Polly and Frank's Wedding

I've never been to an Indian wedding before and it was quite an amazing experience. 

I still can't believe how amazing the food tasted. I definitely had my share of samosas and naan. 

Best Date Ever

Finally it was time to dance. The DP tore up the dance floor especially to Destiny's Child's classic jam "Bills, Bills, Bills" and of course the official DP ballad "A Moment Like This" by our girl Kelly Clarkson. 

"Bills, Bills, Bills"

"A Moment Like This"

More "A Moment Like This"

Polly and Frank were such troopers and met us at The Cellar afterward. It was so nice to meet Frank and catch up with Polly. 

The DP missed Mahrya who just had beautiful twins, Athena and Evander. 

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." - Norah Ephron, When Harry Met Sally (you will be missed Norah)

Carbondale, Illinois

This past weekend was a fantastic time with friends. 

Polly's wedding was in Carbondale on Saturday, so Meg, Dave, and I drove down on Friday to spend some extra time with Anna and John. My compliments to John who was an excellent Carbondale tour guide. 

On Friday we went to 17th Street Barbecue. Our waitress was very spunky and the macaroni and cheese was to die for. 

The next stop was The Cellar. A very relaxed place to hang out and anywhere with a jukebox is fine by me. 

On Saturday we had a lovely brunch at Longbranch Coffeehouse and Vegetarian Cafe. Pretty much the opposite of a barbecue joint. Then we went to Makanda where there was a boardwalk with many cute artisan shops. The highlight was a secret garden out back that I kept calling "Rivendell." It had all these stairs and bridges and different types foliage, like Rivendell. Then John drove us through Giant City State park to view the lovely scenery. 

The Shops at Makanda

In the Garden

Rivendell

By the time we got back to the hotel on Saturday, Colleen, Cherie, and Eirith had all arrived, so we hung out and got ready for the wedding (see next post).  

The car rides to Carbondale and back were just as fun as the rest of the trip thanks to Meg and Dave (and a little help from US Weekly, The Game of Scruples, and Entertainment). We learned the car was pro-Emma Stone and anti-Kristen Stewart. I think we also broke the record for time analyzing Jennifer Aniston's career. 

Good friends, great memories. 

"Not all those who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien 

Happy 31st Birthday Zach

Zach turned the big 3-1 last Thursday. We had such a nice night out with friends and family. I went downtown to go to Bar Louie with Zach’s work people. It was very enjoyable because I don’t get to see them very often. But darn it, I forgot to take a picture.

Then, we came back to our neck of the woods to go to Zach’s favorite restaurant, Rockwell’s. If you live in Chicago and have never been, you must go. Try the burrito or taco salad, they are sinfully good. John and Gunnar met us there (too bad Kirstin had rehearsal). Here are some pictures of the crew. Check out the Toddlers and Tiaras moves I've been teaching Gunnar (bad auntie!). 

Check Out This Move

First Half of Finger Kiss

Second Half of Finger Kiss

After dinner we picked up Scooter and went over to John’s to hang out for awhile. Fun times.

“Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that people who have the most live the longest.” - Larry Lorenzoni

Happy 31st Birthday to Zach

Zach turned the big 3-1 last Thursday. We had such a nice night out with friends and family. I went downtown to go to Bar Louie with Zach’s work people. It was very enjoyable because I don’t get to see them very often. But darn it, I forgot to take a picture.

Then, we came back to our neck of the woods to go to Zach’s favorite restaurant, Rockwell’s. If you live in Chicago and have never been, you must go. Try the burrito or taco salad, they are sinfully good. John and Gunnar met us there (too bad Kirstin had rehearsal). Here are some pictures of the crew. Check out the Toddlers and Tiaras moves I've been teaching Gunnar (bad auntie). 

Check Out This Move

First Half of Finger Kiss

Second Half of Finger Kiss

After dinner we picked up Scooter and went over to John’s to hang out for awhile. Fun times.

“Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that people who have the most live the longest.” - Larry Lorenzoni