Giving Back to Decatur Organizations

With JC’s job as a television meteorologist he is asked to participate in many events for various organizations every year.  From classroom visits, to clubs and fundraising events – the amount of time he dedicates to volunteering for these activities is pretty high.

When Anderson arrived a couple years ago the amount of events JC participated in went down.  We aren’t able to spend much time together of an evening, and even on the weekends at times, so the time we are together is precious.  JC is always honored to be asked to take part in the local events, so it is hard for him to pick and choose what he can and can't do.

The events that JC participates in, that also welcome family, are, of course, our favorites.  During the Fall season there are a couple of those events that we are able to participate in together.

In the past, I’ve shared our experience at the "Whiskers and Tails" gala for the Macon County Animal Foundation.  This is a great organization that does many events throughout the year for the animals in Macon County.  JC serves on the board of the Macon County Animal Foundation, so he helps out with different events throughout the year.  This year, he served as the auctioneer for the "Whiskers and Tails" gala.  Even though he was actually pretty nervous about taking on this new role, he did a great job and had fun doing it as well.

"Whiskers and Tails" event for the Macon County Animal Foundation.

Another fun event that I am also able to take part in is the “He Said/She Said” fundraising event for the Governor Ogelsby Mansion in Decatur.  This event is so different than any other gala event I’ve been able to experience, which is what makes it so memorable.

"He Said/She Said" event for the Governor Ogelsby Mansion.

The “He Said/She Said” event allows people to try five different courses of food, prepared by the Decatur Club chefs.  With each different course there is an accompanying beer and wine.  Each person votes on which drink is their favorite for each different course.  At the end of the night, the votes determine if beer or wine was the favorite overall alcoholic beverage of the night. 

A beerologist and winologist pick the beverages that go along with each course.  JC serves as the host, and has lots of fun joking around with the two experts.

This event is a great event because the participants get to try so many different types of drinks, as well as many different types of food.  This year a sweet and sour beer was on the menu.  It was not a fan favorite, nor one of my favorites.  My favorite course for the night was the appetizers/hors devours.  A sweet onion bruschetta and raspberry cheesecake puff were the selections for that course.

Not only does the “He Said/She Said” event, and others, allow for a fun, working night out for JC and me.  It also allows us to support some great organizations in the Decatur area, and meet new people.

"Minnie" Moments of Halloween Fun

As the days and years go by it is sometimes hard to find the time to slow down and realize just how quickly life is passing by.  It seems like within the blink of an eye my little girl that has grown from a tiny seven pound baby, to now a healthy toddler with strong opinions and ideas of her own.

This was our third year dressing up for Halloween.  For our baby’s first Halloween she was dressed up as a sweet strawberry.  She was only a couple months old, so she had no idea what was going on; however she did decide that the puffy strawberry costume was not something she liked.  For Miss A’s second Halloween she dressed as a cute black cat.  It was a very simple, easy costume.  It was also the last costume that I had complete control over picking. 

This year, Anderson decided what she wanted to be.  It was no surprise for JC and me.  She chose Minnie Mouse as her costume.

 The Sunday before Halloween we headed out to our first Halloween event, “BOO at the Zoo.”  The annual event, held at Scovill Zoo in Decatur, is our favorite way to kick off the fun holiday.  We decided to go on a Sunday afternoon, rather than an evening, hoping that the crowd wouldn’t be too big yet.  Once we unloaded from the car, our very stubborn toddler decided she wasn’t in the mood to put on her costume; thus beginning the negotiations, and finally the threat of going home.  In a quick turn of events, she put on her costume and headed in to see all of her animal friends, and to ride the carousel and train (her favorite).  The past two summers we’ve purchased a zoo pass and visited the animals a couple times a month.  “BOO at the Zoo” is a fun way for all of us to bid farewell to a summer season.  Anderson’s favorite animal is the wolf, Tilly.  She made sure to blow kisses, and tell the wolf “love you,” before leaving.

Halloween night we got ready for our trick or treat fun with a Halloween themed meal of mummy fingers and brains (pigs in a blanket and macaroni and cheese).  Then our girl, who had grown very fond of wearing her costume, excitedly transformed into Minnie Mouse!  We headed out with her new personalized Halloween pumpkin treat bag to gather our tasty treats.

Anderson would knock on most of the doors we went to, and say “treat.”  Teaching manners is a big deal at our house, so we made sure Anderson told each person “thank you” before moving on to another house.  She really got into the whole process of the event by the end of the night and did not want to go home.

 

Once home we passed out some candy to other kids at our house, while Anderson snuck tootsie rolls (her favorite) out of our candy basket.  We enjoyed seeing some neighbors dressed up, and visiting others.

Passing out Halloween candy.

After turning our light off, all of us indulging in way to much candy, and stayed up way to late.  A happy little girl finally went to bed after reading a last Halloween book for the season, “Room on the Broom.”  

Looking back on past Halloween seasons it’s amazing to realize that we've now shared three Halloween holidays with our little girl.  Even though that makes me sad to watch her grow up so quickly, it is also so much fun to be able to share these new experiences with her and watch the excitement she has for each new event.

Falling Short with our Fall Bucket List

Where did Fall go?  It seems like yesterday I was mourning the closing of the pool and the end of Summer.  Now Halloween has passed us and with that, all of the fun Fall activities.

Fall is always a busy time for our family.  It is also one of my favorite seasons (a close second to summer).  In Central Illinois there are so many festivals, orchards and other activities to celebrate the leaves falling, temperatures dropping and all things pumpkin.

Every Fall season I have a mental list of all of the activities I want our family to do, and places I want to visit.  Usually we are able to make a decent dent in that list; however this year we fell far short of accomplishing even half of the bucket list items.

The few places that we were able to visit, Curtis Orchard in Champaign and the Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur, were great as always.  

This year was Anderson’s first visit to Curtis Orchard, but JC and I's second visit.  We visited Curtis Orchard a few years back.  You can read about our trip, as a couple, here.  She enjoyed playing on all of the playground equipment, and really enjoyed her first ride on a pony.  We also got to explore the pumpkin patch and pick out a few pumpkins to paint.  Since we were at an apple orchard, we had to take home some apple doughnuts.  Those were a big hit with our sweet little toddler, who also has a very sweet tooth.             

Before heading home we tried to take a picture in the oversized rocking chair.  Our very stubborn two-year-old is not a fan of having her picture taken, so this was the best we could get.

The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur is always a fun time.  JC and I have been visiting the patch every year for the past 10 years now.  We had our first date at the pumpkin patch, so it is an annual visit for us.  Over the past 10 years The Great Pumpkin Patch has gotten even more animals, attractions and people!  There was a huge crowd when we went searching for our pumpkins on Columbus Day weekend, but we were still able to explore the mazes, pumpkin patches and even check out the little old school house.  You can read about  pre-baby fun at The Great Pumpkin Patch here, a trip to the patch with our dog, Wrigley, here, and our first visit with Miss A.

Even though our Fall bucket list check list didn’t end up having many checks on it this year, we were lucky enough to get to spend time with family, celebrate friends on their wedding days, and celebrate a sixth wedding anniversary for JC and me, as well as experiencing some adult fun in Decatur through some work/fun events JC took part in.  I’ll share the rest of our Halloween fun, and the Fall adult fun events soon. 

What is your favorite Fall activity or event?  

Fall Traditions

HFall is one of my favorite times of the year.  Every time these months roll around we always have a few places that we try to visit to enjoy the season.  Due to a very busy Fall filled with lots of work obligations, wedding events and life, we had to pack pretty much all of our Fall activities into one weekend.

The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur is always on our Fall bucket list.  I've talked about it here and here.  This place has a special memory for JC and I.  It was the place of our first date 10 years ago now.  I had never been to the pumpkin patch before, so I thought it was a fun, unusual date.  We had been talking and hanging out for a couple months before our first date.  This location totally fit us.  We walked around the patch, ventured out into the fields to find a pumpkin, carved the pumpkin at home and had take-out pizza.  Pretty much sums up our relationship then and now.  Super romantic, right?!

This years’ experience at The Great Pumpkin Patch was probably my favorite because Anderson can really enjoy the sights, tastes and sounds.  She had just woken up from a nap before entering the patch.  Our groggy baby took in the patch from the comforts of her wagon for a little while.  Then she decided she wanted to get out and explore.  We walked through the corn maze, checked out all the animals, had some yummy corndogs and pumpkin ice cream and finally picked out four pumpkins; one for all of us to carve, and another for her to carry around.

 

 

After spending a few hours relaxing at home that day Anderson got dressed up in her Halloween costume, a black cat.  This is probably one of the last years I will be able to pick out a Halloween costume for Anderson, so I spent a lot of time thinking about what she should be.  I tried to pick something that represents her, and all the things she likes.  After debate, I decided on the black cat because it was easy, we can use parts of the outfit again, and she loves animals.  Since she’s not a fan of anything on her head, I opted for just a black headband we already had.  I assumed the cat ears would be a battle that wasn’t worth fighting.  Miss A surprised us all though.  When we went out for our annual Boo at the Zoo trip at Scovill Zoo that evening she kept the headband on her head the majority of the night.  I think she was too busy checking out the animals that she loves, the hundreds of people that were at the Zoo and dancing to the jams.

Also included in our Fall extravaganza weekend was pumpkin carving, which Anderson really liked.  We let her help take the “guts” out of the pumpkin out.  Instead of being grossed out by the squishy, smelly stuff she decided to taste it and find pumpkin seeds to put in her mouth (which were quickly taken out by Mom and Dad).  We gave her a spoon and she went to town scooping out the insides, and occasionally tasting what was on her spoon.  The pumpkin insides had already been scooped out, and this job kept her occupied for at least 10 minutes (which is like a lifetime in toddler time).

Our pumpkins didn’t turn out as great as we’d hoped, but we had a wonderful weekend experiencing some of our favorite Fall activities with our favorite little girl.

EIU Homecoming: Then & Now

While I was a student at Eastern Illinois University, and shortly after graduating, homecoming was always a very fun time to celebrate with friends.  It normally included an early morning college-typical breakfast of sorts, parade watching, football tailgating and then a short glimpse of the game before heading home to take a nap.  Many fun memories were made during these homecoming celebrations.

This year’s trip to EIU for the homecoming celebration was very different. 

Instead of getting up early to partake in the homecoming breakfasts we got up early to give Anderson her breakfast bottle, while we shoved some sort of breakfast type food into our mouths as we ran out the door. 

Instead of watching the parade in a “happy” state of mood, we giggled at the college students following in our alumni footsteps acting silly as they dove for beads and shot glasses.

 

EIU Tradition: Riding the Panther at Marty's

 Instead of having no idea what types of floats and groups paraded through town, despite watching the entire thing, we were surprised to see that the Homecoming parade was actually really disappointing and had very little school-related floats.

Instead of celebrating with “spirits” and friends tailgating before the game, we used the back of our SUV as a diaper changing station, went shopping for EIU baby clothes and hats and hit up the quiet alumni tents for free food.

Chugging a bottle of milk!

Instead of watching the football game, I spent the day with my baby and Mom – while Dad and Grandpa watched the game.

Instead of getting an afternoon nap, I made sure someone else took a nap.

Instead of getting dressed up for a night out, we packed up our SUV after pizza at Jerry’s and headed home around 6 o’clock.

Even though we celebrated Homecoming in a completely different way than as EIU students, it was still a great, memorable experience.  It was probably the most exhausting Homecoming as well!  If we hadn’t already realized before now, life as a parent is completely different than life as a childless couple.

Baby's First: Halloween

After two months of being a new Mommy, I’ve learned that holiday’s aren’t for children the first year – but more for the parents.  A prime example of this is Halloween.  Anderson can’t eat candy or enjoy other prizes, nor can she pick out a cute costume to wear.  Her Dad and I get the fun of doing both of those activities this first year.

With the freedom of playing dress up with my cute baby girl for Halloween we chose a sweet strawberry costume.  She didn’t hate it, but she certainly didn’t love it.  Anderson played along with us as we dressed her up – even allowing us to put the silly stem hat on her to complete the outfit.  After about an hour of visiting a few houses and looking sweetly plump in her strawberry outfit she was over Halloween.  Cries and her signature stiff legged pose came out to show her displeasure over still being dressed up in her silly Halloween costume.

JC and I loved showing her off and really relished in our new Halloween fun as parents.  We even got a Halloween treat bag sent home with us from one house and a few other adult treats at the other two stops we made. 

Even though Miss A won’t remember this holiday, and will most likely think we are so lame because we dressed her up in this costume, this Halloween was one that JC and I will always remember.

Baby's First: Boo at the Zoo

Pumpkins, penguins and a pretty little strawberry!

Anderson's first Halloween.

To celebrate Halloween this year our newly expanded family dressed up Anderson as a sweet strawberry and headed to the Scovill Zoo in Decatur for "Boo at the Zoo and Penguins Too!" Despite the cold weather, the event had huge crowds of people travel in town to check out the Halloween fun and see the new penguin display.

Even though our little strawberry is too little to enjoy the sweet treats given out at the Zoo, JC and I couldn’t pass them up and collected candy, and some other items, at the various treat stops throughout the Zoo. Candy, Halloween stickers and tattoos, glow sticks and spider jewelry were some of the prizes that kids, and adults, filled up their Halloween treat bags with as they walked along the pumpkin-carved paths.

Family picture!

New penguins at Scovill Zoo

Being a new Mommy, I loved seeing all of the kids dressed up in a variety of outfits. There were also many little faces filled with fascination when walking upon the penguin exhibit. The new zoo animals were beautiful and completely mesmerizing to watch swim through the water and waddle around their new habitat.

This year’s visit to Boo at the Zoo won’t be one that Miss Anderson will remember, but it will most definitely be one that her Dad and I will. This event has now become a Fall tradition for our family – and an event that I look forward to each Fall.

Being cute is hard work!

A Fall Tradition with our New Addition

Eight years ago, JC and I began our journey together on our first date at the Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur, Illinois.  Since then we've experienced moves, job changes, the addition of a puppy and now a baby.  Even though we've experienced many changes, one thing we always make sure to experience every fall is the Great Pumpkin Patch.

Great Pumpkin Patch, 2011.

Each year the Great Pumpkin Patch creates interesting new fall decorations with pumpkins, gourdes, bales of hay and plants.  Animals scurry around pens dotted throughout the grounds, and, of course, orange pumpkins cover acres of land.  Thousands of people travel to Arthur to take part in the fall fun at the Great Pumpkin Patch.

This year, one new person took part in the fall fun -- our new little girl, Anderson.  Since the Great Pumpkin Patch is so special to JC and I we wanted to make sure to take Anderson this year to celebrate our new, expanded family. 

Our family's first trip to the Great Pumpkin Patch.

Even though she slept through the majority of our visit, we still enjoyed looking at all of the fall displays and picking out pumpkins for carving. 

Our new little person has completely changed every aspect of our lives.  Because of this, I have a new-found appreciation for "family friendly" things.  Here are a few of those things at the Great Pumpkin Patch:

-Animals!  Anderson will be a "city" girl, unlike her Mom and Dad.  She won't have horses, or other animals, living across the street from her house.  Pigs, llamas, and chickens are just some of the farm animals that children get to see.
-Children have their own designated play areas with mazes, small trails and other displays to stimulate their interests.
-Food and drink!  Once Anderson starts eating adult food, she will be able to taste some fall treats that are especially good at the Great Pumpkin Patch.  Pumpkin ice cream and apple cider slushies' are just a few that will fulfill the sweet tooth.
-Sitting areas to rest and visit with family.
-Already picked pumpkins.
-Plenty of cut-out displays and other great photo locations to capture family memories.  Below is some pictures from a new display, "How Tall this Fall."  Miss Anderson doesn't measure up to much this year -- but I know next year will be another story. 

Sleeping through her measurements for "How Tall this Fall."

Happy Fall!