Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Wisconsin State Fair

This past Saturday my parents came to visit.  It was their first time to see our new house and it was their first time to go to the State Fair.   We had a great day!    We saw horses, huge cows, huge pigs and ate lots of great Fair food.   My favorite was the kettle corn popcorn but Griffin and my Dad loved the State Fair Cream Puffs.  They are legendary at the State Fair.  We waited in a LONG line to get them but it was completely worth it.   

We ended the day with pizza at our favorite pizza place - Balistreri's.    It was a great day and I was sad that my parents didn't stay longer, but I am sure they will be up sometime soon again for a visit.

Griffin and my Dad with their enormous Cream Puffs

The Cream Puffs got messy quick

Me enjoying the hammock swing for sale - State Fair hosted a huge expo of all sorts of items for purchase.  The big seller seemed to be the wonder Mop.  I liked my hammock swing

Monday, August 17, 2009

Griffin's Ankle

Unbeknownst to Griffin - he was injured pretty badly at his soccer game last week.  He isn't really sure how it happened, but there is a purple and blue ankle to show for it.    He has a hematoma (blood tumor) about 3 inches above his ankle where he must have gotten kicked.  Then he has a badly bruised inside ankle.    This picture is about 2 days after the injury.   Sadly, over a week later the ankle stills looks as bad (just a little less purple).

Hopefully he'll be able to play soccer again soon.

Jack's 4th Birthday Party

Two weekends ago Griffin and I drove to Chicago to celebrate my nephew Jack's 4th birthday.  It was a great party!    There was good food, friends and family, and lots of kiddos running around everywhere.  I can't believe Jack is already 4 years old - he is growing up so fast!  This year was fun to watch him enjoy his birthday.  He understood more what the day meant and he definitely understood the presents.  :)

Instead of cake Meredith made cupcakes for Jack's birthday.   They were delicious and a big hit with the kids.

Jack listening to everyone sing "Happy Birthday"

Jack and his friend Hayden

Matt enjoying the frosting on his cupcake

me and Grandpa

The kids running around, screaming and attacking Terry

Matt playing some T-Ball

Matt making a mess in the wet sand box

Jack and Lauren wearing their White Sox shirts (the theme for the party).

Great Weekend!

The weekend of July 25th was a great one!   I am just sad that I don't have any pictures to show for it.   Saturday we went to the Air & Water Show downtown Milwaukee.   It was a beautiful day outside and watching those Thunderbirds fly by was absolutely incredible.

Saturday night we went to the Coldplay concert.   Griffin and I both agreed that it was the best concert we had ever been to!   We've seen Coldplay in concert before - but this show was the best!  At first we were disappointed to see that our seats were so far off to the side of the stage, but we quickly realized that our seats would turn out to be phenomenal later on in the show.   Coldplay had set up a small side stage just 5 seats to our right and they perform a couple songs right in front of us!   It was incredible!  

Then on Sunday we had the chance to spend time with some dear friends of ours and their 11-week old little girl.  We wish we had more time with them but we are definitely grateful for the time that we did get to spend together.   Hopefully we'll be able to make it out to Boston for a visit with them some time soon. 

Friday, July 24, 2009

Ewald Family Vacation in Door County

Last week we had an Ewald family vacation up in Sister Bay, Door County.    It was a beautiful week with great weather.   We never made it in the water (except for brave Sydney) but there was shopping, golfing, bike riding, board games and lots of playing with Sydney.   We also enjoyed some great food and saw many breath-taking sunsets from our front porch.   It was a wonderful trip!

There were a couple of morning on the trip when Sydney woke Griffin and I up by jumping in our bed.   She was wide awake and ready to play with her Aunt and Uncle.   We created a game called "wind tunnel" where she sat in the middle of the bed and Griffin and I waived the bed sheet up and down leaving Sydney surrounded by wind.   She loved it!   Here is a picture of her emerging from the "wind tunnel" laughing with Griffin.
   
Sydney and Grandma in the cold water....but still enjoying every bit of it.   Eventually Sydney ended up only in diapers and t-shirt as she started getting her sweater and shorts soaking wet.

Meredith and Terry recommended a great restaurant - PC Junction.   It is a little restaurant in Bailey's Harbor that serves food on a train that drives along the large circular bar.  Sydney was enamored with this train and it's loud whistle.   Everyday after that day was followed by the question of "train?" from Sydney - wanting to go back to PC Junction for lunch.

Rudy enjoying the pedal carts & track outside of PC Junction.

Griffin and Sydney on the pedal cart

Sydney laughing at Uncle Griffin's goofiness at the Mexican restaurant.  (He was feeding her stuffed bear food and water).

Sydney and her Mommy enjoying a good hug at pebble beach.

Griffin and Sydney playing with the pebble tower they made together.

Griffin and I convinced Sydney to look through her ice cream cone like a telescope (Marcus and Kathy were not at this dinner....which is how we got away with it).   :)

Enjoying the sunset

Saturday, July 11, 2009

The Fray!!!

Griffin and I really love the band The Fray.   We saw them 2 years ago at SummerFest and had a great time (even though we were many rows back).   So when we found out they were coming back to SummerFest this year we really wanted to go, but with ticket prices being high we were dragging our feet.    

Griffin found out the local radio station was giving away tickets and he thought he would try to win some for us.    I didn't think people ever really won tickets from the radio - but he did!   One morning getting ready for work he heard that the 9th caller would win tickets.  He tried once and didn't get through but the second time HE WAS THE 9th CALLER!!!   :)

We got front row, back stage passes for The Fray concert.   It was amazing!  We have never been so close at a concert before - it was great!

3 of the 4 members of The Fray

The leader singer of The Fray

The security guard/bouncer that was sitting right in front of us protecting the stage.




The signed picture that we got from The Fray and the guitar pick that Griffin caught at the end of the concert.    Don't know what we'll do with these - but it was fun to get.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Moving Day!

We've finally moved into our new house!   It was a long wait but well worth it.   June 26th we moved out of our old house, closed on our new house AND moved into our new house.  It was a busy day but thankfully Griff's parents, Rudy & Paula, were there to help it all go smoothly.   Everything ended up going very well and we were extremely thankful that we decided to hire movers.  They did a wonderful job and I don't know how we would have done it otherwise.  It took the 3 men close to 7 1/2 hours to complete the move.

I didn't think I would have a hard time leaving the old house, but I did.   I ended up crying a couple times - especially when our favorite neighbors (Jim & Jenny and their 3 adorable children) came over to say goodbye.    We love our old house and it was hard to leave all the good memories that we created there.   (Griffin proposed to me in that house - one of my most favorite memories)  But we are in our new home now and we love it.  We have a lot to unpack still, but we are slowly getting it all done.   We've met a bunch of nice neighbors and have enjoyed taking walks/bike rides around our new neighborhood.    We look forward to the many new memories that we will create in this new home.  

Moving out of our old home.  It was really sad to see it empty.

Our old dining room.....so bare without a table

Our old family room.

Our first meal at the new house.  We didn't have anything unpacked yet so we were creative with our lunch.  Griffin and I used some tupperware that we found and Rudy ate off of a cutting board.

Paula also used a cutting board as her plate for lunch

Sold!

We hung our EWALD door knocker on the front door

I love these built in china cabinets in the dining room!

Finally we got to take our china out of their boxes.   They've been stored in the attic at the old house since the wedding.

New house - New TV.   This is a picture of Griffin on the phone with Best Buy making sure he set the new TV up correctly.  (He did.)