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| Wine Tasting |
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| Andria's Bachlorette Party |
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| Chicago Summer 2009 |
I have been a very bad blogger but I am updating you all of life over the last two months:
Matt celebrated his 27th birthday on June 9th. I went to Home Depot, with the help of my dad, and bought him a table saw! Sweet! I got the biggest kiss EVER! We celebrated with friends @ Buffalo Wild Wings while we watched UFC 99, which was an awesome card and had great fights!
July 3, we celebrated our first anniversary. I woke up to a beautiful day at my parent's house, very similar to the day we got married. As the day went by, I watched the clock and recalled the events by hour: leaving my house @ 8:30; 9:00-12:30: having a blast at Ulta getting our hair and make up done, being as calm and giddy as could be; 1:00: lunch @ the Attards; 1:30-3:00: putting on my dress; pictures with the best bridal party, my family and that bus ride over to the church, singing, Going to the chapel and we're gonna get married" while drinking sparkling champagne; 4:00: walking down the aisle as if I was walking on air: 4:45: "I Do", 7 pm: cocktail hour; 8 pm-12:00: danced our butts off. Our wedding day is one of the most amazing days of our lives; we are so blessed to have spent it with our closest family and friends.
July 4th: Wine Tasting on the North Fork on LI with my Bayport ladies
July 11th: Poll Dancing for Andria's Bachelorette Party
So we come to the present. This past weekend, Matt, myself and his mom traveled out to Chicago, Ill for a midsummer Leonhard reunion. It's the first time we've seen his dad's family since the wedding a year ago. For me, it was a much needed dose of relaxation and familiy time. Aunt Laurie and Uncle Mark played host; I think she finished the basement just for us so we would visit more often :) Saturday morning was breakfast at the Junction, trip to Schnucks, an awesome grocery store because they sell wine and liquor in it and a drive to Chrissy's for the famuly gathering at the local park. I kicked Matt's butt in baggo, played softball in flipflops, watched Matt strike out against a 10 year old pitcher ( I swear its true)and played on the playground with my new best friend, Clara.
If you never realized how long its been since you've seen family, look at the little ones! They have grown up so much since the last time I saw them; Parker running around and actually holding my hand as we crossed the street; Clara telling me she was so happy that Matt married me and Jack, Gordy, Will and Spencer playing baseball...it was a blast. I really miss having little cousins around because you can play little kid games again that adults really aren't suppose to.
Matt has always been the "favorite nephew" of the family, even before his father's passing from what they tell me. His father meant so much to all of them and his loss was tragic and sudden. Matt's cousin Erik and I had spoken a few months back about a scrapbook Anita had made him during the holidays. Eric has always been compared to Bill; his wacky personality for the most part and he was always very fond of him; which is why he named one of his son's Will. Matt and I don't have any pictures of him at the house so Erik rounded up the Aunties and gave us 2 books of pictures of Bill with various members of the famuly. Aunt Anita had an extra surprise; 3 yearbooks from when his father was in HS. It was something very sentimental; something I know we will appreciate forever. The more pictures I see of Bill and the more I get to know him, I think he'd be very proud of how his son turned out....
Sunday was all about the Cubs. Matt and I were on the road @ 8 am to travel from the Suburbs into the city to watch his favorite baseball team ever. I can see a twinkle in his eyes as we drove in; the excitement in his smile and overwhelming desire to just get there as he bobbed around in his seat. We hit a minor snag in the trip; when we got to the airport to get the train, we realized we let the camera at the hotel. No way we were making this trip without a camera; cabbed it back to the hotel, got the camera and we were on our way...Wrigley Field here we come...
Outside the stadium as we came out of the subway was electrifying; people were covered from head to toe in Cubbies red, white and blue. The streets were packed with fans of all ages, with dad's carryign their son's and daughters on their shoulders to the local bars packed with roudy college kids. Seats for the bleachers section wrapped around two blocks, two and a half hours before game time. As the gates opened, they run for the best seats in the house. Wrigleyville itself is an amazing place, with townhouses bought by corportation with bleachers on the rooftops, restaurants and bars inside with black and white pictures remembering the good old days. Wrigley field, a historic landmark of Chicago, was breathtaking. Walking up the ramp, behind home plate, you saw the old school scoreboard area with the empty bleachers, looking like the Alter of Wrigley field; the bright green ivy covering the walls reflected perfectly off the bright blue sky. It gave me goosebumps and it was the perfect day for baseball.
We sat in on the third baseline; section 7, row 7, seats 4-5; right behind the pitcher's dugout of the Cubbies. I've never been so close to a baseball diamond like this in my life. The players were within arm reach; handing out autograph balls to the little kids with their oversized jerseys and painted faces. Their faces were in awe of the players; probably similar to mine.
As the Cubs beat Cinncinati, I stood with Matt singing "Go Cubs Go" as they raised the white flag with a "W", a tradition that was starting when the stadium first open so that fans who did not attend the game, knew the final outcome. I was sad to leave such a beautiful place but it was the best way to spend it...just with Matt.
This vacation was shortlived but we'll be back in Chicago for Christmas this year; something that we are extremely excited about. Matt has never spent Christmas with his dad's side of the family; I think his dad would be happy to see us all together as a family, the way he always wanted it to be....
