I can’t believe the 4th of July came and went.  In my mind, this holiday marks the halfway point of summer, but Chicago weather has been quite temperamental the last couple months so it feels like summer just began.

Chris has been working a lot lately, and the kids and I were going a little stir crazy here in the hot city.  The four of us were in desperate need of quality family time, but we lack the necessary funds and required energy to take a big trip.  My parents were on vacation, so we headed out to their house in the country for a little staycation of our own.  We didn’t travel far, but the change of scenery made us feel like we were a million miles from home.

The kids were thrilled to try ice cream from a local shop on a sleepy Main Street…

And Evie felt like a big girl dining at the counter of a local breakfast place…

And even though the mosquitos took a liking to Mack, he loved exploring the woods with his Dad…

But I’m pretty sure the best part for the kids was the chance to run around without clothes – something they really can’t do in the city!!

Our staycation didn’t cost a lot of money, but we really connected as a family.  Just a few days in a different place made all the difference.  I feel so lucky and so blessed.