Bears v Packers

We met up on the North side to watch Bears v. Packers with friends, including Derek and Nicole, who live in Germany . . . and happen to be Packers fans. Derek grew up in Onalaska, Wisconsin, though for all of college and some post-college time, I thought he was from a town in Alaska called Ahn (I never heard the Wisconsin part). Yeah, I have to admit I was disappointed, (a) because I thought I had a friend from Alaska and (b) 'cause that made him a Cheesehead. :) It was great to see Derek and Nicole and, after this week's awesome performance by the Bears, I'm sure we've all forgotten about the outcome of the Bears v Packers game.

Tara's Bachelorette Party

And now to a wedding-to-be. . . we partied in honor of Tara's bride-to-be-ness last weekend, complete with matching tank tops! Front: One last fling before the ring. Back: Tara's Ladies Night Out. Tara is a sorority sister of mine and was one of my roommates my senior year of college. The first picture is of us, along with another former roomie of ours, Jenny. The second is the group of us at Chaise Lounge, our first stop out for the evening. The third picture I just couldn't resist - anyone else think I should send this to Chase? There certainly seems to be a "we're there when you need us" message in a bunch of girls getting cash during a night out on the town! Of course there are lots more pictures and of course they're largely inappropriate for online publishing. :) It was a great time and such a great reason to PAR-TAY!

Wedding #2: Bryan and Hayley Get Hitched in Tucson!

Matt's good college friend (and former roommate) Bryan got married over Labor Day to the lovely Hayley, in Hayley's hometown of Tucson. It was a great way to spend Labor Day Weekend with wedding events and lots of reunions for Matt with countless college buddies! The wedding and reception were on the grounds of a historic mansion in Tucson. We had a great time celebrating the newly marrieds, cutting rugs on the dance floor and making (and rekindling) lots of friendships. Congratulations to Bryan and Hayley - wishing you nothing but happiness!

31 Flavors for a Golden Birthday

Of course that was the theme of the party for my 31st (and golden, as it was 8/31) birthday. We had a terrific day of weather for the party and lots of friends and family to share it. And we bought way too many ice cream treats (we still have some) to carry out the theme. In addition to the novelties, we got the Beverly neighborhood classic Original Rainbow Cone, but in cake form! For the uninitiated, a Rainbow Cone consists of five flavors simultaneously, no substitutions, no negotiation. It's chocolate, pistachio, strawberry, Palmer House (like a mix of cherry vanilla and butter pecan) and orange sherbet. Doesn't sound like it would work, but oh it does!

On the Monday of my actual birthday, I was spoiled once again by a great family dinner cooked by John, with my favorite dishes he makes: chicken in phyllo, mashed potatoes, and chocolate waffles with homemade vanilla bean ice cream! Spoiled, spoiled, spoiled!

Wedding #1: Amy and Mike (or, the Matchmaker Married Her Match)

Amy is the generous soul whose idea it was that Matt and I would make a good match. And she married her main squeeze, Mike, on August 22 in a very sweet ceremony and super cool reception in the Milwaukee area. The reception was at the Schlitz Audobon Nature Center, which made for a fantastic reception site! We sat with Lisa and Ed (pictured; Lisa is how I met Amy, so she was the conduit to the matchmaker!), Rachel and Jon and Katie, so it was super fun all evening. We wish this ADORABLE COUPLE all the best!

Hiatus Over

So I've been away way too long - over a month since the last post. But we've done a lot - I guess, as they say in the TV biz (I'm watching the Emmys as I write this), I've been on hiatus from blogging. So, here's a catch-up - 2 weddings, a golden birthday party or two, a bachelorette party, some football, and more!