As my many adoring fans have pointed out, it's been awhile since I last posted. (And by many, I mean one, Thanks Dad!) It's been a bit of a whirlwind 3 weeks really. So here is a post stuffed with pictures to tell the stories.

3 weeks ago, my brother, PJ, and his family, arrived in Evanston for a week long vacation. We were lucky enough to host them for a day in Wisconsin. The cousins enjoyed playing together for the first time in 2 years. The WI cousins idolized the AZ cousins, and the AZ cousins were impressed with the wildlife (frogs) and nature (trees) in our yard.

That weekend, the entire "Geraghty Gang" arrived at the Wyndham Hotel in Glenview for a marathon weekend gathering. It was a BLAST having everyone in the same place at the same time. My sister, Meg, does a great job describing the weekend in candid photos here. I'll give you the group shots. First, the Geraghty Kids - all grown up!

Here you have the whole gang. Well, John had a conference in Minneapolis, so he was there in spirit. But, props to him on the awards he received!

And here you have Gram and PopPop with their pride(s) and joy(s) - the Grandkids.

It was a wonderful weekend filled with memories for all, and stories that will only get crazier as time goes on.

After our busy weekend, we came home to accomplish Chris' next summer project - painting the Master Bedroom. It took most of that week, and led to some interesting moments. We've decided that there should be a new HGTV/Food Network competitive show tracking people as they try to accomplish a home improvement project while also entertaining 3 children and feeding the entire family. We all survived, and one more project was crossed off the list.

We finished just in time to enjoy the 4th of July weekend.

We thought we were being smart, going to the carnival DURING the parade - hoping that most people would be at the parade. Turns out, EVERYONE was at the parade, because the carnival rides didn't start until it was over. So, we found a spot to watch, and a very kind family invited us to share their blanket. I wasn't sure what the girls would think of their first parade. Abby slept through most of it, and the big girls were a little bored, but enjoyed all the candy that was thrown at them. Once the rides started we had a blast! I took Maggie and Katherine on my favorite - the Tilt-A-Whirl. We all screamed "I yuv it! I yuv it! I yuv it!" Just as I did all those years ago (when my speech was like Katherine's today.)

Chris was excited to take the girls on the bumper cars. He loved it, Maggie enjoyed it, and Katherine thought it was mean that he kept bumping into people. Maggie also got her first Ferris Wheel ride with Mommy. She's been waiting for a few years to be allowed (Chris was nervous) but finally, this year, Chris gave in.

Back at home, the girls wasted no time getting to work practicing for next year. They took the flags they were given at the parade, and practiced marching through the front yard. It was quite a show, especially when Katherine added music, singing "When the Saints go Marching In"

I didn't capture the video until the morning after, and for some reason, I can't get it to embed correctly, but you can see it here

The last stop for the night was fireworks. I took the girls over and we enjoyed quite and impressive show. Maggie thought they were too loud, and Katherine ended up in my lap. But both girls laughed and smiled and eagerly told Chris how much fun they had - so I think they enjoyed it! They had a cozy spot in their wagon and I brought cookies and drinks - so really, what could they complain about?

Monday morning, I took the big girls to storytime as usual, but came home to a surprise.

Chris and our neighbor George took down this tree between our houses. Actually, George took it down, and Chris helped clean it up. It was knocking into our house growing onto our roof, so it needed to come down. They had it done and gone almost before I could grab my camera; just chopped it down, cut it into firewood and dragged the branches to the woods behind George's house. Hooray for great neighbors!
Wednesday, Chris took the girls to Zoo School and I enjoyed a morning running errands with a sleeping infant. I had almost forgotten how easy that could be. I made it in and out of 5 stores without anyone whining or complaining! It was delightful!

Maggie and Katherine had fun at school. Katherine learned all about fish. Next time you see her, ask her about Sea Anemone! Maggie learned all about Tigers, who, unfortunately, eat fish! It made for some hilarity when they had their costumes on for show and tell when they arrived home!
Wednesday night, we went back to the zoo for their free concert series. We met my friend Amy and her family and grooved to the tunes. Amy and her husband Brian have 3 boys (7, 5, and 3 years old) and the girls loved dancing and playing with them. Here Maggie is leading the group in "Simon Says."
Friday brought even MORE excitement to our house. My brother-in-law Matt was in town for a job interview so we had ALL the Sepersky girls at our house for the day. (Zoe was born the day before Maggie, and the twins are 4 months older than Katherine) It was a thrilling day for sure! Later in the afternoon, "Boom Boom" (Grandma) joined us and we all enjoyed a picnic on the deck before going out for ice cream.
I often say "There's never a dull moment around here" and I think you can see why. It's been a crazy few weeks. But we can't complain- we love the summer months with Chris home and my job flexibility. Plenty of time for lots of fun activities. This week we're hoping to see the Milwaukee public Museum and have a playdate with one of Maggie's pre-school friends. I haven't even asked Chris what project is in store for this week, but I'm sure he's got something planned! I'll do my best to keep the blog up to date with our adventures!