Papa's New Knee

A couple of weeks ago, my dad had his knee replaced.  After years of pain, it was time for that bad boy to come out and a brand spankin' new one to take it's place.  Lucky for us, his surgery took place at Central DuPage Hospital, only a few miles from our house.  To say that the kids were fascinated by "Papa's new knee" would be an understatement.  They couldn't wait to visit him in the hospital and see the knee in action.

 

Before we left, we had to make some pictures and a card. 

 

Since the hospital is so close and on the same train line as Glen Ellyn, we decided to ride the rails to visit.  The short, 11 minute, train ride was just long enough for us to make our way upstairs, sit down, and look out the window for about 2 minutes.  Giving us just enough time to get everyone back down the stairs.  I am sure we were a site to be seen. 

The Patagonia Brigade

Charlotte, along for the ride.

 



Ready to exit...

 



We have arrived!

 

When we walked into the hospital, Ethan, Ellie, and Henry were so confused as to why Papa was not in his bed, as he had been the night before when we visited.  They just kept staring at his bed until they realized he was hanging out in the chair, waiting to be released. 

"Papa, are you wearing a bracelet?"

 



My future's so bright!

The kids were enthralled with everything in the hospital room, especially the crutches.  And Papa's bandages.

A little too short still.

 



Trying out Auntie Kristi's rain boots.

 



Sandwich hug

(not sure where this came from, but they do it everytime they see each other)

 The 2 babies!

 

The kids had the best time visiting Papa in the hospital and the train ride made it all the more sweeter.  I hope we don't have to visit him in the hospital again for a very long time, but it was kind of fun.  My dad is doing great after his surgery and is hardly in pain.  He is walking around almost perfectly and feeling great.  Thanks Papa for letting us come visit you; we are so happy you are almost back to chasing us around the yard!

Morton Arboretum

Monday was absolutely a perfect fall day and what better place to spend the morning than at the Morton Arboretum.  I have only been a couple of times (once for a wedding and once for a race), but have always wanted to take the kids there.  Ben had the day off for Columbus Day so we packed up the kids, grabbed some Mickey D's, and headed to the Arboretum.  Well, everyone in the Western Suburbs had the same idea we did because the place was packed.  Probably not the best time to try and explore a new locale with 3 kids when masses of people are everywhere. 

We thought we would start with the children's garden and have some lunch.  We found our spot under a beautiful old tree and enjoyed a somewhat peaceful lunch!  The kids lasted long enough to fuel themselves, but then were ready to go, go, go!

After lunch, we tried out the playground, but it was a little too crowded and maybe a tad advanced for Ellie and Henry.  Ethan was having a ball, but I just kept imagining him getting lost among all the people and I started to freak a little bit.  So we moved onto the wading rock river.  All three kiddos were really enjoying themselves in the water and having a blast climbing on the rocks. 

After the wading, Ben and I needed a little break and some open space so we found a big grassy field and let the kids run free.  Ellie definitely didn't like the idea of staying on the grass; she was more interested in seeing the pond below! 

The boys were more interested in a snack!

We couldn't leave without checking out the "scarecrow" exhibit.  Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head were definitely our favorite!

Despite the crowds, the cousins had a great time and were definitely tired by the time we all got loaded back into the car.  I am hoping we can make it to the Arboretum one or two more times before the season is over.  Such a lovely place to spend the day...and oh so close to our house!

Swing Batta Batta Swing

The hiatus that Blog O' Hunt has taken the past couple of months is finally over.  The month of September and beginning of October flew by with lots of activity around our house.  We felt like we were on the move every weekend, which meant the weekdays were filled with errands, pre-made dinners, and late nights.  I am hoping we are starting to slow down at bit...the leaves are starting to change and fall is in the air.  Despite it being October, Mother Nature has blessed us with the most gorgeous and absolutely perfect weather.  We have taken advantage of the great weather, spending lots of time outside when we can.

On Monday night, after a busy day, Ethan, Henry and I headed over to Ackerman Park to catch Uncle Ben's final softball game of the season.  The parking lots butts up to a great playground so we spent most of the game there, but I did happen to get a few pictures of the kids watching the game.   They were enthralled with the "dads" playing and we had a hard time keeping them off the field!

Ethan was more than pleased when he found an extra softball laying around.  After a couple bad throws right into the ground, he finally got the hang of pitching.  He did pretty well, actually...check out that form.

Congrats to Uncle Ben and his teammates on a great season.  We are so glad we finally made it to a game and can't wait until next year's season; I have a feeling we will be attending many more games!

Carni's

A few weeks ago, Ben and Matt were out of town so my sister and I loaded the kids in the car and headed west to Kane County. It happened to be one of the hottest Fridays of the summer and what better way to spend a balmy summer evening than surrounded by carnis at the Kane County Fair. It took us a bit longer than expected to pack and load the 3 kiddos into the car, but soon enough we pulled into the gravel parking lot, not knowing what to expect.

We hit up the "stinky" rest rooms first and then made our way to some of the animals. First up...piggies! The visit to the pig pen only lasted about 5 minutes because Ethan was petrified of the noises and the up close and personal surrounds. The piggies were a little to close for comfort. We headed over to the cows, but decided it was best to view them from outside the barn only. Then we spotted the giant ice cream cone...a glimpse into our future...and a perfect photo op!

As we were walking toward the rides, we noticed a trailer with a small race course along the outside. Curiosity got the best of us so we moved closer to take a look. Low and behold we had showed up just in time for some piglet races. Yee haw! We hung around for a couple of races, which were quite amusing. Oh and the piglets were pretty cute, too!

Round the circle you must go!!

Then it was time for rides...the usual carnival rides that cost way too much money, but provide hours (if time and money allowed) of entertainment for a certain 3 year old.
Ellie and Henry had a good time watching Ethan, but quickly got bored and were ready to move on! Something to eat, perhaps!
Ahh, the best part of the night...ice cream! Even though it was getting late, we made one quick stop at the ice cream stand before we left. Thank goodness we did because the kids were in heaven...Kristi and I, too! All three were hot sticky messes by the time the ice cream was finished, but they thoroughly enjoyed every lick!

To me, this was the epitome of a summer night...hot humid air, fried food, loud music, sticky faces and late bedtimes! Is there anything better? Take a look at those faces...I think not!!!

Cousins

Since we haven't taken a cousins picture for a while we thought we would try and capture one after Ethan's birthday. Here are a couple outtakes...

Cheese!

"Baby Ellie, whatcha doin'?"

"Who ya gonna call?"

And probably the best one...

Honestly, could these 3 get any cuter? I don't think so!

Jenny

As many of you know, our beloved nanny, Jennifer, said good-bye to us 2 weeks ago. It was a sad day in the Hunt household, especially for Ethan. Jennifer has been with us since we moved to Glen Ellyn and has been beyond wonderful to all of us. She was a trooper, going through quite a few changes as our families grew...first adding Ellie to the mix and then Henry. I know her days were crazy, but fun filled.

Jennifer and her husband, Matt, moved to Arizona for bigger and better things. Matt got a job at a university there with some great opportunities and they decided what a better time than now to pack up and head southwest for a new adventure and better weather!!

Jennifer, Ethan, Ellie, and Henry had a blast on her last day with the Rice's nanny, Katelynn (who happens to be Jennifer's best friend), and the Rice boys, Jack and Brooks. The had lunch at 2Toots and headed to the park for a final hoorah...

Jennifer and all the kiddos

Best Buds!

Ellie Belle

Enjoying a cupcake after lunch...grilled cheese and french fries...always!

Henry and Brooks

ETHAN!

Here we go! Weeeeeeeee!

Swingin'

Rolly Slide

HENRY!

Cousins...having so much fun!

Jennifer and Henry

Jenny and Ethan

As you can see in the picture above, Ethan and Jennifer adore each other. We get a kick out of the fact that he calls her Jenny, a name she hates. I think Ethan and Katelynn might be the only people she will let call her Jenny. We have no idea where he picked Jenny up, but it is pretty cute and we get a kick out of it every time he says it. While I am pretty sure Ellie and Henry don't really have any idea that Jennifer is gone, I know that Ethan misses her a ton. He always says he is taking his airplane to visit Jenny, Matt, Mia and Lola! Awwww...someday!

Jennifer was absolutely one of the best things that happened to us when we moved. You see, she is amazing and someone that is irreplaceable. She has been a life saver in many instances and such a positive influence on the kids; she will surely be missed! We wish her and Matt (and Mia and Lola) the best of luck in their new endeavor, but we will welcome her back with open arms if she ever finds her way back to the Midwest.