Nicholson Friday Family Fun

We are starting a new tradition at our house...Friday Family Fun Night. I was mentioning to my accountability partners that it seems like Greg has been so busy since school started and he's going to get even busier once coaching starts. One of them suggested that I get really intentional about family times as well as date nights for just Greg and I. I kept thinking about this idea and asked Greg is he was up for a weekly family night for just the three of us. He was game and we created a few rules...

1. The whole family has to agree on all of the rules.

2. No boxing, sparring, fighting, arguing, etc.

3. At least two Fridays a month must be dedicated to just the three of us hanging out.

Sub-rule: Pizza is encouraged, but not mandatory.

We ended up walking about a 1/2 mile to a little pizza joint by our house...the Pizza Shack by the Tracks. It is truly a shack and the service was about as hole in the wall as it comes, but the food was yummy and Elli was awesome on the walk there (on the way back Greg carried her most of the way...she must have been tired of her stroller by that point). Once we got home we put Elli to bed and Greg and I busted out the Monopoly game. We had so much fun...and I took Greg for all he was worth...literally! Having all four railroads was my key to success. :) We tried to take a silly picture to commemorate our first Family Fun night. Not sure if you can tell but Elli was not thrilled about this pose.

SUPER FUN ELLI NEWS: She rolled over yesterday! Elli seems to really enjoy laying down and being talked to (i.e. on her changing table) so I put her on a blanket in the middle of the floor yesterday morning and as we were playing she rolled over on her side a few times. I went over to my sister's to hang out with her, her kids and my mom yesterday afternoon and as Elli and Owen were laying on the floor together she rolled all the way over. I wasn't sure if it should officially count because her arm was stuck under her, but my sister said it did and my sister has been my baby coach for the last year so I take her word for gold. Elli showed Greg when he got home from school yesterday...although it wasn't as good as her roll at Ehrin's. She's getting so big, and of course she's a genius and way advanced physically and mentally for her age (written like a proud mama, huh?!).

We celebrated Greg's birthday with his family on Sunday afternoon (bummer about the Bears). The Nicholson's were very gracious about my futile attempt to cook a big meal (the meatloaf was overdone, the potatoes were underdone, but the deviled eggs were delicious - yea!!). Addie enjoyed our jumperoo...she was jumping like crazy and quite adorable. We were so glad to be able to spend some time with her. She just gets cuter and cuter.

As I was cooking dinner last night I glanced out the window to see what Greg and Elli were doing and saw them on the hammock. I think both of them were pretty near a nap. When I saw them together my heart gave me love pangs (an articulate way of saying that I got overwhelmed with love). I'm the luckiest girl in the world...being a mom is the most amazing thing and having Elli has made me love Greg even more, which I wasn't sure was possible.