Taft and Bobby

Happenings

2010-03-25T14:05:00.004-05:00

Yesterday when Taft came home from work, he greeted me with his usual kiss, and asked me if my hair was wet. It wasn't. Just greasy, or as my esthetics teacher liked to say, greazy. I suddenly felt like that scene out of 'Baby Mama.'

"Is that poop or chocolate?"

-insert taste test-

"Chocolate!"

Only I would have been the poop child.

So I showered.

Why was I even more unshowered than usual? The babe has been sick AGAIN! This week it was days and days of 102-103 temp and overall grouchers.

A wicked fever, rash, and a little webMD later, turns out the wee one had Roseola. lame. Did you know when your baby gets a really high fever, they can have a febril seizure (jude didn't, I just know because it's a risk you run when you catch a bad-a virus like roseola)? And I quote,

"The seizure may last only a few seconds or 15 (very long) minutes. (If it lasts longer than a few minutes, call 911.)"

Are you kidding me? Who is going to watch their baby have a seizure for a FEW minutes before they call 911? Who writes this stuff? Babyless monsters?

Enough with the questions, time to disinfect my house.

2010-02-14T10:17:00.002-06:00

I am in love with 2 very special men.

3 months later. . .

2010-01-28T20:36:00.006-06:00

I'm not going to acknowledge the fact that is has officially been over 3 months since my last post. It's not for lack of pictures, mind you. Jude is 6 1/2 months old, and we have over 3,000. Taft started a blog just for Jude, so I haven't really felt the pressure to keep this one up. I'll catch up, but I'm only going to try this one month at a time. So here's November.

It seems kind of pointless to do this post when it's just pictures of Jude and he has a blog for that. just let me catch up, and I'll move on.

2009-10-27T13:30:00.005-05:00

2009-10-27T13:16:00.002-05:00

Good grief am i a slacker on this blog. It's been a hell of a week, and I reserve the right to use that word because yesterday was harder than labor pains. only emotionally. jude caught a little cold a couple of weeks ago so he was back next to our bed, and often in our bed (i love me some family bed sharing after 5 a.m.). then last week we had visitors for a few nights. I love having visitors, i just feel stressed to keep jude quiet. thus, any squeak i hear get some milk action, you know? before i know it, jude thinks he can wake up every 45 minutes expecting to be rocked constantly and never put down. what happened to the little angel that was sleeping 7 hours a night???

thus, yesterday began our sleep training regimen. "cry it out" as they call it. more like "rip it out," as in my heart. taft wouldn't let me start it when he was home, so i waited for judes first nap while taft was at work. the book says to only let them cry for an hour. i can do an hour, i hoped, as long as it works. if it works once, i can have faith in this barbaric method.

51 minutes. that's how long i sat there listening to screams. and then silence. . . for 20 minutes. dambnabit. all that work for a 20 minute nap?

40 minutes for the afternoon nap, then 25 minutes of silence.

15 minutes this morning, and 30 minutes of nap.

ladies, whats the deal? will these naps start to get longer? do i need to let him cry more when he first wakes up from the nap to see if he'll go back to sleep? when i go and get him he sleeps 2 hours on me. help.

p.s. will post some pictures after this depressing post.

2009-09-22T20:38:00.006-05:00

2009-09-06T21:24:00.003-05:00

Randoms

2009-09-03T22:32:00.007-05:00

These pictures are in backwards order. . . so older to younger.

nursing. . .

2009-08-08T10:01:00.002-05:00

ways to know you are newly nursing/sleepy mom-

tv commercial, "my daughter is going to middle school"

you hear, "my daughter is going to nipple school"

tv commercial, "it's the best!"

you hear, "it's the breast!"

It can be very confusing. . .

My New Life

2009-08-06T21:29:00.003-05:00

2 weeks ago. . .

2009-07-27T20:22:00.010-05:00

2 weeks ago Monday, my water broke at 8:15 in the morning. Quite the experience. . .

By 10:15 I was in the hospital.

At 1 they started the petosin. . .

I was a 'suffer in silence' kind of contraction girl. If I'm quiet, don't talk to me. But by 4, I was ready for the epidural.

From there it was smooth sailing until late that night. After 25 minutes of pushing. . .

I got to meet my son!

We spent the rest of Tuesday catching up on this (Taft caught up, I sat there thinking about what had just happened).

Wednesday we opted to go home instead of stay the second night.

I couldn't be more pleased with how everything went. We feel extremely lucky and blessed to have such a happy and healthy baby.

We have lots of catching up to do, but this picture sums up our life so far! We are just so in love!

Jude Taft Foster

2009-07-19T18:15:00.006-05:00

Jude Taft Foster

7.14.09

8 lb. 13 oz.

He is ours, but we are really his.

Still. . .

2009-07-11T19:37:00.002-05:00

Still LARGE and IN CHARGE here at the Foster house. At least I've had these little mamas to keep me busy and not obsess over the fact that I'm now overdue. Looks like Wednesday is my soonest chance to be induced. Jenny and the girls just left for Montana but my mom is here to keep me company. Guess I'll have lots of time to update the blog over the next few days!

*the girls came up with these baby bumps on their own

Mobile

2009-07-05T20:32:00.002-05:00

I have some fantastic (insert sarcasm there) news. Not only am I still pregnant, but my phone broke. And not only did my phone break, in order to replace it, I had to get a new number. A.W.E.S.O.M.E. Because that's exactly what I need the week I'm going to have a baby. I need everyone I know to NOT be able to get a hold of me. So to get to the point, here you go:

312-550-4156.

p.s. someday when i can put coherent sentences together again, i will update this blasted thing. luckily, i've just been too busy doing cool stuff to sit down and blog about it.

HELP!!!

2009-05-30T13:53:00.002-05:00

My sister will be here in 2 weeks! I've been searching craigslist for a reasonable priced queen or king sized mattress for them to use over the summer. I plan on just selling it back on craigslist in August when they leave. Anyone have one laying around that they want to make some money on? Keep your ears open for me!

A Moment of Clarity

2009-05-25T13:36:00.002-05:00

Aha! My brain has found it's way back to me- at least momentarily. That delicious salad was found here http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/03/my_most_favorite_salad_ever_ever_ever_ever/

A bit labor intensive, but ohhhh so worth it!

Utah Baby Shower

2009-05-24T19:25:00.003-05:00

So I've been a little M.I.A. lately. Busy life, out of town a few times, and visitors. So I'll start with April and work my way forward. I had my first baby shower at my parents house in Salt Lake. A special thanks to everyone that helped out! It was bird theme, which I loved, and turned out really cute.

Lets just start with a good one for L. This is her 'Dumb and Dumber' impression. She made these adorable birds to hang on a twig mobile for the baby. She's as crafty as they come.

She also painted these little bird houses to go with the dish clothes for party favors.

Love the toasted coconut bird nest cupcakes. . . I've been addicted to coconut ever since.

This salad belongs in a restaurant. My sister, Angie, found it on a blog. . . but I have pregnancy brain so I'll have to get back to you on that one. . . just know it was F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.

My momsie getting the food ready. It was a FEAST.

Some of the gang getting ready to play games.

Me with my pom-poms. I was pretty excited about the shower or something.

Jenny getting her famous memory game ready.

And the head honcho of the planning, L. If anyone ever needs a party planned, call her. She's professional.

Thanks for the great time, Ladies! It was perfect!

F+U+N=?

2009-05-02T13:24:00.003-05:00

These are just the sort of cool scraps of papers I find laying around the house. Don't ask.

But if you insist, I believe Taft is trying to calculate the distance to the sun.

For F-U-N. . .

O.M.G.

2009-04-30T15:32:00.002-05:00

Right now I'm thanking my lucky stars I'm having a boy.

Foster

2009-04-29T09:50:00.002-05:00

After 3 years of marriage, and almost one baby later, I finalized the deal and changed my last name. Thanks baby, you were my real motivation. With only ten weeks to go, I would prefer your birth certificate look like your parents were actually married.

I thought about scanning it and featuring the picture on Friday Faces, but for my dignity, I refrained. Let me just say, I look like a blob. I was hoping it was just a bad picture- that I really wasn't walking around looking like I belonged on 'The Biggest Loser,' but after seeing my baby shower pictures, this was no fluke. My face looks more pregnant than my belly.

That being said, baby shower pictures to come. . . After I photo shop half of my face out of them.

Easter Song

2009-04-14T18:27:00.003-05:00

Let me start by explaining this link. Last Easter, Taft and Austin spent about 6 hours goofing around on the guitar, and ended up with this. It's a good thing Easter only comes around once a year, because I needed those 365 days before I could listen to it again. So think 'Flight of the Conchords' with Taft as the lead singer, and Austin in the background.

http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music.popupplayer&songid=45783032&artid=3696793&albid=-1

I'm pretty sure Taft would want me to emphasis the part about them joking around- this is definitely not one of his serious songs.

Girls Trip

2009-03-27T15:22:00.005-05:00

This post is insanely late/long, but I'm just now getting pictures from my sister.

To make this seem shorter, I'm going to attempt to post in one total sentence.

These ladies started their trip with some spa treatments,

hit up my first ever boat tour,

thanked Mother Nature for decent weather,

let them experience true deep dish,

won these 2 'Wicked' tickets,

watched Jenny's 'Baby Mama' victory dance after her name was called,

explored this secret garden next to the Lincoln Park Zoo,

tried to use the swan shaped paddle boats, but they were closed,

and did a lot of SHOPPING.

And for you 'Friday Faces' viewing pleasure, a picture of Jenny and I that probably wouldn't normally make the cut.

Have a good weekend!

Friday Faces

2009-03-20T11:05:00.004-05:00

just because we are hot like that.

(believe it or not, we didn't take this picture ourselves)

St. Patty's

2009-03-18T13:52:00.004-05:00

My sister Angie called yesterday to remind me that I should probably post something in between my Friday faces posts. Good point. These pictures will be a lot more exciting for those of you that don't live in Chicago. I'm pretty sure this city celebrates bigger and better than most. This year we ventured out to the river dying- quite the event. Lets just say, when we first got there, the river was green enough that I asked if we had missed the boats. Was I ever wrong. You KNOW when the river has been dyed.

Friday Faces

2009-03-13T14:54:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking about doing this for a while now, and after a stimulating conversation about blogs at our weekly brunch, I decided Fridays are going to be special.

Blogs can be deceiving. Perfect pictures, perfect lives. Only about 1/10 of the pictures we take are even considered for the blog. And I think, that is so sad, because if we had the guts to take the picture, we should have the guts to let everyone see. My solution? Every Friday, I am going to put up a picture that normally wouldn't make the cut, for all of you to enjoy.

Now go ahead and feast on these beauts from my when my sister Lauren was here last October.

Calling all Chicagoans

2009-03-09T11:30:00.002-05:00

I'm just a little bit EXCITED about this post. But I need your help. My sister, her husband, and 3 kids are interning here this summer and I need to find them a place to sublease! I'm thinking a 2 bedroom un/furnished. . . as inexpensive as possible (since they will still be paying for their other apartment). I'm looking for anything from Wrigleyville, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, to Downtown. So PLEASE keep your ears open!!!

New post to come. . . with pictures other than these 3. . .

Friday

2009-02-27T14:34:00.003-06:00

This is Livvy. Livvy is wearing a homemade oatmeal mask. She is the only person I have given a facial to since graduating.

That is what I am doing right now- a facial. On myself. Because it's Friday. And I can. And Denna Carter's 'Strawberry Wine' is playing, and that just makes me want to pamper myself. Someday I will take a before and after picture.

So pamper yourself. I give you permission. Let your kids watch the tube for an hour and scrub your skin off (just please don't use apricot scrub or you will be taking that 'off' literally).

Christmas

2009-02-23T11:41:00.008-06:00

I know, it's almost March. I have been taking it really easy and I don't have much to show for myself.

We are going to play a game my blog knows well, catch up.

Christmas Catch Up, to be exact.

And a note to the fam, Taft and I didn't take any pictures over Christmas, so if you gave me photos, you're blogged, if you didn't, don't go saying I'm playing favorites- it's your fault.
(These are in no particular order and I'm too lazy to rearrange them)

'Diary of a Mad 3 Year Old'
Elise found a baby snowsuit and decided to run around the house like a crazy, but she didn't want anyone taking her pictures. Lauren jumped out and stole one, and I think Elise is going to eat her for it. The snowsuit looks like it could have been mine, but that is how we roll at our house.

Lauren and I worked all week to teach these two the 'Sisters' song from 'White Christmas' as a surprise present for their mom (it's her favorite). These gowns were created about 15 minutes before the surprise performance by your truly. . . L helped. It was such a hit! I couldn't have been more proud. They knew all the words and even had the coordinated dance moves to go with it!

P.S. If you make the picture big, you can check out the AWESOME present L made for our parents this year. It's the frame with all the of the grandkids silhouettes. She's pretty much the bomb, and made my giftcards look lame.

She acted like she didn't know any of the words until she got this magical ensemble on. Then she couldn't stop posing.

Sunday morning photo shoot. Claire feels really awkward smiling for pictures, so we tried putting marshmallows in her mouth to make it look like she was smiling. She hated it and we are cruel.

A lot of us went ice skating. This little lady is from L.A. and the only ice she knows is in her drink. Good thing she is so stubborn because every time she fell, she just kept getting back up and by the end, she was out on her own.

I know, I am a ghost. We went to see the Temple lights.

There were only a couple of families over on Christmas Eve, but we managed a nativity pretty well.

Christmas morning, Jenny's girls got these Sesame Streetish puppets. It was the highlight of my Christmas watching Livvy react to this monster. . . we are cruel.

This Christmas was probably my favorite. We kept things really simple and family oriented with the recession and economic situation. We really only did presents for the kids (and their favorites were my 3-d books from the dollar store!). It was so nice to sit home on Christmas Eve and wrap presents for the young ones while watching 'It's a wonderful life' with my dad. Usually the girls are running to the mall last minute to get presents.

After Utah, we got to spend some time with Taft's family in San Diego. Once again, no pictures, but it was so nice to go out and see everyone. It really made me miss the west coast. Insert tears here. Someday. . . Someday I will not be so cold.

Big Day

2009-02-15T16:36:00.004-06:00

Today is my husband's birthday. Taft is 26. What did he get for his birthday? A comic book, work clothes, and. . .

a BOY!!

speechless

2009-02-13T20:45:00.003-06:00

Who the H-E-Double hockey sticks thinks of this stuff? I don't think you could pay me enough to let you make a picture like this, let alone, pay for a picture like this. Unfortunately, I will be paying this company money to tell me the sex of my baby. . . So big post to come Sunday!

Am I crazy or fallin' in love?

2009-02-12T10:23:00.005-06:00

This post is dedicated to MY MAMASITA, who had me calling 'American Idol' literally 75 times during the finale to vote for little Archie. . . Guess I should have voted 76 times.

It is just great to see that same enthusiasm from Austin!

Great to see Archuleta is still wearing those signature graphic tees.

The kid in the green shirt is hating Austin right now.

Is it just me, or is Austin tanner than David? And the kid is still hating Austin.

The Bed

2009-02-09T12:12:00.002-06:00

We will chronicle this ride down memory lane from worst to best. Below, I give you the 'Living out of a Suitcase' phase of our life. We had 3 air mattresses before we finally gave in and got a bed. Nothing was worse than waking up at 2:30 in the morning on the hard wood floor due to a deflation.

Like the rug? NOT. This is what happens when I let Taft pick things out from Urban. I think my brother brought me home a backpack in the same pattern from his Guatemalan mission- at the ripe old age of 8 I had the sense to know it was fashion suicide but my mother made me use it for the next 2 years. That is what you get in a family of 7 kids.

Thank you Mom and Pop. They said if we let my sister use our car that was parked in their driveway, they would buy us a mattress. Once again, that is what you get in a family of 7 kids. We were in heaven!

I still want to paint the wrought iron a granny apple green, but I am satisfied for now. I also want to throw more pillows on there, just waiting for some fabric that I can't live without.

Where to Begin?!

2009-02-05T16:27:00.005-06:00

It has been a fabulous start to February! After a fantastic shower for Shana, we met up with Erin and Dave to complete a life long dream for the guys... A wing fest. Taft and I discovered 'House of Wing' last year and have been loyal patrons ever since. We knew we had to introduce Dave and are we ever glad we did. Who else would have been up to this challenge?

The party platter. It was a little daunting when Erin and I opened it, but I think we fared pretty well.

This picture is disgusting and I obviously have no shame because I am posting it. This is the COMMUNITY bone plate. Don't go getting any ideas that my appetite is back with that kind of vengence. Even with our buffalo wing hangover we managed to make it to church on time.

Ahhh, Quiltology, how I love thee. A million thanks to Mo for introducing me to this mecca. It is the cutest little fabric shop and the owner, Collete, could not be nicer. After I took Erin and Alex here, we knew we needed to get involved.

So we signed up for the next quilting class and had our first one on Tuesday night! We were so excited and it was a blast. I'm so glad I have a friend to take it with me. There is just something about the first day of school, or class, that is a little intimidating!

Erin will have to post a picture of her quilt when she is done. Her fabric is GORGEOUS and her quilt is going to be awesome. Mine. . .well I went for a kid quilt, the fabrics are a little more loud and not as matchy, so until I can see the finished product, the verdict is still out.

Erin was a master cutter. She went for 2 at a time! She was the only brave soul in the class to try it and she did great. . . I was jealous. . .

For the most exciting part of my week. . .

This little lady just decided to have a baby! And that stinkin' baby couldn't be any stinkin' cuter if she tried. I'm serious. You all know in your head that sometimes newborns can come out a little funky looking, and you're like, 'oh yea, uh-huh, ummmm, she's really cute. . .' cricket, cricket. Not this one- she is straight angel.

Well tomorrow will be the big bed reveal. . . I know, I know, try to calm yourself. I'm determined to make my husband set up the bed frame that has been sitting on our floor for the past 5 nights. My toes are tired of being stubbed twice a night for my bathroom runs in the dark. And I don't feel bad at all when it makes a huge crashing noise and a bad word slips out and jolts Taft out of his sleep.

This feels weird. . .

2009-01-29T16:24:00.002-06:00

I present to you. . . my new project! What can I say, it was L-O, L-O,LO-,L-O-V-E (is ashlee simpson singing in your head?. . .) at first sight. But this project will take every ounce of my patience as I quietly sit and wait to decide what color to paint/fabric it. Plus, the best news is that it's not just a desk! It's a. . . .

. . . .

. . . .?

changing table!!

Sorry if you get creeped out by ultrasound pictures- I know they aren't for everyone. But it just wouldn't be as dramatic without it! Yikes. . . it feels weird to be pregnant. I still feel like I'm 14 years old- I can't be a mom!

Well, it started off as shock (is that put delicately enough for you?), and then you start to convince yourself that you really are pregnant- I mean when else has your 5th bowl of 'Oh's' cereal and brushing your teeth induced vomiting? It never had for me! So you start to get used to the idea, even though you don't really 'feel' pregnant. And then you have an ultrasound, and you think, 'Okay. . .MAYBE I'm a LITTLE pregnant. . .'

So, I am 4 months pregnant today (17 weeks/July 9th). Hooray for the 2nd trimester! Minus the part where you haven't really popped yet so you REALLY look like you are gaining weight. Well, this is a lot of pregnancy talk. For the future, fear not. There will be no postings about "dream" nursery's, strollers, baby clothes, etc. . . I live in the real world with a dusty old apartment that has a view of naked people showering (literally- but I will save that story for another time, it's straight out of a 'friends' episode). I guess what I am saying is that it will feature more 'projects'.

P.S. When my belly does start to pop, please don't touch it (crazy street people included).

Come Out Meg- They're Ready!

2009-01-26T21:01:00.002-06:00

These have been on my mind the last couple weeks. They have been on my mind in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, and in my sleep- especially last night. I had been working on these little soft blocks so much it was all I could dream about. So while tossing and turning at 4 this morning, I promised myself I would finish them and rid myself of these monotonous dreams.

They may look a little crazy in the pictures, but they are pretty cute in real-life, if I do say so myself. What I love most about these little blocks are the textures. Some of the pictures have

3-d wings or ears, button eyes, and each block has a side covered in satiny soft ribbon tags of different lengths.

A, B, C's, but I guess you can read since your reading this blog so that was really pointless.

This dino is kinda freaky looking. I think it's because the teeth pop out. Now don't look too close at these when you get them Alex, I made plenty of mistakes. . . but thanks for letting me practice on you! It was really fun using up my old fat quarters. Now lets just hope this is some motivation for your babay.

3 day weekend update

2009-01-21T15:40:00.002-06:00

This weekend we had Andy and Alex over for a riveting game of blokus.

If you haven't played it before, you should. Doesn't it just look fun? And I'm not being sarcastic, those are genuine expressions.

The object of the game is to try and put all your tile down without getting blocked. Taft won with the green, then Andy with the yellow, Alex with the red, and I lost big time with the blue. It's funny because growing up, whenever I would play games, I liked losing because I didn't mind and that way nobody had to have their feelings hurt. Now, even when I try to win, I loose- so I guess I'll just keep telling myself I do it on purpose to spare other peoples feelings.

We finished the night off with this deliciousness. The bad thing about this dessert is that it is so compact, you can eat alot of it without even realizing. Also, it is probably the most caloricly dense dessert I have ever made. Did I mention it is totally worth it?

And just to tease you for upcoming events. . . We did go shopping this weekend and I do have a new bed. I love it. It is almost done. I can't wait to be able to post the after shot! We will finally be off the floor! Oh, and in case you are confused, we stick our bed into this little nook next to the closet. That way our room is alot more open and now Taft has room for a little studio. By studio I mean for music. A lot of people in Chicago don't know the depths of Taft's musicianary. You are missing out.

Jazzin' it up!

2009-01-16T10:34:00.002-06:00

A year and a half ago, Taft and I moved to Chicago with one suitcase, a guitar, and about 100 dollars in our bank account. We had never seen the apartment we were moving into, and had no idea what our neighborhood was going to be like. Luckily we were only in that first apartment for a month. . . but we think we hit the jackpot moving to Goldcoast. The second apartment we moved was definitely nothing fancy. It is often described as 'charmingly vintage' which I guess you could liken to character. I could never bring myself to buy the nice furniture I actually wanted. Why? First, we had no idea if we would be here any longer than a year, and I would rather get rid of any furniture we had than pay to move it. Second, after we moved into this apartment (with no furniture) we realized that the coat closet juts out in front of the door, making a normal couch impossible to fit through. Lastly, and MOST importantly, we wanted to pay off any debt we had. Good news! After living frugally and making the most of what we have, we are going into 2009 debt free!

Anyways, this is a longer post than I'm used to writing- gosh I'm liking all this time on my hands! Well with all this time I've been busting out the sewing machine and getting a little crafty.

This is what our old computer desk/chair from costco used to look like. Drumroll please. . .

Ta Dahhh! Yea still nothing too fancy, but maybe when it's not -14 outside I will do some spraypainting of some sort.

Yikes! Just looking at the old pictures of these brings back bad memories! Just look at those stains. . .

The best part? This wasn't just a mere staple gun feat, that fabric is tightly wrapped with an elastic hem on the bottom. So next time you come over for dinner and you happen to spill on the chair, don't sweat it! I can pop it off and throw it in the washer!

My next project is a bed. In that one suitcase of ours was a rolled up air mattress that we slept on for almost the whole first year. Then my parents were kind enough to trade us our dead car that had been sitting in their driveway this whole time, for a bed of our choice. Now I'm in love with our memory foam mattress, but would like to get it off the floor. Stay tuned for before and after pictures!

Catch Up Part 1

2009-01-14T11:13:00.002-06:00

You would think that with school over, I would be a little more on the ball with the blog. Not so much. But I will slowly try and play catch up. First- early December, Erin and I decided to treat Alex to a special night to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Meg (can't wait!). We did a little dinner at CPK- Alex's fav, a little 'Twilight' even though the other 2 cheated over Thanksgiving and saw it! And last but certainly not least- a sleepover at 'The Inn of Chicago' complete with a feast of grapes for Alex's poor gall stones! She was such a good sport. It was so fun staying up late and talking with these girls-I couldn't be luckier- and I can't wait for the next girls night! We hope you felt special Alex. You deserve it and we love you!

I Love you, I hate this

2008-11-13T18:37:00.002-06:00

I'm not even going to pretend to apologize for my lack of blogging. I just don't care anymore. I will care soon, just not for the next two weeks. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that has come in to get facials and support me. Anyone who still wants one- you have one week left. After next Friday, it's just finals and then freedom. I can't wait to reintroduce myself to the social world. . .

A Video from Austin

2008-10-05T20:11:00.004-05:00

We had a really fun weekend, but the batteries in our camera are dead, so that post will have to wait. Until then, I thought some of you might like to see this video that Austin's ward at BYU Hawaii made. He's having a great time out there.

Stereoscopes

2008-09-14T19:52:00.007-05:00

Austin introduced us to a cool way to see 3-D photographs or "stereoscopes". To make it work, click on a picture and then cross your eyes so that the pictures overlap. Focus your eyes when the overlapping pictures match up in the middle. At that point you should be looking at a 3-D picture. If you're having trouble getting it to work, try moving the picture further away from you (so it looks smaller). Don't get angry if you can't get it to work; not everyone can do it. Here are a few stereoscopes that Austin made when we were on vacation at Catalina Island, CA.

Redbull

2008-09-14T19:23:00.002-05:00

We attempted the redbull flugtag last weekend. Here are some of the 'flying machines' that they push into the water.

This is where they fly off into the water. I thought it was pretty overrated. You couldn't really see much, but it didn't seem to bother all the people below. From our beach (oak st.) all the way up to North Ave. people lined the waterfront.

Kinda Creepy

2008-08-12T20:38:00.002-05:00

So I'm the first to admit that this picture looks kiiiinda creepy, but just know that I did it on purpose. You gotta find some way to spice up getting three facials a week. Why not a kookie photo shoot?

But seriously, I LOOOVVVEEE the program I'm doing. They are long days, and my brain is usually fried when I get home, but it's exactly what I wanted.

Anyways, I won't bore you since this isn't a journal and you don't need to know all the details, but I will tell you that I am indeed alive, and will have more posts coming as soon as Taft and I get back from California. . . Also, once I get back, I will be taking 'clients' on Thursdays and Fridays, so talk to me, and you'll get an additional 50% off the already DIRT CHEAP prices- and I will try not to look so psycho. . .

2008-07-27T21:44:00.003-05:00

We love relaxing at Oak Street Beach! It's just a couple blocks from our apartment and it provides a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. They even plant palm trees here during the summer, so we can pretend like we're in the caribbean, not the midwest.

Taste

2008-07-13T20:01:00.005-05:00

Sorry all these posts are so late. . . I've been busy with school, which I will continue to procrastinate blogging about until later. Just know that I LOVE it. Anyways, for the weekend of the 4th, Taft took Thursday off in addition to having Friday off so that we could have one last mini-vaca before I sign my life away for the next 6 months. We opted for the much talked about 'Taste of Chicago'. I will let the pictures speak for themselves since I have some catching up to do.

Indeed the famous silver man took a break from his mag mile spot to make and appearance at the taste.

Things we did for our anniversary

2008-06-23T10:50:00.005-05:00

1. Taft tried to take me to a fancy restaurant but after we sat down and I looked at the menu, I asked him to take me somewhere else and he was nice enough to just walk out and not even give it a second thought. We ended up going out for Thai :).

2. Saturday we helped Nick and Kristin move, then raced over to the matinee showing of 'Jersey Boys' where we sat front and center. We found out there is a reason they sell those tickets for $25.oo. The stage was two feet in front of us and went two feet taller than us. We decided to make the best of it, sat back and tried to have really good posture. We were actually able to see most of the action and it wasn't a big deal because most of the play consists of the boys standing at the front of the stage singing. We really liked it, but be warned, it was not the family play we thought it was going to be. They dropped the F-Bomb like 15 times!

3. My favorite part of the weekend is the above picture. On our way home from the play we discovered this little lemonade stand at the 'Viagra Triangle' park right by our house. (it is called this because all of the bars and restaurants consist of men my dads age with their girlfriends that are my age. . .ewwww!). Anyways, this lemonade stand has the most AMAZING frozen lemonade. Not like the stuff that burns your throat. Homemade, perfectly mixed lemonade. Worth all 500 pennies.

4. Sunday we went to a 'Swedish festival' in Andersonville. It was fun, but I was hoping it would be a little more Swedish. Hence, Taft eating a Greek shish kabob and some impostor lemonade.

5. Sunday night, Taft and I went a really fun western mystery party. The host actually wrote it and is trying to get it published. It was the best mystery party I have been too, I was really impressed!

6. We were happy to postpone our anniversary for the weekend to have some time showing these guys around Chicago. My cousin Marion and her husband came and we were lucky enough to get them 'Wicked' tickets and enjoy their boys for a few hours.

Mini Cupcakes. . .that I stole

2008-06-09T10:06:00.003-05:00

I had been looking for a reason to make these cuties and primary was the perfect excuse. I saw them on a couple of different blogs, and the originator was recently featured on Martha. I will give you the link, but before I do, know that mine really don't compare to hers, and I realize that. If I was as talented as she was, I would have a much more exciting blog and be on Martha myself.

The outside is is covered in almond bark and white chocolate, and the inside is a red velvet cake mixed with cream cheese frosting. I won't give you all the details because she does a much better job- and has much better pictures.

If you do try these, hopefully you will have someone to help you with the dipping part. I thought it went ten times easier once I had Taft's help. It takes a lot of hands to dip and then get all the accessories on before the chocolate hardens.

And last but not least, the reason I know you are all still reading this entry. . . http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2008/05/cupcake-bites-made-easy.html

This will take you to the direct entry, but I do recommend bookmarking her blog, I love it!!

Catch Up

2008-06-06T14:51:00.002-05:00

We haven't taken alot of pictures lately, but here is a picture of Sam and I at a Memorial Day BBQ. He is thoroughly enjoying the frosting off the cupcakes.

In other news, I got a life!! I signed up for an esthetics's program and I couldn't be more excited! I start July 7th and will finish in early December. I'm going to need lots of volunteers while I'm at school so if you are willing to get pampered at a discount price. . . let me know!

Update

2008-05-18T20:58:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since a real post- forgive me. I was waiting for pictures from my Utah trip and dinner cruise, which was about a month ago. . .but in the mean time we have been busy.

We had to say 'see you later' to our friends Erin, Dave, and little RoyBoy. What better way to salute them than a good ole' fashioned bbq?

Unfortunately the guys were better at doing robot voices (which if you weren't aware, is the ONLY way to play MadGab) and they kicked our bootays.

With more free time lately, I have been trying to attack my 'to do' list. What you see above is my very first finished sewing projects. I have multiple ones in the works (some have been that way for years), but this is my fist FINISHED one! Actually, not really. It's a name garland for a crib, and it is supposed to be connected with ribbon, but I'm going to let my sister do that since she has the crib and will know how far apart to place them.

I have a feeling that I'm going to look back on these in a couple days and realize that they probably don't look as cute as I think they do. But to give myself due credit, this was my first time and I designed everything by hand- including the stencil for the letters! I'm going to live it up while I still can!

I know, FOOD SHOT! Get used to it- I live in Chicago. This is one of my best finds- Angela's. It is such a hole-in-the-wall and cheap, too! We had to stop here to fuel up for a big day out.

Found this lovely sight of spring on our way to the nature conservatory! Hallelujah!

This is the view from the conservatory. I will have to take another picture on a clearer day because this does not do the skyline justice. And this empty space in back of us is usually filled with all kinds of flowers and greenery.

After walking around the zoo for hours in high heels, my feet were killing me. All I wanted to do was get a piggyback ride to the bus stop. Until I saw these lovely boat rentals for only $12!! I couldn't resist.

We made Austin ride in the back while we peddled until he started joking around and rocking the boat. Then I figured better safe than sorry and let him take my spot up front.

It was the perfect ending to a fun day out and about. I will have much more to post as Austin is leaving in a couple weeks and we need to do all the Chicago things we have been putting off before he goes!

Biking in the Buff

2008-05-04T21:53:00.003-05:00

I can't decide if my lack of a picture is fortunate or unfortunate, but bare with me. This evening Taft, Austin and I decided to go for a stroll since it stopped raining. Right after we walked out of our building we noticed that some people on the sidewalk were pointing up at a building across the street and laughing. At first we didn't understand what was going on, but then we spotted the naked rear end of a man on his stationary bike. The floor-to-ceiling windows in his apartment allowed for quite a show. His bike was placed perfectly- nothing too graphic, just some cheekage. This causes me to question: Mentally insane? Drunk? Both? I have to think it was on purpose. Too bad I loved my neighborhood so much because I think I need to move now.

Boston University

2008-04-25T10:37:00.003-05:00

Well, it's the end of April and it's time for Taft and I to decide if we want to go to Boston University or stay another year in Chicago and apply again next year. We really love both choices so we are having a hard time making a decision. I've never been out east that far so I really don't know anything about Boston or Boston University so let me know if you have any input!

Once again. . .Food

2008-04-08T20:48:00.009-05:00

With spring finally arriving, Chicago has come alive. The number of people on the streets reminds me of the weeds that just spring up in the hundreds. It has been a blast for Taft and I to discover more of Chicago. I swear, I love every new restaurant and store we discover. So here is a little of what we have been up to.

This is our favorite Italian place that we discovered with my parents when we first moved here. I always remembered it because we ordered a couple things, and then found that the bread and butter was so good we filled up on that and ended up boxing the food. Sounds weird I know, but you will have to try it for yourself. . . 'Leonas'

Seriously, notice the empty butter dish. Don't get too disgusted though, I didn't polish it off by myself. And sorry about the pictures of us just shoving food into our faces. I really don't like smiling for pictures while I'm eating, it makes me want to do a fat voice.

Ahhh, Molly's. I passed this adorable cupcake shop on the way to work everyday and I finally had enough. I came home and told Taft we had to go. It is sooo cute inside. I keep wanting to take pictures but everytime we go I can't really snap any shots without looking like a crazy tourist. One day. . .

I don't love this picture, but please take notice that instead of sitting on your average bar stool, I'm swinging from the ceiling. . . (insert fat voice here) and smiling.

This is my dangerous new hobby I have gotten into lately. Baking. I swore I would never become one of those wives, but I am. I just really wanted some solid recipes under my belt, and I had always wanted to make chocolate souffle, so I went for it. They actually turned out really well. This one was an extra that had already sunk when I remembered to take the picture. I was actually pretty impressed with how much they rose. As for how I liked it. Meh. Yea it was fun to make, but I think I'm just a brownies type a girl.

And last but not least, only for those real chocolate lovers, the finale. If you are a true 'death by chocolate' lover, then this cake is for you. I found this frosting recipe (I don't know if I should really call it frosting because it is seriously more like fudge) on the martha stewart website. I used a bunt cake recipe for the cake which it made it really moist and thick. This has pretty much completed my baking faze. And after reading over this entry I know what you are probably thinking- my life consists of food, food, and more food. Pretty much. But rest in peace tonight knowing that I did finally join a gym. Maybe my entries will start to vary in content.

This Post is PG-13

2008-03-15T21:13:00.006-05:00

I don't want any kids reading this post. But just in case one does, just know that Taft was just a Sant Subsitute. That's all. I just got these pictures from Christmas- hence the three month delay. But I wanted to show everyone our crafty scheme. Let me explain. We wanted to make sure my nieces (the ones pictured below) got a good look at Santa delivering their presents. As soon as we tucked them in bed, we ran around my parent's house looking for anything that would pass as a Santa suite from a dark bedroom window. This is the best we could come up with in the short time before they actually fell asleep.

Lets see, we have a garbage bag full of trash for the toys, just your average fleece throw as his cape, that's blanket batting for his beard and hair, pillows for his belly, and last but not least, his cap is a red velvet diaper cover up (whatever they are called, it matches one of their Christmas dresses. . .you ladies know what I'm talking about). You may think this is pretty ghetto fabulous, but it worked. I stayed behind the bush with some bells while Taft walked across the backyard yelling, "ho ho ho, Merry Christmas," and "Come on, Rudolph!"

Elise was pretty fascinated/horrified, and Claire was ecstatic. It was as much fun for us and I think it will become an annual tradition. Maybe we'll splurge on a better costume.

And this is just from Christmas morning. All I can say is that they have a strong connection. I think it's because she is the first grandkid that Taft has been with since she was born.

count down. . .can you blame me?

2008-03-15T20:34:00.006-05:00

I'm heading out to Utah in April and I couldn't be more excited. I don't even know why I'm blogging about this when I have a good month before I'm even leaving, but I can't help myself. I sit at the computer drooling over cute faces and in my best baby voice, telling them I'm going to eat their cheeks. Pathetic, I know. If this makes you uncomfortable, imagine how the boys feel watching me do it.

This girl kills me. She is the only kid I know that has ever made Taft baby hungry. . . and that is hard to do.

P.S. If any of my other sibling should happen to stumble upon this blog-
a. That's weird because I've never really mentioned it to you
b. I know what you're thinking. Stop being jealous that I post Jenny's kids. She is the only one that sends me pics so it's really your fault if you think about it.
and c. Jenny doesn't have a blog so I like to toot her horn for her.

ewshabooshabooshaboo. . . that means something about her cheeks. I don't even know for sure.

A little Feb Recap

2008-02-24T19:24:00.003-06:00

Since Taft's birthday and Valentines Day are right next to each other I usually like to just take charge and plan everything. So Friday we just rolled all the celebrations into one massive, delicious, gorge fest at the melting pot. Here is Taft with his beloved lobster tail that he still talks about. Yes, we splurged the extra ten bucks to throw that sucker on the platter. I thought it was pretty good, but it was definitely more about the experience.

After I couldn't fathom another bite during the meat course, they brought out our dessert course. Obviously the dessert section of our stomachs were empty so I thought we could combine forces and conquer. That was until they brought out Taft's 'birthday' dessert, leaving me alone with this feast fit for five. It seemed that as he started to pick away at his martini glass full of fun, I looked down to see an almost empty plate. Where did those delightful bite size marshmallows, brownies, and assorted fruits go? Where did these crumbs come from? While you are busy coming to your own conclusions, notice that there are no pictures of me. I will spare you.

Hey Jude

2008-02-24T18:53:00.003-06:00

Maybe I think this is extra cute because I just watched 'Across The Universe' but it just brings a smile to my face everytime I watch it. Need I point out his diaper? This makes me think of you, Lindsay. . . You know why.

Ode to Taft

2008-02-11T20:29:00.000-06:00

Friday marks the big 25 for Taft and he has come a long way since this video. He barely ever cries, and only occasionally tattles. But in all honesty, he is the love of my life and my very best friend. I wish I could give him the world for his birthday, but he will have to settle for dinner with me. Happy Birthday, Taft! I love you more than you know!

39 miles, anyone?

2008-01-10T18:51:00.000-06:00

So I keep seeing ads for the Avon walk and I think I might be interested. The only thing is, I'm a little timid to dive right in solo. So here is my plea, anyone who thinks they might want to join me on the trail, or help me fundraise. . .Please do!!! I think we could make it a really fun experience. To check out more information just click on the link http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=walk_homepage

Merry Christmas Everyone

2007-12-19T14:38:00.000-06:00

Well, I guess since it is Christmas and everything we should give a little update. This year, Taft and I will be celebrating the holidays with my family in Utah! I'm very excited because now that we have moved to Chicago, I rarely get to see them. There is nothing like relaxing at your parent's house, buying yourself Christmas presents, and little kids running around with their cousins. As much as I love my nieces and nephews, I do like to keep them in line. This year I have found that nothing works better than the bribe of calling Santa. Obviously I don't really have Santa's number, but my Dad or Taft make really great stand-in's. It is so fun to see how excited and shy they get as soon as Santa starts talking. It's also really fun to call Taft when he is in a public place and put him on the spot. Luckily he is a good sport.

I know this is a short update but I just wanted everyone to know we are, indeed alive. I am sure we will do better at updating this next year. Merry Christmas!

3's Company

2007-10-26T15:26:00.000-05:00

We recently acquired a new roommate! Taft's 17 year old little brother Austin now lives with us and is going to finish his senior year out here. Don't get confussed, we still live in our one bedroom. Lucky for Austin we still don't have alot of furniture so his air matress fits nicely in our family room. Don't feel bad for him, though. His air mattress is much cushier than what Taft and I are sleeping on. Last week our air matress died! Thanks to Alex and Andy we have at least something to seperate us from the hardwood floors. We are trying to show him Chicago before it gets too frigid out so here are some pictures from our adventures so far.

Contributing to Society

2007-10-07T21:56:00.000-05:00

Taft works as an associate economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The bank is located downtown in the loop, in what they call the financial district. He claims he is just a glorified research assistant but I know he is much more. The economists he works for have already been impressed and they will be sad to see him leave when it is graduate school time.

Chicago!

2007-10-07T21:01:00.000-05:00

We have been in Chicago for a little over 2 months now and I am proud to say that we have furniture! We originally subleased a place for the first month which was "furnished" with what we would call "D.I. Rejects." For the second month we spent our free time lounging on our air matress, eating on the hardwood floors, and trying to access TV shows via the internet (our laptop is standing in as the tv for now). Eventually we will splurge on a real bed but for now we are enjoying our loveseat and table.