A Day at Disney

Logan spent the night with us Friday night at the hotel after the wedding, so we could take him to Disneyland the next day.  He was up bright and early, so he climbed in bed with Kendra and I until he got way too goofy! We got up, dressed and had breakfast before heading off to Disney.

Man...I forgot what it's like having a little kid ride next to me in the car! It reminded me of when Kendra was little and used to drive us crazy. He enjoyed playing "copy cat". Kendra and I got even by singing about 30 verses of "There's a Hole in my Bucket", which drove him crazy!

Heading into the park. I always have to have a castle shot!

First we did the ultra cheesy Jungle Cruise. Then we did Indiana Jones, which was the first time I had gone on that. For some reason Logan kept his head down the whole time on that one! He had dad go up in the Tarzan tree with him, and then came down and exclaimed, "Well THAT was boring!!" Then we went over to the Haunted Mansion. One of my favorites! Logan hadn't been through it before, but I think he really enjoyed it too! We also did Pirates of the Caribbean and I spent the rest of the day walking around singing, "A Pirate's Life for Me!"

By that point Kendra and I were starving...and when we get hungry we get grouchy! We ended up getting some Mexican food and pigging out on that before doing Thunder Mountain. In line there's water that people throw money in. Logan asked for some change, so I did my aunt duties and pulled out a few pennies for him.

For some reason mom decided to ride on it too. From the past I remember her hating it, but I didn't say anything. I ended up riding with her and we got to the end and in a dead serious voice she says, "Why did you let me ride this? Don't you EVER let me ride this again." Hahaha!

As we were walking through the park I spotted Woody and Jesse. Toy Story is my FAVORITE Pixar movie! Kendra and I ran to jump in line, and we had to coax Logan to come up with us. You would've thought we were the little kids.

Logan quickly discovered that he could con his new Grandma into just about anything.

Along with lunch, he made out with a churro, hot chocolate, cotton candy and a comic book! Grand kids get all the good stuff!

Then we went and did some of the Fantasy Land rides.

Dad and Logan did the teacups. Kendra and I had just come back from riding Space Mountain...my very favorite Disney ride.

Kendra with the cotton candy. We all ended up sharing it.

It was starting to look like rain and we had hopper tickets. I really wanted to get over to California Adventure and take dad, Kendra and Logan on Soarin'.

We got there, got in line and the rain started to fall. It was only in the 50's that day, so the rain made us even colder, but I wouldn't let them get out of line. I promised them it was way too cool! If they would've gotten out of line, I would have stayed. I love it that much!

Plus I finally worked up the courage to ride the Tower of  Terror! The 4 of us rode that together too. Logan sat in between Kendra and I. He asked if I was scared and I said I was. Then he wanted to hold our hands. Afterward he thought it was awesome, and said, "You and Kendra were squeezing my hands really hard!" Guess we were more scared than he was!

Then the rain started REALLY hard. We decided just to call it a day. We busted out the ponchos mom brought and headed back to the shuttle.

We had to grab some supper and then went back to the hotel to eat it. Logan passed out on me on the way back and dad had to carry him upstairs.

After we ate, we drove Logan back home and Kendra and I stayed to hang out with Erica. Kendra had to be up early the next day to catch her flight, but we still stayed until about 11:45. It was much needed sister time and we don't get that nearly enough!

Wedding Bells

I don't even know where to begin! I just uploaded a bunch of photos to share on here, but I took around 150 wedding pictures, so you'll have to check Facebook to see them all.

In the afternoon Erica, Kendra, mom, Jim's mom, Jeanette and I went to get our hair done. Rain was in the forecast, but other than being chilly it didn't seem too bad out. Of course, halfway through getting our hair done the rain started, and continued all through the night! Fortunately Erica brought old lady rain bonnets.

Jim came and got Erica and Kendra once they were done and then I followed behind when I was done. Erica, Kendra and I were leaving early for the chapel so we could help her get ready!

Here we are in the car on the way.

Erica was slightly panicked in the car. We got stuck in traffic and she was just sure that we weren't going to get there in time, even though we left 2 hours early! We did end up making it with plenty of time to spare though.

Once we got to the chapel we were taken into the bridal room and we started helping Erica get ready. Actually, first we just acted silly.

I'm so glad that Kendra and I got to help her get ready. It was kind of a special sister time. I felt pretty special getting to zip Erica into her dress. That was the "this is real" moment for me! She looked absolutely beautiful!

Oo la la! Sexy in the garter!

Her:
Something old (I believe) was Jim! Haha!
Something new was her dress.
Something borrowed: The tiara I wore for my wedding.
Something blue: The garter.

The the wedding coordinator brought in her bouquet of red roses, which went perfectly I thought!

Erica didn't want too many people to see her since it was a very small and intimate wedding, but the parents of course were allowed in.

During the half and hour or so leading up to the ceremony Erica started to get really nervous. Not in a bad way, but I knew exactly how she felt. I remember feeling all of that adrenaline too. Plus she was trying not to cry because she was all emotional .Kendra and I decided to make her laugh, so we started doing a stupid dance. Then we joined hands and Erica sang, "Sisters"! I have no idea what came over me after that, but I totally flashed her. That was it. We were ROLLING with laughter and trying to get Kendra to do it too. I totally love having sisters!

Kendra and I went up to check out the chapel, because I was a little nervous. We didn't have a rehearsal, so I wanted to figure out where I was going. It was so cute and I loved the way it was decorated!

Grandma was there so Kendra and I had our picture taken with her.

Then it was time for the ceremony. One of Erica's friends was able to take a few pictures for me. We walked so fast down the aisle though, that it was too hard to get any of us. Erica kept instructing us over and over again to, "WALK FAST!" The ceremony was short and sweet. My eyes were welled up with tears the whole time, but I didn't let them spill over.

As soon as the ceremony was over, we moved to another area to do the professional pictures. Fun fact: Their photographer was on a season of Project Runway.

After the pictures it was on to the dinner at the Marmalade Cafe. It was of course still raining. Kendra and I rode with Jim and Erica. Now in LA parking spots are hard to come by, so there are a lot of parking garages. Well, mom and dad were lost, so mom was on the phone with me trying to figure out where to go. I had no clue where we were and right at this point Erica had told Jim just to drop us in the street right by the restaurant before parking. I sort of missed that part. Next thing I know Kendra and Erica are jumping out of the car and I'm still on the phone. Jim is yelling at me, "GET OUT OF THE CAR!" over and over again. So I have the phone cradled between my ear and shoulder, I'm trying to get my umbrella open and I just jumped out into traffic! It was more hilarious later when Jim did an amazing reenactment of it!

Erica before the dinner started.

There was at least 45 minutes between the time we got there and the time they brought out the starters. I was starving. I hadn''t eaten since about 10:00 that morning and it was already 9:00 at night. I was quite enthusiastic about the rolls!

The dinner was delicious. There were 4 choices. I had the braised beef and mashed potatoes. I can still taste it!

Erica and Jim after the toast.

The newlyweds!

Their wedding cake. I loved how it turned out.

Cutting the cake! (Which was very yummy too).

It was practically perfect day. Sure it rained, but it rained for part of my wedding day too. Guess it has to rain when Kendra ties the knot too!

We didn't get back to the hotel until 1:00 in the morning, but it was so much fun! Like I said, check out my Facebook for more wedding pictures. There are some really great ones!

I'm so happy for Jim, Erica and Logan! Here's to many wonderful years together!

Traveling Day

My Day:

• Woke up early to finish packing.
• Said goodbye to Jacob. I tried not to cry, but I failed.
• Drove to St. Louis and didn't get lost.
• Got a pat down at security. Always a first time for everything.
• Boarded my plane.

• Ended up in the very last row. Had a window seat, but only had a view of the engine. Also ended up sitting next to a middle aged dude with a pony tail and who was wearing leather pants. It was amazing.
• Landed in Dallas and had to sit on the plane FOREVER before we could taxi in. 
• Had to race to get to my next flight but made it in time. The first person in Texas that I talked to was a guy with a giant cowboy hat who had a British accent. Haha!
• Met up with mom, dad and Kendra.
• Boarded the plane.
• A button with a pin on the back fell from the overhead compartment before takeoff and literally got stuck in Kendra's head. Absolutely hilarious. Too bad my camera wasn't ready.

• Learned that Kendra and I have the same morbid thoughts about plane crashes and death in general. Haha!
• Landed in Burbank and got our rental car.(View of the mountains from the car lot). Also...it was 10 degrees colder here than home. What the what!?

• Located our hotel, which is really nice!

• Hung out for awhile.
• Called Jacob to tell him my adventures.
• Went to supper with Jim, his parent's, Logan and Jim's friend Matt. Erica had class so we didn't get to see her. 
• Ate the The Elephant Bar. Quite tasty.
• Logan, Kendra and I bonded.

Fun first day! Everyone is sleeping, so I suppose I should too. Tomorrow is the Big Day! My sister is getting married! Yay! I doubt I'll be able to to keep up with blogging, but I will try to keep pictures updated on Facebook!

Valentine Treats

We all know that I am slightly frugal at times. Jacob has helped me loosen my reigns some, over time. I mean, I would never buy tickets to sporting events when I was single, and now I live for them!

Anyway, I've never been that big on Valentine's Day. Sure, all those years when I was single I would dream of being swept off my feet on Valentine's Day. I never despised the day like some people do. I mean, who am I to pass up loads of chocolate from my little kiddies? I usually ended up feeling sorry for myself at some point though. In fact, 3 years ago today I joined e-Harmony because I had a terrible day, which ended in tears. Even though I had to wait a few months, getting up the courage to join is what led me to my future husband!

Even though, I'd always dreamt of getting special things on Valentine's Day, that frugal part of me took control of my brain. I told Jacob our first year that all I wanted to do was exchange cards. That Valentine's Day was spent at Jeff and Heidi's wedding, which was a wonderful day. Jacob and I exchanged cards and went out for dinner and Olive Garden the next night. It was perfect.

Last year, I think we did the same thing. I know we only did cards and I'm pretty sure we went to Olive Garden again. A few co-workers got flowers and everyone posted things online that they got. I think I did feel just a little envious, but at the same time I was totally fine just doing cards again.

Fast forward to this year. I started mentioning last week that maybe, just maybe this year I might like something. I know Jacob was pretty cautious about it, because I tend to say things are okay and then totally freak out about money later on. I promised him that it was okay this time! He wanted to figure out what to give me on his own and I wanted to be surprised. I had no idea what I was going to get, so today I got a special delivery at work! (I took these pictures at home tonight).

A whole array of beautiful roses and a little box of chocolates. I know it costs a lot more on Valentine's Day to buy flowers, but what a special treat. I've honestly never gotten flowers from a guy before today (unless you count a baby boy from daycare. haha!). It just made me feel really special and loved. I know Jacob would love to buy me surprises from time to time, and I realize now that I need to let him. Yes, we need to be careful with our money, but we also need to be able to do nice things for each other. He is such a loving a caring husband, and I need to let him pamper me sometimes. I don't need these things to feel loved or special, but who knew that it could feel so good? Every time I looked at them today I would smile.

I also kind of got something for him. I had to make a voucher that I slipped into his card, but we'll make plans in a couple of months.

Best Valentine's Day of my life today. Hope you all had a great one too!

Random Questions

Just because I needed to do something mindless to relax.

What traits are most important to you in your significant other?
Honest, loving, caring, understanding, silliness :)


Would you rather be burned alive or freeze to death?
I'd rather not have either happen, but if I had to I would freeze to death. I can't even imagine being on fire. At least if you froze to death you could just close your eyes and slip away.

Do you live in a fantasy world or in reality?
I daydream a lot, so in that sense I live in a fantasy, but then I'm always snapped right back into reality.

Are you a straight shooter or do you beat around the bush?
I beat around the bush. I wish I was a straight shooter sometimes, but I'm too scared.

If you found a million dollar lottery ticket with no name on it would you cash it in?
Well...if no one else was gonna claim it and it couldn't be tracked, then heck yeah!

If you could be any Disney character which one would you be?
Belle. For sure!

What is your favorite food smell?
That depends completely on my appetite. Pot roast in a great smell though. Also a cake baking in the oven. Mmm.

What odd smells do you like?
Brand new flip flops, rubber cement, spray paint

What smells turn you off?
Lots. Strong floral prefume. And a lot of the air fresheners at our daycare make me want to puke. My boss keeps sticking this Raspberry Truffle one in our room and I keep taking it out. Sounds good...but it's gag worthy.

What traits turn you off in other people?
People who think way too highly of themselves. People who can always "one up" you on everything. People who exaggerate everything. Hypochondriacs.

What does your name mean?
Most books say "Lamb" or "Ewe", but my mom once had a book that said Rachel means, "Motherly" which has proven to be quite fitting over the years.

What are your strengths?
I'm an awesome multi-tasker when it comes to babies. I've been known to: put 3 babies to sleep at one time. (1 in my arm and 2 in bouncy seats). Feed 2 babies bottles at a time (one in my arms, one in a bouncy seat using my foot to hold the bottle in place). I'm also pretty good at finding deals...I just wish I did it more often.

What are your weaknesses?
MATH. Remembering things.

What would be the perfect gift someone could get you?
An all expense paid trip to Europe...anyone willing to get this for me?

If you could live off of 3 foods what would they be?
Pizza, enchiladas, chocolate

What do you do when no one else is looking?
Wouldn't you like to know? Haha.

What is your midnight snack weakness?
I very rarely eat in the middle of the night. I would probably be cereal though. Or a cookie if there was one around.

Would you prefer to be hot or cold in bed?
Hot. I hate being cold. Absolutely hate it.

Yeah. It's been a crazy week so far, and I don't see it getting any less crazy. I'm really looking forward to getting to have a girl's night on Friday. I'm just living for the weekend. I had a killer headache for most of today. Thankfully it's gone, but I'm just plain tired now. I'm just waiting for Jacob to get home. I haven't been able to talk to him all day because he forgot his phone at home this morning.

Only a week until I leave for California. I'm getting really excited to see my sister's, my parent's and Jim and Logan. Next Friday Erica will become a wife and I'll gain a new brother and "officially" be an aunt! I can't wait!

Weekend Recap

Well, Jacob is officially 28! For his birthday, I left little notes around the house again for him to find just like I did last year. One had some Milky Way's attached to it!

Friday night Jacob got to pick where we were going out to eat. He of course picked Olive Garden, so we left as soon as I got off work so we wouldn't have to wait as long. He wanted to bring his presents along as well. Plus we planned to go shopping so he could use some of his birthday money from the parents. I only got him a couple of things, but let him know that he could pick out one more thing that he wanted.

Olive Garden was delicious as always. The guy who seated us had to be the best I've ever had. He was so nice, and he even pulled out my chair and took my coat off for me. Can't say I've ever had that happen at Olive Garden before. Jacob wanted to open his gifts before our food came. You can't really tell from the pictures, but I used little boy wrapping paper. It was what I had leftover from Jack's birthday! So, it had airplanes and said things like, "Atta Boy!" Haha!

My camera was taking forever, so he's smiling, but getting annoyed!

Reading his card. Once again, I picked well. I love funny cards!

Lost Season 6 on Blu Ray. I was quite proud of this deal. I scored it for $29. (Best Buy is selling it for $64) I sure love Amazon!

Jacob loves puzzles, so I happened to find one of Busch Stadium and ordered it. Little did I know until he opened it that he and his dad were AT the game in the picture! How cool is that?!

After supper we went to Best Buy and looked around and then headed to the "fancy" WalMart. Jacob picked out a few DVDs and then we headed home, snuggled up and watched some of his new shows. A perfect birthday for my wonderful husband!

Yesterday morning I was supposed to go to a Stampin' Up card making party with some friends from church, but the snow ruined our plans. The weather man said a "light dusting."

It didn't accumulate to THAT much, but it was snowing so hard that Sandy couldn't see the road, and it just isn't worth it to risk it. We were all bummed, but now the 4 of us are going to get together for supper and card making on Friday night. I can't wait!

So, I did some organizing and then watched TV for most of the day. Then we went to the Band-a-que at the high school. Good eats and heard all of the bands from 5th grade through high school play. I actually had a lot of fun. We sat by some people from church and I enjoyed getting to talk to Aaren for awhile and play with their little girl.

This morning on our way to church the road was clear until we were only a few miles out of Assumption. All of a sudden the whole road was totally snow covered and we started fish tailing. Thank goodness Jacob is really calm and knows exactly what to do. If he didn't we would have been in the ditch. We actually ended up fish tailing again about a minute later. I can't say I'm a fan!

Church was good today. I was in a more positive mood. I had fun playing with Liam for awhile this morning too. The church was having their Annual business meeting today and Jacob wanted to stay. I had a sense of doom come over me. Here I'm used to Valley View Annual meeting lasting for 2 hours or more...this meeting lasted about 5 minutes! All we did was approve the budget. I've never seen a meeting go so fast. Amen!

Relaxing afternoon and now I'm making some food for the Super Bowl. GO STEELERS!