Poor Ben Konop

Griffin and I have been laughing about this video for awhile now.   We've been telling friends to check it out too....so I thought I would share it on the blog.   The heckler doesn't put too much effort into his booing which makes it all the more comical.

Colleen & Ryan's Wedding

This weekend Griffin and I drove down to Illinois for my cousin's wedding.   It was a beautiful wedding, a beautiful day and an even more beautiful bride!     Here are some pictures from the day:

Siblings: me, Lauren, Ricky and Meredith

me and Griffin

me, my Mom, Lauren and Meredith

Colleen's bridal bouquet

Colleen and me

my Mom and Colleen

the beautiful bride!

my mom and my aunt Mary (mother of the bride)

Griffin and me

Lauren, me and Meredith

Pumpkin Fest!

This past weekend was the annual Pumpkin Fest down in Morton, Illinois.   Morton is the Pumpkin Capital of the world and you've never tasted true pumpkin ice cream until you've been to the Pumpkin Fest (or our wedding!).  This year the weather was perfect and we were all there to enjoy the weekend.   Griffin and Marcus ran the 10k run Saturday morning then we all enjoyed the pumpkin pancake breakfast and parade afterwards.   Our sweet niece Sydney had a ball at the festival.   She went on lots of rides and got plenty of candy at the Parade - and we all enjoyed watching her experience the joys of the Festival.  We are already looking forward to next year's P-Fest!

Sydney anxiously waiting the opening of the rides for the day.

Lots of sausage cooking for the pancake breakfast

Our good friends' little girl, Maeve Parker - she's absolutely adorable!

Our other good friends' little guy, Moses Keen.  Also absolutely adorable!

Eric and Moses Keen - getting ready for the big Pumpkin Fest Parade

Kathy and Sydney at the parade

Griffin and Sydney sitting together at the parade

Sydney enjoying candy and looking out into the parade for more.

Sydney on the train ride

Sydney riding in the fire truck - she was very good at steering!

Sydney and Marcus on the merry-go-round

Sydney enjoying a big slice of pizza from Domino's

 

Sydney at Steak n Shake

Sydney giving her Uncle Griffin a kiss to wake him up.   We were playing Sleeping Beauty and Griffin was the perfect Sleeping Beauty!   :)

Our First Anniversary!

Over the weekend Griffin and I celebrated our first anniversary downtown Chicago.  It was the perfect weekend.   Our hotel was well located and the weather was absolutely beautiful.  We had drinks outside on a rooftop, got pedicures, walked everywhere, took an architectural boat tour, went to the top of the Sears Tower, and ate at some amazing restaurants.    

Saturday night we finally got to eat at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder!   It is a restaurant that had a spot on a Travel Channel episode on pizza about 3 years ago.   Ever since we saw it we have wanted to try it for ourselves.   This weekend we finally went and it was delicious!   They make a pizza pot pie which is different from any pizza we have tried before.   The wait was about an hour and a half - but it was well worth it!

We really enjoyed the boat tour as well.   We learned details and history about the buildings in Chicago that we never knew.   And the trip to the top of the Sears Tower was incredible!   I am not usually scared of heights but stepping out onto the plexi-glass box hanging from the 103rd story of the Sears Tower was scary.   And when the 7 year old boy next to me start jumping up and down - it was more than I could handle.   :)

Griffin and I have always had fun anniversaries - but this first one as a married couple was definitely my favorite.

Walking along the riverwalk

Behind Griffin are the Wrigley and Tribune buildings.  Both are beautiful but the Tribune Tower is one of Griffin's favorites

The famous Pizza Pot Pie (they serve it upside down)

Sunday brunch right on Michigan Avenue at the Grand Lux Cafe

Sears Tower from the river - if you look close enough you can see the plexi-glass ledges

Great shot of the double bridge (cars below & train on top)

O'Briens - one of the restaurants along the river walk that we ate at on Saturday

The boat tour went along the river and then out on to Lake Michigan

The view from Lake Michigan

On our way into the Sears Tower

A shot of Griffin's view looking down on to Wacker

Griffin stood on one ledge and I stood on the other (there are 3 and they are building a 4th).  We love this picture.   Really shows how amazing these ledges are - and scary!

A Fun Visit

Two weekends ago Meredith and the boys came to visit us in Milwaukee - it was such a fun weekend.   Those two boys are so cute and Griffin and I were excited to finally have a good chunk of time with them.   We went to the Betty Brinn Children's Museum and could have played there for hours!  The boys loved it all and we were so impressed with the different activities they could play.  We also got to play lots of "tennis" in the driveway with Jack and go to the park on Sunday.   Saturday night was great too - after the boys went to bed Griffin made the three of us margaritas and we watched a movie.  The perfect way to end a hectic day with two active boys at a children's museum.   :)

I wish they could have stayed longer - it was hard to say goodbye - but I am sure they'll come back soon for another visit.

Meredith has some good pictures from the weekend on her blog too:

http://mcguffage.blogspot.com/2009/08/road-trip-with-boys.html

Griffin spinning Jack in a tube at the museum

Jack fixing a tire at the museum

Jack checking under the hood now - he even added window washer fluid!

Matt working as a teller at the bank

Matt picking apples at the museum

We took the boys to Cranky Al's for donuts (and coffee for Meredith!) - Matt enjoying his big, glazed donut.   It took him awhile but he eventually finished it.

Jack always wanted to hold Griffin's hand when he crossed the street.    (I didn't get to hold his hand, but I did get to read him a couple books before bed time!)

Trying to take a picture with the boys - Matt didn't want to though

Matt jumping in front of the second picture - love that scrunchy face!

Finally a nice picture - but sadly no Matt.  Next time we'll get the 4 of us.