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That's right... this past week I had my 30th birthday. We didn't do much since there wasn't much to do, but I have to say I was quite impressed with my husband's thoughtfulness! And I will appreciate it even more when I'm at my Spa Day next Saturday (I cannot wait.. really cannot wait, it was EXACTLY what I wanted... and after the last few weeks something I desperately need).

Funny story though... so I LOVE cake. Chad does not. Honestly, I just didn't think getting a cake for my 30 years was something he would think about... sorry Chad! Last Wednesday when I went into Squamish to get dinner take out, I stopped into the grocery store and was hoping for one of those pieces of cake they sell from the leftover whole cakes that don't sell the day or two before (which they do not do in Canada, ok, maybe they do - but not at the store I was at). So... I had a decision - get a whole cake or none. Well dammit, it's my 30th birthday and we weren't going out to dinner and I couldn't have drinks so I was going to have my cake! I proceeded to the checkout line and Braden is with me... the lady behind me was making small talk and asked if the cake was for my son's birthday.

The right answer would have been "yes".

My answer, "No, it's for me actually. It's my 30th birthday and my husband hates cake but I just had to be sure I had cake since we're from the US and we don't have any friends or family we're celebrating with and I just wanted to treat myself".

First of all - she didn't ask for all of that information - and kind of pathetic I'm telling all this to a total stranger.

So... I get home (and as I unpack the food realize that they forgot part of the order and now I would have to cook something anyway) so I'm a little feisty. Chad gets home late (after being stuck in traffic - and there is almost never traffic) he tells me to hide out for a few minutes... I come back out and what has my thoughtful husband gotten me... A CAKE! (See Chad - you are much more observant than you give yourself credit for!) I should also note that Chad's cake was very cute!

All weekend we have had TWO cakes to get through. Aside from the obvious problem of this being far too much cake for my waistline in one weekend - it was great! I refuse to feel guilty about it! (But I will clarify that these were not two sheet cakes... just the smaller round ones... ok - maybe I do feel a little guilty!)

In addition to the Spa Day and a cake - Chad brought me a huge bouquet of flowers... which I LOVE. It's great to have everything cleaned up and see a beautiful vase of flowers, it adds so much to the home! So... it was a very low key 30th birthday evening (Chad was in bed by 9:00 and I was asleep by 10:00). But it was very nice and Chad you did a wonderful job... Thank You!

Chad and Mon's 100 List

Last week I did the 100 list Challenge and this week I'm doing one for Chad and I... enjoy! Maybe you'll learn something new, chuckle, or maybe I will have bored you.

1) We met at a Leadership Conference called LeaderShape in May of 1999.

2) We were just good friends for about 2 years.

3) Chad at the time was "Sigma Chi Cool"

4) This means that he was in black pants, dress shirts and matching black leather jackets with the rest of his ISU Sigma Chi crew anytime they left the house after 9pm.

5) You could always spot them across the bar, I didn't know them at the time and wondered "why do these guys always dress alike?"

6) I shouldn't talk, in college I had a pair of "pleather" black pants

7) My friend made me a scrapbook and put in a picture of me wearing these and I was so embarrassed

8) After 2 years Chad decided he wanted to date me

9) But I wasn't all that interested

10) It just made him want me more, he thought I was playing hard to get

11) But really.... I wasn't all that interested

12) It didn't stop me from making out with him once after too many cocktails

13) But we went back to being friends very quickly

14) We started really dating a little over year after that (and obviously by then I was very interested!)

15) That was February of 2002

16) We've been together for the"better part" of the past 6 1/2 years

17) Which means we had some "growing pains" along the way - but a lot of 20 somethings will

18) We bought our first condo together and closed on March 15, 2006

19) And we found out we were pregnant with Braden on April 2, 2006!

20) Chad purposed on March 2, 2007

21) I have a really strange knack for remembering dates

22) The master bath in our condo had a single sink vanity, we hated that

23) The place we live in now has a large bathroom and double sink vanity

24) But oddly, we still use the same sink

25) Chad is the Sales Manager for Western Canada for Intercall

26) He's been with Intercall for almost 7 years

27) After grad school I worked for my sorority executive office (Delta Delta Delta)

28) The office is in Arlington, TX and I lived downtown Dallas

29) I loved living in Texas

30) I'm VERY open to the idea of settling there permanently one day

31) Chad isn't... but I think I'm wearing him down

32) I'm surprised we're in Vancouver since I NEVER thought Chad would leave Chicago

33) We both miss Chicago friends and family very much

34) But agree that this is where we need to be now

35) Although we don't know many people here

36) And haven't had a one on one date since our honeymoon

37) That's sad isn't it?

38) I think we forget since life with toddler keeps you busy

39) And because we see a lot of each other here in Canada... since we really only see each other in Canada

40) I predict that for the 3rd (maybe 4th) year in a row my fantasy football team will rank higher than Chad's

41) Chad is a great dad

42) He adores Braden

43) I'm lucky that he helps around the house too

44) I cook... he does the dishes

45) I start laundry... he usually finishes it

46) I sweep... he takes out the garbage

47) I grocery shop and do the errands... he does the lawn

48) Somehow I got stuck with washing the hardwood floors

49) I despise washing the hardwood floors

50) But some things you just have to do yourself or they won't get done

51) Chad gets Braden each morning to change him, give him some juice

52) So Braden and I can lay in bed together for about 30-45 minutes while he leaves for work

53) Chad is a good morning person

54) I am not a good morning person

55) We got married January 26, 2008!

56) We went to St Lucia for our honeymoon

57 ) It was the best trip ever...

58) If you have a child and can go away on a trip when they are 14 months old and reconnect as a couple... DO IT. It was wonderful

59) Pre-Braden days Chad and I went out... a lot... there are many people that might say we went out too much

60) Favorite place to go out...Sundays - Football - Joes - Sunday Funday!

61) My bachelorette party was a "Sunday Funday"

62) Before the bar to watch the Bears game the limo took us to Soldier Field for photos! (yes, that's me doing "The Heisman")

63) Chad's bachelor party was in Austin, TX

64) Those guys go on a lot of trips for bachelor parties... Vegas, Ozarks, Minnesota, Austin

65) He owes me a girls trip

66) I'll redeem that girls trip when I'm done having kids

67) And by then I will not feel guilty because I know I will deserve a MASSIVELY wonderful (and week long) girls trip! :)

68) I have wonderful, amazing friends, they are truly like family to me

69) I miss them very much

70) But so far we've kept in good touch, and when I saw them it was like I never left

71) Chad will watch any movie, any genre

72) He will also watch the same movie over and over (and over) again even if he doesn't like it that much just because it's on TV

73) Chad's favorite movie is.... (sorry Chad - I have to do it) is Notting Hill

74) My favorite athlete is Tom Brady - I've been a fan for 6 years

75) And not JUST because he's All-American Yum-Yum!

76) Braden was at first going to be named Brady (and he may wind up using Brady, we're going to let him decide)

77) If Chad wasn't doing what he was doing and was going to work with his hands he'd probably be a carpenter (he says it's something he doesn't know how to do... but would love to be skilled at)

78) He really likes doing things around the house

79) I very much appreciate that about him

80) I do not know why I'm still hanging on to clothes of mine Pre-Braden that are a size two... I mean... MAYBE a four (some day... sigh) with lot of hard work... but a 2??? Those days are gone, I need to let it go

81) Chad is not a picky eater

82) Which is lucky for me... because 1) I am a picky eater, it would be too hard to feed two picky eaters! and 2) Despite my effort, I do not have a knack in the kitchen

83) But I keep trying

84) Why is it that I follow a recipe a friend gives me so I know it's good, but when I make it I don't get the same yummy satisfaction?

85) My "old stand by" is Shake-in-Bake, mashed potatoes and roles (with veggies added for Braden)

86) Chad only has a few things he cares about when it comes to food and the most important is that he doesn't have to cook it

87) He doesn't like anything with peanut butter, scalloped potatoes or green bean casserole

88) Chad is kind to me... he puts up with what some may call at times a bit of "nagging"

89) But at least I recognize without having to be called out and it's a personal goal to work on it

90) Both Chad and I have never lived alone... after college we lived with roommates before we moved in together

91) I just realized I'm kind of boring, sorry

92) Chad was born in Kansas

93) I was born in Florida

94) Chad and his brother Keith are 1 year, 4 days apart in age.

95) My sister and I are 1 year, 24 days apart

96) I give our moms a lot of credit... that would be a lot of hard work

97) Probably why both of them stopped after two kids :)

98) I look forward to a happy future with Chad and growing OLD together!

99) While it's so hard to be away from friends and family... we are both happy to be living in this nice home, in this beautiful part of the world, and we know it's a step in the process that will bring us closer to our dreams and long term goals. So...yay Vancouver!

100) I don't say it enough... Love you Chad! :) Thanks for everything!

Another random thought

So... something has been bothering me about the Canadian gas pump...

- Aside from the high prices (Which is now $1.37 per litre (or is it liter) - it was as high as $1.45, when moved here it was $1.09). Point of reference 3.79 liters = 1 gallon and right now gas is $5.19 a gallon.

- And despite the crazy taxing PER liter - 30.5 cents... so thats $1.16 a gallon - just in taxes for the federal, provincial and Vancouver municipality... the average US tax on each gallon is 47 cents. (I looked this up online, but if you know I'm wrong about the US tax let me know so I am better informed)

- But I have to tell you that what is really annoying... the pump itself. I remember the sweet old days in the US when you put the nozzle in... lock it up so it pumps itself. I usually used this time to throw some trash out of the car (with a toddler this adds up quickly), wash a window, or in the winter simply escape back to the car out of the bitter cold. In Canada there is no lock that pumps itself... so you have to stand the whole time and hold the nozzle. Just an example of how you don't know that you would miss the lock on the nozzle until it's gone.

Now I realize this is something so silly to complain about... but it's been annoying me for awhile now and since I'm convinced the nice weather is behind us I'm dreading doing this in the cold... not to mention the mess of things in the car!

Rain, Rain Go Away...

For the past week and half it's rained... a lot. It hasn't been non-stop, but it's chilly now and not sunny at all? Is this summer weather here over for good? I looked at weather.ca - but for as far out as I can see this is what we can expect. I know it rains a lot here on the west coast... but yuck! Is the gorgeous weather from July gone for good???

Manhood Test? I failed!!!!

As most of you are aware, we have a lawn for the first time since I took care of my parents yard in highschool. This is something I've mowed almost every week this summer (don't ask me why the grass grows so fast...I don't have a clue). I really enjoy working on the lawn because it gets me outside and away from the computer, tv, ect.

This past Saturday I was mowing the lawn as I came across our resident gardner snake sitting very quietly on a rock in our front yard. Of course I didn't see it until I was almost right on top of him. Did I handle the situation like most of my friends would? Absolutely not... I let go of the lawn mower, taking a huge jump back nearing falling on my ass. Now I believe most people's reactions would be to see where the snake had moved on to...but this wasn't my reaction. I immediately looked to the left, then right, then behind me to see if anyone has seen my extremely embarrassing reaction to this monsterous 1.5 ft snake. Yes, I officially failed my manhood test!

Raina and Braden picture day!

As promised a few weeks ago I finally got a hold of the pictures from Braden and Raina's picture outing. (Reminder, Raina is my sister's daughter, she's two months older than Braden, she'll be 2 in October).

Love You, Love You

Tonight when I put Braden to bed I got my first "Love You"... twice! Now, I realize that he doesn't know what it means, and he said just because he likes to repeat what we say. But I'll take it however I can get it. It was precious and it sounded so good!

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL???

WARNING - Football talk.

Most of you know... but in case you don't. I am one of the girl that really enjoys fantasy football. This is now my 5 year playing (can that be right... yes it is). I haven't won first place yet (I was robbed in the semi-finals game 2 years ago in the Chicago/Atlanta game. I lost that game by less than 2 points and easily would have cruised through the following week to win it all. I'm not bitter...

Last year I finished 5th... of 14. So I'm in a 14 team league (which is pretty tough because it's VERY slim pickings the second half of the draft. We start 8...we bench 8 (For three years now I've asked to go to 5 bench spots and haven't won that arguement yet). Here is a breakdown of my team... I had the #1 pick this year. I actually prefer the 4th pick.

TEAM NAME: MONSTER MASH

Starters

QB - Carson Palmer - CIN

RB - LaDainian Tomlinson - SD

WR/RB - Edgerrin James -ARZ

WR - Wes Welker - NE

WR - Jericcho Cotchery - NYJ

TE - Ben Watson - NE

K - Nate Kaeding - SD

DEF - Chicago

Bench

QB -Jamarcus Russell - OAK

RB - Chris Brown - HOU

WR/RB - Derrick Mason - BAL

WR - Mussin Muhammad - CAR

WR - Limas Sweed - PIT

TE - Tony Scheffler - DEN

K - Matt Stover - BAL

DEF - Arizona

With all that - I'm a bit concerned about my RB situation if someone gets injured... and my WR. Cotchery could be a good pick - but it all depends on how he connects with Farve. My back up WR aren't all that strong, but we won't really know until the season starts. There were a few times I could have gotten more of a "name" but the bye weeks weren't working out so I kept that in mind. All in all... I'm optimistic but we'll just have to see how it all plays out... starting September 4th!

Momma's Boy

I wanted to take a quick minute to fill you on my situation... Looking over Monica's 100 list, I've come to the conclusion that many of those things have come and gone. Including my boy... Over the past 2 weeks my son has officially realized I'm just another person hanging around and the world revolves around Monica. She now has a 3 ft shadow 24 hours a day. Every time I get him from a nap or when he wakes up in the morning his first words are "Mommy." I knew this day would come...but I'm not mad. He'll be back! I've just got to wait until he gets a little older and wants to know how to swing a bat, throw a ball, ect... Until then, I'll be waiting for you buddy!

Braden's Top 100

Chad's cousin, Christine did a clever little list of 100 thoughts... she threw out a challenge for fellow bloggers to join in. I'm a few weeks behind, but I'm working on that today. First up will be Braden's Top 100... and later this weekend followed up by one for Chad and I. You say... Top 100? Monica that's an awful lot... we'll it really isn't, you'll see.
Oh... the thoughts aren't in any good order, I kind of jumped around a lot since I'm just typing what I'm thinking as it comes into my head.

1) Full name: Braden Allen Ramsey
2) Born 12/06/06 - 2:12pm - 8 lbs 10 oz, 22 in
3) First tooth - 4 months
4) Crawling - 5 1/2-6 months
5) Walking - 10 1/2 months - yes, that's early and really... life changes after that - he could have waited another 3 months and it wouldn't have bothered me!
6) First word- Ball
7) LOVES books - could be entertained almost all day with them
8) The kid can chase balls around a room for an hour uninterrupted and be content
9) Braden is way too obsessed with Dora and Diego... I need to fix this for my own sanity
10) The Dora theme song is stuck in my end for too many minutes each day, it's annoying
11) Braden is the best hugger in the world
12) He loves to gives hugs and kisses... and most often for no reason.
13) I cherish those moments now since I realize it won't be too long before he doesn't want to snuggle with me anymore
14) Braden will eat anything if his Dad is eating it
15) Braden likes fruits, veggies and meat
16) But his favorite is really chicken nuggets
17) He had them at least 2 times a week...
18) It's completely my fault, but it's so easy to get on the go for him to eat in the car
19) Braden sleeps 11 hours a night
20) But no matter when he goes down he's up by 6:30
21) So if he goes to bed later, he just is a bit crabby when he wakes up
22) But, it was a pleasant surprise this morning when he didn't get up until 7:00
23) I'm only on #23???
24) Braden loves choo choo trains
25) We are getting him a big train set for his birthday/christmas combo
26) I know he's kind of getting chipped since we're are combining that and maybe it's not fair
27) But I figure he's too young to be really aware so we can get away with it this year
28) To just go out and buy the Thomas the Train set is insanely (I mean crazy) expensive
29) So we're going to build out the table on our own to save money
30) Who am I kidding... I'm not buiding it, but Chad will :)
31) Braden can get out of his crib now
32) But has only done it twice
33) I think he thought the fall kind of hurt
34) It's time to move him to a toddler bed
35) But we lost the directions how to convert the crib when we moved
36) Braden thinks brushing his teeth is fun
37) He has 17 teeth
38) Braden says a lot of phrases now
39) He loves to say "Poopy Diaper"
40) He says it 4 or 5 times in a row
41) He also says, Thank You Mommy...
42) And it melts my heart every time
43) He's in this "wants to help with everthing" phase
44) It's cute...but I can't take a step without him on my heels and I'm getting tripped up constantly
45) He learned how to "hop" on his own
46) He expends a lot of energy "hopping"
47) But it takes a lot for him to run out of energy
48) He's pretty much non-stop all day
49) His favorite word is "Please"
50) He overuses it
51) But there are worse things he could be saying too much
52) I'm definitely the stricter parent
53) Braden has his dad wrapped around his finger
54) I hope to have Braden potty trained by the end of the year
55) He's probably more ready for it than I am
56) I find the whole potty training process a bit overwhelming
57) I mean - what do you do when you're at the mall and he's got to go?
58) They are too little to sit on the seat...
59) I need to do more research first
60) Braden is crazy for puppies (any dogs)
61) But he a little scared and facinated all at the same time
62) Just at #62, huh???
63) He's a huge flirt
64) He is 100% his father's son
65) He looks like a Ramsey
66) He adored all four of his cousins
67) He still asks for them
68) He loves to play with kids
69) So we signed up for another two classes starting in Sept
70) I'm think we'll sign up for one more
71) Next spring he'll start soccer
72) I wish more kids lived in the neighborhood
73) He is really good at remembering people's names
74) I tell Braden he isn't allowed to jump on the couch
75) But Chad is the one that taught him how
76) He loves his new United States puzzle
77) He's obsessed with the alphabet right now
78) But instead of starting with ABC he starts with RAM
79) That's because I was trying to teach him his last name
80) Braden loves bubble baths
81) But I assume most kids do
82) He takes 3 hour naps most days
83) Sometimes Braden can be whiny
84) But usually he's happy and giddy
85) We don't know how we got so lucky
86) But don't be fooled...
87) He can throw a fit with the best of them
88) Katie Hager (my friend from college and sorority sister) is his godmother
89) Andy Dunbar (Chad's friend from high school) is his godfather
90) One thing Braden got from me is thin hair
91) I'm sorry about that Braden
92) Braden wears a size 8 shoe already
93) Sorry... I know if you don't have kids that means nothing
94) He's just about 3 ft tall
95) He'll probably be taller than me by 5th grade
96) Braden is diagnosed with Bradycardia - low heart rate
97) His daytime resting heart rate is in the 60s and when he sleeps it gets into the 40s
98) But he has no treatment for it, the good news is his heart functions at 100%, it pumps very efficiently.
99) So we pretend he'll be a super athlete :)
100) But it doesn't matter if he's a super athlete, an engineer, a carpenter, a salesman, a musician... he has endless opportunities and we just want him to live a happy life. LOVE YOU BRADEN!

The Miller's say "I Do"

MR. AND MRS. JEREMY MILLER

Our trip back to Illinois was planned around this big event. Chad was co-best man and I was also a bridesmaid in Jeremy and Becki Miller's wedding. Becki and I met freshman year in college when we both pledged Delta Delta Delta (pledge class of '96... can you believe it's been 12 years... almost to the day!) Chad and Jeremy grew up together in DeKalb and later became roommates in Chicago for 3 years. You can say they met through us... but if you believe in what's meant to be will be, then somehow they would have found each other anyway.

Friday - girls got mani/pedis and then off to the rehearsal and dinner at a sassy lounge bowling alley - Lucky Strike.

Wedding on 8-9-08, downtown Chicago at Spiagga. Great food, sweet ceremony and both bride and groom were happy as can be (and Becki's dress... it was just perfect for her!) Good times and too many pictures to pick from - although I failed to get any great pictures of the guys all together and with the happy couple! I really should start making a checklist of groups I want to get pictures of.

CONGRATS to The Millers! Thanks for letting us share in your day.

The Groom and Colleen - (friends growing up together in DeKalb)

Part of the "DeKalb Crew" - from left to right, Brett, Colleen, Paulie, Landon, Kyle and Jen

Had to get a head to toe picture of Becki in her dress... lace for some vintage charm, but a dress design that is totally modern. And the beautiful background is at Becki's parent's home with a view of Lake Michigan.

Ali, Me and Staci at Cocktail Hour

Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Ramsey - it's at the end of the night... someone REALLY needs to remind me to apply lip color again... can I find something that lasts longer?

Chad and I at dinner... the first wedding we stood up in together!

Don't worry... Chad isn't jealous of this picture, he was the one that took it! Good friends Jack and Joel showing how much they miss us! :)

First time I attended a Jewish wedding... they did the dancing with the chairs. The old cheerleader in me was totally paranoid and trying to spot the stunt!

We've had better days...

I always try to capture mostly our best moments to share on the blog. But in the story of life it's not always happy. I hate to be so informal and post this on a blog, but I know it won't make much sense if I don't and just keep on posting without mention, and it's a big part of our life right now.

We found out this week that we've lost the baby. They can't ever tell you for sure why this happens, but the assumption is that it's most likely that things just weren't right with the baby (chromozones and stuff like that). So of course we're very sad, but also realize it was just what was meant to be. I have had no miscarriage symptoms, this was confirmed through ultrasound and will be going in for a D&C at the end of this week. Thanks in advance for all your well wishes. We hope to have better news several months from now when we can try again.

And just so you know, I'm keeping things in perspective - we're so so lucky to have our loving and cuddly little boy. And I wanted to share pictures of family time this past weekend at the park. We've been so lucky... and just hanging on and remembering that is the best medicine I can have.

Choo Choo... Train

Last Friday I was looking for a nice activity to do with Braden... since our boy LOVES choo-choo trains I had my eye on the Railway Hertiage Musuem in Squamish. Braden is too young to want to go through the actual exhibits or anything of the sort. We spent most of our morning playing on the stationary wooden train. We also got to take a ride on the "mini rail". It's nothing fancy, but it sounds like a train and it took us for about a 15 minute ride... and Braden loved it, although by then he wasn't crazy about me taking pictures. It was HOT day, by the time we left at 11am we were both desperate for the car's AC!

The enterance - it was set up like the old school train station that was there in the early part of last century.

CHEESE!

Mom...it's hot. I just want to enjoy my mini-rail ride. I already smiled for pictures.

Ok woman... seriously... stop taking my picture.

What $4.50 will get you

I thought I would get Braden a small pool to enjoy some of the hot days... but with the end of summer coming and limited deck space I didn't want something too big or expensive. Well... I found a kiddy pool for only $4.50, but it's small... and I didn't know exactly how small until I blew it up and got it ready for him. Braden fills the whole thing up. But that's what you get for $4.50! He had fun anyway so mission accomplished! (And please ignore the dead flowers in the back. After our 2 1/2 week hiatus they require some extra TLC and lots of watering. I'm happy to say they are already showing improvement.)

Beautiful Sunsets

This time of year I've noticed that the sunsets here are just a little different. The pictures don't do it justice, in person it's even better, but I thought I'd at least try to capture it.

Cousins...

Braden LOVES kids... and babies, especially his cousins. Between my sister and Chad's brother Braden has four first cousins! (I don't have any first cousins, so I'm very happy Braden has some... 2 girls and 2 boys!) Since we have gotten back Braden has asked for Ky Ky, Babies and Raina. He had so much fun with them.

Let me introduce them in case you don't know...

Keith - Chad's brother - 3 kids
Kylie Marie - aka - Ky Ky - 2 years old. Kylie is a sweet girl who knows what she wants. She likes to smile and play. She also loves Barney. She loves to tell you stories and I could pick up about every 5th word, but let me tell ya... she knows what she's saying. So cute! She has curly hair and resembles her Grandma Ramsey. She is 6 month older than our little man. Braden and Kylie had the most fun chasing each other in the outdoor kids house and the pool. They also had a lot of conversation - just between the two of them!

Jackson Ray and Logan Lloyd - identical twin boys -5 months. I spent a lot of time holding one of them almost at all times when I was there! Braden wanted to hug and kiss them a lot, he really likes babies!

Jen - my sister - aka - Auntie Lou - 1 kid

Raina - 22 months - She's precious, petite and dainty. She looks exactly like my sister did as a baby. She stole my heart when she wanted to be sitting in my lap a lot of the time I was with her. She has a thing for gripping onto random objects for almost an entire day (even through naptime!). Braden and Raina took a bath together and my sister got some great shots! I should warn you there is a little bit of naked baby!

Miss Kylie - she's good at this, she gets lots of practice at Grandma Ramseys with her tea set!

Ky Ky and Braden having one of their special conversations

Braden and Raina playing at Grandma Carol's and Uncle Jim's house

Raina and Braden - bathtime fun! Look at both of their genuine smiles... so happy!

Boyds in Bloomington!

Well... almost Bloomington, just a few miles north in Towanda. For those of you that don't know - Justin Boyd - Chad's fraternity brother and mentor. Chad was Best Man when he got married, and we wanted Justin to officiate our wedding ceremony this January - only he couldn't since he was on his way to Iraq! He is a lawyer and commissioned as a naval officer. (I hope I got that right!). Justin's wife, Heather is a good friend of mine, I met her once I started dating Chad and we hit it off. They are parents to Olivia (who turns 1 tomorrow!). Olivia is gorgeous and such a sweet personality. Justin got back from Iraq the week we returned to Illinois. The Boyds now live in Virginia Beach - so imagine how happy we all were that we would be in the same state at the same time! We spent a nice Saturday afternoon together and hit up an old college favorite pizza place, Monical's for dinner. Olivia and Braden got along well - it was adorable to see them together.
Thanks Boyds for sticking around so we could all get together. I look forward to visiting again - hopefully for a few days rather than a few hours! :) Happy Birthday to O!

Braden was not happy with us since we wouldn't let him climb up and down the stairs.

The Boyd Family

Sunday Party...

When traveling with a toddler, it's not always easy to get around to see everyone you want to see during the week. He goes to bed by 8:00...people usually aren't home from work and settled until 6:30. So we knew if any of our friends were going to see our little man it would have to be on a weekend, but how was that possible when we really only had one weekend day not booked??? Well on Sunday, August 3rd out friends Kevin and Brianne were gracious hosts and had a nice party on their patio (inside for the guys watching the game on the big screen). The weather was perfect and food was good. Braden enjoyed seeing so many new faces and having new people to play with. (I am pretty sure he loves me and all... but I'm sure he gets sick of playing with me all the time!) It was so nice to visit... thanks to everyone that came (Ali for driving two hours each way to be there). Also a big, heartfelt thank you to Kevin and Brianne.

Braden greeting guests at the door

Braden and Aunt Staci

A rarity... a picture of Braden and I together (I'm usually behind the camera). Braden is eating the ice cream cone he stole from me. I tried just to share, but he just assumed control of the the whole thing and finished it off himself.

A cute father-son moment... Braden thinks Chad is hilarious.

Our hosts, Kevin and Brianne Condron (and yes, Braden is in a different outfit, we changed into PJs before we left so I didn't have to do it when I got home).

Aunt Becki and Braden reading a book... this is the part of the day that Braden was a Cookie Monster

Staci, Me and her husband Jason