Day 791: June Through October Update

Rachel, Day by Day

I went to Wisconsin Dells with my family in September!

I realize I haven’t updated in a long time, so I thought I’d just give you the highlights over the past many months! Here you go.

June

• I got to hang out with Andrea and Kim.
• Steve visited us to watch a Blackhawks game.
• Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup and I watched with family!
• I went to the Blackhawks parade with Hannah and Sydney.
• We spent Scott’s 30th birthday in Normal. We ate crepes and went to Pub II with family!
• We celebrated Scott’s birthday by going to a Cubs vs. Cardinals game in St. Louis.

Cubs vs. Cardinals game for Scott’s birthday!

 July

• I hung out with Brendan, Anne, Kate, and Graham in Lisle.
• We got to hang out with the Koehlers in the Chicago suburbs!
• I got to hang out with Mel, Christina, and Brittany more often and see Grace! And…
• SCOTT AND I FOUND OUT WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!

Our baby announcement!

August

• We had our first baby ultrasound.
• Met my new cousin Duncan Keith. Got to see Champaign friends the same day, too!
• I went to a Cubs vs. Sox game at The Cell. Cubs won!

Our first ultrasound photo.

September

• Got to take my photo with the Stanley Cup!! Then later that night, I went to the Cubs game with Scott, my mom, and Ray!
• I went to Wisconsin Dells with family over Labor Day weekend.
• My friend Stephanie got married on September 12.
• Went to the Cubs game with Steve!
• Went to a Cuban restaurant in honor of my dad’s birthday. Scott accepted a new job offer, too!
• Went to the Apple n’ Pork Fest and saw Kendyl play soccer!
• Uncle John visited a few times!

Me and the Stanley Cup! We are BFFs!

Cubs game with Steve!!

October

• Cubs made it far in the playoffs. I’m proud of them!!
• FOUND OUT ON OCTOBER 31 WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!
• Buying a new house soon and we close soon.

There you go! And I’ll really try to update more often. Goodnight!

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Day 780: Arizona Trip

Rachel, Day by Day

A beautiful Arizona sunset.

Just a few weeks ago, I went on a little trip to Arizona to visit my cousin Kim and her husband Raymond! I had a blast. I went on the trip with Scott, my mom, Ray, Uncle John, Uncle Paul, and Sydney. We got in very late Wednesday night, so we didn’t do much besides go to bed soon after arriving. On Thursday, we walked around the downtown area of Arizona State University. It was a cool area with bars, restaurants, and shops, so we stopped at an outdoor bar for some appetizers. The mountains around there were gorgeous! Later that evening, we ate some Buffalo Wild Wings and headed to the Coyotes vs. Blackhawks hockey game! The majority of the people there were Blackhawks fans… it was amazing!

The gang before heading to the Blackhawks game.

The Blackhawks about to kick butt!

The Blackhawks ended up winning 2-1. They had a lot of shots on goal, so I’m surprised there weren’t more goals! I’m glad they won, though. We then hung out at Kim’s place for a while… Kim and I had some lemon martinis! 🙂

On Friday, we went to the Cubs game at Sloan Park! It was a beautiful day. Sadly the Cubs lost, but at least it’s just Spring Training.

At Sloan Park with Scott.

From left to right: Me, my mom, Sydney, and Kim. Go Cubs!

After the game, we went to a restaurant called Oregano’s pizza. It was delicious! We waited a while for a table, so Kim, Sydney, and Ray ended up running through the sprinklers. Silly! We then went to Baskin Robbins for some ice cream and played games at Kim’s house.

On Saturday, I hung out by Kim’s pool with my mom, Sydney, Uncle John, and Kim while the rest of the gang golfed. It was a relaxing afternoon! We dared Sydney to get into the pool even though the water was freezing… and she did it! I tried it, too. Wow, it was cold!

Sydney in the cold water!

I tried In-N-Out Burger at lunchtime for the first time ever, and it was really good! I haven’t had a hamburger in about six years, so I thought it was time to have one again. Later that evening, we went to Rustler’s Rooste for dinner and I had some really good salmon. The view there was amazing. Here it is!

Beautiful view of Arizona.

After dinner, we played some games and had lemon martinis for our last night of vacation. Sunday ended up being a really long day full of canceled and delayed flights. We were originally supposed to get home early afternoon, but it ended up being around 9:30 p.m. Yikes!

I had an amazing time with my wonderful family!!

Day 746: Year in Review

Rachel, Day by Day

Our first wedding anniversary. 🙂

2014 was a great year! There were many great times with family and friends and I have so much to be thankful for. Time really has flown by and I can’t believe 2014 is almost over. From family gatherings on weekends to a trip to Las Vegas, we did a lot this year! 2014 ending makes me sad in a way. The majority of the year had great times, but there were also some tough times, too. But, I had Scott, family, and friends by my side, which has always been a great feeling. I don’t know what I’d do without them! I am one of the luckiest girls in the world.

Here’s a list of the highlights from 2014 for you!

• Last New Years Eve: We rang in the New Year at Medici and Maggie Miley’s.
• I started the Double Take project, but sort of neglected it. Sorry!
• Kate, Graham, Steve, and Jillian visited to watch a Blackhawks game in January.
• I needed two fillings, my first fillings ever!
• My family visited in January and we went to Carl’s ice cream!
• Ate at Biaggi’s with Scott for Valentine’s Day.
• Went to the Bloomington Thunder game in February with family and met Tony Esposito!

Uncle John meeting Tony Esposito!

• Celebrated Soleman’s birthday at Kings and Park Tavern in Rosemont in March.
• Elmhurst St. Patrick’s Day parade in March.
• St. Patrick’s Day parade in Normal and threw a little party!
• Met Grant Bitzer. He’s such a cutie!
• Attended the Going Away Party for my cousins Matt and Jackie. (They moved to North Carolina.)
• Fancy happy hours!
• Got together with college friends and their husbands in April. Went to Claim Jumper and Beer House.
• Spent Easter weekend with my family. We colored eggs and ate brunch at Drury Lane.
• The ending to How I Met Your Mother was awful. Ugh.
• Spent our first wedding anniversary in Chicago!
• Went to Cubs vs. Cardinals game in the bleachers at Wrigley. Cubs won!

Ready to watch the Cubs win!

• Spent Mother’s Day weekend with my mom! Went to McCormick and Schmick’s for dinner.
• Chicago Blackhawks made it to the playoffs but lost. I’m still proud of them!
• Had a Memorial Day BBQ at our house with my family and Scott’s family.
• Met Trgyve, my friend Kim’s baby!
• Cornbelters vs. Bandits baseball game and got to see Soleman.
• Went to Caden’s baseball game and Kendyl’s soccer game.
• Jeff’s 60th birthday party!

Celebrating Jeff’s (Scott’s dad’s) 60th birthday on a beautiful day.

• Scott’s birthday: Went to Pub II and had family over for dessert.
• Saw Jimmy Buffett in Tinley Park!

The gang tailgating before the Jimmy Buffet concert!

• Went to Caden and Kendyl’s birthday parties.
• July 4th party at family friend’s house.
• My birthday: Went out with Brendan and Anne for pizza. Had dessert back at our place, too!
• Went to a Bandits softball game.
• Blackhawks Convention!

Got to love Toews and Kane!

• Went to Christina’s baby shower and Anne’s bridal shower.
• Cracker concert with Kate and Graham.
• ALS ice bucket challenge. Yes, I did it twice.
• Barbecue with friends at our house.
• Met beautiful little Grace in August!
• Vacation: Went to Wisconsin Dells over Labor Day weekend.

Hanging out in Wisconsin Dells.

• Celebrated Grandpa’s 87th birthday.
• Anne’s bachelorette party in Chicago!
• Laura and Tyler’s wedding in September.
• My 10 Year Reunion. Yikes!
• Anne and Ted’s wedding!

A bunch of awesome ladies at Anne’s wedding!

Vacation: Las Vegas for Ray’s 30th birthday!

The family together in Las Vegas for Ray’s 30th!

 

• Carved pumpkins in October.
• Went out for Halloween. Scott was a ninja turtle and I was Captain America!
• Sydney was in the musical Annie Get Your Gun.
• Started my new job in November!
• Thanksgiving at my mom’s house.
• Movie nights with Mickey.

Hanging out with Mickey! I love this guy!

• Mom’s 60th birthday celebration at McCormick and Schmick’s.
• Spent day in Chicago seeing the Christkindlmarket and Wrigley Field.
• U.S. and Cuba relations will be better soon, thanks to Obama!
• Spent Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Scott’s family.
• Went to Brookfield Zoo.
• Movies I saw for the first time: The Hulk, Man of Steel, The Illusionist, Hoop Dreams, Saving Mr. Banks, Gone Girl, Interstellar, Bull Durham, The Godfather, and probably more

Sorry, that was a long list! The toughest part of this year was losing my Aunt Carol in August. She was a very caring a special woman and I’m still having a hard time without her. I can’t imagine how her children, grandchildren, and husband must be feeling. But, we have definitely been there for each other through this difficult time. I miss her so much. It really hurts sometimes.

One great thing I was able to accomplish this year was that I finished scanning all of my mom and dad’s old photos. This project took years, and I’m finally done! I’m so glad we have all of them as digital copies. I should make 1,000 copies, just in case!

Overall, this year was a good one. I have so many wonderful people in my life and I’m glad I got to spend time with them. There were some changes this year, but I think they are for the better. I can’t wait to see what will happen in 2015! I think it will be a good year, too, especially since I have Scott and great family and friends to make memories with. Goodbye 2014, and welcome 2015!

Day 739: Thanksgiving

Rachel, Day by Day

Right before the Turkey Trot!

Yikes, I’m behind! Thanksgiving was almost a month ago, but here’s a post on the holiday for you.

Scott and I started out Thanksgiving walking the Turkey Trot in the morning. It was freezing, but we really wanted to do it! At least the sun was out; it was pretty windy, though. Jim Cornelison sang the Star-Spangled Banner before we took off, which was pretty cool. I yelled “Go Hawks!” when he was done. Anyway, the trot was fun! I hadn’t been on the newer route yet, but it went all through downtown Elmhurst. There are a lot of stores and restaurants I didn’t know about! Maybe I should actually hang out in my hometown sometime.

After the Turkey Trot, Scott and I had bloody Marys in the tent and warmed up. I’m not sure if I’m a huge fan of the drink, but once a year is good for me!

My mom threw Thanksgiving this year, so my cousins, their kids, my two uncles, my grandpa, my mom, and my brother all showed up for the occasion. We ate some appetizers and then ate the main meal, which consisted of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and rolls. Yum! I should make stuffing more often. We also Skyped with my cousin Matt for a bit since he and his wife Jackie live in North Carolina now. They told us big news… they are expecting a baby next year! That’s exciting. It was fun hanging out with my family again!

Also in November, I saw my cousin Sydney in a musical! It was Annie Get Your Gun. I’ve never seen it before, but I really liked it! It was funnier than I thought I would be. The girl who played Annie had a great voice and played the role perfectly. Sydney did a great job, too! Here’s a photo of her:

Sydney is in the middle in this photo.

I love seeing Sydney in all these plays and musicals. I hope she is able to pursue this later in life!

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Day 732: Best/Worst of the Week

Rachel, Day by Day

Gouda Mac and Cheese. Mmmmm.

Here’s the worst and the best for you! I swear I’ll update my blog soon with other things.

Worst
1. I have a cough.
2. It’s getting cold outside.
3. It’s dark at 4:30 p.m. now!
4. Patrick Sharp on the Blackhawks got hurt!
5. I’m getting Jamberry Nail Party invites almost every week.

Best
1. I went to happy hour with friends.
2. I went out with the ladies to Tony Roma’s restaurant.
3. Scott’s grandpa’s turned 85 this week!
4. I read this article about Tom Hiddleston (I love him): http://www.buzzfeed.com/jennaguillaume/reasons-tom-hiddleston-will-ruin-you-for-life?bffb&utm_term=4ldqphz#4ldqphz
5. I get to see Sydney in a play this weekend!

Have a good weekend!

Day 727: Las Vegas

Rachel, Day by Day

Last weekend, I spent a few days in Las Vegas for my brother’s 30th birthday! He ended up getting a big group to go for the occasion (click here for my recent post with the group photo). There ended up being 20 of us, both friends and family. Ray was really happy! Here’s a group family photo for you:

Some of my wonderful family members!

We did a lot over just a few days! My younger cousin Sydney had never been to Las Vegas before, so we took her around to many of the sites and hotels. We saw the Bellagio water fountain show, the Caesar’s Palace Fall of Atlantis show, and the volcano show at The Mirage.

The ladies in front of the Bellagio. From left to right: Sydney, Heather (my sister), me, my mom, and Michelle (my sister).

We also spent some time at the pool; it was nice laying out in 80-degree weather and swimming outside in a pool again. We ended up playing some beach volleyball for a while, too. That was fun; I haven’t played regular volleyball in years! My arms and wrists were hurting a bit later, but that’s OK.

For Ray’s actual birthday, we all went out to dinner at The Flamingo buffet. It was really good, but I ate too much! That’s what usually happens on vacation. Of course we all gambled a bit while out there, but I didn’t do too well. The slots didn’t like me! I didn’t lose much, maybe $50 overall. I can live with that. I played Blackjack for a while with my mom, Ray, Scott, and their friend Brian. I ended up winning there! I didn’t gamble too much, which was probably good!

Here are a few more photos for you:

From left to right: Me, Ray, and Uncle John.

Scott and me by New York New York.

So, guess who we ran into at the Las Vegas airport before heading home? Scottie Pippen! Scott and Brian ended up getting their photo with him, too. He was about to board his airplane, so he wasn’t there for very long. He looks the same from when he played for The Bulls in the 90s. I can’t believe that! I definitely recognized him. That was our celebrity siting for the weekend!

I had an amazing time seeing friends and family. It was definitely hard saying goodbye to my sisters since I don’t see them often. Michelle might be visiting soon, though! I hope Ray had a wonderful 30th birthday; he definitely deserves it. It was great seeing the amount of people who came to celebrate with him. He is truly a wonderful man and brother!

Day 725: Best/Worst of the Week

Rachel, Day by Day

The whole gang in Las Vegas for Ray’s 30th birthday!

It’s been a fun and eventful week! Here’s the worst and the best of it for me.

Worst
1. I spilled some perfume on my pants. They smelled nice, but way too strong!
2. I had a very hard time breathing at one point on Thursday. Stupid asthma.
3. I had to miss Grace’s christening. Sad.
4. I watched an episode of Walking Dead this week. It was way too graphic for me. I felt sick!
5. Coming back to 50-degree weather after a short vacation. Ugh.

Best
1. Spent a few days in Las Vegas with friends and family for Ray’s 30th birthday!
2. Saw Scottie Pippin at the Las Vegas airport.
3. Seeing the leaves on the trees change into beautiful colors.
4. Got to see Grace again!
5. I won’t have to watch a certain MLB team (*cough* Cardinals *cough*) play baseball anymore.

Enjoy your weekend!

Day 709: My Wonderful Aunt

Rachel, Day by Day

Aunt Carol and me in 2005.

My family and I lost a wonderful woman last month: my wonderful Aunt Carol (see above photo of her and me). It’s hard to put into words how much she truly meant to me, but I’ll try. She was honestly one of the most kind, caring, and loving people I’ve ever met in my life. She never had a bad thing to say about anyone. She was there with me at birthday parties, vacations, random family game nights, graduations, and so on. She even visited me a few times when I moved away after college. Here we are in 1992 as she is trying to show me how to use the Skip-It:

Aunt Carol showing me how to use the Skip-It in 1992.

My favorite times with Aunt Carol were the random game nights. We’d all go out to dinner and then play some sort of board or card game afterward. She loved to sing, so we’d randomly break into song as we played the games. It always made me laugh. Here are a few more photos of some good times together:

My brother’s first communion in 1993.

My confirmation in 2000.

My high school graduation in 2004.

My Aunt Carol loved to dance, which are some of my favorite memories with her. I remember dancing with her on a cruise, just the two of us. I was embarrassed to dance by myself, so she went with me! She was always on the dance floor at weddings, too. We made her do some silly things in her lifetime, including this moment below:

Hanging out at Curtis Orchard in 2008.

When planning my wedding, Aunt Carol helped me out a lot and loved being involved. I got many e-mails from her checking in on things and she always mentioned how excited she was. She even wrote this on our wedding website: Rachel and Scott I am so very happy for you both. It’s a very special blessing to find the true love and the person with whom you can share your life. Remember to enjoy the next 582 days. Rachel and Scott I love you both and wish you all Gods happiness and blessings.

Here’s one of our last photos together:

Right before my bridal shower in 2013. From left to right: Sydney, me, my mom, and Aunt Carol.

As sad as we are right now, I feel lucky to have so many wonderful memories with her. She always put others before herself and showed me the true meaning of kindness. It’ll be difficult not to hear that sweet voice, but I know she will be watching over me and my family, as she always did while here on this earth. I love you, Aunt Carol, and you’ll be in my heart always.

Day 706: Blackhawks Convention

Rachel, Day by Day

In July, I went to the Blackhawks Convention with my family! Above is a great photo of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Rocky Wirtz. They were talking on the radio and we were standing in a good spot to hear them! It was a good weekend in Chicago full of Blackhawks fun. Here’s a few photos of us eating food at Kitty O’Sheas:

On Friday night, we went to a funny Second City show featuring some of the Blackhawks (Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Corey Crawford). It was hilarious! Kane played a cop in one of the skits and they tried to add some Blackhawk-specific jokes, too. Some of the players are pretty funny! Here’s another photo for you:

On Saturday, we went to a few seminars and ended up getting a few autographs! I got to meet Tony Esposito again and Ray met Ben Smith. Both Scott and Sydney got to meet Bryan Bickell, too. More photos!

Ray meeting Ben Smith.

Sydney meeting Bryan Bickell.

On Saturday night, we went out to a very nice restaurant called Bandera. It’s along Michigan Avenue, so we had a cool view of the street. The food was delicious! Here’s a group photo of us before going out:

There was also a live band at the restaurant. I would definitely go back. I think I love food too much! After dinner, we decided to walk home since it was a beautiful night. I took too many photos on the way home, including this one!

I love taking photos of the river! We stopped at Millennium Park and saw the many people running around in the water. I love Chicago! It was a great convention.

Day 672: Year in Review

Rachel, Day by Day

The best day of my year! Our wedding day on April 27, 2013.

This year has been utterly amazing. I’m having a hard time putting it into words. These past 365 days have been full of so much love and happiness and I am grateful for every moment. Scott and I have so much to be thankful for; we have wonderful friends and family that have been with us this year and our whole lives.

We did so many things this year and saw some cool places. Instead of writing a paragraph about every single thing, I decided to just make one giant list and put some photos in between some text. When I went through this list, I was in shock. We did all this in one year??  It’s been an amazing journey!

My Year in Review: 2013

• Last New Years Eve: Went out to dinner for Uncle John’s birthday and then to Christina’s party.
• Brendan and Anne visited in January.
• Trip to Springfield in February with Scott (see photo).

• Double dates with Anne and Drew.
• Scott’s grandparent’s 65th anniversary party.
• Bridal Shower with Scott’s family and friends in Bloomington (February).
• Bridal Shower with my family and friends at Brio Tuscan Grill in Lombard.
• Caroline Lou (my new cousin) born on February 14.
• St. Patrick’s Day parades in Elmhurst and Normal.
• Myles Thomas (my new cousin) born on March 12.
• Shopping day with Sydney at Woodfield and went to Red Robin for dinner.
• Easter weekend: Made bunny cakes, had a scavenger hunt, and dyed eggs (see photo).

• Bachelorette party in Champaign (hung out at Kate’s, went to Boltini and C Street).
• Bachelorette party in Naperville (got our nails done, had dinner, danced and drank at BlackFinn).
• Went to Rosie’s with Granny, Maggie, Ashley, Barb, and Stacie to celebrate!
• Rehearsal and dinner for our wedding at Maggiano’s.
• Our wedding on April 27, 2013 (see photo). (This bullet point deserves to be in bold!)
  

• Vacation: Our honeymoon at Excellence Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (see photo).

• Maggie’s graduation and party.
• Saw West Side Story musical in Peoria with Scott.
• Went to Arlington Racetrack with family friends and won a little money!
• Vacation: Miami Beach in June with Melissa, Brittany, and Christina (see photo).

• Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup on June 24! We watched it at Esquire with Steve and Jillian!
• Scott’s birthday party in our man cave with friends and family.
• My mom, my grandpa, Ray, and Uncle John visited July 4th weekend!
• Vacation: Went to St. Paul, Minnesota with my mom and Ray for John’s wedding. We went to Mall of America, too (see photo)!

• Christina visited me in Normal. We went out to dinner, mini golfed, and rode bumper boats.
• Went to Shakespeare Festival with Scott in August. We had a picnic and saw Comedy of Errors!
• Blackhawks Convention in Chicago. I met Andrew Shaw and saw the Stanley Cup (see photo)!

• Went to County Fair with Scott’s family. I got to hold a rabbit!
• Fancy happy hour at Boltini when Anne moved away (see photo). 😦

• Went to Cubs vs. Cardinals game with Scott and Jeremie at Busch Stadium. Cubs lost. 😦
• Vacation: Went to Wisconsin Dells in August with my mom, Ray, Grandpa, Uncle John, and Scott (see photo)!

• Vacation: Went to Milwaukee in September with Brendan, Anne, Graham, and Kate (see photo)!

• Celebrated my grandpa’s 86th birthday in September at my mom’s house.
• I started my Double Takes project in September. I’m loving it so far!
• I saw a meteor on my way to work on September 26!
• Went to Becky (Scott’s cousin) and Angie’s wedding (see photo).

• Melissa and Larry visited us in town! I now love Settlers of Catan.
• Golfed 9 holes for Ray’s birthday and went to Emilio’s for dinner with family (see photo).

• Halloween: Scott and I dressed up as Mario and Luigi and went out with Liz, Jillian, Graham, and Kate. Graham performed at the bar (see photo)!

• Carved pumpkins with Scott’s family!
• Went to Alli and Jake’s wedding.
• Scott and I stopped in Dublin, Ireland on our way to Paris.
• Vacation: Scott and I went to Paris, France and spent time with Renée and Chris (see photo)!

• Went shopping with Melissa, Christina, and Melissa and ate at Mago Grill.
• Spent Christmas Eve with my family.
• Spent Christmas day with Scott’s family.
• Got to see my friend Kim at her baby shower. My friend Andrea is pregnant, too!
• I fell in love with Tom Hiddleston this year.
• New Years Eve… stay tuned!

As I mentioned earlier, this year was incredible and one of the best in my life. There have been so many awesome changes in my life this year; I’m not sure if I want 2013 to end! I can’t believe I went on six vacations in one year! Scott and I did so many fun things by ourselves and with family and friends. Thank you all for an outstanding 2013 and I can’t wait to see what happens in 2014!