Entries Tagged as 'cory'

Goodbye Cory & Chris

October 10th, 2011 · No Comments


The truck was just a little bit gigantic!


Cory, Chris & Aunty Laura strategizing.


Doug played a lot of box Tetris inside the truck. Danny did a lot of heavy lifting.


Brad, Danny, Doug, Chris, Uncle BB, Kevin, Aunty Gail, Eddy, Bonnie


Tommy and Kenji had a ball running up and down the ramp. Look at mean Uncle Danny, though. He made them stop.


Meanwhile their brother Eddy chilled out with their grandma in the middle of the chaos.


Steve, Kevin, Doug, Chris, Danny, Uncle BB, Jeremy


Full truck. Time to make some tough decisions about what goes, what stays! Doug, Kevin, Chris, Steve


Eddy was born in January, Tyler in August. So much bigger than even a month ago!


Cory & Me. Some family members wouldn’t talk to me with that shirt on, but the game was that night!

On Sunday Cory and Chris had a Load The Truck/Moving party. Chris got a job in Vail, CO and actually left more than a month ago to work there. In the meantime, Cory packed up all their things. Chris came back this weekend to get her and all their stuff. They rented a truck and are driving out to Vail with their dog, Zoe.

I arrived to the party about an hour late and thought I would have missed a big chunk of the loading, but the truck wasn’t even there yet! And there were only about 8 people and 3 of them were pregnant (Caroline, Toni, Chris’s sister)! There was so much stuff, I thought we would be there all night. Slowly people showed up, all hoping they’d missed the bulk, but they did not! Aunty Laura said that is how the family works, but reminded me that Cory is a part of the family too and she knows that about everyone! haha. It turned out that everyone did their fair share of heavy lifting… well, except the pregnant girls, babies, and older aunties.

Dallas was on a flight to South Carolina for work, so I was there on my own and was willing to do whatever I needed to. Cory helped us when we moved to Roscoe Village and she and Chris have helped us with other things on numerous occasions, so we owed them that. Luckily it went pretty fast once we got going. I don’t think everything made it into the truck, though. I was sort of hoping the bike roof rack wouldn’t make it or this cool trunk they have wouldn’t and I’d be forced to take it for…. safe keeping.. but alas, those things fit in. They’ll be towing a car on the back of the truck, so hopefully they can fit some things in there too.

After the moving was done, we all had dinner. Aunty Laura made a whole spread of her famous flank steak, chili, salad, mac n cheese, cone sushi, char sui, and all sorts of things. Naoko made an Italian cream cake and like always, it was delicious!

Good luck, Chris and Cory! You guys will be missed!

[Read more →]

Tags:··························

Belated Birthday BBQ

September 20th, 2011 · No Comments


Ed, Cousin, Kristin, Jen


Brian, Limey, Rachelle, Mike (Brian’s dad)


Paul Baker, Rachelle, Kate


Rachelle & Richard (with Guinness, Jameson, and Bailey’s for Irish Car Bombs


Brett, Rachelle


Chad, Rachelle, Quinn


Dallas about to get kissed


Jen


Brett


Rachelle, Danny


Paul Baker, Kate, Rachelle, Alden


Jill, Halle, Rachelle


Todd, Rachelle, Larry, Marty, Josh


Anonymous Passer Outer. Note, he came that way, it didn’t happen at my party.


Rachelle, Trevor, Todd


Rachelle, Amy, Raiden, Steve


Irish Car Bombs!


Guess who won?


Damian, Rachelle, Derek


Rachelle, Derek


Trevor, Damian, Derek, Todd


Cory, Rachelle, Caroline


Marty, Josh, Trevor, Damian, Derek, Todd


Marty, Josh, Trevor, Dallas, Damian, Derek, Quinn, Todd


Chad, Mike (his dad)


Todd, Rachelle, Josh


Rachelle, Brett


Ed


Vanessa, Dylan, Rachelle


Dallas, Rachelle


Jeremiah Weed


Killian, Rachelle (Killian’s birthday gift was Shake Weight


Learning how to use the Shake Weight


Rachelle & Juan, a.k.a Kwan


Rachelle, Juan/Kwan, Cory


Watching the fight: Dallas, Kristin, Caroline, Danny, Cousin, Anonymous, Alden, Paul Baker, Kate, Juan/Kwan, Cory, Ed


See you in my nightmares!

I think the pictures tell the story! At first I was just trying to take photos of people at the party then somehow it evolved into me having to be in the photos.

Dallas and I prepped food for the barbecue for days ahead of time and it all turned out fabulous, if I do say so myself. We had kalbi ribs on the grill (marinated for 2 days) and braised short ribs that slow cooked for hours in the oven. To go with all this delicious meat, I made crack onion dip, bacon-wrapped pineapple, dill dip with veggies, Asian lettuce salad, pesto pasta salad, macadamia nut brownies, and a fruit plate.

It was a fun night. I acted like I was turning 26, not 36, though. Definitely was feeling my true age the next day! Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes, gifts, cards, and for coming to my party and making it a great time!

[Read more →]

Tags:·············································

Doug & Naoko’s Labor Day Party

September 4th, 2011 · No Comments


Yesterday we went to Doug & Naoko’s annual Labor Day barbecue. Dallas and I hadn’t seen the Chicago suburbs family since New Years Day! Actually, Aunty Gail was at our wedding, but everyone else… it had been a long time. I don’t know how 8 months flew by, but it was good to see everyone.


Heather & Tyler, Rachelle & Eddy

It was not so long ago that Heather’s kids were the youngest in the family. SO not the case these days. Her oldest Chris is the same age as my niece Stephanie: 15. Her younger boy Mitch is 12 (I think?). I remember saying something to Chris about “when you were 9 blah blah blah.” Then thinking “9? no way!” But it’s true. I have known those kids, this family, for more than 7 years now.

At the barbecue, I met the two newest members of the family. Tyler is Brad and Amanda’s baby and is one month old. Eddy is Doug and Naoko’s youngest and is 8 months old.


Aunty Glenna, Cory, Caroline, Naoko, Rachelle, Aunty Laura, Amanda, Heather

Many of the ladies of the family. Aunty Glenna is celebrating her 30th wedding anniversary with Uncle BB today and is a brand new grandmother. Cory is moving to Vail in a month or two. Her husband Chris is already there. Caroline is pregnant and due February 10th. Naoko has 3 sons – Tommy is 5, Kenji is 2, and Eddy is 8 months. Me, newlywed. Aunty Laura is expecting her second grandchild in February. Everyone thinks it will be a boy. All of the kids of that generation are boys (except 1? Kate?) Amanda just had baby Tyler a month ago. Heather likes to hold babies (holding baby Tyler in this photo).


Sal, Brad, Danny

A bunch of the guys golfed all day. Aunty Gail was with them too. I heard she was the best golfer of the bunch. Probably the most sober too. Coincidence? After golfing I found a bunch of the guys standing around by the grills. Typical. Danny will forever be the designated grill chief now. They know he worked in a vegetarian restaurant, right?


Caroline, Aunty Laura, Aunty Glenna, Cory, Heather, Tyler, Amanda (hiding behind flowers), Aly, Aly’s boyfriend, Naoko manning the stove

From the grill area I took this spy cam photo of the kitchen. I think only Aly saw me!

In the living room Ghostbusters was on. I thought this was a perfectly innocent movie, but the kids started getting all riled up saying there were ghosts in the basement and running after each other acting like ghosts. Some parents were worried their kids were going to have nightmares. A while later the TV was switched to college football.

Another shot of the living room. I can count about 10 kids in this photo. There were even more at the party. See what I’m saying about Mitch and Chris not being the kids any more? In this photo of my first Labor Day BBQ at Doug & Naoko’s there are 3 kids. Joey and Marietta’s two girls and baby Vince (Matt & Jen). If you add on Chris and Mitch, that’s 5. That number has at least tripled, I think. Well, and it’s not all family. Doug and Naoko’s friends have a lot of kids now too.

Even though there were 8 kids on the couch, Dallas and Sal still caught some ZZZZs. Not when Charlotte (Sal & Kim’s) took a liking to Dallas though. She’s the girl laying down on the right side of the photo with the navy and striped dress on. I was sitting out in the screen porch and every time I looked into the living room she was climbing on his shoulders, putting a stuff animal on his head, sticking her fingers in his face, etc. Once she was even giving him a back massage. Who’s this girl?!?! hhaha. Dallas said that Charlotte was calling him Uncle Joey for a while. Because he looks so much like Joey, a tall white blonde. See the 5th photo down, here. When Kim told her to tell Dallas goodbye as they were leaving she said “Bye, Alice!” So funny.

All in all another great barbecue. Noako put out some delicious food, as always! Great to see everyone again.

Doug & Naoko like to have a Labor Day party every year. Here are some photos from years past:

- 2005: we played a lot of horseshoes
- 2006: Jordan brought fresh smoked salmon from Alaska. He’d just been on a trip there.
- 2007: No Party? Or just no photo or post?
- 2008: Lots of kids. First year I noticed that?
- 2009: Also celebrated Aunty Gail’s retirement. One more photo from that year.
- 2010: Doug & Naoko have a new house

[Read more →]

Tags:·······························

Sansei Seafood & Sushi

March 29th, 2011 · No Comments

For our last dinner in Hawaii we met up with Cory, Chris, Danny and Caroline for dinner at Sansei. This is one of our favorite Waikiki restaurants. We even had gone to dinner there earlier in the trip. We were hoping that the Big Island restaurant would be as good as the Waikiki one, and it was. We gorged on all of our usual favorites as well as trying some new things. Dallas enjoyed a Japanese beer called Koshihikari Echigo. Us ladies were drinking lychee martinis. They were so delicious. I was on my third one when this happened:


Photo by Cory

I took a few sips and was going to eat my lychee when i noticed something in it. I thought it was part of a pit and was going to pick it out, when I noticed it was a bee!!!! After Cory took a few photos, our waitress was quick to apologize and brought out a complimentary replacement for the drink. So crazy!

Great dinner, though. I was sad that it was the last dinner of our trip, but we went out in style. I was so stuffed, and kind of drunk, by the end of that night!

[Read more →]

Tags:···············

Hanging Out at the Kona Coast Resort

March 27th, 2011 · No Comments

Danny, Caroline, Cory and Chris were all sharing a condo at the Kona Coast Resort. After our Kona coffee tour and stop at the Donkey Balls store, we headed back to the condo.

Cory, Chris, Caroline and I hung out by the pool for a while and I introduced Chris to his first lava flow. I feel like I’m the lava flow ambassador!


Chris trying to look up shuffleboard rules on his phone at the pool

The Kona Coast Resort is a perfectly nice place. The condos are clean and nicely decorated in a tropical theme. There are plenty of activities and a nice pool.. and .. the only thing.. is that it kind of reminded me of some kind of Florida retirement community. There were a lot of older people. When your pool has a railing all around it, you might be clued in to the fact that you’re staying at a retirement community!

Another clue? Shuffleboard! Actually, the shuffleboard area was right outside the patio doors of the condo they were all staying in. So, we decided we had to play. I never played before, so I was excited. Too bad excitement doesn’t convert to skill. I was not very good! But we all had a fun time! Caroline thinks that this will be our life someday. We’ll all get condos at a tropical retirement villa and have shuffleboard tourneys. Not a bad life!

After shuffleboard Danny made us dinner using the fish we did not catch that morning. He made grilled blue marlin; kimchi somen cakes; crab, cream cheese and citrus wontons; and a kimchi consomme.

That night Dallas and I ended up staying overnight at the condo. There was a pull-out couch, so there was plenty of space. Our hotel was about an hour north of Kona and the next day we were headed south, so it just made sense to cut out that driving time.

[Read more →]

Tags:············