Weekend in Chicago... MEATASTIC!!

One of our best friends, Nikolai, got married over my birthday weekend. Josh and his Seattle buddies were groomsmen for Nikolai and it was fun to see everyone together looking dapper in their tuxes. Nikolai married a wonderful and beautiful girl named Christine. I have never been to such a fun wedding in my life! Both Nikolai and Christine share a common heritage and upbringing being Serbian Orthodox. They had a beautiful ceremony in their church and quite the party before and after the event. I was most impressed by their emphasis on family and left Chicago with many warm memories of the wedding.



We loved seeing our friends from Seattle. Let me say that Josh has some of the nicest and best looking guy friends! I am very lucky to say that I have never been annoyed over my husband's buddies, they are all pretty great. We shared a lot of laughs, some at their expense. But what can you say when the shleevo (spelling) is free flowing. I have never eaten so much meat in my life. At the rehearsal dinner each table had a huge platter with a variety of meats. Meats on sticks, meats wrapped in bacon, cured meats, you name it we ate it. I giggle still cause Nikolai was concerned there wouldn't be enough meat at the reception. Let me assure you that there was. Chicken, pork and lamb. I am not complaining cause my pregnancy craving is in fact meat.



And let me tell you that these people can eat that way and maintain their figures because after such eating they dance for hours. Not night club dancing, think "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" dancing but Serbian. They had three bands and we danced all night. Nikolai is a fantastic dancer, that's one thing that drew Christine to him. And I must say that Josh and I aren't bad either. Though with the bouncing and my enormous pregnant boobs and belly I am sure I looked like a beach ball. We danced so much at the reception that I had to call it a night cause I peed my pants! Hey the baby was pressing on my bladder like a juicer! Ok it wasn't that bad but we did sleep for like 12 hours that night. We woke up in time to make it to the post-party bbq where they served... more meat!!!!!






Thank you Nikolai and Christine, we had such an amazing time. I hope we can see eachother soon!

"Hey, hey, hey, goodbye!"

After much back and forth we finally listed Hazel for sale. She was a great dog, her bad behavior was actually our fault. Because we couldn't give her adequate exercise she acted out in crazy ways. We finally decided we were being selfish and irresponsible, preventing her from fulfilling the measure of her creation. So we listed her online and within an hour of posting we had five calls.

She went to a wonderful lady, Mary, who is a dog trainer. Mary has a standard poodle named "Max" who is also a highly active dog. Mary called us a week ago to say she hadn't had any problems with Hazel, no digging or chewing. This is because Mary jogs with her dogs daily. Takes them to the dog park every other day and swims in a therapeutic pool that allows dogs. She says Hazel is a water dog, swimming four miles on her first swim. Needless to say, Hazel is in a better place.

The stress level in the house has dropped 50% too with her gone. But Finn really misses her. No more animals for us till the kids are older. We learned our lesson.

It's a boy!!!

After being told we are having a girl we are now 100% sure it is a boy. We had a full anatomical ultrasound and without a doubt they declared it to be a boy. Josh is bitterly disappointed. I swear he thinks that I was so sad about having a girl that I convinced Heavenly Father to change it to a boy. I don't have that much sway with the big guy but I am relieved to be having a boy!

This will be the third and final for Josh and I. I am having a particularly rough time with this pregnancy and don't want to be pregnant again. Josh agrees, he's always wanted three kids and has agreed to the "snip snip" after the baby is born. I console him for the lack of a girl by telling him with three boys he will have an entire attack line for the lacrosse field. That is conciliatory for sure!

We are now weighing baby boy names. I have my favorite picked out but I don't think Josh is sold. Anyway, that's the news for now!