Going to the Chapel

In the past two weekends, Noelle has been to her first two weddings! Last weekend, we went to New Albany for Luke's cousin Emily's wedding to Jonathan (also known as Chunky...don't ask me why, because I don't know!). She was a perfect angel during the ceremony, not making a peep! She also did great during the reception as everyone passed her around. We had a great time and stayed until midnight! It was a really fun time with the family. Special note-- the reception had three different food stations with three different themes of food (Italian, Polynesian, and Mexican). It was a great idea and had something for everyone. I took the full world tour and ate from all three stations. Yum!

Noelle with Luke's dad at the reception

Noelle's second wedding was for Brandon, one of our high school friends, marrying Jennifer. After getting lost in the fields and farms of Pendleton, Indiana, Luke and I made it to the ceremony just after Jennifer walked down the aisle. Thankfully Noelle was quiet as usual and didn't call any more attention to us. It was another great time, and we got to catch up with a lot of our friends that we hadn't seen since Noelle was born. It's always fun to watch a friend you have known since elementary school get married. I am happy that our group of friends has stayed together so many years down the road.

Me with my long lost friend, Stephanie

Kevin, Luke, Noelle, and Me

Christmas Party!

It's always a blessing to have friends and family in your home around the holidays. On Saturday, I was able to host 8 of my closest friends for a get-together that involved a cookie and gift exchange, lots of food, wine for the non-pregos, and great laughs.

I have been friends with most of these girls since elementary, several were in my wedding. I am proud of our efforts to maintain our bond, even though we have all changed, moved, some have married, some have children...we are different, but we still find a way to keep it all together.

I love these girls (and all my friends-- I hope you know this!)

(pictures later-- the site is acting up)

Two Steps Forward...

...three steps back.

Do you ever really feel like you are making progress, and then you do something/say something to send you back a ways? That's me....a lot. It takes some balls to own up to this, and that is also part of my maturation process. Admitting when I screwed up.

Luke and I have some heated conversations at times, and they usually always center around one topic. Not revealing what this topic is, I can tell you that is something we will probably always disagree about. I can't get him to see my way, and he can't get me to understand his. This is a major flaw within us both...difference is, he doesn't have a blog to confess his wrong-doings to.

Anyway-- I wish I could see myself getting angry and just walk away. But I always want to hang in there for the fight. I want to let me voice be heard, my point to be taken. I want to win the argument. I want to be told, "You're right."

This never happens. Luke is as stubborn as me. I never get what I want out of this, but I continue to try anyway.

Why can't I just drop it?

Blah.

I still have my adult training wheels on.

On the flip side, I had a great night last night with a group of girlfriends. I am thankful for them in my life!

19 Weeks (a little late)

I am almost 20 weeks now, but I haven't had time due to my rigorous sleep schedule to post anything about the 19 week achievement of our baby. I usually fall asleep in the 8 o'clock hour now, which is depressing and fun all at the same time! My only real, true pregnancy symptom has been FATIGUE! I am so tired all of the time, it is INSANE! I can be awake and talking one minute, and then asleep the next! Oh well, I have been advised by other new moms to sleep now while I can!

This has been a fun week because I have felt the baby move a few times. Especially after our ultrasound, I started feeling it more and more. It feels like it is tap dancing in there. I think I have felt it once at least every day since Tuesday this week. I look forward to next week when I think I will feel it even more!

I had a great dinner with my high school friends this week at Cheesecake Factory. Two of them are mommies now, and it is fun to hear advice and stories from them. I have been friends with these girls since elementary/middle/high school, so it is fun to now have an adult friendship (who are we kidding...we laughed and joked and said inappropriate things just like kids)!

Return of the Blogger

I do apologize to any loyal readers for my lack of posting here lately. And by loyal readers, I mean my parents... :-) My typical phrase is "things have been crazy!"

I am gearing up for a three day teaching week that will end with a day of parent-teacher conferences and a 1-day fall break for me. I am very much looking forward to my day off. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning, a hair appointment in the afternoon, and that is just about it! My weekend is wide open, and I am thrilled!

Luke and I had a really great weekend here recently. We spent Friday night with his mom, his mom's cousin Barry from California, and Abe & E. We ate at Five Guys, which totally lived up to the hype. I kind of wanted it again the next day for lunch. It was a pregnant lady's dream...burgers...and fries...yum. We had Coldstone after, and then came back to the house to watch some Brian Regan clips on youtube.

Saturday morning was Luke's big marathon! He successfully completed 26.2 miles on a chilly October morning. It was thrilling to watch him run and cross that finish line. I was so proud of him. He made it through with only a little pain in his knees. He is currently walking like an 85 year old man, but he should snap out of that soon. We had a great cheering section for him (thanks to Lisa, Barry, Abe, E, and my dad) complete with signs. What an accomplishment! He finished with an official time of 3 hours, 50 minutes, and 54 seconds, which was just under a 9 min. mile pace for 26.2 miles.

The rest of that day, we spent being lazy bums around the house. We had some delicious wings from Applebee's (baby craved them), and then we hung out with Chris & Megan and watched a movie. We really love having friends just 3 minutes down the road from us!

Sunday (today) has been marvelous. We got up, made biscuits and gravy, went to church, and ran about 1000 errands. I even did some "me" shopping, which is always fun and rare and full of guilt...but I decided I deserved it.

Dinner is about to be served...but I just wanted to briefly update and say that I am 18 weeks pregnant today! We go for our ultrasound in just over one week. I am DYING to see this baby-- and yes, we are still holding true to our word that we are not finding out the sex ahead of time. We are going to keep on guessing until March! :-)

16 Weeks

Well, on Sunday, I celebrated being 16 weeks pregnant. I would like to say the time is flying, but I sure don't think it is! I think not knowing the sex, and not finding out the sex, is making it seem longer. We have so much anticipation, guessing if our baby will be a boy or a girl. It's crazy how a baby who isn't even born yet can occupy so much of your thoughts.

I bought a baby name book, and I am focusing on boy names. I think I know my girl name, but as for boys, I am lost. I have made it through A, B, and C of the boys, and found 3 names I liked, two of which Luke poo-pooed, and the third is just OK. Hopefully the other 23 letters of the alphabet bring some good material.

Over the weekend, I also attended Ball State's homecoming. This was my third one after graduating in 2007. I was so happy to be there, despite the fact that I was pregnant and unable to partake in any adult beverages like my friends. I didn't miss it that much. However, when I left, I just felt so sad. I miss my college years dearly. It's not that I want to change my life now-- I just miss all the good times I had. If I could recreate my top 5 favorite moments, I think I would recreate these:

1. Getting engaged at IU

2. "That one night at the bars" that will live in infamy (and my friends know which night this was)

3. The time that Abel & Luke went to Italy, and Elizabeth and I hung out for like 2 solid weeks and ate McDonald's about 10 times.

4. AOII Rose Ball Senior Year

5. The day my roommates and I played in the rain.

I am SURE I could go on forever. How can you pick just 5 moments from 4 solid years? I don't know. I just miss it. I haven't missed it for a while, but homecoming brought it out of me.

Oh well-- here's to celebrating the old memories and creating new ones.

Not loving this picture of me, but Luke is cute

Laura, Jenn, me, Jess, and Allison

Jenn, Laura, me, Allison (Laura-- is that a Colts scarf???)

Congrats, Chris & Megan!

I can hardly believe that September is almost over! It feels like only a couple days ago that we went to the Notre Dame game over Labor Day weekend. Now it is almost October, and I couldn't be happier. This September has not been all that Fall-like, although this past weekend was a sign of weather to come. It was sunny, breezy, even a little chilly by nighttime, and that is just the best!

We had a fabulous weekend in Muncie. Our friends, Chris & Megan, got married, and Luke was an usher in the wedding. We had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Friday night, the wedding on Saturday, and then a post-wedding get-together today. We are so exhausted. In fact, Luke is snoozing on the couch (for the third time today!) as I type this.

The wedding was beautiful. It was all black and white, and the bridesmaids' dresses and flowers were a magenta color. The weather was outstanding, and the reception was a lot of fun. I actually was asked to come in and take some "getting ready" pictures of Megan and the girls, so that was really fun. She was a stunning bride. In fact, Luke said that "other than me," she was the most beautiful bride he has seen.

Last night, I felt pretty pregnant. The dress I was wearing highlighted the belly bulge going on, and while everyone was enjoying several alcoholic beverages, I stuck to my water and Diet Coke. I was really good about not drinking caffeine during the first trimester, but I have added it a little to my diet in the past couple of weeks. I am allowed 200 mg a day, and one can of Diet Coke only has about 45 mg. I typically have Diet Coke once or twice a week. Sometimes I just need it!

Anyway -- the wedding was great fun, but WOW my feet hurt by the end of the night. The reception didn't close up until midnight, so it was a pretty long day for us. However, I loved being around my friends and seeing Chris and his groomsmen and ushers, who most of whom were elementary, middle, or high school friends. It is so cool that people can stay in touch and be friends after so many years.

One crazy thing that happened was Chris actually broke is wedding band during the reception. He had a tungsten band that is "virtually indestructible," which is the kind Luke has, but during the reception a large chunk broke off! It actually happened during a pretty hilarious part of the reception, which was when Megan's cousin taught Chris a very interesting dance. It involved some pounding his hands on the dance floor, and that was when the ring incident occurred. However, that ring should not have broken like that no matter what he was doing. He only got to wear it for 3 hours! Luckily, by this afternoon, he already had a new one as the jewelry store was able to replace the exact ring in the store today.

Well, I have chicken chili simmering on the stove and a Colts game about ready to come on-- I am exhausted and "kind of" dreading going to school tomorrow, but I know that the weeks are flying, which means the baby is growing, and I am getting closer and closer to lots of exciting things!

Welcome Avigail Catherine Grile!

On Sunday, I got the pleasure of meeting our friends' Ken and Jenna's first baby girl, Avigail. She was born on Wednesday. She was so super sweet and sleepy! It was a great visit, and I am so happy for them. They are already wonderful parents. Congrats!

Here is a nursery update. This is the 2nd set of bedding I have for a boy...maybe even a girl. I really like it!

14 Weeks!

Goodbye, first trimester....Hello second trimester! It feels like it has taken FOREVER to get to this point! Everyone has told me that the 2nd trimester is the best, and I am greatly looking forward to it. I feel like I got off the hook easy during the 1st, so I am hoping there are no unpleasant surprises in the 2nd. What I am really looking forward to is my chubby belly turning into a baby belly! I am also looking forward to feeling those kicks -- though I still swear I have felt them twice. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

I went to Target yesterday with Jenn, and we happened to find ourselves in the baby clearance. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. There were so many cute things for $2, $3, $4....I just couldn't resist. So what if I got 25 outfits, 22 of them for a girl? They didn't have very many boy things without a silly looking character or bear or Winnie the Pooh (ick), so I had to do what I could do. The stuff I got was absolutely precious....so needless to say we will either have a well-dressed girl or a really naked boy!

Girl outfits

Pathetic collection of boy outfits

I got a wild hair and decided that I wanted to make baby bows. Again...maybe this is my subconscious telling me that I am having a girl...because I am all about the girly stuff as of late. Anyway, I went to Michael's today and got some ribbon and made my first bow for Jenna's baby girl Avigail! I hope she likes it! I made it to match an outfit that I am taking to her today when a group of my friends make the road trip to go see her. I am so excited to see this baby girl!

I was bored this morning and counted our spare change we have been collecting since January, and we are at about $92! This is our Christmas money that we will use to buy presents for our friends/family. I know $92 won't stretch very far, but we still have about 2 months before we need to start spending it, and at least it is money that we don't have to come up with all at once. Paying in all cash (well, mostly all cash) for a year has really been one of our better decisions we have made.

Anyway, I better get ready to go. Hopefully the girls will be on time and we can get headed down south here shortly. Why do the weekends go so quickly?

Indiana State Fair!

Luke and I had a wonderful time visiting the State Fair last night! We went with our friends, Chris and Megan, and Megan's parents. It was a very pleasant August evening with a great breeze. We saw all the animals and farm equipment galore, but the highlight of the day was the food! All together, our group of 6 consumed:

Pork sandwiches

Cheddar nuggets

Honey ice cream

Honey combs

Honey sticks

Chocolate dipped ice cream cone

Chocolate covered bacon

Fried cookie dough balls (my personal favorite)

and...Chris had some tomato juice which was the only thing with nutritional value.

The fried cookie dough balls (pictured below) were amazingly good. Luke kept reiterating, "Well, it's a once a year thing. ONCE a year..." but I hate to break it to him that I found a recipe online and intend on trying to make these on my own. :-)

Back to School!

School is back in full force these days, as I went back to the working world on Monday. We had corporation meetings on Monday and Tuesday, and then the kiddos came on Wednesday! I have 19 fresh-faced students, and I must say that 19 is a HEAVENLY number! I had 25 last year, and with the 2nd grade classrooms bursting with 27 and 28 kids each, I am rejoicing (quietly, mind you, so as not to brag in front of the other teachers ready to pull their hair out!).

I spent the first three days doing what I should have done my first two years during the first three days (did you follow that...?). I got to know the kids, I didn't start out with super fun awesome activities (I know you're thinking...why?). I didn't crack a text book. I took my time assessing the kids' prior 3rd grade knowledge, preliminarily placing them in groups according to their skill levels, and I taught them all kinds of procedures. My method to my madness is that if I start out tame and reserved, but still warm and friendly, the kids will be eager to see what is next, and they will respect me more than if I started out as their best friend. No one likes it when their best friend has to reprimand them, and that is what inevitably happens. The kids feel betrayed by my sudden authority after they think I am all about fun and games. No more rookie mistakes for this 3rd year veteran!

Nah...actually I am FAR from a vet. I just have more experience under my belt which gives me a slightly elevated boost of confidence. I have redone my room and my thinking for this year, and I look forward to sharing my new revelations with you along the way.

My new and improved reading area

Anyway -- another friend has joined the marriage club! We went to our high school friend's (Cody Lee) wedding on Saturday in Muncie. He married his long-time girlfriend, Ashli. We had a lot of fun (scratch that, a TON of fun) catching up with some old friends and watching another beautiful couple tie the knot! Marriage is a wonderful thing! (most of the time)

Well...Luke said he wanted some Cold Stone, so I am not going to delay. This is a rare occasion for HIM to ask for ice cream! Better capitalize!

Happy Sunday!

Hello, hello, hello! It's a beautiful Sunday morning...and I am sitting on my couch with my laptop on my...lap! I should be outside soaking in the sun, but right now it is pretty enough just to look at.

Two months ago, I was in Kiawah with family. Now I am on the cusp of a new school year. I don't feel as prepared as I wanted to be at this point, but I still have two 1/2 days to work in my room on Monday and Tuesday. I also need to keep reminding myself that I don't HAVE to have the whole school year planned on the first day of school. I am just so nervous about meeting my new set of students and their parents! It is such a crazy day...I only wish the kids knew that the teachers have just as much anxiety as the students. However, I suppose it is a good thing that the kids don't know that... they can already smell fear.

This week, we celebrated Clare's 21st birthday with a family dinner at Bravo. Luke's grandmother, both Aunt Marcias (yep...we have two!), Uncle Hugh, and cousins Melissa and Zach came from New Albany...as well as Liz and her precious boys, Gus & Sol! Cousin Aaron and his wife, Ellen, who live in Indy, and Abe & E, CeCe, and a couple friends also made the dinner. It was a great crowd! Turning 21 is a big deal around here! We finished the night off with a Coldstone cake, this time it was mint chocolate chip. YUM!

I got to spend some valuable time with Gus & Sol. I just love them! They stayed the night with us, so I didn't have to share them with everyone the next day. I had them all to myself! :-)

Last night was the final summer concert, Brad Paisley. It was really fun, great weather, no excess of drunk idiots like the George Strait concert. We had a really awesome time. It was a nice show to end on.

Well, we are off to church and then to Candace & Damon's for an end-of-summer cookout with friends. It is bittersweet to see summer on its way out, but fall is on its way, which means football, sweatshirts, apple cider, and pumpkins. BRING IT ON!

Final Countdown

After a fun and busy weekend, here I sit at the beginning of my FINAL week of summer vacation. WOW! One week from right now, I will be sitting in meetings with my colleagues, getting ready for yet another school year. Deep breath...

For now, I am still on vacation, so I am going to try to think that way. Let me first give a weekend update. Luke left Friday afternoon to head to West Virginia for a friend's bachelor party. I got my haircut and went to Muncie to work in my room and stay with my parents for the night. I got to see Allison's cute little house, and I did not envy them as they were in full moving mode. I do NOT miss that! But it will be worth it when it is all said and done. I didn't have the heart to say that over a year after we moved into our house, we still have some rooms that don't feel "done" and some boxes to unpack that are lurking somewhere in our attic. Outta sight, outta mind.

Saturday afternoon, I headed home. Imagine my shock and dismay when I pulled into our driveway and saw Luke's garage door up. It had been open all day Friday and Friday NIGHT! I was very angry and pretty scared to go into my house for fear of all of our possessions being stolen or even worse, a creepy predator hiding in the bathtub (nah...who I am I kidding? No right-minded criminal would wait in the bathtub...I'm sure Ernie has peed in it since the last time I cleaned it). I harnessed what little amount of bravery I had and went inside. Everything seemed OK, and I did a full house check to make sure nothing fishy was going on. I then texted Luke a threatening message that I probably shouldn't write on this blog. :-)

Saturday evening, I went to Abe & E's for dinner. They made kebobs, potatoes, rice, and salad. I brought dinner rolls and Diet Coke. It was yummy! Sarah and Ryan joined later for a "bonfire" in the rain. At that time, I made the decision to head home. I was a big girl. I needed to stay in my own house...albeit alone. I did, however, talk to my mom and dad the entire way home from Greenfield. My dad coached me into locking the garage doors from the inside, which made me feel safer. I also slept with every light on in the house as well as the TV. I hate, hate, hate staying by myself.

Sunday was my friend Jenna's baby shower! She is due in September with a baby girl named Avigail. A group of our high school friends gathered to celebrate this incredible time in her life. It was a great success, complete with "poopy" diapers (made with melted candy bars) and lots of great food.

By the time the girls left, my fresh-out-of-the-doghouse husband came strolling in. I could hardly be mad at him about the door when I saw his sweet face. He had a great time on the trip, but it made me happy to see how happy he was to be home.

All is well again in the Ernstberger house!

Bike Trail - 3, Ashley - 0

For months I have heard Abel and Elizabeth rave about going to this mountain bike trail off 96th street. They go with friends, Sarah and Ryan. They talk about how hard, yet fun, it is, and somehow, the girls convinced me to get on my brand new bike today and try it. I say brand new bike because Luke was a dear a couple of weeks ago and got me a nice, pretty, blue Schwinn bike so that I could officially retire "White Heat," the Huffy that I have been riding since late elementary school (it's neon pink, gray, and white, by the way). Well, I have only ridden the Schwinn once before and have no experience with the whole "shift gear" concept, but I thought to myself, WHY NOT? 

So, 10 a.m. rolls around and Sarah and Elizabeth pick me up today. They are definitely jacked up, ready to go, talking about how big of bad asses we are going to feel when we are done. Mind you, these girls are experienced. They knew what they were doing. I...did not.

Literally, the first turn, I knew I was in trouble. It was too soft and scary and slippery and windy already, and then to my left, I see a steep drop-off to the river...so....I freaked. Within about 50 feet, I wrecked my bike. I found myself laying in some brush with Elizabeth laughing hysterically and Sarah nowhere in sight because she took off so quickly. I knew this was not a good sign. All I could envision was me tumbling to my death to this river, so somehow Elizabeth managed to stifle her laughter and help me up. Bike Trail - 1, Ashley - 0.

I get back on...a little shaken, but determined to be a big girl and get my Bad Ass on. Thankfully I was wearing a helmet for this next one, Folks, because I went straight over the handlebars about 10 seconds after my last wreck. You see, apparently you aren't supposed to use your left (front) brake. I kept squeezing both of them when I was scared I was going to die, which launched me over the bars and onto the dirt. By this time, I successfully gashed my knee and felt more than a little discouraged. Bless Elizabeth...I am sure it was a hilarious visual but she managed to help me back up on my bike and Sarah helped to coach me, too. Bike Trail - 2, Ashley - 0. 

Once again, determined to do this course and not be a wuss, I got back on. Sarah even asked if we wanted to turn around...and I said no. I am tough...I can do this. Give me about another 30 seconds, and I, yet again, flipped over my handlebars and somehow landed with the bike on top of me. I truly hope I am not sterile and unable to bear children now, because the handlebar gouged me in the side. I fear for internal bleeding. I ripped a hole in my pants and roughed up my other leg. By this time, I really, really, really, really wanted to quit. Bike Trail - 3, Ashley - 0. 

But, how bad could it really get from here? I have fallen three times and lived to tell about it, and I was still able to laugh with the girls at my own inexperience and ridiculousness, so I hopped back on and tried to enjoy the ride. Sarah got behind me and helped me to understand how NOT to use my left brake and when and how to pedal. 

It got flatter and easier, and I was able to take the bumps a little easier as it went on. All in all, I can see why they like the trail and enjoy themselves. It was really pretty and scenic, but the hills and logs and roots and rocks and not to mention the idea of falling into the river really played mind games with me. Nonetheless, I was proud that, after the 3.5-4 mile trail, I lived to tell about it. 

Maybe I will find myself with amnesia and forget about the painful falls and injuries and try the course again. Until then...the bike will be seeing the roads of Geist Landing Neighborhood and that is about IT! 

My right thigh...red lines have become raised bruises

My bloody, gross knee

Weekend Summary: Allison's Wedding!

Well, after a whirlwind weekend (seems like most of my weekends are like this these days!), I have finally caught my breath, and am I ready to blog about Allison's wedding!

I was so excited to be a bridesmaid for Allison (not just any bridesmaid...the maid of honor!). However, I was overcome with nerves and anxiety the entire weekend. We joked that maybe I took all of her nerves, because she was so relaxed the whole time. I kept feeling like I was going to throw-up...but all of the nerves were for nothing because the wedding was flawless, my dress zipped *sigh*, my speech went great, and the reception was lots of fun! 

Friday night was of course the rehearsal and dinner at Puerto Vallarta. We had tons of fun as a wedding party, but the real fun began when we left the restaurant and thought we were headed to go to see the movie, "The Proposal." Well, we got stuck by a train, and we were already running late, so we decided to just have fun anyway and blare some Michael Jackson, roll down the windows, and belt it. All joking aside, I am still stunned about MJ's death, but it was fun to pay tribute to his awesome song, "Man in the Mirror" on Friday night. We also decided to head to our former Bethel houses and take some pictures. When we finally got back to Allison's mom and dad's house, we just hung out, talked, and painted our nails until 1 a.m. 

Us at "Old Bethel" (we lived there from August 2004-July 2005)

Outside of "New Bethel," Al and I lived there from July 2005-May 2007, and Laura and Nikki joined from 2006-2007

Saturday morning came around, and we went to get our hair done! They all turned out great, and on the way to the church, we picked up some McDonald's (of course!). We killed some time before getting ready by dancing and talking...just having fun together. When we got the dresses on, the time came around quickly for pictures and the wedding to begin. I was shaking before walking down the aisle, but I made it without tripping! I teared up when she came down the aisle...she looked beautiful and radiant...and I am a sucker for music at weddings. It gets me everytime! 

Laura, me, Al, Jenn, and Nikki waiting for the ceremony to begin!

Al and me!

Once the ceremony ended, we took some full group photos, then headed out to the reception. It was so great to see our friends and sorority sisters! Al's reception was in a tent in her parents' yard, so it was beautiful and romantic and summery and perfect! I delivered my speech just the way I wanted to, and people laughed, so I think it went well! I also didn't cry! Woohoo! I know there is no reason to be sad...our friendship will go on forever! 

My baby and me at the reception!

My AOII family! 

Stacia, me, and Kel

Cutting the cake!

I was dead on my feet by the end of the night. The stifling heat caught up with us by the end of the day. It was definitely 90 degrees...but there was no rain! 

Now, as I type, Al and Chris are either on their way or have already landed in Jamaica! I can't wait to hear honeymoon stories and see pictures. I am definitely feeling nostalgic and remembering my own wedding and honeymoon almost two years ago. We are happier than ever and ready to see what the future holds!

Congrats to Chris and Allison Overholt! Marriage truly is a blessing!

I've been slacking...

Well, one would think that with the endless amounts of free time that I have during the day, I would be just full of blog entries, but really, it has been a busy week! Finally, I have some time to stop and catch my breath.

Last weekend was totally, insanely busy, but it was so much fun. Friday night, we had a whole bunch of high school friends at our house for a "cookout," but really we sat inside the whole time and drank some adult beverages, held the new babies (those two things sound bad, back to back, don't they?), ate good food, and had some great conversations. We are always so happy when we have our friends in our home. 

Saturday, we had a bridal brunch for Allison at the Delaware Country Club. Her grandmother put it together, and it was a fun, girly, traditional event. The bridesmaids, her mom, her two grandmothers, and Chris's mom, aunt, and grandmother were all in attendance. We got to wear pretty dresses and eat some incredible cheesecake! I can hardly believe that she is getting married THIS Saturday! 

Saturday night, we went to the Toby Keith concert. I went with my dad, and then Luke tagged along with our friends. It was an awesome concert, as always, and Luke had fun because it was his first concert! :-) 

Sunday was Father's Day! I got my dad a Concannon's gift card...now who wouldn't want one of those? Luke went to spend time with his dad while I decompressed for a while. We had something big to gear up for that night...WICKED! These are the tickets I  bought back for Luke's birthday in April. We ate at Ruby Tuesday's and then went to the Murat for the show. We were in the 16th row, on the floor. I was a little disappointed because we were pretty far over to the right, but after the show started, it ended up being a pretty  great view. Some of those songs...I just get goose bumps and I actually teared up a little! When you are in the presence of such amazing talent, it just moves you! We had an incredible time.

I suppose the most recent news is that we finally closed on our home mortgage refinance! Yay! Haha. You know when you are an "adult" when you refinance your house and you are excited about saving $65 a month on your monthly payment. :-) Any little bit helps.... 

Well, for the rest of the day today, I plan to be outside, and I also need to start getting things ready for this weekend. Another big weekend lies ahead!

Shower and Bachelorette Party a Success!

Well, Saturday was a hugely full day, but it was also a huge success! We had a great turnout for the shower, a super time at dinner, and a hilariously adventurous bachelorette party. Allison was pleased, everyone had fun, and I am happy it turned out so well!

The one thing I learned from all of it is that I can not attempt to maintain a "college" lifestyle at my old age. I have been so tired ever since Saturday! Staying up until 3:00 a.m. is definitely not my thing anymore!

One of my highlights of the day was giving Jenn a star that we had named after her mom who passed away one year ago from cancer. It was a really touching moment as we all wanted to do something to show our support. 

I am getting worn out just typing (WHAT is wrong with me!), so I will upload the pictures later. They are super funny!

Update: Pictures!

AOIIs at the shower

WD girls at the shower!

Bridesmaids!

Crammed in the back of Jess's car....not legal or safe!

Having fun at Have a Nice Day Cafe

We had some really creepy encounters...and this guy was one of them. He was rude and insisted that he knew me...even though he didn't...and then he insulted Ball State and flipped me off!

This guy tried to take a drink out of our straws!

I was getting annoyed and scared!

Guy over my shoulder is relentless and won't take a hint! YOU, sir, are married...and so are we!

Me with the bachelorette!

Relentless married guy backing up into me

Headbanger guy = scary

The faces really, really say it all!