September Birthdays!

Not only does Erik celebrate a birthday in September, but his mom and sister do as well! We had a fun month of birthday celebrations. Mel and Mary's come first, so we spent the day with them in Clarendon Hills. It was a Bear's game day, so the guys were all decked out in their jerseys! We went out for birthday brunch before the game. Then, we all played outside with Grammy's new giant bubble maker (SO fun) and enjoyed our playtime with Cooper, as always. We filled up on birthday cheesecake before our drive back home.
Next, Erik's birthday arrived on September 30. The kids helped me bake a cake, and we started the party as soon as Erik walked in from work. Cassidy had spent the entire afternoon decorating with balloons and streamers (she went through half a roll of tape, I'm pretty sure...) and she was so excited to surprise Daddy with her efforts. It was a fun evening!

The Reders Retire

This month, my parents have realized a dream that was many years in the making: they have both retired from their careers and made a permanent move down to sunny FL. We are so happy for them! But we also miss them, so we told them to expect visitors and to also come back and stay with us here in the midwest as often as they'd like. Before their moving vans arrived, we made one final trip to their home in Rockford to enjoy some fall activities. We went to Edward's Apple Orchard, where we had cider donuts, took a hay ride through the orchard and pumpkin patch, took the kids on pony rides, and strolled through the large orchard store. It was a great last visit to my hometown! Now Grandma and Grandpa Reder are settling into their new home in FL, and we can't wait to hear about all their fun adventures in retirement. And, our first visit is already booked - we're heading south in February!