Dogs and Babies

Real quick, just wanted to pose this question...what is better than dogs and babies?

Is anything better than dogs and babies?

I really doubt it.

College Visits

This weekend the hubs and I are taking this little one on some college visits. We should have some great photos come next week.

I can't believe she is already a junior in high school! Time really flies.

PS I think the hubs is more excited about tailgating then the actual college visits. Although, he looks for any excuse to visit his Alma Mater - Purdue.  

Are you doing any thing fun this weekend?

South Bend, Boo Notre Dame

Last weekend the hubs and I made our way to the great city of South Bend to visit some friends and partake in the 1st weekend of college football. Tailgate Saturday started early. It was about 56 degrees with 35 mph winds but that wasn't stopping anyone from having a good time. The hubs started out with some early morning games of corn hole, beer in hand.

While tailgating, the hubs spotted his dream machine. Atually, it was an old ice cream truck converted into a Purdue Mobile. We took about a half hour and scoped it out.

It was nothing but awesome according to the hubs. Here he is inside the truck with one of the vehicle owners and his bud, Dan.

The tailgate festivities continued and we made our way over to the lots by the staidum to pick up our tickets. The lots were full of crazy fun super fans, Notre Dame or Purdue fans, every one was really nice and almost everyone was willing to share their food and beverages.

We met some college students who asked if I was a sophmore at Purdue. I was flattered and the hubs of course loved making new college friends. I guess it keeps us young.

Before walking into the game we ran into one of our cousins. It was a great treat. Ity would ahve been better if she was wearing the correct colors. Oh well, I think the hubs forgave her.

And then the game began. The day could  have gone alot better.

As I am sure you know, Notre Dame won.

Post game we were exhausted and we had caught wind burn to our faces. We headed home and spent the rest of the weekend recooperating, as we will be doing it all again next weekend. In fact, we will be bringing my baby sister on an Indiana & Purdue tour. I think the hubs is just excited to have one more reason to tailgate.

Boston Terriers (via the hubs)

Got an email from the hubs today with this link. Is your dog top dog?

Ours is!

A Day With Baby L

Last weekend we spent some time with Baby L. We took over 200 Photos, but here are some of my favorites of one of the cutest babies ever:

The hubs really enjoyed the day. Honestly he did. I think he may have thought he had the dad role. I'll let the photos speak for themselves:

PS someday my husband is going to make the worlds best dad list, I'm 100% sure of that.

Catalog living

I am pretty sure by this point most of you are already following Catalog Living and if you're not you really should be. The photos are pretty and the conversation between the family living in these beautiful catalog images is nothing short of wonderful. I usually get a smile but when I read today's post, I laughed out loud as I imagined my very own hubs doing something like this:

Found Here

Engagement Party

And then there was a baseball themed engagement party. Our parents did a great job carrying out the theme through everything. There was an official Aramark pricing sign, a real hot dog machine (you an see Cracker Jacks in the back) and everyone was in baseball attire. And how cute is the story of us told in baseballs?

The party was held in April. In, fact it was opening day for the Cubs. April is also the month I started working for the minor league baseball team. It's the month that I asked my husband out. It's the month that we first played beer pong together with friends. It's the month we went on our first date for dinner at Cheesecake Factory. It's the month we first played tennis together. April was a great month in 2005 and it was a great month in 2008 when we formally celebrated our engagement with friends.

Vendor #1 - Photographer

Photos by Katherine Salvatori

After browsing photos and knowing that we were going to have our outdoor spring/summer ceremony, for me it was about picking colors. We got married the last day of spring and we wanted to remember that. Black is easy when it comes to black ink on invitations, black linens, black tuxes, black bridesmaid dresses but I didn’t want easy and my husband did not want a funeral like wedding.

The blogs also helped us to think about the things that were super important to us. For example, what do we want in our ceremony? How important are photos? Is video important? Is food at the reception important? How about beverages? Who do we want to stand up with us…that list goes on forever. The hubs said we should set deadlines for picking out each of our vendors and just stick to that. But we agreed that capturing the moments of the wedding by photo was on the top of our important list.
I was starting to try on dresses and finalize the guest count when the hubs and I decided that maybe we should take some engagement photos. We could start to finalize one of our vendors, the photographer and really do a test run with engagement photos to ensure we like our photographer. We browsed prices in Chicago for photographers and the prices were expensive and most of the packages didn’t include giving you the rights to your own photos. The hubs had a really hard time with this – as he should. This got us thinking; maybe we could go with a less experienced photographer, pay less and get the rights to our photos. We had thought about the idea of using one of my high school friends as a photographer the wedding but she was newly out of school and she hadn’t shot a lot of weddings yet.
We scheduled an engagement shoot with her and we were really pleased. Since the hubs and I met working in baseball and we wanted to send out a save the date around baseball playoff time we took many photos sporting our favorite team wear.

Photos by Katherine Salvatori

Can you tell who routes for which team?

Photos by Katherine Salvatori

Would you leave your child out of photos that capture your lives? We wouldn't eaither, which is why we had to include our special little girl, Boston Terrier, Minne.

Photos by Katherine Salvatori

Happy Birthday Sami & Big Lar!

Happy Flag Day everyone! Today is a particularly special day for the hubs and I as we celebrate Flag Day with 2 very special Birthdays!

First up is my very beautiful sister Sami! Happy 2-3rd! Blow out the candles and make a big wish!

And a very special big 50 to my wonderful father-in-law, Big Lar, who also shares the Flag Day Birthday. Today is sure to be a great day!

Love Him

Random photo, Blackhawks Stanley Cup Finals, Post Game 1

Random Fun

A trip to Dicks Sporting Goods left me with some new running attire, a new Blackhawks shirt for the hubs and some entertaining photos. Check out the hubs trying out the Ab Circle Pro.

At first he wasn't sure what to do, but don't worry he figured it out.

Has anyone ever tried the Ab Circle Pro? Do you find it beneficial? At $199 it seems a little pricey, couldn't you just do a variety "free" of sit ups and work on the same affects?

Text From the Hubs

Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals is going on at my work, the United Center right now and this is the text I get from my hubs...

"Who is the team in red, they're good! Too bad they didn't play for us in Philly"

I am guessing he think's that he is hilarious

I did it! I mean WE did it!

Today I ran my first 5K. My little sister ran by my side and the hubs who has been rehabbing his knees ran with us for the first part and then ran the 10K on his own (alpha male show off).

The race went through the beautiful town of Wheaton. The weather was hot & humid and by the end of the race I was nothing but itchy and sticky but ... we did it.

My goal is to continue running and to make it to the Indy Mini. I have no desire to run an entire Marathon but I think the goal of getting there could help me make the healthy lifestyle changes that will help to make me live longer, stronger and healthier. It may also help to keep the hubs motivated.  

334 days till next year's Mini.

Today a Lazy Friday, Tomorrow a 5K

Looks like I better rest up today because the 5K for the animals is already tomorrow! Where did the time go? I can tell you that it certainly didn't go to the 13 weeks of training that I talked about here. However, for the past 2.5 weeks I have been forcing myself to run outside every other day. I think there were 2 days that I was forced to hit the gym due to weather. Overall, I am at the point that I just have to do it - Nike running style. Meanwhile the hubs has had some knee problems and just started running this week and he's planning on knocking out the 10K with no training. I think I married an alpha male. 

Anyone have any running tips?

Blackhawks take Game 2

I must admit, I was thinking very selfishly when I found out the Blackhawks were going to play on Memorial Day weekend. You see, I've worked every weekend and every holiday weekend (except when I've had off for weddings or family functions)  for almost 4 years and part of the reason for me wanting to resign from good old Banana Republic was so that I could have more time for myself and with my husband to do the things we are always talking about doing but never actually doing.

This weekend I spent a lot of time at work but I can't complain since I wasn't the only one. There are many people who have lots of different roles and functions but all work together towards "One Goal" of getting to the Stanley Cup. After seeing all the hard work that goes into it from an event and tech ops side of things, I may have missed out on my holiday weekend. BUT...I got to be part of something amazing. That something amazing includes 2 games of the Stanley Cup Finals where my beloved Blackhawks took both games. Want to know what is even better? The hubs got to enjoy game 1 first hand and my dad and his bestie got to enjoy game 2, something the 2 of them have been waiting to see for years.

Photo Found Here

Neither party was disappointed. In fact, not one fan in the United Center this past weekend was disappointed (ok maybe those that were in orange). The Blackhawks only need 2 more wins to say that they are the victors of the 2010 Stanley Cup and I am grateful that I get to be part of it. So while some of you spent the weekend liek you do every year, water front with tasty beverages in hand I got to partake in something that may only happen once in my lifetime and for that, I am feeling truely blessed today. I am guessing these guys are too....

Photo Found Here

Photo Found Here

Minne Blackhawks Monday

Happy Minne Monday, life for our family has been insane. This weekend I have spent a lot of hours at the United Center prepping for Game 1 and Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. So far the Blackhawks are up 1-0 as we enter game 2. Fingers crossed for another big win.

Meanwhile, Minne has been cheering the Blackhawks on from home since the UC has a strict “no pets” policy. She melts my heart with this little look of hers. Here she is resting her head on the hubs leg as she's watching some sports highlights.

Even though she can't be at the games, she has no problem routing on the Mighty Blackhawks. Here’s a photo taken at a parade with Minne, the hubs and the Blackhawk’s mascot Tommy the Hawk.

Fingers crossed for a big win for Game 2 tonight.

Dear Home Sellers

Dear Home Sellers,

Please help us a find a house that meets these requirements:

Price: We are looking up to the _____ range however we have 2 different price criteria in mind. 1. If the house is on the higher end price, we want it finished; live in ready with no/very little repairs/updates that would be needed. 2. We would prefer something on the “low” end of the price spectrum so that we can afford to make updates on our own and we have more flexibility with the updates that we want/need to make. (please don't try to sell me a house with no walls, no floors and mold at the high end of our price)

Location: one of us has a job in the city with the other in Downers Grove. We need something that will be a “fair” drive for both of us. (as much as I want to move west to get a larger house with a nice yard, the Chicago construction has my commute already at 2+ hours each way. The cops that pull people over on the part where the expressway is down to 1 lane isn't helping)

Size: We were married just less than a year ago and hoping to find a home that we can live in as a starter home as we plan on looking to have kids in the next 5 years. So we’re looking for a 2+bedroom 1.5+ bathroom (a kids toilet in the closet doesn't count as a half bathroom and a jacuzzi in a bedroom doesn't make it a master bathroom.)

Yard: Having a back yard is very important to my husband, and when I say yard he wants something that he can mow (a yard that is full of a rotted molded out pool does not count)

Allergies: My husband is deathly allergic to cats. If the house has/had cats living in it, we would need to do a lot of work (new wallpaper, new flooring, ect) to make it livable for him. (so please don't show us a house that has cat poop and vomit all over the stairs, the breakfast bar ect.)

Basement: A basement isn’t a must but it is something that would be a great treat for us and definitely a buying bonus. (a crawl space doesn't count as a basement.)

Lastly, I don't like haunted houses.

Thanks!

Project Friday

Months ago the husband and I got in an argument about what do to with our shoes. You see, if I put the shoes in the shoe boxes in the top of my closet, I can't reach them. I'm vertically challenged so I would have to bring a chair into the closet, stand on it as I unstack the boxes, opening them as I try to figure out what is inside them. It is just too long of a process for me. I usually opt to keep just my nice shoes in the shoe boxes and all others in a bin on my closet floor, I wasn't ready to budge on this.

A few weeks later the hubs said he saw an idea that may be some what of a solution for the shoes. So we had project night. All it took was shoe boxes, tape and an exacto knife (and if you want to get really creative some spray paint).

So we spent one night revising the shoe box.

The hubs went to town cutting out one side of the shoe box, making it:
1.Easy to slide the shoes in and out without having to unstack all the shoe boxes.
2. Easy to see the shoes inside the box.

After he cut the side of the box, I would go back and tape the top of the box to the bottom of the box.

In the end we got lots of boxes that I have happily stacked in my closet. I think once we move I will be looking for old shoe boxes to use for the shoes that I have already thrown away and I think I may want to spray paint them all to add some consistent color to the closet. This is what we have right now, what do you think?

Reunion & Mothers Day Recap

This weekend was quite the weekend. We did make it to Indiana so we could celebrate the reunion of my hubs and all his high school classmates of '99. The reunion itself was simple and not very many attendees. However, that didn't get my husband down. He was so excited to see everyone that was there and in the end that's what matters right?

As much fun as the reunion was, I think the hubs mostly enjoyed seeing his friends little ones.

Case in point, meet little L. She is the daughter of my husbands best girl friend from college. We've seen the hub's friend but this was our first meeting with little L. Looks like the hubs hit it off pretty well if I do say so myself:
He offered cookies with no luck, but the balloon grabbed Ls attention quickly!

After the reunion we made it to a little local Mexican place for margaritas and more social time with some of the hubs high school friends. Again, there was more bonding with little ones, but this time Landon may have been a bit too excited:


Don't worry the two ended up bonding just fine!


Isn't this little guy adorable?! You can see more on him here.


Little L and her mommy made it over to the restaurant too. Here she is trying on the new shades that the hubs hand picked out for her:


She is quite the ham and according to the hubs, she looks exactly like her mommy when she was a little girl. Adorable.


The hubs mom was dying to see how big little L was getting so we made our way back to their house for a little R&R:


NOT! This may look like a relaxing evening in bed but the hubs decided how to teach little miss L how to jump on the bed. After jumping a bunch of times she would fall and land on her but and then hide under the covers. This game went on for quite awhile. In fact, the dogs got a little bit jealous which is how this photo came into play.

Minne on the left, nephew buddy on the right

We woke up and prepared to make our journey back home, but first the hubs and his sis made their mom a breakfast just to her liking. Smile Beckers:


And that concludes the reunion & mothers day weekend!

Indiana kind of Weekend

This weekend is another Indiana type of weekend. This time, we'll be celebrating the hubs 10 year high school reunion. There will be some close friends there and some friend who he hasn't seen in 10+ years. Some with babies like this adorable fella that we'll be super excited to play with, and yes he is doing the sprinkler dance move!
We'll spend some time with our little nephew buddy and the rest of hubs family. Minne girl is so excited!!! (you can check out lots of photos of the two pups here)

I am sure there will be lots to talk about on Monday but first we have to get through this icky icky day. It was day 2 of my train riding experience and it is windy, rainy and cold. I am so fotunate for these super cute boots from my mother-in-law and this awesome umbrella from GAP that the hubs got me.


A few hours of productive work and then it will be all fun, all weekend.