our afternoon walk

it felt like spring this weekend. i know it's just mother nature teasing us a bit -- there always seems to be a week or two of incredibly enjoyable weather at the tail end of winter. where the sun comes out, the grass starts turning green again, and you don't have to don a jacket when you head outside. that was this weekend.

but, i also know winter isn't quite over yet. we'll have at least another month of colder weather before it really turns spring around here. so knowing that this was just a little taste of spring, mr. pike and i were determined to enjoy as much of it as we could. mr. pike took a bike ride through town. and then in the afternoon, we went to one of our favorite places on the lake -- ft. sheridan.

this lakefront community use to be an army base. about 10 years ago, developers bought the base from the army and refurbished all of the buildings into housing -- the old generals' houses are family homes, the old stables and carriage houses are townhomes, and the hospital is now condos. it's a beautiful community overlooking the lake on the east, and backing up against a forest preserve on the north. big oak trees line the streets. and a huge parade grounds -- where the soldiers use to have drills -- provides a large park in the center of it all.

mr. pike asked me yesterday if i could live anywhere in the area where would i choose. one of my top choices would definitely be ft. sheridan. i love the old architecture. and the idea of preserving part of the past. i love the beauty of the lake and being able to wander the trails through the forest perserve. it is one of my favorite places to visit.

here's a shot of baby girl and me at the lake. she likes ft. sheridan too.