May's Memories

A lot happened in the month of May.
For some reason I didn't do very well at documenting it all.
I guess you could say my mind was a bit distracted.

So I guess I'll give you a quick recap...
and even if you don't really care what I did in May,
I care.
And I don't want to forget.
And if you know me very well...you know I forget easily.
So it's best if I document :)

The first weekend started of with a trip to Taylor, MO with a bunch of wonderful ladies for a short weekend get-a-way.  K, T, and I had bought a "bed & breakfast" stay last year on the Fairview Haven benefit auction, so we were using up the certificate!  Despite the circumstances occurring in my life at that time, I still thoroughly enjoyed the weekend.

a cute little bridge we just had to photograph...

enjoyed singing around the piano

Spent the day Saturday touring Hannibal, a cave, and some old buildings.
Here is the whole crew :)

 The next weekend - Mother's Day weekend - was one that probably won't leave me memory anytime soon.  So thankful to have had these 3 wonderful girls to spend it with.

Saturday night

Sunday Morning...so many emotions...

 The following week was the beginning of an on-slot of decision making... we traveled to Chicago one day to fabric shop.  Thankfully it was a success!

Thanks, ladies, for helping my indecisive mind make decisions!

Special memories with mom & sis - love you both!

Of course ya can't pass up the cheesecake factory... :)

Then came a special evening with K & T...which included Kirk's interview/initiation into our friendship circle.  He passed and was accepted :) But he still had to endure the quaint picnic (which I think he secretly enjoyed) and a few of our other hair-brained ideas...

Somewhere in there we enjoyed a fun night out to eat at Kobe's Hibachi Grill with Kirk's sister and brother-in-law, Troy & Leann and nephew Carter...I do believe I fail at catching flying food with my mouth... oh well...such is life! ;)

Enjoyed a beautiful Sunday at my cousin Sydney's wedding.  Then went to a park in the evening with Brent & Darla and family.

attempted some engagement picts...I think they turned out perty decent! ;) 

Enjoyed a night out with 2 very special cousin's at 301 Mongolian Grill in Champaign...

Kurt was the only one who paid for unlimited bowls...but we still all got a second piece of bread! ;)

Enjoying our bread...

Walked around Champaign...and of course took some picts!
Credit goes to Kirk for the photo...he's learning!

And last but not least...celebrated a special someone's birthday.  Welcome to the 20 club, K!

And that was just a snippet of what May consisted of...add a few more random evenings out doing some things, a lot of decision making, numerous trips to bloomington, finals, and many walks, along with learning all about Mr. Intruder...and there you have a very full month of May!

So thankful for God's blessings and leading in this past month.  Expecting a few more months of craziness!

Oregon

Friends.  Food.  Fellowship.  Fun.
I think that pretty much sums up my weekend on the west coast! 
But in more descriptive terms, here ya go:
(Warning: You may be clueless unless you were there!)

Not attending a jean skirt convention...
Driving a moped over the curb...
Getting caught in the sprocket of a surrey...
Wearing a balloon skirt...
Battling the windy beach...
Not having (or having) a killer sweet camera...
Getting stuck with an X on the bottom of your plate...
Saying "Happy Birthday" to a compliment...
Being "quarantined to the back seat with the luggage...(That was me!)
Having a want-to-be- weanie roast...
Freeze-drying marshmellows...
Having wonderful convos about our spiritual lives...
And just being together!

So many memories were made. 
Ones that only a select few of us would understand, but memories none-the-less.
It was a wonderful refresher.  Spiritually, mentally, and I guess physically as well! ;) (Those Surreys sure were beasts!  Or maybe it was the passengers...)

I'll let the pictures tell the story...they might be easier to understand :)

Hanging out at our cottage Friday night...

Bubble skirts!

My Hostess - Jenna, thanks so much for the amazing weekend!

The clan!

The Surrey...aka beast

X's 3...

Beautiful Coast...

Monday before heading home...

 Thanks again all you Oregonian's for hosting a blessed weekend.  Maybe I'll come back this summer.... :)

Friends ∙ Food ∙ Fun ∙ Take 2

We were just discussing the other night about how our friendship basically revolves around food.  It sounds kind of sad, but it's sorta true.  Everytime we get together, it has something to do with food.  Catering.  Eating out.  And of course, if it doesn't have to do with food to begin with, it always ends with food... But who's complaining?!

Twas a wonderful night once again.  Consisting of friends, food, and fun. 
K, T, and I met C after work in Gibson.  Our taste buds were calling for something a little unique and we were quite eager to try out the Bayern Stube Authentic German restaurant which we'd only heard rave reviews about.  K had the delightful idea of ordering dessert first, since our stomachs are usually detestably full after the main course.  This way we were able to pleasantly enjoy the delisious desserts.  I think our waitress, along with all the other tables around us, thought we were quite the odd ducks by the end of the evening...but then again, it wouldn't be a "normal" night with the 'core four' without a few odd looks cast our way! 

white cake with some cheescake-y filling - 2nd place :)

Creme Brulee - DELICIOUS! My all time fav.

Chocolate Turtle cheesecake - or very close

Lemon glazed cake with berry filling inside

Schweinebraten with Spatzle and red cabbage.

Bismark Schnitzel w/ spatzle and sauerkraut

My entree - Rabbit leg w/ red cabbage, potatoes & pear w/ berry sauce - delish!  Tasted a lot like chicken...

Tiff got a sampler...

After dessert, before tasting the entrees :)

All of the food was delicious (minus the red cabbage & sauerkraut...they weren't my fav...) and I would highly recommend it to anyone who's up for a little something different.  It definitely lived up to its name!

Thanks ladies for the wonderful evening.  Which restaurant are we gonna try out next?

Friends · Food · Fun





Giddy anticipation.  An excuse to dress up.  A perfect birthday celebration.  A date with 3 amazing friends.  A night filled with countless giggles and grins!

 

Thursday night, T, C, K, and I took a night off and ate out at Station 220 in downtown Bloomington to celebrate T's birthday.  We ordered the 7-course-tasting and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!  I would highly recommend it to any of you fancy-adventureous diners out there...the chefs did an amazing job!

 

If you haven't already read K's blog on our evening...refer to it to get a more detailed description of the foods...She's much more versed in the culinary area than I!

 

Notice our excited expressions and easy smiles...before we were filled to the brim!

Course #1...possibly my favorite - fried pork wrap with some yummy sauce under it!

Course #2...had a hard time with this one...I'm not a fan of tomatoes...but I choked down most of it. ;)

Course #3 - Sweet corn soup (i think...) with shrimp & carrots in middle - this was good for the first couple bites but by the end I could have about hurled! But I don't want to scare you away...everything else was superb!

Course #4 - Delicious tasting salmon!!! Hmmm-mmm!

Course #5 - Extremely tender beef cheeks...with some carrots, beans, and rice-type-stuff...
Everyone I told about this course looked at me, smiled, and said...Do you know where beef cheeks come from?! ;)

Course #6 - our first dessert - a fruit tart with fresh berries and sorbet. YUM!

T's Birthday surprise...to her relief there was no singing involved!  And our waiter in the background...

Course #7 - Tiramisu - this was delicious but by this course I was so full I thought I was gonna hurl (for the 2nd time that night...) so I could barely finish it...but it was still super delicious!



After the meal - our half grins and bent trunks due to the bulging middles....that's when we decided to take a walk around the block to settle our stomachs...or something like that!

So much fun tucked into one evening...I think part of my stomach issue was because we were laughing so hard at times...try laughing on a completely full and overflowing stomach...Yeah, actually I don't recommend it! Oh and I can't forget to mention our frequent bathroom trips - we drank so much water with the meal I think we each went to the bathroom at least 3 times throughout the 2 1/2 hour period!! I wonder what the waiter thought... And of course we had to go in pairs... :) 

 

So thankful for these 3 girls...our memory file keeps getting larger!  Thanks C&B for giving us this opportunity! I thoroughly enjoyed it...plus I was super excited to go on a "fancy date" and get to dress up - even if we were a bit overdressed compared to the rest of the crowd!  Things like that thrill me...call me odd.  :)

Meal for the P's

My parents celebrated their 30th anniversary last week...makes me feel like I have old parents...but I wouldn't want 'em any different!  I'm so thankful to have a mom and a dad who clearly love eachother, and have set a perfect example of love for their children to follow.

So, as a celebration, CKJT Catering hosted a meal Sunday night for my family at the Forrest Hotel... Just thought I would share a few pictures of the evening.  We all had a wonderful time and everything turned out awesome! (Well... don't ask CKT b/c they'll tell you otherwise!) And... (prepared to be shocked...) I pulled it all off as a surprise!! And it actually was a surprise to mom and dad! I had fun going behind their backs, grabbing things here and there when they were gone, stashing stuff under my bed, and coming up with excuses for going to Jodi's, running erands all day, and going randomly to pontiac one night...It was a blast!

Tiff, our wonderful napkin designer!



One place setting (minus the knife...)

The table!

Another view...

Our griller... Thanks Jerm!

T & C preparing the salads--YUM!

SURPRISE!

Sorry for the unappealing picture...It looked so delicious I couldn't wait to taste it before taking a picture!
We had steak, twice baked potatoes, savory green beans, and garlic bread.

Dessert: German Chocolate cake... or

Mini pavlovas w/ fresh fruit! Delish!



aww... :)

Us 4 and the P's...
So thankful for the friendships we've created and all the many memories we've made!



 After supper, my family went to my sister, Jodi's, for the evening.  I stayed back and helped clean up a little, but my 3 wonderful co-partners finished it up.  Thanks again gals, you're the best!!



I brought along their wedding outfits to try on...
Yep they still fit, but don't look too close!