Speaking of Pink, It's A...

Hold that thought...

We went to Chicago over Labor Day for the annual Cubs Memorial Game for Zach.  We had a great trip!!  Toni and Karl are amazing hosts and always go above and beyond...and this year, there was some added excitement (how do you like all of this foreshadowing)...shockingly, I took a million pics, so I'll let them do most of the talking!  

D managed to stay in good spirits at the airport...even though we didn't take off until 11:00 p.m. due to storms in Chicago...there was a lot of drama, switching airlines, terminals, cancelled flights, etc, but in the end, we made it :)

Craft fun!!  We made our own paper :)

We kept with our Giordano's tradition, but because it was a later game, we went for lunch beforehand...(and now the moment you've been waiting for!)  Aunt NiNi is expecting a little one in January!!  She decided to do gender reveal cupcakes at Giordano's...it took FOREVER for the kiddos to get to the icing in the middle...finally Uncle Morris broke a cupcake in half!  It's a...  

GIRL!!!  We couldn't be happier for Aunt NiNi and Uncle Chris.  Based on how amazing they are as aunt/uncle this little baby is going to be one lucky little girl.  Dylan, Ella and Maggie couldn't be more excited too!  Although, all think that waiting until after Christmas, doesn't seem reasonable at all!

The boys hanging out :)

Hard to tell Dylan not to jump from the booth when Uncle Chris does it as well :)

D having fun with Steve and Beck!

Stella wasn't overly impressed by the Cubs :)

On Sunday, we headed to the park to play on the playground and hit up some miniature golf!

This is D after he climbed up the pole of the swing set...he is a monkey!

I won the three hole playoff b/t Carrie Mac, Erin and me :)

D did get a hole in one, so Andrea did her famous cartwheel for him :)

After mini-golf, we grilled out at Toni and Karl's.  The food was great, and we enjoyed having a picnic on the deck :)

Aunt NiNi and Uncle Chris had wedding festivities all weekend...luckily, they were able to play with us a lot as well!

Yes, I made them pose like homecoming :)  Chris captioned this pic: I guess since I knocked her up, I better at least take her to prom :)

After everybody left, D made some musical instruments :)

Watching Lady and the Tramp with Great Grandma Pat

Ella bought us all flowers...she really is the sweetest!

Reading The Stinky Cheese Man with grandpa...Dylan and Karl thought it was SO funny!  It was so cute to watch them both crack up!

Luckily the flight home was much more uneventful...we got to enjoy some popcorn compliments of Uncle Chris!!  And made it back to KC early!

A huge thank you to everybody who came to the game and hung out while we were in Chicago.  It is always a very emotional weekend for me, but one that is also very important to me as well!  It's so nice to get to spend time with so many of our family and friends and remember Zach. 

One more huge thank you to Toni and Karl for hosting all of us!!  I know 3 kiddos and an additional 6 adults is a lot, and as always you were incredibly welcoming and amazing hosts! 

And last but not least, a huge CONGRATS to Aunt NiNi and Uncle Chris!!  We cannot wait to meet Baby "Gertie".  You two are going to be amazing parents!!  

For those of you only checking once a week, this is day 2 of blog-a-palooza...read below for more updates!

We Wear Pink for Kristen!!!

A little over a year ago, Kristen (one of my best friends/support systems/on call nurse, etc) was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I can remember the morning she told me like it was yesterday…I was sitting in their playroom with Grant having breakfast at their house before going to work.  I remember the shock and thinking that it was a bad dream.  I am happy to report that after an incredibly challenging year, Kris is now cancer free.  She has handled the situation with amazing courage and grace and has been an inspiration to all in her life.  We have cried some…but even more than that, we have laughed.  Kris has managed to keep her sense of humor through all of this…I remember when we were shopping for hats, and her hair was coming out in huge clumps.  I told her I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry…she told me laughing was the right choice and joked about the employees thinking a cat had coughed up a fur ball because of the hair she was leaving behind.

You’ll notice that I’m wearing a pink bracelet in every picture you see of me…it says “I wear pink for Kristen”.  It is a constant reminder to have her in my prayers and also a reminder on perspective.  It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day drama of life, but that bracelet is a good reminder for all.  Dylan calls it my Kristen bracelet and has his own as well.

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of taking part in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure 5K in Kansas City as a part of Kristen’s team.  A group of us walked, while Kristen and others ran…the race was emotional to say the least.  I think I teared up at least a dozen times over the course of the 3 miles.  Dylan had a great time, and really enjoyed being part of the team.  Beth and I made he and Collin their own personal “I wear pink for Kristen” shirts.  While he doesn’t understand the enormity of breast cancer, he definitely understands supporting one of his favorites in Kristen!

I know this is a bit of a serious topic for the blog, but something I’ve been wanting to write about for a while…I’m so proud to be able to call Kristen’s friend.  She has been an amazing support system for me over the past decade-plus and I feel honored to be a part of her life.  This is a reminder to all the women out there to do self-examinations on a monthly basis.  And if you think there is something unusual, talk to your doctor…and don’t let them write it off.  Push for answers and be an advocate for yourself!  

Coming Soon...

Summer Blog-a-Palooza!!!  I'm tired of being behind (count it 3 months)...too much to fit all in one post, so I'm planning on a post a day next week...time to get excited!!!  Check early, check often :) 

For now, here is D looking cute on picture day at school :)