Around 9:30 we left Jen and Chad’s party and headed down to Wicker Park where Todd was hosting a party. We did this same thing two years ago when Todd hosted a party, and sort of did last year, except the party was at Frasca, not Todd’s house. Dallas brought our Wii over the night before and we all played that. We also played some good, old-fashioned Pictionary. We each put in $10 and the girls won all the money! Kelly made some delicious jello shots with real cherries in them and some fantastic mystery punch.
At midnight we toasted with Dom Perignon and some Sofia by Francis Ford Coppola Winery. A few people have asked me how the Dom was, since it’s known to be expensive and one of the best champagnes. To be honest, it tasted like champagne. Good champagne, but it was the only one at the party so I couldn’t compare and I’m not a huge connoisseur of champagne. Katjie, on the other hand, said she loves champagne and that it was great, so I’ll take her word for it. I also really liked the Sophia sparkling white.
I don’t know what happened after midnight. It’s a bit of a blur. Haha. Someone (ADAM!?) had my camera and took about a thousand photos. Dallas said I took them, but I’m in a lot of the photos, so that can’t be. Anyway, fun party. Great New Years Eve overall.
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.
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!
Name three things you never thought would go together: Whale-watching, Oscars, barbecue! Ha.
Ging, Damien, Billy (Photo by Rob)
(Photo by Rob)
Damien (Photo by Rob)
Jordan & Liz (Photo by Jen)
Cousin, Loden, Brian (Photo by Rob)
Dallas (Photo by Rob)
Cliff Jumping (Photo by Jen)
Ross (Photo by Rob)
Brian & Jill (Photo by Kristin)
If I back up just a little bit, though, when we got back from breakfast a bunch of people had gone to Shipwreck Beach. Dallas and some others left to join them, but since we’d told people to stop by the house on Sunday, I thought I should stay there. Kristin and I sat around by the pool. I took a nap on a float. After a while, it was clear that no one was stopping by until later. I blame this on hangovers! So, Kristin and I went to Shipwrecks for a while too. I had fun playing in the surf with Brian and Chad and Jill for about an hour.
Tien, Pina Colada Master
Cousin, Dad & Dallas Grilling
Dallas, Josh & Tweeny Grilling
Richard & Amanda
Richard & Rachelle
Todd, Kelly, Damian, Vanessa, Sara, Brian, Adam, Christine, Trevor, Kate
Todd & Kelly
Such a pretty sunset!
One last sunset shot, this one taken in the same spot a few days earlier. (Photo by Kristin)
When we came home friends began coming over to hang out. Some just stopped by on their way out of town or on the way to other plans. We had a big barbecue to try to eat up our leftover food and drinks. It was a task we were not up for! We sat out on the lanai and watched whales while eating dinner. There was a beautiful sunset that night and I found a bunch of our friends across the street watching the beautiful show. Also, the Oscars were on (on a time delay) so some people were having fun watching who won. This was our last day on Kauai, so it was nice to hang out with everyone one last time.
On Saturday, May Day(!), we attended Kate and Trevor’s wedding. This is our first of 5-6 weddings this year plus the planning of our own, so I think you know what our 2010 theme is.
Trevor and Dallas golf and play basketball and poker together. The wedding took place at Olympia Fields Country Club, where Trevor is a member, and his family has held membership for something like 3 generations. Since Olympia Fields is about 30 miles outside of the city and no one wanted to worry about driving and drinking and driving, a group of 22 of Dallas’s friends got together and rented a limo bus to drive us. Here are some photos of us on the limo bus on the way to the wedding. You’ll notice later on that they’re a lot more subdued than the photos in the limo bus on the way home!
Leaving on a limo bus
Kelly & Todd & JP’s rabbit ears
JP & Kelly
Of course we had some drinks on the bus ride and when we arrived at the country club, we wanted to get another. We found out the hard way that Olympia Fields is way old school and that there are certain rooms that non members and women cannot enter. Eventually someone took pity on us and hooked us up with refreshments. We’d arrived early, an hour early, so we just had a drink or two to pass the time.
Rachelle & Dallas
Craig, Christine, Adam
Josh, Todd, Kelly
Kelly, Brian, Sarah
The ceremony took place at 5:00 p.m. in a really beautiful tall-ceilinged room. The natural light was amazing. The ceremony was relatively short, but very moving. Kate lost her mom last year and there were some very touching mentions of her being there on the big day.
Kate & Trevor’s Wedding Program
Kate & Trevor’s Wedding Ceremony
After the ceremony we had cocktails and then it was on to dinner. The room that the dinner and reception were in was big and majestic. Very high pitched ceilings.
Getting ready for dinner
The cake was beautiful!
Kate & Trevor made a soundtrack as wedding favors.
For dinner we had salad, a choice of chicken or steak, and cake with ice cream. During dinner there was a slideshow that the best man made up. He and Trevor have been friends since they were little kids so there were many funny photos of them growing up. Kate and Trevor also cut the cake during dinner so it would be ready in time for dessert. I also liked that before dessert was served they walked around to every table and greeted guests.
At dinner
Cutting the cake
Trevor & Kate
Kris & Dallas
Kris, Rachelle, Dallas
Kate & Kris
After dinner we danced. And danced. The band was awesome and played everything from current songs from artists like Lady Gaga to old songs like Twist and Shout. Really good. We had a great time hanging out with friends and dancing to the music.
Trevor gets the dancing started
Ang & Murph
Vanessa, Rita, Brian, Kelly
Rachelle & Kris
Vanessa & Damian
Dance!
One of Kate and Trevor’s friends, Ed, is in a band. At one point he got up on stage and sang Kate and Trevor a song with the band, which was neat.
Ed Wood sings Your Love by The Outfield
Kris
Dallas & Kris
Craig & Rachelle (Don’t ask, I can’t remember!)
Dallas & Kyle
Dallas, Craig, Kris, Todd, Josh
At the end of the reception everyone who was still around, which includes all of us party animals, I guess, were escorted to another room where there was a small bar set up and someone had ordered pizzas. Great idea. There’s nothing you want more after a night of drinking and dancing, than some midnight pizza!
Soon enough it was time to catch our limo bus ride back to Chicago. The driver had somehow managed to save our cooler of drinks even though he had other jobs inbetween our dropoff and pickup – like I know he had to drive some kids to prom. Trevor and Kate made a CD of songs as wedding favors and we listened to the CD on the bus ride home. There might have been some limo bus dancing, someone may have done the worm down the bus aisle, some other people may have been acting innapropriately with the poles you hang onto to stand up on the bus, someone else may have stood in the cooler wearing their fancy dress shoes and getting them full of melted ice, and there may have been a face plant or two. Most of these things will go undocumented and saved for future blackmail schemes!
Sarah & Brian – Dancing Bus!
Rachelle & Brian
Kris & Todd
As you can see from the photos it was a fun, fun night and a great way to kick off our wedding season! I also enjoyed getting to know all of this group of friends better. Some I met as long as 6 years ago, but some are new, and all of them I don’t hang around much, so it’s nice to get to know this side of Dallas’s friends, and even this side of Dallas more.
Around 10 p.m. we left Jen & Chad’s party and headed down to Wicker Park where Todd was hosting a party. This was a bit more of a traditional New Years Eve party, meaning there was a lot of drinking & loud music. I don’t see these friends of Dallas’s very often because they mostly golf and play basketball and have poker nights, so it was nice to visit with them. We rang in the new year, played a couple intense games of Left, Right, Center and hung out for a few more hours. Fun fun!
