Baby Shower, July 18th

Hi, all! Here are some photos from the baby shower we traveled 12 hours to attend in Minnesota. The trip was well worth it! We saw friends and family we haven’t seen in a while (some since the wedding–4 years ago!), and we had a great time. The cake was delicious (I was so excited for cake), and the company was awesome. Just for consistency’s sake, I was 25 weeks, 5 days at the shower. Enjoy!

Such pretty decorations; my mother-in-law coordinated this part of the party (it was a combo party with both families--the hubby's and mine).

Centerpiece from Mom and Rachel's table.

This one's for my cousin Jennifer, courtesy of Rachel and my mom! Gotta show off that smiling face and the baby belly.

Lots of family and friends from both sides attended.

Though the men were uncertain of this unisex baby shower, they were good sports, took part in the games, and kept each other company . . . in the corner they somehow designated as their own.

It was such a comfy chair that I didn't even mind it was front and center.

We received so many awesome gifts during the shower. This particular one is from my mom and dad. They packed the baby bathtub full of goodies for Baby Girl!

Just one more present-opening picture. We received a lot of pink that day (thank goodness I love pink! The hubby is still getting used to it all), but this little bath towel was so cute and the perfect gift from our friends, Kari and Dale. It's bright and happy like they are!

Travel

I desire adventure. Something new. Something different. I think it’s the traveling bug that bites me about once a year (sometimes several times a year). The vast majority of the traveling I do these days is home to the great state of Minnesota. And as much as I love love love that beautiful, graceful state, it’s nothing new. It really isn’t. I went to Stratford, Canada, with Erin last year, and that great trip filled the urge to move for a while. It was an amazing trip, filled with walking and architecture and Shakespeare’s merry men.

Perth Country Courthouse, Stratford, Canada

Stratford Shakespeare Festival--costumes

And, as I’m sure you all can tell, I’m back to that itchy state where I’m ready to jump in the car and just start driving. But there are too many responsibilities holding us (the hubby and I) here, and plans have to be made well in advance.

I wrote about San Francisco a few months back, and I believe that’s still on the table as a possibility. Where else should we venture this summer? With the swine flu swimming around our country, I’m not as apt to be mobile in the southern states–they seem to be getting hit with the brunt of it. There and New York. Really, it would be great to go overseas. But where? And can I really swing such a trip within just a few months? *sigh* Money and plans can really and truly be a pain.

Ah, I’m rambling now. I don’t want to seem like I’m complaining about my life. I’m not. We have a great life here, but every so often I feel that desire, that itch, to get moving, to see something new, and to just go.

Chicago

We’re currently in the Windy City for me–I have a business meeting this evening–and we’ve turned it into a mini vacation. We’re only going to be here two nights, but so far we’ve accomplished a bit. We’re staying at a hotel right in the heart of the shopping/dining district of Chicago, and we’re only two blocks from the Magnificent Mile. We’ve taken advantage of that already.

Here’s some pictures of the view from our hotel room window (we’re on the 31st floor):

The coup de gras

And here’s me sitting outside the Lego Store on the Magnificent Mile (told ya we’d already done a little shopping):

I think he kind of likes me.

We battled with whether or not to come to town the day before the meeting, but I’m glad we did. It was a 5-hour drive, and it took us forever to find parking. I couldn’t have imagined doing all that and then going to a huge meeting that I’ve been preparing for for months. Yeah, not a happy Alicia.

Anyway, we’re deciding whether to stay around the hotel and do some more shopping (I have to be back early to prepare for my meeting–which will take up most of the afternoon and the entire evening) or go to the Shedd Aquarium for a few hours. With our dear friend, T, moving to Chicago next week, we’re certain we will be visiting often, especially since we’ve discovered the MegaBus and all it’s inexpensive, comfortable gloriousness (T has recommended it highly, and I’m going to try it out in April when I get to go back to MN for a long weekend!). I’ll upload more photos as soon as I have something more to share.

Scratching San Fran

We were going to head over to the West Coast of the U.S. and visit beautiful and fascinating San Francisco, but I think we’re going to stay a bit closer to home this summer. Now I have to decide between a weekend excursion to Holland, MI or to Niagara Falls, ON (Canada totally got the better side of the Falls). Hmmm. . . . Choices, choices!

San Francisco

I’ve decided that it’s time to travel to someplace new (to me). I was soundly smacked with the travel bug when I got a taste of it during our brief visit to Sioux Falls, SD earlier this month. Though I didn’t really enjoy that visit (Sioux Falls is surprisingly busy and packed with people, and I couldn’t get around on foot or via public transportation–not my favorite when in a new city).

I think I’m going to take the hubby to San Francisco for his birthday in May.Why SF? Because it’s there. And we’ve never been. And there’s so much to see. I’m also told spring (and also fall) in SF is the best time of year to visit–the temps are temperate and the rainy season (winter) is complete and the foggy season (summer) hasn’t yet began.

The only major expense I’m concerned about is plane tickets, as taking the train out there would cut into our SF fun time by a few days. I’ll see what I can find online. How did we book trips before the Internet?

Anyone recommend any sites to see while in SF? Advice is welcome!

Let the planning begin!

Home

Crossing the Mississippi into Minnesota (looking at Wisconsin). It feels good to be back.

So, I’m back. Very busy couple of weeks. We drove out to see my parents in ND. We spent five days there, and then we were swept off to MN for my little sister’s wedding. Then we drove down to my older sister’s house for a couple of days, and then took the train back to MI yesterday.

Oof. I’m tired writing about it. Anyway, here are some pictures from the wedding. It was beautiful; the sisters were beautiful; it was good. That’s all I’m going to write for right now because I’m still bushed from all the traveling.

Wedding season is bearing down upon me like…I dunno…like a bridezilla whose cake order has been screwed up?

Bad analogy, but you get the point. We have two weddings this year–one at the beginning of August (little sister) and one at the mid-end of September (hubby’s best friend). I’m the matron of honor, and the hubby is a groomsman. Then, in January, the hubby’s other best friend is getting married. Wedding no. 1 and 2 are in MN, and no. 3 is in SD. And we live in MI. You can do the mileage math.

Thank goodness for Amtrak.

As much as we love our family and friends, couldn’t you all just have waited one more year to get married? Not that one year will guarantee we’ll be any closer, but at least we could put off all this traveling until then. Or y’all could have spread them out more. Or something?!

Don’t get me wrong; I have no problem traveling great distances to reach family and friends, and we’d do anything for our loved ones, but seriously, three in 6 months? Oy.

I am so excited.

I will be attending Taming of the Shrew, Caesar & Cleopatra, and Hamlet at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival at the end of August with my lovely friend, Erin, who will be coming in all the way from MN, just for this event.

We’re staying at a Bed and Breakfast, and it’s going to be so much fun, and I just can’t wait. Can you feel how excited I am? It’s crazy.

I guess if I can’t make it to England to see it in Shakespeare’s theater, I can do the next best thing.

Well, I’m back from my trip, and now I’m going through all the photos I took during those super fun three weeks. I thought I would put a few of them up here, just for fun.

Playing Animal Tracks Memory. We got this, and two other games, from here. They’re simply wonderful, and we loved playing it over and over again!

Off to North Dakota for a week! I love it in this state. Everything’s just so laid-back, and I love the small towns and the people there. And there are so many animals! I had so much fun watching the ducks and the pocket gophers the Canadian geese and the wild turkeys, and hearing all about the moose and deer. It was great.

We drove all the way to Chicago for my little sister’s second bridal shower, which was being thrown by her fiance’s family. It was fun to celebrate her upcoming nuptials (early August). She received lots of cool stuff, and I got to meet her soon-to-be inlaws. It was a good time.

We then went and celebrated the boys’ birthdays at Benihana in Schaumberg. The next day, I headed home with the hubby.

Good times. Good times. Much love to you all!