Dallas & the Luannes! (Lucy’s full name is Luanne.)
Sarah photobombed the birthday candle photo! (Sarah, Luanne, Adam, Ron, Marty, Jan, Molly)
Dallas’s Cake Creation
Lucy tasting whipped cream for the first time.
Of course, she loves it! (She is also doing her signature wave here.)
Adam by the pool.
Adam & Sarah
On the Fourth of July we drove down from New Hampshire with Matt, Molly,Lucy, and Buddy to Norwell, MA. This is where Matt’s parents, Luanne & Marty, live. Dallas has spent many an Independence Day at Marty & Luanne’s house. Looking back, I spent the 2004 holiday and 2007 holiday there. It seems like more. As I told Luanne, in our hearts we spend every Fourth of July there. It’s what we tell people. We go to Norwell/Boston for Fourth of July. In reality, we get there as much as we can. It’s the effort that counts, right?
We spent the day swimming in the pool, playing a little bit of frisbee game, and relaxing. Marty made his kielbasa that he is known for. The secret ingredients are mustard and honey. Then he just keeps it hot in a pot. So good. He also grilled up some delicious cheeseburgers, which were served with potato salad. Very traditional, it sure hit the spot! I hadn’t had a cheeseburger or potato salad forever.
Aside from the holiday, it was Adam’s birthday on July 3 and Molly’s on July 4, so Luanne made her family’s traditional blueberry crumbcake. It was so delicious. She also served strawberry shortcake. Dallas took the strawberries from that and put them on top of his blueberry crumbcake and then topped that with whipped cream. Also, Matt gave Lucy some of the cake with whipped cream. She loved it. They really try to restrict her sugar intake, so I think she was just amazed!
On this holiday the party was smaller, mostly family, a few friends. But that does not mean it was not fun. It was great to be able to see Marty and Luanne again and to hang out in the sun and in the pool and with all of the family for one more day before heading back to Chicago.
Dallas and I were out on the East Coast for the long holiday weekend. We planned to catch a flight to Boston after work on Thursday, meet up with Matt, Molly and Lucy, and drive up to Ross’s lake house in New Hampshire that night. Sure, it would be late, but it would be worth it to get there around midnight and be there, rather than waste time on Friday driving. Of course, since we had this timeline in place, that means that our flight had to be delayed. We sat on the runway for hours wondering how this was throwing all of our plans off. Still, in the end, we drove up to New Hampshire that night, not arriving until almost 2:30 a.m.! Luckily Lucy just slept the whole time and made the ride easy.
Ross rents in Boston, but bought a house on Lake Wentworth, near Wolfeboro, New Hampshire last year. I’d never been to New Hampshire and wasn’t sure what to expect. When we woke up in the morning, the views were so gorgeous. And it smelled great. I couldn’t get over it. The water, and woods, and evergreens, and grass. YUM.
Also, we couldn’t see it at night, but when the sun came up? Ross’s house is beautiful. I’m used to people’s lake houses being cottages or older second homes, but this being Ross’s only house… and this being Ross…. the place was gorgeous. The four bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 pullouts, lake, laundry, sun room, yard, hot tub.. perfect for hosting a bunch of friends. Over the course of the weekend, Ross comfortably hosted Chelsea, Matt, Molly, Lucy, George, Tommy, Marinella, Colleen, John, Adam, Sarah, Dallas and I. So, 14 people! Plus 3 dogs: Koukla, Nookie and Buddy.
Ross’s new toy this year was a water trampoline. On Friday morning, after Matt made us a big breakfast, we all helped assemble the water trampoline.
Ross and Dallas carried it over to the lake, being careful not to drag it on anything.
Then a bunch of the guys helped get it onto the dock and into the water and secured with a rope to the dock and a rope to a weight. Chelsea and I supervised.
Ross had the first go on it.
And then Dallas had a turn. I think it was not as bouncy as people expected, but we still had fun on it over the course of the weekend. I liked swimming out to it and just laying on it like it was a raft.
One day we decided to go for a hike on Mount Major, a short drive away.
I’m not sure if this is a very strenuous hike or whether it was just because I wasn’t feeling well that day and also drink 5 beers right before going on the hike, but I took a rest just below the summit and did not motivate to make it to the top.
Lucy, Molly, Adam, Dallas, Ross, Chelsea, Tommy, Marinella, Matt
Still, the views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the surrounding areas were pretty great.
I set the timer to get in a group photo and even the dogs made it into that photo!
Matt, Chelsea, John
Over the course of the weekend we spent a lot of time in the lake, playing games in the yard, relaxing, sitting in the hot tub, canoeing, kayaking and even had one crazy night of charades that got pretty intense.
Matt, Colleen, Ross, Chelsea
We, of course, spent a lot of time playing the frisbee, cup, pole game. Ross also got us into a lively game of beer die. I only watched, but Ross and Chelsea won 4 games in a row against Matt and Dallas and Tommy and George. The thing is, winning means you keep playing, and spending all day winning may not always be a good thing. Let me just say that the 5th game was not finished and that some people disappeared until the next morning!
While all the beer die craziness was going on, I was hanging out on the sidelines with Lucy, 10 months, and Koukla, Tommy and Marinella’s dog.
Lucy has grown so much from the last time I saw her. She is such a great baby. Matt and Molly keep her on a pretty strict schedule and it works. She hardly cries and is always so happy. Her thing now is to do a twisty wrist wave at everyone. She loves it!
I also formed a soft spot in my heart for Koukla, who always listens and is such a sweetheart dog. So cute, too!
During the beer die game, this unnamed Adonis did a straight-armed beer chug. Said person may have then disappeared for half the night. Such things cannot be confirmed or denied and should not be discussed in the public forum.
Koukla, George, Matt, Sarah, Marinella, Tommy
The sunsets on Lake Wentworth were breathtaking. One night we all just gathered on the two docks to take it in.
Matt & Adam
Koukla & Adam
Koukla spent the weekend walking down the rocks or the dock steps til she was ankle-deep and then drinking the water. She loved it. And the water was so clean and clear. Not muddy or gross at all, like some lakes can be.
Dallas trying his hand at fishing. All he did was lose lures. The next morning, though, Adam and Sarah took the canoe out and caught some fish.
Koukla, Nookie, Marinella, Matt, Molly, Adam, Tommy, George, Ross
Sarah & Dallas Fishing
What a fun and relaxing extended weekend we had at Lake Wentworth! Big, huge thanks to Ross for being such a gracious host! Can’t wait to come back for another visit!
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.
Last Saturday night Jess had an epic 30th birthday party in the American Legion Bucktown‘s basement with Rory Lake hosting as entertainer and karaoke DJ. You might remember Margaret had a fewparties like this before moving to New York. I found Jess’s party extra fun becuase I lost some of my karaoke shyness over the past year or so because of all the singing I’ve done playing Rock Band. Rock Band and the $2 cans of beer they sell at the Legion!
Jess’s older sisters came in from Boston and Iowa for the party and made sure the Legion hall was decorated with embarassing (and adorable) old photos of Jessica. Some of her old friends from college flew in too. It was a good showing of all of her friends. Dallas and I were the party photographers and tried to get at least one shot of everyone there. We took a ton of photos so I just made this slideshow below. Fun fun fun night! Will be hard to top that one!
On Friday we only slept a few hours, which was not good, since we’d been out at the crazy dance party the night before. We got up and met everyone down at the buffet to eat breakfast. Dallas then went back to bed, but I got talked into walking around a few casinos. After an hour or two I couldn’t take it, and neither could Ross, so we went back to the hotel to rest. I walked into our hotel room and I thought Dallas said “Ross is on the way,” which I thought was weird since I’d just walked over with Ross, but he actually said “Guy Voss is on the way.” So much for that nap!
Guy is a good friend of Dallas’s from back in college. He and his wife Amber live in the Las Vegas area with their two kids, Liam and Ella. We saw Guy and Amber at Killian and Liz’s wedding last year, but we hadn’t seen Liam since he was 2 months old, and now he’s 5 years old! Compare a photo of Dallas and Liam in 2004 to the photo of Dallas and Liam last week:
Dallas & Liam, Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas
Ella was a little shy, but as adorable as ever. I was glad we could see everyone, even if it was brief. Oh, and I was all smoky and felt like death warmed over, but Amber said that on the way home Liam said “Daddy’s friends are really fun,” so maybe it wasn’t so bad. Or maybe he was just on a sugar rush because we accidentally let him drink a whole soda!
I feel exhausted just typing this out, but next up we got ready and went to dinner at the Rio. That’s where Dallas’s parents and Caroline and Jordan were staying. The Carnival World Buffet there is the longest buffet I have ever seen. Crazy. They had everything.
Jordan, George, Kathy, Dallas, Caroline :: Rio, Las Vegas
Jordan, George, Kathy, Dallas, Caroline, Rachelle :: Rio, Las Vegas
Ross, Rachelle, Dallas, Matt, Molly :: Rio, Las Vegas
Since sleeping is what you do when you leave Las Vegas, we then went over to the New York New York Hotel & Casino to see Zumanity. This is the Cirque show that you have to be 18 to see. Enough said.
After the show we hung out at New York New York. I tried really hard to rally by drinking more, drinking coffee, getting cold air in my face, etc. When we finally went back to our hotel, I had to go to bed early. I say early, but it was at least midnight, probably past. In Vegas, that is early. Anyway, I had a great time, but I think I’m still recovering. And trying to get used to not drinking beer at breakfast.
