Early days of summer

So in Chicago it always seems like things go from really cold to really warm with little build-up.

Noemi finished her first-year of preschool at the Academy of Movement and Music. She's come a long way from crying every time I dropped her off!

We checked out the Chicago Water Taxi with the soon-to-be family of five, the Lins:

Followed by a yummy dim sum lunch:

The girls and I checked out a local arts fair and did some sand art:

We went to a family play called The Elephant and The Whale. It was interesting to me that the kids liked it more than they did (I thought it was kind of slow) but they appreciated the story friendship.

Most of my Elmhurst Day Women's Class leadership team on our last fellowship day:

Waiting for our first River Forest Memorial Day parade to start and already enjoying the freebies (lots of candy given out, too):

We ran into our new friends who happen to live in the building next to us so it was nice to have company:

We hosted a second annual Memorial Day BBQ. Simone invited her friend Sophie and Sophie's mom.

The grill master with Christine, fellow former New Yorker:

We realized we were almost the only ones among the attendees to have a backyard so it was nice to be able to share that with others:

Simone finished school with Tribute Day, a class party, and an Olympics day. Noemi calls all of Simone's classmates her friends.

Signing names to beach balls as keepsakes for one another:

Simone's favorite people from her class, her friend Vivienne and teacher Ms Rigali:

A catch-up brunch with old small-group friends:

Noemi and Jarrett enjoying the fountain being turned on for the season:

We came in to be mystery readers for Simone's class and enjoyed the hallway artwork:

It's been a rainy late spring/early summer:

Fortunately the rain managed to hold off until we left on a recent zoo day:

Noemi's new friend, Natalie whose mom is my new friends - nice when it works like that!

Noemi with more new friends, Ava and Ariel whose mom is a friend from BSF.

Thankful for God bringing us through another school year, for new friends, what our summer adventures may bring.