Mark's 30th and Wrigley Field...a GREAT combination

Mark turned 30 on April 27 and we celebrated him by going to a CUBS game. They didn't win, but we sure enjoyed ourselves. Mark, your girls love you very much. Thank you for always taking care of us...Happy Birthday!!

The celebration of Mark came early...Mark and Ryann and the "Guadalupe River" dessert that Ryann "made" (put the chocolate chips on top and she is taking ALL the credit) :)


Before the game, we went to this little Italian restaurant that was featured on Rachel Ray...so delicious...

YAY...we are the same age...love when this happens...too many old lady jokes go on in our house

Birthday Tiramisu...that Ryann and I really enjoyed while Mark was on the phone...he was not too happy with us...

GO CUBS!




This was Ryann's first professional sports outing...she loved it and cheered "Go Cubs!!" very loudly...


It was COLD...

Wrigley field definitely had a college football game feel to it...here is a band that played outside the entrance

The view..love how you can see the lake way in the distance

The view after the sun went down

Seattle

Last weekend, Mark and I ventured up to Seattle for a job interview for Mark, and a mini-vacation for me (albeit 2 short days). We got in on a Thursday, had dinner on the water, where we ate the most delicious seafood we have ever had. Friday morning was Mark's interview...While he was interviewing, I drove around the area and saw a charming little coffee drive-thru hut (aggies, looked exactly like java jitters). Excited about going to a place like java jitters, I whipped my little rental car into the drive-thru to order my chai latte...what I didn't expect was the fact that the barista was in a string bikini...What the What?!?! nervous, I completely over-tipped. She was very nice,btw. To quote our favorite Cowboys from the Amazing Race Jet and Cord, "We are so not in the Bible Belt anymore..."
After the interview, we enjoyed downtown Seattle, Pikes Place Market, and a cozy little Italian restaurant. What a great time. What a beautiful city. What interesting and intriquing people. Will we be living there.....we shall see...

Here are some pictures of our short stay...Thanks Pappy and Lulu for watching Ryann!!

Lincoln Park Zoo

We went to the Lincoln Park Zoo on Saturday and boy, was it fun...and FREE....(except for astronomical parking, but that is besides the point) This zoo is awesome. It was great weather and Ryann is at that magical age where she absolutely loves animals. We spent a little more than 4 hours roaming the zoo from end to end. We had a Blast and I am so glad we went. Our time in Chicago is coming to an end and I feel like we really have made the most of it. We really have loved our time here.It was so good for our little family. We feel so incredibly Blessed for this opportunity. What a Fantastic city! The only thing left on our list of things to do is a CUBS game..which we are going to on April 27 for Mark's 30 Birthday:)

Here are some pics of us enjoying our day at the zoo...








The meerkats...my favorite

Ryann, trying to wake up a sleeping aardvark

When Ryann was a baby, I never was told that Ryann looked like me. Everyone said she looked exactly like Mark.I agreed, she did. I still think she looks more like Mark. However, it is nice to now see more and more of me in her...like our hair color...my natural color (have not had my hair highlighted in about 2 years,trying to embrace the fact that I really am a brunette)Here we are, admiring a giraffe and an ostrich

Ryann and her love for fish

Sweet Smiles

At the store yesterday, the check-out man asked Ryann how old she was. Ryann replied, "I am sixteen." WHAT?!? Where did she get that? I realized later, that we watched parts of Sleeping Beauty recently and Princess Aurora says she is 16. Her interchange with the kind man reminded me that time is passing WAY too quickly. Sometimes I would like it to stop and she can be my cuddly 3 YEAR OLD. Forever.

5 Things...

5 THINGS I AM LOVING RIGHT NOW...

1. Ryann and her love for Taylor Swift: Yes, I realize Ryann is three, not 13, but she already has an affinity towards Taylor Swift. I, too, heart Taylor and went through a period where I listened to her cd on repeat for about a month. I had no idea what kind of affect that had on Ryann UNTIL...we were playing with playdough and Ryann holds up a piece of playdough to her ear and sings in toddler speak,"she's on the phone, it's a typical Tuesday night..."hahaha. Everytime we hear a Taylor Swift song on the radio, Ryann says (not prompted, I swear): "That's Taylor Swift, she's my girl."

Ryann in her TSwizzle shirt she got from her Aunt Sarah for her birthday.


2. The Duggar Family: say what you will...I know they are controversial...yada yada yada...I ABSOLUTELY love them. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I love every single episode and think they are the nicest people on the planet...next to my sister. I talk to Mark ALL the time about them (which he loves (insert sarcasm)) and create scenarios in my head in which I could meet them. sad,I know. I am in awe of how they present themselves in the media and how they represent their unwavering Faith.

I love that Dolly is with the Duggars in this one...love both so much!!


3. Sunday School Toddler Crafts
A recent conversation with Ryann while looking at her craft (pictured below)
me: "Oh, Ryann, I love your craft...what did you learn about today?"
Ry: "Esau, Jacob, and Isaac"
me (bursting with pride over the fact that Ryann just named three characters from the OT): "Wow, are those three people Esau, Jacob, and Isaac?"
Ry: "No, they are you (pointing to the hairy one), me, and Prince Charming (mark)"
me (pride bubble busted)

me (esau), ryann (isaac), and dad (jacob)


4. TRADER JOE's: this grocery store is the bomb. OBSESSED. Delicious and affordable. Yum Yum, we love everything about it. Dallas NEEDS one STAT.



5. A date with Mark on April 23: We are going to be in Seattle by OURSELVES April 23 for a job interview and I am so giddy that we get to go on an actual date sans Ryann. A huge thank you goes out to my gracious parents for making the trip up here to watch Ryann while I accompany Mark to Seattle. Don't get me wrong,we absolutley love our daugther to pieces, but we have missed having the occassional meal by ourselves. I think I will actually wear a dress...watch out.

Tourist Fun

One of my favorite pictures of Ryann to date. Totally captures her personality!

The last full day my family was here, we ventured into the city again. We enjoyed an Architecture Boat tour of Chicago that was fabulous. Chicago really is such a Beautiful city.





After the boat tour, we enjoyed lunch at the Navy Pier


Looking at the sites on the way back to the train