Make-shift Table!

Someday we will have a real table - but until then, this will do!!

Now That's Flattery!

One of the magazines I subscribe to is Shape magazine. One day Scooter pointed to the girl on the front and said "Mommy!" I can't even remember who was on the cover, but I remember looking at it and thinking, Oh - she's pretty! It was very flattering! However, I'm not sure if I can trust Scooter's opinion - because a few days ago he was sitting on my lap and he saw a picture of me, pointed at it and said "Monkey!" Hmmmm....

Food tastes better on these plates!

I first saw these plates at the store a few years ago - and I totally fell in love with them!
I love that they are square, and I love the design on them! I wanted to get them for a while - but we already have plates/bowls that we got at our wedding - and it just seemed silly to buy them when we didn't really need them! But Ryan and Scooter surprised me with these plates for Mothers day this year! YAY!!!!!!! I was so excited. Every day seriously feels like a special occasion because these plates are just so pretty! And I didn't think the taste of food was affected by the plates you serve it on - but it is! Food does taste better on these plates!! Or maybe it just tastes better because Ryan has been the one cooking lately... Hmmmm....

Anywho- I am really enjoying the new plates, and I'm grateful for such a thoughtful hubby and little boy!!

Congratulations Alli & James!!

We had a great time visiting Missouri for Alli & James' wedding! Family get togethers are so fun!

Here is Scooter on the plane on the way to Missouri. It was kind of a crazy morning. Our plane was delayed- so we were going to miss our connection in Denver, so we ended up going through Chicago instead. Katie & Steven arrived at the airport earlier than we did, so they were able to catch an earlier flight through Denver & then on to Springfield. I was sad that we couldn't all be on the same flight, but it was fun to be back in Chicago - even only for an hour! Now if only the airport had a Giordanos...sigh!
Happy happy! He did really well flying - it was a bit long for him to be confined to a small space, but he still did really well! And I had fun sitting by him - I've never had so much room on an airplane before! Next time I should let Ry sit by Scooter!!

Yay! Taking a ride on the riding lawn mower at Gramma Gramma Grampas house! (Scooter kept calling Grandma & Grandpa that while we were there: Gramma Gramma Grampa!). He was a little uncertain at first, as you can tell by his scowl, but then he loved it! The next day Grampa took him for a ride, and when he went inside, Scooter followed him inside & said "More lawn mower!"
Picking strawberries in the garden with Gramma Gramma.
Such a good helper!
Washing & eating the yummy strawberries! Gramma told him he could have as many as he wanted, since he helped to pick them!
At the tux place - trying on Scooter's tux for the wedding. This picture cracked me up because of my face - it looks like I'm concentrating so hard to get his shoes on!
What a handsome little boy!
At the rehearsal dinner on Thursday night. We ate at Umi's - where James works. Wow was the food good! Ry had several rolls of sushi and I had salmon. Everything was so good! Scooter really liked the miso soup and the rice! Here he is eating with dad's chopsticks! (or should I say with "Ry's" chopsticks?! This whole week Scooter has been calling his daddy "Ry!" It is so funny! He will call out "Ry!" when he wants Ryan's attention, and he will say "Help me Ry... Hi Ry!...etc. So funny!)
Yay - family picture!
Hanging out with Alli at the restaurant.

Sitting in the window with Annabell at Gramma Gramma Grampas. Scooter called the kitty "Wuffy" the whole time we were there! (That's the name of my mom's cat!) And towards the end of the week, Annabell decided that he was okay! He really loved seeing the kitty, Sammy (Gramma & Grampas dog) and Kobe - Alli & Jame's puppy.
The Wedding Day!
Steven helping Scooter get his pants on! So nice! I just have to say that Katie & Steven are moving at the end of this week & we're really sad about that! We're happy for them & happy that he'll be able to go to school, but we are really going to miss having them so close!!
At the wedding! The wedding & reception/dinner were at this really quaint (I just don't know another word to describe it, it was a really cute place!!) little place called Ms. Gillmores. The wedding was outside and then the dinner/reception were inside. Alli of course looked beautiful!! She & James both looked so happy! Here are James, Alli, Barb & Jeff.
I just thougth this was a cute picture! Katelynn & the photographer helping Alli with her dress.
Ryan, Alli & Matt.
Giving Alli a kiss! We saw her getting ready at Gramma & Grampas house earlier, and scooter saw her & said "Pretty!"
My two handsome boys! Too bad (for me!) that Ryan didn't have to wear a tux too...
Walking up the aisle with Daddy & the flower girl. Derek was the ring bearer! I didn't get a good pic of Alli & Jeff walking up the aisle - but lots of other people took pictures, so maybe I can snag one of those to put on here!
The dinner! At the table: Katelynn, Steven, Uncle Jonny, Unlce Rick, Matt, Katie & Baby Miyake(he's the one in the cute belly!!). I should have taken more shots of the room, so everyone could see how quaint it is! But this picture shows some of it! (They had a swing out back like the ones you see in the movies! It was kind of big -2 people can sit on it- & attached to tree branches really high up... does that make any sense? Anywho- I want a swing like that!!)
Ry & Scooter. He was such a trooper on the wedding day! He didn't have a nap, but he was still really happy all day!
He fell asleep when we were driving back to Gramma & Grampas house, and he ended up sleeping in his tux shirt because he didn't wake up when we brought him in the house! The next day, Sunday, we were leaving to come home. We packed up, had a yummy lunch and gave hugs to everyone & then headed to the airport. We were sad to say goodbye- that is always the hardest part!
At the airport we hung out & talked. Katelynn, Steven & Uncle Rick were all on the same flight as us! And Grampa was going on a different flight to LA (for work) so he was there to visit for a while too! When we were about to board our flight they told us that there were no planes coming in or going out of Denver (hmm... kind of like Willy Wonkas chocolate factory...) because of bad weather, so we were going to be delayed for a while. I decided to take Scooter for a "walk" in the stroller - in hopes that he would have a nap. And he did! He even stayed asleep when I picked him up out of the stroller to board the plane. He slept for a while, and when he woke up we had some snacks (provided by us, of course! ha ha!) and colored some pictures. We were starting to descend and we were talking about how we would spend our layover time & other things when... Poor Scooter boy threw up all over both of us. Poor babe! He was crying & I was trying to stay calm & wipe us both up. He saw that throw up got all over Puppy (he sleeps with puppy every night & he often comes with us wherever we're going!), and that made him so sad. I told him that puppy would be ok, that we could clean him up & us. I was asking if he was ok, and he said "Scooter, ok." We got cleaned up the best that we could - thank goodness for baby wipes! Then after we landed & everyone else got off the plane, we headed out too. I was so, so grateful that we were in an airport that was big enough to have stores! Scooter & I both needed to look for a change of clothes - so we checked the board & found out we had 3 hours to buy some clothes & get some food. Scooter wasn't acting like he felt sick, so we just assumed it was something with the plane because it was kind of bumpy coming down. I was able to buy a shirt & some sweat pants (I contemplated just "toughing it out" in my dirty clothes, but only for about a second! It really was all over both of us!), and we couldn't find any pants for scooter - but we bought him a long shirt. We both got cleaned up (Thanks so much for your help Katelynn!!!) and then we got some food. (just a side note - I totally felt like someone in a movie- buying clothes & changing in an airport bathroom - made me feel like I could be "on the run" or hiding from someone... do I have an over active imagination?!) Then we waited & tried to keep Scooter entertained. Then it was time to board our flight home. I made sure we had one of those little "sick bags" at our seat this time, just in case! Scooter & I watched Harry Potter on this flight (he loves Dobby!) and everything went well... until we were descending again - and Scooter threw up again. Luckily, we got some of it in the bag this time. It was so wierd because it was almost the same time in both flights that he threw up. It didn't get on us as much this time -so we just wiped up the best we could & made our way to the baggage claim. We got our bags, changed Scooter into his jammies & got a ride home from my Dad & Myke. We really thougth it was just something wierd on the flight - but he threw up a few times the next day, so we think he might have had some kind of bug. He's such a trooper though - every time after he threw up he would say to me "Scooter ok." He's so sweet!! That night when we got home we ended up putting Puppy in the washer. It was crazy how worried Ryan & I both were about Puppy - we know how much Scooter loves that little stuffed dog & we were worried that the washer might ruin him. He came out just fine, though! (Thank goodness!!!) - And the wash not only got rid of the smell, it got rid of some other dirt & stains too!

Book Club & Traveling

We met for book club this past Friday - and as usual had a lot of fun! This month we read "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is one of my Favorite books - and one that I think everyone should read! The main character has such a fun "voice." She is very sarcastic, without being cynical. It is really well written and I just love how throughout the book she learns that she can speak up for herself! In the beginning of the book the main character is just starting high school - and all of her friends are mad at her about something that happened over the summer. But no one knows what really happened - and Melinda doesn't even want to think about it. I think this review says it perfectly: "An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last." It is a really, really good book - and I have it if anyone wants to borrow it!

Also - we are looking forward to going to Missouri tomorrow. Alli's wedding is on Saturday, so we're really happy we get to be there! We are hoping that traveling goes as well this time as it did last time!! :)