REALLY long time no blog!!!

I'm going to make an effort to use our blog again...after some persuasion from some avid bloggers (thanks Becca and Shannon!!) Here's a little of what has happened recently...

Joel graduated. *sloppy sobbing from a big sister* He's been through so much and we are so proud of him and what he's accomplished, and for being a Riley Champion. He's handled his illness, finished school despite numerous weeks in the hospital and three surgeries in a matter of 5 months last year. A year later, he graduated and has his sights set on psychology at IUSB. So proud!!
We went to Chicago on Memorial Day weekend, and took Mandy and Andy with us. We wanted them to experience how much fun we've always had when we go, and this is our hotel, the Palmer House Hilton, right off of the State Street shopping district.

This is at the Museum of Science and Industry. There is a display of unborn babies, ranging from 6 weeks gestation up until 40 weeks. All of the babies are real, donated fetuses due to spontaneous miscarriage :( and right here is the last two...a 26 weeker right next to a 40 week gestation baby. This is what Evan looked like, right next to how he should have been born.

Paul and Andy on the train. We stayed at my Aunt Brenda & Uncle Tim's place about an hour NW of the city, and rode the train in to stay in the hotel for Friday night. We took them to our favorite places in Chicago...the Chicago Pizza and Grinder Company, the Museum of Science and Industry, stayed in the Palmer House, heard some awesome Chicago blues music, did some State Street and Magnificent Mile Shopping, and two other restaurants that we go to when Paul and I go to Chicago. We had a blast.

Mandy and I on the train.