I was on it -sort of-this weekend!

So I tried to make sure I took pictures this weekend but I didn't necessarily take the best pictures. So here goes. . .

Friday, Nathan and I went to the wedding reception for our friends, Andy and Toni, who got married in Jamaica a couple of weeks ago. The reception was nice and a lot of fun. Toni looked beautiful and I have to say that I'm a little jealous that she got to wear her wedding dress twice! What bride doesn't want that?

Toni, Andy and their head table

Mr. and Mrs. Swain dancing their first dance

me and Nathan at the reception

Chrissy, Janet, Amy and Toni

Jim, Nathan, Jaime and Kyle

Sat. we had a 1st birthday party to go to for Adelyn. She is the daughter of my sister-in-law, Jessica and brother-in-law, Jesse. I think Nathan and I were tired from the reception the night before but it was a good time. Adelyn is adorable and was cracking us up. Here are a few pictures of her opening her presents.

Jesse and Adelyn

After the party, we went to Graham's baseball game. They won and Graham pitched great. He was cracking me up because he was really watching the baserunners and making sure they didn't steal. He picked one or two of them off and he was charging the bases to make sure the runners got back and tagged up. It was a riot. I'm not sure what got into him but I liked it! Here are a few pictures of him pitching. He's a natural.

He winds up. . .

. . . and he throws it in there for a strike!

Right now, Nathan is at the Rennaisance Fair with some friends. I decided not to go since it was storming and I just wanted to take it easy. While he is gone, I took a couple pictures of the motorcycle he just bought from his friend, Mike. He's been wanting a bike FOREVER so I finally caved and agreed to it. Mike gave him a great price so I have to say thanks to him for that!

And finally, here are some pictures of our basement over the last few years. It went from all white walls, no ceiling and horrible tile to blue walls, no celiling and horrible tile to brown walls, a celing and carpet . Not to bad and it serves it's purpose.

Yuck!

white and boring

Stingrays!

Graham reaching out to touch a stingray

Nathan and Graham in line at the Stingray exhibit. Nathan had to take off his long sleeve shirt because it was hot and we were not prepared to be at the zoo! He doesn't usually wear a "wife beater" tank when we're out in public! :)

So anyway, we didn't do much on Friday night. I think Nathan and Graham played kickball outside and then we all just watched TV. Saturday we went to see the new Disney movie, "UP". My work gets these free screenings from time to time. This one was at Chesterfield Mall and we get free popcorn/soda and this time we got giant sugar cookies with balloons on them afterwards. The movie was very good.

After that, we had to go unexpectedly to the hospital to visit my stepmom. She's not doing too good. She has a tumor on her tonsil and had to be rushed to the ER on Friday. She was sedated when we got there so the 3 of us and Josh hung out with my dad for a while. Last I heard, they were still waiting for her test results to see how they are going to proceed. Please say some prayers for her and my dad.

After the hospital, we started to head home because Graham had 6:00 and 8:00 baseball games but we got a text saying the games were cancelled. We hadn't gotten too far so we turned out and went to the zoo. We weren't there too long because we were hot and weren't really prepared for the zoo. I had on jeans and not the most comfortable shoes. We did see the new stingray exhibit. The pictures above are Nathan and Graham as we were standing in line and a picture of Graham reaching out to touch a stingray (they are slimy!) (My stupid computer won't move the pictures to this spot so that's why they are at the top of the page.)

After the zoo, we went to Target to kill some time until we met up with Erica and friends at Las Palmas for Erica's bday dinner. It was a yummy and a good time. But we left our house at 9 am and returned at 9 pm so it was an exhausting day!

Sunday, we did some yardwork (and by "we", I mean mostly Nathan but I did pull weeds and sweep outside - my back thigh muscles are sore to prove it!) Then we went to Graham's baseball game. My mom came with us. They lost by 1 run! :( His team just isn't performing this year like they usually do. That night, we made dinner and watched the MTV movie awards. If anyone reading this watched, please let me know in the comments if the Bruno/Eminem thing was staged. Eminem looked pissed but I don't know if it was on purpose.

Our basement should be finished today. Thanks to Jamie and Brad for helping with the ceiling and the electric. Nathan and I have some finishing touches but it's finished for the most part. It looks so much better. I guess I need to take some pictures to post. Maybe next time!

Have a great week,

Dawn

No Pictures - Sorry

Not too much has been going on lately. Let's see. . . last week, Graham had a baseball game on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. He missed the Wednesday game because he went to the Cardinal game with his mom and grandparents. I think that's good because playing 3 games in 3 nights is a bit much. I'm not sure why they cram them all together, especially since he has no weeknight games this week? (But no fear, he has 2 on Sat. and one on Sun.)

Nathan and I both took Friday off from work. We were supposed to go camping over the Memorial Day weekend. I decided to stay home though. (I know, what a party pooper!). I just didn't feel like spending 4 days off of work that way. So anyhow, we ran some errands and such on Friday and then he left about 4:00. That night I went to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory with his parents and sisters to celebrate Rachel's 31st bday. It was fun and was actually the first time I've done something with Nathan's family without him. :)

Sat. I worked out, cleaned the bathroom and swept the kitchen (my goal for the weekend was cleaning!). I met my mom and brother for lunch at Winery of the Little Hills down on Main St. in St. Charles. We walked around after and got ice cream. The 3 of us always have the best time together. Then my mom and I went to Fleet Feet (I got some tennis shoes that are 100% capatible to my feet characteristics) and TJ Maxx. Later we watched Mamma Mia. That night I cleaned out my closet.

Sunday I slept until 11:00! I couldn't believe it. I don't know the last time I did that. My mom and me went to lunch and to the mall and then later watched Bride Wars. That night I dusted most of the house (living room, computer room, bedroom) and looked through our wedding pictures and scrapbooks (guess I was missing my hubby).

Monday I worked out and ran up to the mall. Nathan got home about 1:30. We just vegged most of the day/night. He said he had a good time camping but I would have been miserable because it rained most of the day on Sunday during their float. He said it was a light annoying rain. Yeah, I know I would not have liked that!

It's probably good for us to have weekends apart from time to time but I really missed him a lot! I guess the next weekend apart will be when I travel to Ft. Lauderdale at the end of June for work.

Hope everyone has a great week! I'll try to start taking some pictures. The first weekend in June is jammed packed for us so that should yield some photo opps! :)

Dawn

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was a nice one. Friday we went to Graham's baseball game. The crazy part was when the wind whipped through the ball part all of a sudden and it felt like a tornado was sure to follow. The dust on the field was blowing everywhere (poor kiddos couldn't see what they were doing) and the temperature dropped what felt like at least 10 degrees. They finally called the game once it started lightening and raining. The Tigers were winning so it was all good! Later at home, Graham, Nathan and I just watched TV.

Saturaday, our friend Jamie, came over and finished the ceiling tiles in the basement. So between that and all the new lighting, it looks great! Brad will come over one more time to finish some of the outlets and then Nathan will put up base boards, etc. Then we can start decorating. I think we are in the market for a red couch to go down there if anyone has one they want to part with or hears of any good deals. It already looks so much better so I can't wait until it's all complete. The down side is that the ceiling tiles stink so I'm trying to burn candles and stuff to get rid of that! Hopefully, it will wear off soon.

Saturaday night we went to dinner at Cusumano's. It's a new restaurant that my friend Julie and her husband opened in O'Fallon. Her parents' owned the same restaurant in North County back in the day and closed it in 2001. Julie and Chris reopened it and it was just as delicious as ever. They have awesome pizza. The three of us went with Kelly, Seth and their kids Abby and Adam; Dan and his daughter, Anna; Jennifer, Chuck and their kids, Sarah and Jenna; and Jim and his sons, Jackson and Landon. It was crazy with all of the kids! Afterwards, some of us went back to Jennifer and Chuck's house to hang out. It was fun!

Sunday, Graham and I went to church. It was the first time Graham has really sat through a regular Catholic mass. He did good but he was admittedly a little bored. He's used to going to Sunday School at a non-denominational church with his mom that is A LOT different. Not sure if he will want to go back but we'll see. I'm just proud that he wanted to check it out in the first place. I wish my parish had a Sunday School he could attend during the mass. Sunday night, me, my mom and Nathan went to see Star Trek with Nathan's parents, Ray and Gail, Nathan's sister, Chantel and our brother-in-law, Bryan. It was good. I didn't understand everything but it was still a good movie. Nathan explained what he could on the way home! :)

A big group of my friends are leaving for Jamaica today for Toni and Andy's wedding. I'll miss my email buddies this week! I hope they all have a fun and safe trip though and I hope the wedding is beautiful!

Dawn

Worst Wedding Traditions

I saw this article and decided to post it since our blog started off as a way for us to update family and friends about our wedding. I thought it was interesting (and cool) how we didn't do any of the things that are listed on here about the worst wedding traditions. Therefore, I'm giving myself a pat on the back right now!


The Worst Wedding TraditionsPosted Mon, May 11, 2009, 11:47 am PDT

When it comes to weddings, who says you have to follow all the rules? Sure, if you want to stick with some classic traditions, go for it. But we believe that less is more, so it's time to reevaluate the old-school ways of saying "I do." The more you simplify, the more you'll be able to focus on the really important stuff for your big day...

Matching Bridesmaids Chances are the friends, sisters and cousins you've selected to be in your bridal party aren't all of identical make-and-model. One's a tall lanky brunette, another is a short curvy blonde. So outfitting them all in the exact same dress means there's a good chance someone is going to look awkward (at best) and awful (at worst). Instead, try doing different dresses in one color or a colorful array of complementary shades. My bridesmaids had 3 different tops and two difference skirts to choose from beacause I know not every style looks best on every one.

Big Bridal Parties Since there can be lots of posturing and jockeying for these prime positions with the bride and groom, keep the bridal party small to avoid potential quibbles (and even all-out wars!). Plus, with a more intimate group you'll save money on gifts for the bridesmaids and groomsmen. We each had 4 attendants and I think that was a good number

Long Vows Be kind to your guests by keeping your vows on the shorter side. This is especially important if your ceremony is under the blazing sun without umbrellas or fans. Say what you want to say, but don't bore your guests!Throwing Rice Does a blushing bride really want to be doused by a storm of hard little pellets that end up getting stuck in her hair, veil, gown, and worse, inside her shoes? Not the most comfortable situation when she's whooping it up to "Brick House" on the dance floor. We stuck with the traditional church vows

Assigned Seating Guests get miserable if they're stuck at a table away from the people they really want to hang with. Cocktail-style settings with open seating and lots of grazing are more inviting and lively. And you'll save money and migraines by ditching elaborate seating charts and place cards. I almost did this but decided to not stress myself out and let people sit where they want to sit!

Expensive Wedding Favors Weddings aren't about giving showy gifts; they're about celebrating your love with your loved ones. None of your guests expect pricey parting gifts. If you want to show your appreciation, leave a short, sincere note on each place setting thanking them for being there. Or let them know that a donation to a meaningful charity has been made in their name. If you were at our wedding, you know you were welcome to take an apple from the centerpiece and a leftover cupcake! :)

Throwing the Bouquet Nothing in life -- not the SAT's, not parallel parking during our drivers' test, not meeting our boyfriend's parents for the first time -- can compare to the pressure of being a single gal expected to push, pull, and pummel to catch that doggone bridal bouquet. Enough already. Been there, done that and hated it each time so that was a no-brainer not to do this

Removing the Garter Kind of cheesy, right? Kind of grope-y? Kind of I-don't-want-to-have-to-holler-like-a-frat-boy-as-he-runs-his-hands-up-her-thigh? Since the bouquet toss was out of the question, so was the garter toss!

Drunken Toasts Oh, the joy, the tenderness, the humiliation of an old-fashioned toast given by someone who has had a few too many sips of bubbly. Talk to your talkers ahead of time and let them know you'd like them to keep it sweet...and sober. Our toasts were great and not drunken. Well, Mike's may have been a little buzzed! :)

Leaving For the Honeymoon the Morning After After all the planning and partying, it's nice to take a pause before heading off to paradise. There's so much to think about when leaving town. Give yourselves a day or two or even longer to get organized. You need an extra breath before jetting off and finally melting into relaxation mode. We left the weekend after our wedding so we had time to breathe.

Good job, us!!! :)

Bring on Summer!

I know it's technically still spring but May means that summer is fast approaching. And it's been so nice out lately (besides the off and on rain) that we've had some really good weekends. Two weekends ago, I went out for my friend, Toni's, bachelorette party. I wasn't feeling too good but it was still a fun time. First we hit a winery in Grafton, then some bars in that area and then we met up with the groom (Andy) and his bachelor party at Fast Eddies. It was a beautiful day - even though it was a bit windy.

Jaime, the Pirate!

Me and my Chicken Wing man

Toni, the Bachelorette

Me and Sheila (and Amy in the background)

Kristen, me and Janet

As you can tell from the pictures, I got my hair chopped. It's growing on me. At first, I wasn't too sure if I liked it even though everyone else said they did. But I'm beginning to adjust and even kind of like it. I think it gives me some style and when I look at pictures, it looks better than how it was before.

This past weekend, me, Nathan, Graham, my mom and Josh went to Chicago. We really had a great time. The weather was fabulous and got warmer each day we were there. We walked around the city, had dinner with Nathan's Aunt Ruth and Uncle Carl, went to Milennium Park, walked along the lake front, went to the Planetarium, shopped a little on the Miracle Mile and went to Navy Pier.

Chicago

Millennium Park

Millennium Park - The Bean

Mom and Josh

Me and Graham

Nathan, me and Graham

me, mom and Josh

Nathan and me

me and Graham

Josh, mom, Graham, me and Nathan at Navy Pier

This upcoming weekend is pretty busy for us. We have lunch on Sunday with my dad, stepmom, G-ma and G-pa, Graham's first baseball game of the season and celebratory drinks for my friend, Amanda's, new job (congrats to her!). Sunday we are hosting a Mother's Day BBQ. Should be fun!

Dawn

Pictures - Finally

So it's been quite a while since I posted any pictures on this thing. I finally have some. Here are a few from when some of my grade school friends went out for Amanda and Emily's 32nd bday at the end of January.

Emily, Amanda and me

David and Emily

me and Nathan

Kurt and Danny

Here's a picture from my friend Toni's bridal shower in March. She's getting married in Jamaica next month! Too bad I don't have Toni in any of the pictures. I didn't do a good job this day because I couldn't stay long since I had to get home to study for my final.

Amy and Allison

Amy, Chrissy, Amy and Becky

Here is a picture or two from Chrissy's 32nd bday at Fast Eddies on Feb. 21st. I know I should have posted Feb. pictures before March pictures but oh well!

Better sound the "Dawn Patrol Alarm!" She's in the building!

Tim

Nathan and Kristen

There's Toni!

Beth, Chrissy and me

Friday we went out to Bottlebeck Blues Bar to celebrate my 32nd birthday (which is tomorrow!). It was a good time. Thanks to everyone who came out. I appreciate it. And thanks for the cards and gifts. Here are a few pics from that.

Nathan & me

Janet & Nathan

Kelly & Seth

Chrissy, Kelly, Janet & me

Me, Emily & Amanda

Saturday Nathan was sick so he missed out on my bday lunch with my dad, stepmom and brother. We went to Lewis and Clarks on Main St. in St. Charles. Later I went grocery shopping and clothes shopping. I felt a little guilty about leaving Nathan on the couch all day but he was having sinus issues and there wasn't much I could do to help him. That night we just watched a movie.

Today we went to my brother's house for Easter. We ate breakfast and just hung out. I played Guitar Hero for the first time and it was pretty fun! Then we went to Nathan's parents' house. It was a good Easter. Here are some pictures from today.

Josh in his fancy "Easter Outfit" with Kitty

Addelyn & Nathan

Lexie and Kalei

Chantel with her bday presents (her bday is the day after mine!)

Elaina

Oh and on Monday, me, Nathan, Graham and Josh went to the Cardinals home opener. It was COLD and we lost but it was still a good time. Here are some pictures from that!

Graham and Josh

Nathan, me and Graham

Chrissy, cow, me

Mr. Graham

me and Josh

I think that about does it for now. That should hold you over for a while! Hope everyone had a nice Easter and a good weekend!

Love,
Dawn