to preschool since last December, and for the most part, she loves it. She proudly carries her (Clemson) tiger lunch bag to school. I cannot believe she is almost three years old.

She loves to "read" anything she can get her hands on, and she looks forward each week to going to the library. She is also quite a little fish in the water and had a blast swimming this summer.

That was a very brief update on our lives in the last year. I hope it won't be quite such a long time before I post again (sorry, Mimi, et al).

2009-08-25T15:16:00.004-05:00

One of Caitlyn's new favorite things to do is to put on my clothes and shoes. Whenever I fold laundry, she finds my shirts and puts them on like dresses. She also really likes these pink striped slipper-socks (more like leg warmers on her).

She enjoys going through my closet and trying on my shoes.
Here's a short clip of her walking in a pair of heels:

2009-08-03T22:00:00.002-05:00

Backwards, like Ella

2009-04-06T15:17:00.002-05:00

Back in February, our friends Ben and Anna came to Huntsville for a visit. Ben was speaking at Southwood's High Life Winter Retreat, so we got to spend some time with Anna and Ella and Drew. Ella is about 7 months older than Caitlyn is, and when they play together I can already tell that Caitlyn "looks up to" Ella...if that's possible at this age.

At the time we were trying to teach Caitlyn how to go down the steps safely. She was great at crawling up, but made us extremely nervous when attempting to come down. Ella, of course, had mastered stair-climbing, and she was a great example for Caitlyn. We encouraged Caitlyn to go down the steps backwards, like Ella, on her hands and knees. We began using that phrase every time Caitlyn approached the steps, "Go down backwards, like Ella." After a few days, Caitlyn finally got it and is now able to go up and down the stairs without giving Will a heart attack each time. The funny thing now is that every time she comes to the top of any steps, she says, "Ella," and then turns around and climbs down.

So, Ella, we thank you for teaching Caitlyn such a valuable lesson. And now we think of you and your family every time we are near a staircase.

Little Valentine

2009-03-21T19:46:00.005-05:00

I am admittedly not very good at celebrating special days. I am notorious for forgetting birthdates, and even when I remember, I usually fail to do anything more than say "happy birthday," or at best send a card.

Now that we have a child, I have a greater desire to make holidays and birthdays special for her, although I still don't do as well as I would like. So this year, sometime in January, I was at Publix and walked past the greeting card aisle which was putting off a rather pink glow. My first thought was, "Oh yeah, Valentine's Day is next month. I'll have to remember to get cards or something." As I kept walking, though, I realized that would never happen unless I stopped right then and there and bought cards. This, of course, was a big gamble with a toddler in the cart...I take a long time to pick out cards. Fortunately, Hallmark makes multi-packs of holiday cards, and this time that was good enough for me. Cards, check. Now on to the goldfish aisle.

Of course, we bought the cards and took them home, but it was still only halfway through January: too early to send them. I wrote a note on my calendar to send the cards a week before Valentines Day. Fast forward....

Two days before Valentine's Day, I realized the cards are still in the package buried in a stack of stuff on the kitchen counter. I wondered if it was too late to mail them. I hoped not, because then all of my good intentions would be down the drain. I also realized at that point that I had no crayons or markers for Caitlyn to "sign" the cards. I dug through the drawer in the kitchen and came up with a red Sharpie marker. It would have to do...yet another risky move with a toddler.

I stripped Caitlyn down to her diaper and put her in her high chair, thinking that was probably the best way to restrain her while she held a permanent marker. Unfortunately, as I said earlier, we had no crayons, so Caitlyn had never really drawn before. (This is probably sad to some of you...don't worry, we now own crayons and Caitlyn has colored on numerous things in our house.) I put the cards in front of her, and showed her how to use the marker. She didn't do a great job of staying on the paper, so I added plastic wrap to the high chair tray to keep it from becoming permanently streaked with red. She signed the cards, and we rushed off to the post office with high hopes. We were thrilled to hear from family members on Valentine's Day that they did actually receive special cards in the mail from Caitlyn. Success!

Look at how hard she was concentrating on scribbling her messages:

My sweet friends Missy and Anna gave Caitlyn this outfit when she was born. It was very appropriate for Valentine's Day, although maybe getting a little bit snug. Doesn't Caitlyn look thrilled to have her picture made?

The meltdown worsens. This picture is for those of you who think Caitlyn never throws fits.

Caitlyn also received lots of special cards and gifts for Valentine's Day. Thank you! She enjoyed playing with them and still keeps them all together in a little red bag. She loves to spread them out on the kitchen floor and point to the animals on the different cards.

And finally, she received a lollipop in one of her packages. We love to hear her say "lolly," and this was the first time she had ever tasted a lollipop. My camera battery died before we could get much video, but we were able to capture the moment.

A place for everything and everything in its place...

2009-03-17T14:50:00.002-05:00

Caitlyn has a new fascination with cabinets, particularly with sitting in them. We have child safety latches on most of our cabinets, but she knows the ones that don't have them. This is "her cabinet" where she often sits while I cook dinner.

She sometimes gets frustrated that she can't get all the way in and close the door on her own.

Fortunately the bottom of the china cabinet is currently empty.

It's not quite big enough to seat Caitlyn comfortably.

Go Tigers!

2009-03-04T09:56:00.002-06:00

Although it didn't help us win the bowl game, Caitlyn sure looked cute in her cheerleading outfit on New Year's Day. Maybe she'll have more to cheer about during March Madness.

Catching up: After Christmas with the Carrolls

2009-03-03T14:19:00.000-06:00

What a treat for us that my parents and brother traveled to Huntsville to see us after Christmas. We had a blast with them, and Caitlyn received another dosage of spoiling!

Finally Uncle Ryan came to visit so he could read the German books that he sent for her birthday. Caitlyn was probably somewhat confused because Will and I "read" them to her in English, so she didn't know what to think when Ryan read them in German.

Caitlyn and Mimi had fun playing with the doll in the new stroller from Great-Grandmom and Great-Granddad. That doll was mine when I was a little girl.

Caitlyn taught Uncle Ryan about the animals on Farmer Tad's fridge farm.

Caitlyn is all dressed up for church and playing with the cradle that Mimi and Pops brought. That cradle was mine when I was little, too.

One of Caitlyn's new favorite toys is the set of Little People blocks that Marmee and Granddad gave her for Christmas.

Grandma and Pop-pop gave Caitlyn this really fun baby for Christmas. She moves and babbles and says "Mama," which Caitlyn mimics every time she plays with it. The baby also has a pacifier and bottle, both of which Caitlyn tries to use for herself, or as pictured here, to poke the baby in the eyes.

Here's Caitlyn riding the rocking horse from the Spinks. She sings "rock, rock, rock" as she rides and has so much fun.

Another favorite gift of the season is the princess tent. Here is the princess herself in her new pink palace. (I think Mimi is hiding in there, too.)

Caitlyn is looking out the window of the tent. What a fun gift! Thanks, Pops!

Catching up: Christmas with the Spinks

2009-02-12T13:55:00.011-06:00

We got to spend a few quick but fun-filled days with the Spink family at Christmas this year. Will was able to help with the Christmas Eve service here at Southwood, and then we hit the road for Memphis. We were only able to stay a few days because Will needed to be back in Huntsville for Sunday morning worship. The Spinks came to Huntsville later in the week, though, so we got to spend some more time with them then. Below are a few pictures from Christmas morning in Memphis:

This is a Spink family tradition: sitting on the steps on Christmas morning, waiting to go into the living room to open presents. Caitlyn has no idea what everyone is so excited about...yet.

Caitlyn received a new car from GiGi and Great-Granddad!

"Rock, rock, rock," is what Caitlyn sings while she enjoys riding on the new rocking horse from Granddad and Marmee.

Great-Granddad gives the best stocking-stuffers.

Sharing toys with Aunt Mary Taylor was so much fun!

Marmee gave Caitlyn lots of special gifts this year. Some of Will's old toys were in this box.

Caitlyn loves to read, and Uncle Peter gave her some great new books for her growing library.

What a fun time we had during Christmas 2008. We are so thankful for our families and the time we were able to spend with them again this year. We are very blessed indeed!

I'm just not good at this blogging thing.

2009-02-04T22:01:00.003-06:00

I don't know how people do it all. I just can't find enough time in the day to sit down at my computer and upload pictures and think of cute captions. I thought the problem was lack of consistent internet access, but we now have internet service, and I still don't keep up with my blog. And my other problem is that I'm somewhat of a perfectionist. So, when I get this far behind, it really bothers me. I am not able to start over and just leave several months un-documented. I feel the need to go back and cover everything, so I get overwhelmed and procrastinate even more. Aaaagh!

I'm going to try to do better...thanks for continuing to check in and please don't give up on me!

In the meantime here are some of the shots from our attempts at a Christmas card picture:

Things didn't start off so well...this was one Sunday morning before church, I think. Will had already gone to church early, so I was here by myself trying to capture the perfect picture. Obviously, someone wasn't cooperating.

We tried again a couple nights later when Caitlyn was in a better mood and Daddy was around to help entertain. Much better.

This was just about the time she started walking, so we were thrilled to capture a wobbly step in front of the Christmas tree.

Look at those sweet curls. I hope she doesn't lose them!
And finally the winner...we just thought it was a great smile. Merry Christmas...in February.

Halloween Pics...a couple months too late...sorry Mimi

2008-12-17T19:45:00.004-06:00

Proud of her ladybug costume:

Pictures from the Harvest Hay Day at Southwood:
She loved the blow-up bouncing thing:

With her fellow bumble bee, Winnie!

Pictures from Trick-or-Treating in our new neighborhood:
In the wagon and ready to go:

Daddy was more excited about the candy than Caitlyn:

Here is part of the group we went around with. It's so great to be in a neighborhood with new friends!
Caitlyn and Daddy at a neighbor's door:
Up next: Pictures from the Pumpkin Patch

Baby Steps: Long, long, long overdue, I know

2008-12-13T16:55:00.005-06:00

Let me start by apologizing for not updating this thing in a long time. I'm so sorry. I am hoping that will change soon. They are coming to set up our internet connection on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and I promise to be more consistent after that. You have it in writing now.

Thank you to everyone who continues to check our blog in hopes of finding something other than the little red wagon. I hope you haven't all stopped checking since it's been so long! I owe you lots of pictures and videos, and they'll be up soon.

In the meantime, here is the video that everyone (well, at least the grandparents) is waiting for...Caitlyn is WALKING! Finally (as of Dec. 10)! This is in the "few steps at a time" stage. She is moving much more confidently now.

And here is the video of the beginnings of a fit she threw because she was tired of performing for Mama and the camera. Enjoy!

Little Red Wagon

2008-10-07T08:33:00.004-05:00

My parents gave Caitlyn a wagon for her birthday, and she is having a great time with it. We have been going for evening walks around our neighborhood with her several nights a week. She hangs on to the sides as we go over bumps and says, "Whoa!" when Will pulls her fast. Will likes the fact that people smile and wave and slow down as they drive by...apparently a toddler in a wagon is much cuter than one in a stroller.
Here she is trying it out (inside our home) for the first time after we put it together...

Daddy pulling the wagon in the backyard ...

Asking for "more" wagon rides ...
Thanks, Mimi and Pops, for this fun gift. We are all enjoying it and hope to do so for many years to come!

The people on the bus go up and down...

2008-10-03T19:53:00.003-05:00

We found the old alphabet bus in a box recently. Caitlyn hadn't seen it in a few months, so it was like getting a new toy. This video shows just how excited she was to have it back.

Happy First Birthday!

2008-09-22T21:20:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been a year already. What an amazing and incredible adventure it has been. God has been so good to us every step of the way. It has been such a joy to watch Caitlyn grow and develop and learn. It is such a daunting task and yet a great privilege to be responsible for loving, teaching, and raising her. She is a tremendous blessing to us!

My parents and grandparents made the trip to Huntsville from South Carolina for Caitlyn's birthday weekend. We had a small cookout in her honor on Saturday evening, the highlight of which was watching Caitlyn eat cake for the first time.

Just getting started ...

Going for fistfuls...
Really digging in ...

I think she liked it ...

The sugar is hitting ...

Quite pleased with herself ...

All done ...

Waiting for her guests to arrive ...

Playing with her new activity table ...

Enjoying special time with her great grandparents (and her new phone!)...

Opening presents at her party ...

Such a big girl, with a bow in her hair and drinking milk!

Happy birthday, Caitlyn! We love you!

So much has changed!

2008-08-29T16:01:00.000-05:00

Since the end of July, we've had lots of changes in our family. The first and most exciting to us is that we finally have a job!! Will is now the Director of Pastoral Care and Assimilation at Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, AL. Praise the Lord! When we first heard about this job, we both described it as our "dream job." The job description includes so many of the things Will has been gifted by God to do (and enjoys doing), and the church fits the needs of our family in so many ways. We never imagined that we would get this "dream job," but the Lord has once again blessed us beyond what we could ask or imagine. So...we now live in Huntsville and are currently renting a house while we look to buy a house of our own.

Some big changes for Caitlyn:

She is finally crawling!!! We were beginning to wonder if it would ever happen. She started off hesitantly at first, but now she has great confidence and is all over the place. We have finally had to "baby-proof" the house. Here is some footage from one of the first few attempts:

She also now has four teeth. She had no teeth until she was almost eleven months old, and then within a month she had four. She loves to smile and show them off! Here they are, two on the bottom and two on the top:
Her "vocabulary" is expanding and now includes "dada," "mama" (sort of...and only when she's fussing, of course), "doggie," "bye-bye," "no-no," "yum yum," "all done," and occasionally something resembling "thank you." I am really enjoying the stage she is in now. She is learning so many new things and I am constantly amazed at the things she understands and responds to even though we haven't intentionally taught them to her.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and encouragement as our family has gone through this job search process and transition to a new place. God has been so good to us and we are so excited to see what the future holds for us here in Huntsville.

Beach Baby

2008-08-20T15:19:00.000-05:00

Caitlyn's first trip to the beach

While in SC, we took a little family vacation to Charleston/Isle of Palms so Caitlyn could see the ocean for the first time. So far, she has really enjoyed water of all sorts, so we figured she would have a blast at the beach as well, and she did.

We stopped in Charleston on our way to Isle of Palms. Here we are at the pier at Waterfront Park (with the new bridge in the background):

I have always loved the swings on the pier. I could have stayed here all day.

Caitlyn at the market downtown:

The Beach!!!

Before heading down to the beach we attempted to have Caitlyn take a nap in her pack 'n' play (which she usually does quite well). However, this time, she finally discovered that she could sit up from lying down...a new trick she was quite proud of. I couldn't help but laugh when I came around the corner and saw her sitting up on her own, so of course, she thought her new ability was quite funny. After 30 minutes of trying to get her to lie down and take a nap, we gave up and headed down to the shore.

Caitlyn didn't quite know what to think of the sand. She tried to pick it up and then shake it off when it stuck to her fingers.

When she couldn't figure out how to get the sand off, she tried to hand it to me.

Will dug a hole for Caitlyn to sit in:
She enjoyed sitting in it for a few minutes before getting restless:
Movie star pose for Mimi:

Will thought it would be funny to "bury" Caitlyn in the sand:

We didn't take any pictures of Caitlyn in the water (oops), so I can only write about it. Will took her into the water at the very edge where it was only a few inches deep. She got excited every time the little "waves" would roll in and splash over her feet. She reached for the waves and clapped as they got nearer...it was so cute. She loved picking up the mud and putting it on my leg and then having me splash it off. Will took her out a little deeper and they jumped over the waves together. She had an absolute blast. Thanks, Marmee and Granddad, for enabling us to take this fun vacation!

In the meantime...

2008-08-18T14:40:00.001-05:00

After moving out of our apartment in St. Louis, we traveled to Lexington, SC, to visit my family. Below are some highlights:

Making grape jelly with my Grandma and Pop-pop:

My grandmother has been making delicious grape jelly for years, and I really wanted to learn how to make it. They have grapevines in their backyard, so we picked the grapes and turned them into jelly within a matter of hours. Here we are picking the grapes off of the bunches:

Cooking the grape juice:

Pouring the completed jelly into jars...yummy:

Swinging in the new swing at Grandma and Pop-pop's house (Caitlyn's great-grandparents):
Four generations on one swing:

Playing at Mimi and Pops' house:

She is standing up and holding on to furniture more and more. We wonder how long it will be before she is walking. She is still pretty timid, so we're guessing it will be a while.
Laundry basket races down the hallway:
Caitlyn just loved it. She held on tight and laughed the entire time. I wish I had a video!

Trip to the Riverbanks Zoo with Mimi and Pops:

This was Caitlyn's second visit to Riverbanks Zoo. I think she enjoyed this visit more than the last one. She could actually see the animals and attempted to interact with some of them.

At the "farm," Caitlyn was delighted by the goats:

She also enjoyed standing by the glass in the penguin house.

She tried to touch them as they swam past her in the tank:

Another ride on the carousel (on the tiger, of course!):

Moving Day

2008-08-01T20:40:00.003-05:00

July 31 was a sad day for us. Our lease was up, and we said goodbye to 8445 2N. We have a lot of memories from our Atherton apartment. Will and I lived there for three of our four years of marriage, we began friendships that we hope will last a lifetime, we learned a lot about trusting the Lord and watched in amazement as he answered our prayers time after time in ways we couldn't have imagined possible. It is the place to which we brought Caitlyn home from the hospital, where we spent many sleep-deprived days and nights learning how to take care of her, and where we watched her grow and develop for the first 10 months of her life. Our Atherton apartment will always hold a special place in our hearts.

It is also the place we apparently managed to accumulate quite a large amount of stuff, so packing and moving was a lot of work. Thankfully we had some generous friends and family who gave up their time and energy to help with the entire process.

Packing...

Caitlyn was a big help. Well, mostly she just looked cute while Will and I packed.
She loved being in a box so that was a great distraction when she started to fuss.

Our neighbors and good friends, the Jensens, moved out a week before us while we were in Huntsville for an interview. When we returned, we found this incredibly creative note taped to the front of our refrigerator. As I have mentioned before, we will really miss them!

Loading the truck...

Here is the empty truck. Twenty-four feet long: there's no way we'll fill that thing up, right?
The boxes from the basement...only the beginning.

Our amazing helpers...

We owe a huge thank-you to Jim Conrady, Chad and Annaliese, David and BeCa, Ben and Anna (and Ella), and Billy and Marsha. You were all very gracious to give up your entire day to help us out. We can't thank you enough!

Billy and Marsha not only helped carry boxes and furniture, but they also provided an invaluable service to us by entertaining Caitlyn. AND...they provided lunch for everyone. AND...they drove our Civic all the way to Alabama for us. They are amazing!

Here are the guys at the end of a long day. Try not to be distracted by their bulging biceps and check out that truck...we used every inch of it. And it wouldn't have fit except for David's amazing "puzzle piece" abilities.

The ice cream truck...

No summer day in Atherton is complete without the sound of the ice cream truck. Unfortunately, I think the music of this one will be etched in my head forever ("Hellooo"). He came through right before we drove away for the last time, so I had to snap a picture.

Dinner at Wendy's...

We had one last dinner at Wendy's to say "goodbye for now" to the Halls and Fisks. McKenzie and Carter were both so sweet as they entertained Caitlyn.
We could have stood in the parking lot forever, putting off saying farewell. We will miss y'all so much, but we're looking forward to hanging out again in the future.

On the road...

We spent the night at the Porters' new house and were refreshed for the drive the next morning. We had a tearful goodbye with the Porters and Townsleys before taking off.
Will drove the truck all the way to Memphis and then to Alabama with no air conditioning, and then he worked very persistently with Budget to get a discount for that inconvenience...what a trooper.

More details to follow regarding the end of this story...Where do we end up and where is Will called to work?

Reflections

2008-07-30T22:10:00.000-05:00

Random Pictures from July

2008-07-28T15:14:00.005-05:00

Girls' Night Out

Thanks, Will, Ben, Philip, and Jason, for staying home with our children so we could have one last girls' night together!

Chocoholics' paradise...the Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square. (Photo courtesy of Anna.)

The fountain on the square.
Thanks for such a fun night, ladies! We miss each of you and your families!
__________________________________________________________________
Sleeping Beauty
Will and I absolutely love to peek in at Caitlyn before we go to bed at night. Occasionally we can't resist the urge to take a picture of how adorable she is. I know, we're ridiculous.

We love how she sleeps with her fingers intertwined in her special blanket (made by Marmee). She's been doing this since she was tiny.
Caitlyn at 10 months...
Caitlyn at 8 weeks...

One night we found her with her little feet through the bars. She turns herself around and around in the crib and ends up in the strangest positions.
___________________________________________________________________

Caitlyn and Ella

Caitlyn loves her friend Ella. We even think she sometimes says Ella's name when we talk about going to see her. We're probably just hearing what we want to, but isn't that what first-time parents are supposed to do?

Caitlyn and Ella playing together at Ella's new house!

Ella likes to show her affection for Caitlyn by sitting in her lap (which is hilarious).

We miss you, Ella, and we can't wait to meet your little brother!

Sweet Time with the Hall Family

2008-07-18T20:39:00.000-05:00

We recently had the privilege of spending an evening with the Hall family in their home. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by three excited little ones, ready to play with Caitlyn before it was time for bed. McKenzie is especially fond of Caitlyn. I can't wait to see how their friendship grows over the years.

Kirby read a goodnight story before the kids were off to bed. As you can see, we were all captivated by her storytelling ability.

After the kids were in bed, we enjoyed Dewey's pizza (for the last time in St. Louis - sad!). We really appreciated our conversation with Michael and Kirby over dinner. They were very encouraging to us as we were wrestling through the job search process. Their wisdom and advice were invaluable to us...Thanks, friends! We are thankful that the Lord brought us to St. Louis together, and we will miss you dearly as we move on from here. We look forward to the next time our families will hang out together.

Skonesies (pronounced "skwunzees")

2008-07-14T20:25:00.002-05:00

Ah, the skonesie - a classic (?) staple of the infant girl's wardrobe. Skirt in the front, onesie in the back...it's sort of like a mullet, only better, because with a skonesie, the party is in the front.

Caitlyn and our neighbor Anabel have matching skonesies and they even cooperated long enough for us to get a couple of pictures while they modeled them.

More fun pictures of Caitlyn and Anabel...one of the last times they "played" together in St. Louis.
Caitlyn is watching Anabel and thinking, "Hmm...she is five months younger than I am and she can do the same things as I can. I wonder if she can crawl yet. I wish I knew how!"

We miss you, Sweet Anabel. You are getting so big!

St. Louis 4th of July Parade!

2008-07-08T11:02:00.001-05:00

We celebrated the Fourth with our great friends the Schuberts, Jensens, and Porters by going downtown to the St. Louis 4th of July parade.

We took the Metro to avoid the traffic. It was Caitlyn's first Metro ride since her birth. She enjoyed riding in the baby carrier. She gets a kick out of seeing the world from that perspective, we think.

We got off the Metro at Union Station where the parade would end. We had time to look around before making our way out to the street. There is a great little "pond" with paddle boats and ducks under the old train station.

We found a great spot in the shade to watch the parade. The weather was perfect. It was in the low 80's with very little humidity. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. This is a shot of the old Union Station from where we stood.

We took turns putting Caitlyn on our shoulders so she could see over the crowd. I think she enjoyed being on our shoulders more than seeing the parade itself.

Several shots of our little patriotic baby:
She had a blast with the little American flags they handed out to the spectators.

Great friends: Anna Porter, Me, Lindsey Schubert, Missy Jensen (and Anabel)
I am going to miss these girls more than I can express when we move from St. Louis. Thank goodness for cell phones, facebook, and blogs, right?

The excitement was just too much for Caitlyn. Before the parade was over, she passed out in Will's arms. She had missed her morning nap, so we knew she would be tired, but we never expected this! She hasn't fallen asleep in our arms in a long time...it was such a treat.
So sweet, our precious little angel. Happy Fourth of July!

Go Cards!

2008-07-07T11:59:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday we cashed in some free tickets and took Caitlyn to her first Cardinals game (outside the womb). Here she's all strapped in for the hike from the parking lot - she's got her game face on - no messing around!

The Cards were playing the Mets, and this is a shot from our left-field seats in Big Mac Land of Pedro Martinez preparing to pitch to Albert Pujols (the only one of the first 5 Cardinals he faced not to score!). Troy Glaus hit a home run in the first inning, which was very exciting to Caitlyn until they set off fireworks. Then, she reached up and held Christy's hands over her ears ... so cute!

Here we are, and yes, you could see some of the players without binoculars!

There was a 45-minute rain delay in the third inning, which we took as an opportunity to get Caitlyn home and in bed since we were only going to stay a few more minutes anyway. Leaving early, however, meant we missed Glaus's walk-off home run in the ninth to win it for the Cards. They're undefeated with Caitlyn in the stands!

Lake Vacation with the Spinks!

2008-07-03T11:01:00.000-05:00

It was like a dream. Beautiful Lake Martin, Uncle Bruce and Aunt Laura's amazing lakehouse, the cool blue pool, a hammock in the shade, the boat and skis and tube and Sea-Doo, and relaxing and catching up with family. This is my idea of a perfect vacation, and we are so thankful that Bruce, Laura, Nana, Billy, Marsha, Kristen, and Mary Taylor let us join them for a few days at Lake Martin, AL. If only we could have stayed longer!

Caitlyn and Will enjoyed the pool on our first morning there. Where are Aunt Mary Taylor and Aunt Kristen? (I don't think their alarm clocks had gone off yet.)

Granddad was up in time to enjoy the pool with Caitlyn. He and Marmee brought her a fun mama turtle with babies to play with in the water. She is still enjoying them in the bathtub at home.

After her morning nap and some lunch, Caitlyn enjoyed the shade on the deck with Nana. The weather was absolutely perfect for the few days we were there. The breeze coming off the lake felt great on the back deck.

An afternoon swim with Marmee. Caitlyn surprised us by kicking her legs while Marmee "motor-boated" around the pool with her.

Caitlyn and I relaxed in the hammock after her swim. She didn't quite know what to think of the hammock.

The well-rested aunts and I enjoyed riding in the boat, tubing, and even some skiing in the afternoon.

We were watching Will attempt to ski. He didn't have much success, which surprised me since he is such a natural athlete. At least he tried...which is more than I can say for myself!

Mary Taylor, on the other hand, did quite well.

That night, the sunset was spectacular. We enjoyed a sunset cruise in the boat and got home in time to get Caitlyn in bed.

The next day Caitlyn had a great time with Aunt Kristen in the pool. One of them is wearing lots of sunscreen. The other was working on her tan before heading to Orlando for a basketball tournament.

Will and I got to take the Sea-Doo out while Caitlyn was down for a nap. I was quite the hesitant driver. I think I disappointed Will at first, but I got a little more confident after a while.

A drowsy Caitlyn hanging out with Mary Taylor and Nana. I was so thankful for all the extra help I had with Caitlyn. I was able to enjoy myself on the lake while everyone else entertained and cared for her. What a treat!

We had a great time at the lake and truly wished we could have stayed longer. Thanks again to the Spink family for a wonderful vacation!

Wade in the Water

2008-06-27T11:03:00.003-05:00

As the summer days pass and the job search continues to stretch on, we are trying to fill our days with as many activities as possible to keep our minds off the situation. Since Caitlyn loves water so much, we decided to check out the fountains and wading pools at Tower Grove Park.
Photo from the website:
Photo from the Spink camera (didn't do it justice):
It was another hot summer afternoon, so we lathered her up with sunscreen and attempted to get her to wear a hat (to no avail). We managed to get one picture before she removed the hat. She actually tolerates the sunglasses for about 5 seconds before taking them off and handing them back.
We started at the "pop jets," and the water was chilly. It didn't take Caitlyn long to get used to it, though. It's hilarious to watch her as the water sprays. She gets so excited and bounces up and down.
Next we tried the wading pools. Caitlyn loved to sit in the water and splash. There were lots of other families there and Caitlyn was mesmerized by the older kids running around and splashing nearby.
We thought this picture was hilarious...
After playing in the water, we headed over to the playgrounds where we caught some great giggles on video (our apologies for any motion sickness you may experience from watching!).

Saturday Morning at the Missouri Botanical Gardens

2008-06-26T21:18:00.000-05:00

One of the many great things to do in St. Louis is visit the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Admission is free on Wednesday and Saturday mornings for St. Louis County residents, and the gardens are beautiful this time of year, so we decided to go as a family one Saturday morning. The first thing we saw on our way to the Children's Garden was a fox! He ran right across the path in front of us. There were people all around, including children playing, so it was a little scary that there was a fox running around. Fortunately, he kept going and didn't bother anyone.
We headed for the Children's Garden first...it is spectacular. It has a giant treehouse/fort with slides and rope ladders and caves and streams all around. Caitlyn can't fully appreciate it yet, but Will and I had fun!
The part of the gardens that Caitlyn seemed to enjoy the most was the fountains. She loved sitting beside the spraying water and trying to touch it when it shot out.
Just as we were leaving the Children's Garden, we discovered a secret little garden in the back corner. It was closed, but we had to take a picture at the gate...Marmee's Garden.
My favorite part of the Botanical Gardens is the reflection pool with the Chihuly exhibit. Now that Caitlyn is sitting up we could take some pictures of her in front of the colorful glass sculptures.

Atherton courtyard...we're going to miss you

2008-06-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

Now that the weather is finally warm, we spend a lot of time outside in the courtyard. Sometimes we just sit on a blanket and play, sometimes I get a chance to read by myself, sometimes we pull out the grill (or grills for the wonderful Atherton cookouts!), and sometimes we play in the kiddie sprinklers. The Atherton courtyard holds many memories for us, and when we move out at the end of the summer, we will certainly miss it.

Caitlyn loves to be outside, so we often take a blanket out in the afternoon when she is cranky. It cheers her right up!

We recently pulled out the "sprinkler" on a hot afternoon. The water was really chilly, but the kids didn't seem to mind.
We put Caitlyn in a little plastic seat near the spray. We expected her to fuss because the water was so cold, but she just played in it. When the wind blew, the water splashed in her face, but she didn't even fuss about that. I was impressed with our little fish.
Here is Caitlyn with the "big kids" in the neighborhood, Evan and Ella. She just loves to watch them play.

Strawberry Picking!

2008-05-30T14:16:00.000-05:00

We have enjoyed lots of strawberries this season, but none were as good as the ones we picked at Eckert's Farm. Caitlyn and I went with some other families from the Kirk to pick strawberries before the season was over.The fields were full of ripe plump strawberries. It was hard to stop picking because they all looked so delicious. I put Caitlyn in the baby carrier, and I got quite a workout from squatting and standing over and over as we picked.
We got to take a "hayride" of sorts from the field back to the barn, and it was a challenge to load three stollers onto a tractor-pulled trailer bed. The other biggest challenge was to keep Caitlyn from eating the strawberries. By the end of the morning, she was melting down...most likely from the heat, her hungry tummy, and a missed morning nap.

Back at the barn, we paid for our strawberries (Caitlyn and I picked a little less than two pounds), and we ate lunch in the shade. Everyone (except Caitlyn) enjoyed an ice cream cone and we were able to get all the kids to sit together for a picture before we headed home. A little lunch helped them all feel better, I think.
Here is Caitlyn with our basket of berries...she couldn't keep her hands off!

Graduation, Graduation

2008-05-18T17:15:00.000-05:00

The weekend of May 16 was a busy one for the Spink family. Will graduated from Covenant Theological Seminary on Friday night, May 16, and Mary Taylor graduated from Evangelical Christian School Saturday morning, May 17! Congratulations, Will and Mary Taylor!

We were thrilled to have Billy and Marsha, "Granddad and Marme," in town to celebrate with us. We were able to do several special things with them before they turned around and headed back to Memphis for MT's graduation. Granddad certainly loves being with Caitlyn!

The rare kiss from Marme, caught on camera. (Okay, so maybe they're not so rare.)
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Le Bonne Bouchee before baccalaureate on Thursday evening. Marme stayed at our apartment with Cailtyn during the service because Caitlyn was getting over a virus and couldn't be in the nursery. I'm pretty sure they had a great time! Thanks again, Marme.

On Friday we went to Forest Park for a picnic and a visit to the Saint Louis Zoo. Fortunately it was a beautiful day, and lots of the animals were out. I think Caitlyn's favorite parts were watching the train go by and smiling at Marme and Granddad.

Marme took Caitlyn down Art Hill to see the fountains after our picnic lunch.

Later that night was Will's graduation from CTS, held at First Evangelical Free Church in St. Louis. It was exciting to have Will's parents in town for graduation, and especially to have Billy there as a representative of the board of trustees when the diplomas were awarded. Here is the proud family of the new graduate:

The robing ceremony:

After a few hours of sleep that night, Will, Caitlyn, and I hopped in the car and drove to Memphis to celebrate Mary Taylor's high school graduation. It was a busy day, filled with parties, of course. We were thankful to see Nana, Grandmom, Granddad, Alison, Bunyan, Carly, and Taylor, and we enjoyed an amazing drop-in at the Friedmans' home. Mary Taylor looked beautiful as a high school graduate!

Caitlyn enjoyed time with her aunt MT and Nana. (She enjoyed time with her Aunt Kristen and Uncle Peter as well, but somehow we didn't get any pictures!)

Here she is with Great-Grandmom and Great-Granddad at the drop-in.

We returned home to St. Louis that night. (Yes...that qualifies us as crazy). We were absolutely exhausted, but we were glad we made the trip to Memphis. Thankfully, Caitlyn was pleasant during the entire trip, even with little sleep, and she recovered quickly once we were home again. It was an exciting weekend. Congratulations, graduates!

A note to Daddy:

We love you, Will, and we are so proud of you! You have worked so hard over the past three years, not only studying, but also taking care of us. We cannot thank you enough for being such a wonderful husband, father and provider while also maintaining such a workload at school. We look forward to seeing where the Lord takes us from here! Love, Christy and Caitlyn

Tiptoe through the Tulips

2008-04-24T15:03:00.000-05:00

On one of the first sunny days this spring, Caitlyn and I went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens with Missy, Shannon, Kat, and all the kiddos. It was a beautiful morning, and the tulips were at their peak. The moms got some exercise, and then we took the kids to the children's gardens.
Here are a few shots from the morning. I didn't get any in the children's gardens, but we'll be sure to go back before the summer is over!

Caitlyn was intrigued by the grass. I think this was the first time she had felt it.

Swimming!

2008-04-13T15:12:00.000-05:00

April 12 was a chilly day in St. Louis, but that didn't stop us from going swimming! We are so thankful for the Powells's indoor heated pool. It was the perfect place for Caitlyn to go "swimming" for the first time. Here she is, bundled up for the ride over:

We put her in her bathing suit, and she got so excited. So cute!

Here is a glimpse of the amazing indoor pool. (This is only the shallow end!) Thanks to the Fisks, we were able to help house-sit for the Powells so that we could use the pool.

Caitlyn loved the water. She splashed with her hands and laughed hysterically when we did "motorboat" with her. She also loved being tossed through the air from me to Will and back. We had so much fun.

This video doesn't really do justice to how much she loved the pool, but hopefully it shows a glimpse of the fun afternoon.

Bundled up after the swim and ready for a good nap.

Feels like I'm all the way back where I come from...

2008-04-05T13:18:00.000-05:00

Caitlyn and I recently had our first airplane adventure: a flight to Columbia, SC, to see "Mimi" and "Pops" during their spring break. For the most part the flights went well, and I was quite impressed with Caitlyn.
We had a great week in Lexington with my parents and grandparents. Caitlyn was thrilled with all the attention she received and the fun things she experienced. She met the dogs, Lucy and Oscar, for the first time, and they all got along well. I wasn't sure what to expect from Oscar, but he was gentle with Caitlyn the entire time we were there.

Caitlyn's Great-Grandma and Pop-pop gave her an amazing Easter basket. The basket was so big, Caitlyn could fit in it.

She and Pop-pop had lots of fun playing with all the toys and eggs. (I enjoyed the chocolate bunnies and Reese's eggs!)

Caitlyn loves her Great-Grandma and Pop-pop, and they certainly love her as well. Hopefully we will have a chance to visit again this summer so she can go swimming with them in their pool!

We also went to Riverbanks' Zoo with Mimi and Pops. It was a beautiful day, and lots of the animals were out. Caitlyn was more interested in the other children than in the animals though. The most exciting part of the day was the Carousel ride. Caitlyn had a blast riding the (Clemson) tiger, while I tried to hold on to her without getting sick as we went around and around.

At the end of the week, we traveled to Gainesville, GA, for my Uncle Jim's memorial service. I am so thankful that we were able to be there and be together with the Carroll family as we mourned his passing. Jim was an amazing father, husband, brother, and uncle, and we will miss him dearly. Caitlyn was able to meet cousins Katie, Emily, and Will, Aunt Patti, Uncle John and Aunt Carla while we were in Gainesville.

The week was over before we knew it and we were on our way back to St. Louis (this time in the car with Daddy!). We stopped in Birmingham to spend the night with Uncle Bruce and Aunt Laura who are always very gracious to let us stay in their home. And we also stopped in Memphis to have lunch with Marmee and Granddad, Mary Taylor and Kristen, and Great-Grandmom and Great-Granddad. Caitlyn was especially enthralled by the Easter decorations at Marmee'e house.

It was a wonderful week, and we look forward to our next trip to South Carolina!

Caitlyn's first Easter

2008-03-25T14:31:00.000-05:00

We stayed in St. Louis for Caitlyn's first Easter this year. It was a particularly cold Easter, and we even had some snow, so it wasn't the warm Spring-like Easter we had hoped for, but it was still a wonderful day. After church we went to the Weirs' home where we had a wonderful meal and spent the afternoon with many of our friends. Caitlyn was beautiful in her Easter dress that was given to her by her Great-Grandma and Pop-pop.

Caitlyn in her Easter bunny coat...perfect for the cold snowy day.

Our first family Easter photo!

Chicago: a Spink family vacation

2008-03-20T14:26:00.000-05:00

The Will Spink family rarely takes a vacation. Perhaps I say this because of the discrepancies between our definitions of "vacation." Will's idea of the perfect vacation includes visiting lots of family and friends in various parts of the country, doing as many activities as possible and spending as little money as possible in the process. My ideal vacation would include getting away as a family, relaxing together in a fun new location, and splurging a little bit (you know, since we so rarely go on vacation.) Our vacations tend to represent a blending of these definitions, although considering our current financial situation, they often more closely resemble the Will version.

We recently had the privilege of taking just such a vacation during Will's spring break from Covenant. We traveled to Chicago, a first for all of us. We were blessed to stay with our dear friends Dane and Stacey in Wheaton, IL. We had a great time catching up with them, and they amazed us with their hospitality (much better than any hotel we could have stayed in). They introduced us to Giordano's pizza, helped us navigate around Chicago, and even kept Caitlyn one night so we could go on a date!

We were only there for a few days, so we had to cram as much as possible into that short time. We found this to be a particular challenge with a six-month old. We also had the misfortune of cold, rainy weather during our entire trip, so we weren't able to walk the city as much as we had hoped. We still had a great time, though.

During our two days, we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo (Will-style: free), viewed the outside of Wrigley field and Waveland Avenue (also free), drove down the Magnificent Mile and around the city to see some Chicago landmarks from the car (which just happens to be free!), and finally we met Caitlyn's Uncle Ryan, his friends from UW, and my cousin Andy at the Shedd Aquarium (at last - a splurge for Christy!). We loved the aquarium and spent most of the day there. Of course, everything is more exciting when Uncle Ryan is there.

We loved Chicago and said numerous times that we must go back again soon - hopefully during the summer so that we could enjoy walking around the city more. It was a great vacation. We got away as a family, went to a fun new location, we saw friends and family members, we crammed what we could into two days, we saved money, and we even splurged a couple of times.