Off to the Races...

This is our fourth year of celebrating (in "true Derby fashion) the Kentucky Derby at Arlington Heights Raceway in the Chicago suburbs.  Our good friends, The Peters, were nice enough to host us yet at their house again this year...

So we packed up the car (with plenty of movies, toys, blankets, binkis, drinks and snacks) and hoped for an uneventful 5 hour drive down Hwy. 55 North (one long and boring highway) from STL to Chicago...

We arrived in time to get to hang out and play before bedtime.   Kim and Steve's oldest son, Justin, had a baseball game, so we headed to the park next door and the boys got to climb and slide.  I dread the day one of them breaks something..but I know it's bound to happen as daring as they are...

I've also found kids can find the fun in the littlest things...like this fire hydrant...they probably jumped over it like a gazillion times...

And sure enough, while I was making sure Coleman didn't fall off onto his head...there goes Cooper, off and running...

This is their youngest, Jillian, but we all call her "Jillybean".  Coleman and her got along so well on this trip!

The sun was out and it was a beautiful afternoon...

Then we headed back for ice cream sundae's (with all the fixin's) before bed...

Although, Coleman had two bites and said he didn't like it.  What kid doesn't like ice cream??

But he managed to eat lots of the toppings...and after their sugar high of cherries, M&Ms, Brownies, Heath, and chocolate chips, wore off, they were very ready for bed.

The next morning, we made breakfast and then played for a while.  Kim has a very organized play room, but as usual, they discovered a way to destroy it...

Then the limo picked us up and we were off to the races! 

There were ten Arlington Raes and the actual Kentucky Derby started around 5 so...it was a long day, but we had a great time...

We were happy to have our friends from Dallas, Wendell and Eisha could join us this year!

The party went on long after we returned home...

Coleman stayed up way too late...

And the guys ended up heading the Casinos and stayed out way too late...but I was okay with it (because Jay won! And Wendell got rolled)

On Sunday we got home in time to enjoy the 90 degree weather and play some tee-ball.

Coleman was hitting some heaters!

 And teaching Cooper how to tee it up...

and then run and fetch his ball...

Again, as usual, someone is trying to sneak off...

This time it was Cal, headed up the stairs...but Momma caught him!

And we headed back inside to start our nightly routine of bath, reading and bedtime.   The weekends fly by and next thing you know, it's Monday...and we're off again to the races...