Happy Halloween!

Yes, I know, it has been quite a while since my last post. We have been very busy with Cade arriving and then travelling home. I have just been exhausted from the trip and still have tons of unpacking to do, piles of laundry to attend to, and then even the fun stuff like catching up on magazines and TV shows has become a chore! LOL I will do a post with lots of Cade pictures soon--Owen was so cute with him. And, of course, I'll post some pictures of my trip. Right now, I will just post some pictures of my cute little tiger on Halloween. We're not trick-or-treating, as he doesn't get the concept, it's too cold, and Cody and I don't need to eat all that candy! So I just dressed him up for some photos today. That was difficult enough as he didn't want to stand still for a second! But I got a couple of good ones. My hat goes off to whomever designed this costume--you can't get the hood off unless it's unzipped! Genius! He tried and tried but could never get it! Anyway, here he is, runny nose and all. ;)

I know all you Cards fans are upset to see that I dressed my son up as a tiger but hey, the costume was purchased LAST YEAR on clearance so deal with it. Have a good Halloween!

Rub-Downs, Relaxtion, and A Little Shopping

I'm back on the balcony listening to the waves while Molly is back doing that work thing. A big shout-out to her husband, Ted, for not wanting to go on this trip and letting me come instead!

Last night we made our way to Old San Juan, which ended up being about a 30 minute drive away. It was very neat to see, as everything looks just as it sounds--old. The architecture is beautiful and many of the streets are cobblestone. We would have liked to have toured the more historic sites but as it was night, nothing was open so we had to settle for walking around the outdoor market. Molly bartered for some purses and we picked up a couple of other things to take home for our boys. Then we went to a little restaurant called Tito Danny's. It was Puerto Rican and Mexican cuisine. We had sort of assumed they were close to the same thing, but apparently we were wrong. We both chose Mexican and had a nice dinner. Then we came back to the hotel and did a little gambling in the casino. I like to play video poker and they only had nickle machines. It was good because I didn't lose a lot, but I didn't win a lot either. I went home down $1, which I thought was pretty good. Tonight I think we might go back and play a little rhoulette.

This morning on Molly's break we went to the spa for massages, which were very nice and relaxing. Then we had lunch at the same outdoor restaurant as yesterday. Molly had to rush back to the conference and now I think I'm going to hit the pool and relax and get a little sun. We didn't have time to feed the iguanas so hopefully we can do that tomorrow morning before we head out. Tonight we decided we'd go cheap and familiar and hit the Pizza Hut a few minutes away. Then we might go to the golf club restaurant for a little dessert. Then hopefully we'll win big in the casino! :)

We are really enjoying ourselves but I think we're both ready to come home and see our babies. We find ourselves fixated on babies in the hotel as they pass us!

A few a quick tidbits:

We saw a crab last night on the road, ironically crossing where the sign said IGUANA CROSSING. We've yet to see an iguana pass through there.

It seems that the police here just drive with their lights on sometimes. We've seen a lot of them and they are never really speeding or seem like they are trying to "catch" somebody. One was even stopped at a stoplight waiting for a green, but had his lights on!

The concierge told me yesterday that it is a rule on the island that service people speak english. Apparently the drive-thru lady at the McDonald's failed to read her rulebook.

Back to cold weather tomorrow! Brrrr!!!

Lizards, Iguanas, and Bug Bites--Oh My!

Just thought I'd post a bit while I have a little time this afternoon. Molly is off at her conference and I'm sitting on the balcony listening to the waves and looking at beautiful palm trees. Ah, this is the life!

This morning Molly got up and went off to the nerdery (hee hee) again while I slept in (again). She got done at 12:30pm and I met her at a little outdoor restaurant by the pool where we shared a very large, but wonderfully tasty chicken caesar salad. Then she changed into her suit and we lounged by the pool for an hour or so. When she went to change into her suit, we saw a very small little lizard that was missing a leg, poor thing! Molly was quick to inform me that he will grow it back, so all will soon be good for the little guy. Then as we were just relaxing in the pool we saw an igauna climb out of it! Everyone gathered around to watch him and it was a little bit freaky! But he didn't bother anyone and just went on his merry little way. I was quick to check my surroundings each time I went into the pool again! I just knew I'd be the woman screaming like a wild woman because an iguana was in the pool right next to me! Thankfully, I swam alone. Molly has bug bites all over her ankles which we can only conclude came from sitting on the beach last night. Guess we won't make that mistake again.

This afternoon we are heading to Old San Juan. It is about 20-30 minutes away from our resort but is supposed to have great shopping and food. We'll do a little shopping and hopefully sample some yummy Puerto Rican cuisine. Then I think I'm going to convince Molly to hit the casino with me. Gambling isn't exactly her favorite thing to do, but I think I can get her to do it.

Tomorrow we are planning to feed the iguanas in the morning (one of the activities they do here) as long as Molly is out of the conference in time. Then we are getting massages at the spa. Molly is trying to convince me to go on a short bike ride. My calves are slightly hurting from that trek up the watch tower yesterday but I guess I will give it a try. There are trails around the resort so it should be fun. Not sure what else is in store for tomorrow, but with Molly at the helm, it's sure to be exciting!

I'm off to shower and get ready to go to Old San Juan. Hope everyone is doing well and surviving the cold weather back in the states. Hee hee. More to come later!

Hola from Puerto Rico!

Molly and I made to it Puerto Rico last night at around 9pm local time (we are an hour ahead here). It was about 11pm by the time we made it to our hotel as we had to get our baggage, rent our car, grab a quick bite to eat, and drive the 20 miles to our hotel. We have had quite an adventure so far. Just getting my ticket onto the plane was an adventure! We went to the print-your-own kiosk and entered my info. and it said it couldn't find me on the flight. We realized we were using the wrong info. number and found it. But for aobut 5 minutes, we were quite scared! Our flights were pretty uneventful. The second was long, but nice because they showed the movie "The Break-Up" which we both had never seen. Made the time pass a little easier.

Once we landed and got our car, we got on the road and soon got lost and had to drive through a toll-way and pay the toll on each side of the road, which annoyed us. But we got on the right track and then decided to hit McDonald's on the way. It wasn't difficult to find one because there is a fast food restaurant about every mile. We went through the drive-thru and the woman didn't speak English, so we had to order with our broken spanish. Asking for salt was quite an ordeal (Michelle, if you're reading this, think "sugar incindent" in Mazatlan!). The woman pretty much looked at us like we had 3 heads when we asked for the salt. But we did end up getting it.

The hotel is great. We are actually sitting on the balcony of our room as we type this. Turns out we are close enough to the lobby to pick up the wireless internet connection. Our room is nice, although the maid keeps turning the a/c down to 62 degrees and we freeze our asses off. But the beds are comfy and the bathroom is nice and clean.

Today Molly had to get up at the crack of dawn for a course she signed up for. She left at about 7am and I slept in, which was nice for me. She was at the course until noon and I just hung out here and watched a little TV. Sunday morning TV in Puerto Rico leaves much to be desired. I actually found myself watching "Trato Hecho" which is the Puerto Rican version of "Let's Make a Deal." It was in Spanish, so I couldn't understand a whole lot of it, but they were funny in their costumes and I did get the gist of what was going on.

When Molly got done, we headed to one of the restaurants on-site for some lunch. Then we went to El Yunque Rain Forest, which is about 15 minutes from here. It was all VERY beautiful and we really enjoyed it. The weather is nice, warm, but not horrible and it's slightly overcast so we didn't bake in the sun. We saw a pretty waterfall and went to a look-out tower where I almost collapsed from climbing the 98 stairs to the top. After that, we hit Amigo, which is a supermarket that we think is owned by Wal-Mart. We got some snacks since everything is so expensive at the hotel.

Then we headed back to the hotel. A word about driving in Puerto Rico. We have decided they have wasted money making lines on the road because no one seems to care that they are there. And there are also times that they just disappear for a few hundred feet and you just have to guess what lane you should be in. Stoplights seem to be somewhat optional, and livestock seems to roam the roads at will. We saw a few chickens cross the road and then just a horse snacking on the side of the road that didn't seem to belong to anyone. There are also IGUANA CROSSING signs on the roads within the resort. We've yet to see one cross, although we did see one right outside the restaurant at lunch.

Tonight we went back to the same restaurant for dinner. It was good, although I was ticked that they charged me another $3.50 for my tea refill. Then we took a walk on the beach. Then we decide to go for a quick dip in the pool. It was a busy but very relaxing day and we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves. We'll try to do another update before we leave. Molly is doing conference stuff all day tomorrow so I'm sure I will find myself by the pool with a good book or maybe even making GiGi proud and doing a little gambling at the casino. Nothing like a little gambling at 2 in the afternoon. Now that's vacation!

Beth, hold that baby in til I get there! Adios!

He Don't Need No Stinking Nap!

Today we got home from lunch with Auntie Gaye, Auntie Beth, and Uncle Ryan at around 1:30. I decided to let Owen play for a bit before his nap since he slept in late this morning. At 2pm I went to change his diaper before putting him down and he WAS NOT cooperating. He didn't want that diaper on at all! After 5 minutes of fighting him, I finally got it on him but he DID NOT want his pants on. So, I gave in and put him in his crib with just his shirt on. The little stinker was in there for an hour and 45 minutes and NEVER fell asleep. He just played and talked to himself. My dad came home from work a little early and I told him he hadn't gone to sleep so he could go get him if he wanted. Dad walked in there and yelled, "Sarah! Come here!" I walk in seeing Owen like this and saying "Hiii!":

Here he is, just as happy as a clam. I wonder what Dad has called me into the room to see. Then upon closer inspection of the crib, I see this:

He has somehow gotten ahold of some paper towels and ripped them up all over his crib. And, yes, that is his diaper you see in the middle of all that mess. At some point he took that off and proceeded to pee all over himself and the bed!!! We have no idea where he got the paper towels or how he was able to reach them from the crib. Of course, you have to really know my mother to appreciate the fact that there were restroom paper towels somewhere in the baby's room that he was able to reach while in his crib and that she didn't even know were there!

Fun at Grandma and Grandpa's House

We have had a busy time here at Grandma and Grandpa's thus far. I think they are going to have to just install a revolving door in their house to make it easier for people when Owen is here visiting! :) We have a visitor here for Owen to entertain almost all the time, which is fun for everyone. We've shared lunches and dinners with the family. Tomorrow we are meeting Auntie Beth for lunch at my favorite restaurant, El Bajio. Then we are having dinner at Auntie Gaye's tomorrow night. Thursday Owen and I are going shopping with Meghan and Aidan, which is sure to be an entertaining day! Then Friday we'll be gearing up for Daddy to get here and Saturday I am headed to PUERTO RICO! My best friend Molly is going there for her work and asked if I would like to tag along. It just so happened to coincide with the time we are here so Owen will stay with G'ma and G'pa until I return on Wednesday. I am so excited for some fun in the sun with my best friend! We haven't been on a long trip together in quite some time so it should be fun. The only bad part is that our other best friend, Michelle, won't be able to join us. We will miss you, Chelle! Of course, somewhere in between all of this we are hoping that little Cade will finally decide to grace us with his presence! As of tonight, though, Beth says she thinks he's content to be right where he is. I guess his mama has provided him with such a happy home that he's in no hurry to leave!

Anyway, here are a few shots of Owen that I have captured over the past few days. Hope you enjoy!

Ready to party hard at Mardi Gras.

In the rocking chair that his mommy and Uncle Josh used to sit in when they were little. He loves this chair and is always getting in and out of it!

Grandma was feeding him dinner tonight. She turned around for just a minute and then when she turned back around and looked at him he had taken his arm out of his shirt! This is a new thing he has started doing and I'm not quite sure what it's about.

All ready with flashlight in hand to go on a walk tonight. We walked Bo with the neighbor, Ann, and her dog, O'Jack, tonight--something my parents and she and her husband do on a very regular basis. Owen had a great time riding along in his stroller and holding the light for Grandpa.

This was Monday evening after he had gotten up from his nap. Apparently he wasn't quite ready to get up so he snuggled up to Mama and sat with his head on me for about 10 minutes. He NEVER does that. I was in heaven!

Back in "The 'Boro"

Owen and I made it to Murphysboro on Friday evening after what seemed like the longest trip in the history of trips. But we made it safely and have been enjoying our time thus far! On Saturday we went to my cousin Laura's wedding. Owen had a great time running all over the reception. I always realize how much I do really need Cody when I'm at parties alone with Owen. I had no one to "tag out" with! I was on duty the whole time and he WORE ME OUT! Here's a few pictures of our fun time. I couldn't take a whole lot because I was too busy chasing Owen!

My baby boy all dressed up and ready to go! We tried to get a cute picture of him in front of some pretty flowers at my parents' neighbors' house, but it's almost impossible to get him to pose for a picture these days. I still think he's cute though! Don't you love the coat? His Auntie Beth bought that for him and we just love it!

With my newfound love of cakes, I had to take a picture of this one. Isn't it just beautiful? The colors of the wedding were chocolate brown and pink.

The beautiful bride and her groom, Mark. This picture doesn't do the dress justice at all. It was gorgeous and just perfect for Laura! She looked wonderful!

My cousin Megan, her son Aidan, our Aunt Tracy, myself, and Owen. There was supposed to be a picture above this one of Owen running down a long hallway (something he did ALL NIGHT LONG) but I accidentally deleted it! I'm too tired to go through and stick it back in so maybe I'll post it another time.

My cousin Morgan and her nephew Aidan on the dance floor. Such cuties!

Owen playing with Grandpa. As I said before, almost impossible to get him to look at the camera!

Owen and Grandma gettin' their groove on on the dance floor. Owen wasn't quite sure what to think of all that dancing and loud music!

My cousin Amy's daughter, Grace, who just turned 2. She was a flower girl and looked adorable in her dress! Here she is clapping on the dance floor. What a cutie!

My cousin Scott's youngest, Emma, whom Owen adored. He would go up to her and put his arms out for her to pick him up! She is six and could hardly carry him around, but he loved it! She would just walk around with him like this. Her 8-year-old sister, Leah, was also a flower girl but I never got a picture of her because she was on the dance floor almost the entire night!

Here's me and my baby boy. It took a few tries to get him to look at the camera on this one, but we got it!









We're having a great time on our visit here. Right now we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Beth's son, Cade. She called today saying she had some pains, but it looks like it was just false labor and the wait will continue. I will post pictures as soon as he arrives!

I have come down with a cold so I am not feeling so great. The good news is that since Owen was up late the last 3 nights we have been here, he caught up on sleep this morning and slept until almost 10 am! It was just what his mama needed. I will muddle through the rest of the day until Grandma and Grandpa get home to help me. They are always so helpful with him when we are here and give me a much needed break!

Back To Our Roots

Last weekend we went back to where it all began for us as a couple. We headed to U of I homecoming with my 2 best friends and their husbands, Michelle, Dusty, Molly, and Ted. Michelle, Molly, and Ted all graduated from there so it was a weekend full of memories for everyone. We had such an awesome time and hope to get back very soon! Here's a few pics of the weekend.





Michelle and Dusty at the bar on Friday night after we got into town.












Cody and I posed for a picture while tailgating on Saturday morning before the game. Much thanks to my mama for providing us with our new Illini gear! We loved it!




The boys getting the grill fired up to make brats while tailgating. I made them drive thru McD's before we went so I could get hotcakes instead! Although, I must say, I did sample a brat and Dusty did a wonderful job!

Molly and Ted sipping on coffee while tailgating!

The CHIEF running on the field. There is big controversy over the chief because people say it's not respectful to Native American Indians. I do see where they are coming from but I just love to watch him come out on the field! I can't help it!

The girls at the game after the upsetting loss. We still had a good time though!

Playing a racing game at the bar on Saturday night. We were all like kids running around in there playing games! We had so much fun! I'm proud to say I actually beat them all once at this game!

Our 3 guys in their Illini gear at a bar after the game. They were so great all weekend--being patient enough to take a picture of the girls in front of every haunt we remembered so fondly. Ok, so we ended up with the same picture just in front of different landmarks, but we liked them all! And our guys never complained! Aren't they cute?!

The three girls in front of the house we lived in together. We had some awesome times in the house and we just loved living there. The funny part is, we sat in the driveway for about 5 minutes the night before trying to work up enough courage to knock on the door and ask the 5 guys sitting in the living room if we could take a look around. Never did do it. So we went back the next morning and took our picture in front of it.

Here we are in front of the dorm where we first met. Ah, the memories....

And the best picture of the weekend. That's right, we actually met a celebrity! Here we are with TLC's Trading Spaces and Movin' Up Interior Designer Doug Wilson. We were sitting in a booth about 5 feet away from him and I looked over and said, "I think that's Doug Wilson!" We debated for about 10 minutes whether it was him and then Molly got up the nerve to ask him for picture. It was the highlight of our weekend! The guys, of course, laughed at us for being such starstruck dorks.

A New Tractor on the Farm

Ok, so it's a lawn tractor and I wouldn't exactly call our backyard a farm....but nevertheless, we got a new one! Unfortunately, our previous one broke down about a month ago. Cody bought some new parts for it and installed those and was out mowing the lawn one afternoon when BOOM! The engine pretty much burst into pieces! Our lawn was already looking like a forest so we had to break down and buy a new one. We decided to go for the cadillac in mowers and get a John Deere. Well, we didn't exactly get the cadillac version, but it is nice! Look how shiny!

Daddy took Owen for a spin around the front yard and he just loved it! Here are a few pictures of their ride:

Cody was very excited to get his new toy and I'm sure he's upset that he only got to drive it a few times before he has to put it away for the winter. I keep telling him if he'd just get a snow plow thing for the front of it he could drive it in the winter, too! He doesn't seem to like the idea though. Wonder why? Who doesn't love plowing your own gravel road/driveway on your slow little lawnmower at 4am before you go to work?

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Steve...

From one cool dude to another.

Hope it was a great day! Can't wait to see you in a week when we can celebrate with lots of walks together! I love you and my mommy and daddy do, too!

Shave and a Haircut, 2 bits

Ok, so he didn't get a shave and the haircut cost way more than 2 bits, but it made for a catchy title, don't you think?

We headed out this afternoon to run a few errands. Only at Wal-Mart can you get an oil change, some dress shoes for your baby, a haircut for same baby, and some plastic bags to hold the hair in since you forgot to bring one from home--all in about an hour. Come on, people, you just can't beat that! Anyway, below are a few pictures of the ordeal. It went much better than we had expected. Although I find that if you go in with very low expectations you are pleasantly surpised with the result. He didn't enjoy it, but he didn't cry either.

The shagged-out before picture.

In the chair with the snazzy animal cape and ready to be cut!

He wasn't so sure about the cold scissors on his neck. Didn't like the sraying of the water much either. But he took it like a pro.

Kept turning his head away.

He got a little testy at the end so we had to pull out the snacks. He wasn't really having any of it, though.

The hairdresser pulled out a timer that she had that seemed to keep him occupied for a minute longer.

The finished look. He wouldn't look at the camera so this was the best shot I could get.

The after shot of the back of his head. Much improved, don't you think? We know his Uncle Ryan will be proud as he as been hounding me to do this for about a month now. You can shut up now, Ry. :)