- San Diego -

A little work...

...and then a lot of pleasure! 

Brian had a work conference "work conference" in San Diego Monday-Thursday. [And I'm talking like TOUGH work.] When his working days of blood, sweat, and tears finished up, I hopped a plane to Cali and we had a little post-conference mini-vaca of our own. 

So fun!

Can I move to Cali and live there forever? 

The first two days were overcast and a little too chilly for the beach, so we hoofed ourselves around the city and did some exploring.  We toured the U.S.S. Midway and stopped by the Kissing Statue. [Note blue shirt Asian dude looking up sailor's wife's skirt for photo op. ...You're cool.]

We spent Friday night at the Strip Club grilling our own food! [...Like New York strips, not naked women. ...Yet observe naked women paintings in background all over the restaurant. Gross.]

A fun day on Mission Beach! Still too cold for our bones to be in bikinis, but we had fun walking the shore line, watching a beach volleyball tournament, and touching our toes in the sand.  We had lunch at the Wave House next to this enormously ginormous man-made wave that amateur surfers were attempting to conquer. #bustin@$$allday #freeentertainment 

Our hotel was in the heart of the historic Gaslamp Quarter. We were immersed in some of the city's buzzing night life with shops and restaurants and bars [and we especially loved viewing a 5-cop, 5 cop car, 1 cop motorcycle, 1 ambulance, and 1 fire truck assisted arrest right before our eyes. City thug life much?].

My very favorite day was our last day: warm and sunny and PERFECT for the beach! [At least I thought it was perfect pre-4th degree sunburn...] We hopped a cab across the bridge to Coronado Beach and had the best.day.ever. Did I mention I want to move to Cali???

 

And a ferry boat ride back home! What an awesome view of the skyline...

Hasta luego, San Diego! We will miss you dearly. Until next time...

- Let's Go, Cards! -

Sum-It-Up Sunday

You know you're having [a little too much] fun when you don't get a chance to look up to the scoreboard until the bottom of the 8th. 

...But we were winning! And we won. Yeah! Go Cards! 

No big deal, it's just super duper easy to get carried away chatting and laughing with these ladies. We had a great night at the ballpark! 

Other week highlights: 

-- We're jumpin' a plane to San Diego! Stay tuned! 

- Pat's Birthday -

Sum-It-Up Sunday

Woke up one morning to this little event invite from Laura...

*****

Shhhh!!!!  My Mother is turning 60 on July 21st!!! She is always doing something kind for me and my family so wanted to help return the favor and help celebrate her 60th birthday uniquely!!!

Mom has prescription Reading glasses but seems like she sooo often uses the phrases.....
-Where are my Glasses?
-I Cant See, I need my Glasses
-I Can't tell what that is, I need my Glasses on
-I don't remember where I laid my glasses
-Laura, I left my glasses at your house (or at her own house)

Now she isn't forgetful all the time...but her glasses are usually a conversation piece at some point in a visit

When my nephew Kyle was about 2yrs old he pretended he was my mom and said "I can't see, I need my glasses!" So you know she says it often if a kiddo picks up on it!!!!

So Where is this all going.......

Let's SHOWER PAT WITH READING GLASSES!!!!

I've seen them before at the $1 bin at Target, I'm sure they're at the Dollar Tree, Deals....places for Cheap!

Let's see if we can get her a nice supply....and just a funny/fun way to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY (now put on your glasses!)

Pat turns 60 Sunday, July 21.....Let's Shower her with the Love of Vision!!!

*****

So what to do? Shower Pat with the love of vision, obvi. :) 

Happy happy birthday, Auntie Pat! Hope you had a wonderful day! We love you! :)

Other week highlights: 

-- Brian traveled to Green Bay for work...

-- ...and then came home and left the next day for Boston...

-- ...and came home to get clean laundry from his awesome wife and re-pack for San Diego! 

-- I was a single mouse just having the time of my life with the cat out of town! ;) Enjoyed an entire day with Alicia, had lunch with my Grandma and Grandpa, spent half of another day internet stalking and blogging at Starbucks, met up with Kevin, emceed the Miss Litchfield pageant, the list goes on and on. Ah! A day in the life...

- Alicia -

There are lots of kinds of friends.

Friends you grew up with, went to school with, worked with, share a zip code with, go to church with.

There are the kind of friends who share your same passions and interests and are the best.people.ever. to hang out with because they want to do all the same things you do.

Then the kind who is older and wiser; the one who teaches you good habits and self-discipline and the one your mom wants you to hang out with.

Sometimes there are the kinds that you laugh with and cry with and share all your life hopes and dreams and deepest darkest secrets with.

There are "friends" who you think are "friends" and then find out they were never even real "friends" in the first place.

And then, really really rarely, there are the friends who are truest true friends you've ever had, and you know no matter what they'll be one of your best friends for life.

^^That friend? 

That's this girl. :) 

Alicia. She's one of the most beautiful, genuine, and completely wonderful girls I've ever known. 

We met in July 2010 on the Christian County fair queen pageant stage. Holy moly, who knew what the next three years would bring?! A summer full of county fair lovin', a lot of slumber parties at U of I, and eventually her walking down the aisle and standing beside me as I said, "I do..."  And although we don't get to see each other nearly often enough, everything picks up right where it left off when we're together.

This weekend we were lucky enough to spend a WHOLE Friday together. Pizza, pedicures, and pageants... Seriously, who could ask for anything more?! We had an amazing time and I am so excited to see her again soon! :)

Love you, Lishy! Thanks for being that friend!

- Thirty-One [Delivered] -

Five days after clicking "submit" online, the Thirty-One shipment appeared on my doorstep!  [That HAS to be record timing for the FASTEST turn-around ever; we couldn't believe it!]  I was so excited to rip open the boxes and see my bags + look at everyone else's. Love them sooo much and can't wait to distribute them to all my friends! 

Two lucky winners are getting their bags delivered today! Woohoo! :) 

- Summer Salad -

Meet my very favorite summer salad: 

3 benefits: quick, healthy, and suuuper yummy!

[My mom actually introduced me to this recipe several years ago when she was trying to make me a skinny b*tch helping me lose my college weight, but we won't get into that...] 


All you need: 

• spinach leaves
• strawberries
• blueberries
• mandarin oranges -- [although not in the pictured salad]
• feta cheese
• pecans -- [or walnuts, or any kind of nuts, or no nuts if you don't like nuts]
• chicken -- [if desired?] 
• Girard's Raspberry dressing

Mmm! I could eat this for every single meal! 

Enjoy!! :) 

- Thirty-One -

What's better than hanging out with a great group of girls? 

...Hanging out with a great group of girls AND drinking wine AND buying purses!

My wonderful cousin is a brand new Thirty-One consultant, so I thought having a party for a bunch of my work girls would be a great way to 1) give her some business and 2) show off our new house!  Besides, what girl doesn't need a new lunch box or diaper bag or cute tote?!

Party prep included watching my crazy mother power wash the front of the house, throwing together some snacks, and helping Laura set up her bag display.  Before we knew it, the guests were arriving! 

She is such a superstar consultant! 

Lots of fun was had by all! And yes, we might all maaaaybe have a teeny tiny Thirty-One obsession!! ;) 

Thanks to all who attended and/or ordered and/or made my party a success! :)

- Cookies -

Our [across-the-street] neighbor brought over two plates of cookies tonight!  

Bring me chocolate and we're instant friends! 

Good move, lady... 

So excited to be a part of this sweet neighborhood! :) 

Mmmmmmmm yummy!

- Landscaping [Part I] -

...And the long-awaited landscaping project commences... 

Brian had hoped to start the project weeks and weeks ago, but our yard was a constant muddy marsh after days on end of thunderstorms.

Then one day...

...What is that noise? 

Oh, sh*t. 

We woke up last Saturday morning to a bulldozer digging in outside our bedroom window.  [We really aren't early risers at ALL if you haven't caught on by now.....]  Brian's dad sure knows how to keep us on our toes! 

Good morning, sunshines! ;) 

A WHOLE TREE cut down in the back yard?!? Whattttt? The hubby caught a little grief for this one. Goodbye privacy? There will [officially] be no more lying on the deck in my swimsuit... Cannot be scaring off the neighbors before we even meet them. Boo. :( 

The yard is a hot mess, but soon we will be planting some small bushes and landscaping trees and pretty flowers! Yay! :)

[Continue entertaining yourself with Part II here!]

- Goodbye, Nikki [Part II] -

The love of my life is leaving me for day shift...........

Wahhhhhhh! :( 

We lost her to the operating room fellowship last January. And then she came back to L&D nights. And now she's going to L&D days.  I'm totally crossing my fingers that it won't take her long to realize day shift is for the birds! 

What's that cake you see? Well, we're making her a "day shift problem." ;) 

Goodbye, Nurse Nikki! We'll welcome you back to the dark side anytime! 

- RCIA or NFP? -

I'm prettttty sure the two little visiting Mormon missionaries knocked on the wrong door last week...

But after a long, open-door chat letting at least 30 minutes of A/C out of my house, I'm also pretty sure they are Catholic wannabes. ;) 

By the end of our conversation, I had gained a Book of Mormon AND a DVD about "Finding Faith in Christ."  Hallelujah, amen! [Intrigued also by Catholicism,] they pulled out their planners and wanted to schedule a time to come back and chat more.  Of course there was only one appropriate response: "Absolutely! And what would you like to chat about next time??? NFP or RCIA?!"

Boom.

#AMDG

#catholicsforthewin

#happydoorknocking

#seeyoubabesintwoweeks

Now, for some popcorn and a movie night!!!

- Happy 4th! -

Sum-It-Up Sunday

My husband is an undiagnosed pyromaniac.

He loves to set things on fire and blow stuff up.

It's kind of crazy and highly unsafe.

But it does make for one hell of a July 4th.

Happy 4th of July!  Happy birthday, America!!!

If you didn't sit under any good firework displays this year, mark your calendars to come rock it with us in 2014! 

Other week highlights: 

-- Happy birthday, Nikki!

-- Happy birthday, Ellybean! 

- Miss Illinois 2013 -

Sum-It-Up Sunday

Turn up the diva dial.....

.....the 2010 county fair queens are in town!

With two of our other county fair queen BFFs in the heated competition for Miss Illinois 2013 PLUS another county fair queen's sister retiring the crown, there's no.way.in.the.world that we would miss the pageant this year. Anne Marie and Christina: we are so proud of you for your courage and motivation and persistence and poise and the list goes on and on and on!  You are beautiful! Watching you walk out on stage for the first time totally gave me that gut-punching little knot in my belly; I'm pretty sure we were more nervous than you guys were! ;) 

Our house found its first overnight guests this weekend!  Brittany, Katy, and Meg came over in plenty of time for a session of intense hair teasing and make-up applying + multiple wardrobe changing. Yeah, it's how we roll!  #divas  [I literally dirtied three washcloths the next day scrubbing a half-inch of hairspray scum off our new bedroom dresser and nightstand! ;)]

Unexpected traffic and uncooperative weather stomped on our dinner date plans... McDonald's drive thru to the rescue! 

We finally made it to Marion! ...And thank goodness for a surplus of C-section towels in the backseat of my car... [I save these from work when they are no longer sterile and can't be reused...genius idea for house cleaning but apparently also for rain caps!]  The parking lot was a far walk from the auditorium; our dresses were soaked, but at least our hair was dry! 

Here are the contestants in their opening dance!!! Yay Anne Marie and Christina! Yay Megan, Miss Illinois 2012! 

Pageant-fevered friends forever! Once a queen, always a queen! <3

Other week highlights: 

-- Our house is making even more progress!  Most exciting accomplishment: both bathroom vanity mirrors/medicine cabinets were shipped and Brian put them up! Yay!

- Happy Father's Day! -

They say the greatest thing a father can do for his children is love their mother.  

From kindergarten through high school, I didn't quite think so.  Nothing disgusted me more than my parents' daily 5pm ritual: Dad coming home from work, meeting Mom in the kitchen with a kiss and a big bear hug and a [unnecessarily prolonged] butt squeeze all while winking over the top of her head for my viewing pleasure.  Nasty.  I secretly wished they would "get a room," and I think I would've suggested it out loud if it didn't mean that I would have to take over the dinner-making... PDA from your parents was so not cool.

Moving away to college instantly showed me how perfect and privileged that love was. Over and over again, I listened to my new friends tell stories of divorce and lust and abandonment in their home lives. Of course their parents still loved them, but brokenness was engrained in their lives. 

For once, I missed monogamy and purity and fidelity.

I missed the kisses and bear hugs and butt squeezes.  

I missed genuine, affectionate love. 

...And I wished every single person on the campus had parents who showed them an example of what holy, true spousal love could be like.

...Maybe that PDA wasn't so repulsive after all...

In Theology of the Body, Pope John Paul II says we rediscover the meaning of life through the lens of marriage and the "one flesh" union of spouses.  "This is the body: a witness...to Love." 

As a 20-something year-old new wife, I have a continually deepening appreciation for my husband as the new "head" of our household.  And in turn, I am starting to uncover what my dad went through as a new husband and head of his household [and eventually a new father!].  I am forever grateful to him for being a faithful father and for loving our mother.  I'm grateful for him standing firm and bringing us up in the Church, even though I almost left when I was eighteen. ;) And most importantly, I'm grateful for his marriage showing me the meaning of life...even if if meant showing it through kisses and bear hugs and butt squeezes. 

They also say that girls will always grow up to marry a man like their father.  THAT, I am discovering, is incredibly true.  And if I do say so myself, we've done a great job of implementing the kisses and bear hugs and butt squeezes in our new family! [It's just a full-circle witness of love, wouldn't you say?!]

So naturally, I have convinced myself that being married doesn't mean I cant' still be a daddy's girl... :) So Happy [belated] Father's Day to the man who taught me how to love and how to be loved!  I love you today and always! 

- It's "Summer's-time" -

Sum-It-Up Sunday

Summertime = pageant time!  June is always an an exciting month for this ex-fair queen with the official start of summer AND the start of county fair season! High heels, hairspray, and great friends; who could ask for anything more? 

After giving up the crown in 2011, sweet Missy has let me "stay on the stage" as the pageant's emcee. I love hanging out and cracking jokes with the co-emcee George; we are pretty lucky to have the best front row seat in the house!  This year's pageant was wonderful. Perfect weather and gorgeous contestants and a tight competition!

Congratulations to Queen Sunny on an awesome year representing Montgomery County.  You were such a beautiful, poised, and genuine ambassador for our county. But now........welcome to the "has beens" club! ;)   

Congratulations also to the new Miss Montgomery County Fair Queen, Summer Robbins!!!  It's officially "Summer's-time!" We are so excited for you to join the Montgomery County sisterhood! :) 

[I borrowed the pictures above from The Journal News and Studio 131 Photography, two dedicated and beloved patrons of our fair!]

Other week highlights: 

-- My grandma broke her hip a few weeks ago, and this week I finally got a chance to visit her! She is out of the hospital, in a gorgeous rehab building, and doing well in great spirits! Yeah grandma! 

- The Decorating Begins... -

Brian has made our house functional and livable and practical...

...so now it's my time to take over make it beautiful! 

The decorating begins! YAY! 

The master bedroom and bathroom took the first hits; once they are completely finished I plan to move to the living room and kitchen! :)

Goodbye house, hello home! 

- Ready to Clean! -

After two months of store scouring, I finally found the #1 rated bagless vacuum listed in the Consumer Reports magazine.

And it was on SALE.

And I am SO EXCITED.

[Seriously, these are the things I get excited about these days.]

Bring it on, you dirty dirty rugs... I am the new mommy of your #1 worst enemy! ;) 

- Flood -

It has been raining...

...and raining...

...and raining...

...and raining...

...and raining some more.

We have gotten A LOT of rain this summer!

Today, it stormed so long and hard that the subdivision road flooded...

...and the backyard flooded...

...and the basement flooded! :(

I moved most of our boxes and junk out of the way while Brian was en route, and he pushed the water out [with a big smile on his face, obvi] when he got home.

We were planning to [eventually] finish this basement with carpet, but now.....................?! 

Yikes! 

- Briana and Dan -

Congratulations to the newest newlyweds, Briana and Dan!  They tied the knot last weekend at SLU's College Church, and I have to say it was a liiiiiitle more relaxing than the last wedding we attended there seven months ago! Wink wink... ;) ;) 

We loved spending tonight with great friends and celebrating the love of B and D! Wahoo for saying, "I DO!!!"