warm weekend

it has been such a nice weekend. it wasn't cold!!! and to start off the weekend, ilene and i got to see an old friend, Ilene's high school best friend's mom. she took us out to eat and we caught up from the past EIGHT years:). I think the last time i saw the Lovins family i was a 13 year old girl, one that was all about screaming and jumping and freaking out with Dayna and Ilene about boybands, specifically Nsync and plus ONE. lol, alot has changed since then, but it was so so so nice to see Ms. Lovins and catch up with her.

another great part of the weekend was my dear friend stephanie's birthday! well...her bday celebration actually started wedsnday, when we went to see Wicked...duuuuuuuude....i've seen wicked four times, but we were in the FIRST ROW this time...we could see everything, including Elphaba spitting every two seconds whenever she spoke. that was pretty cool. Rachel came with us to try and help us win the tickets (they were in a raffle drawing,) and all three of us got picked out of the hat!! we were sad when rachel couldn't join us, but we got a chance to celebrate with her later.

The next morning, Thursday, bright and early, 7 am to be exact, Steph had a lovely wake up call. pretty much the only way you should be woken up on your birthday: By friends who tackle you and throw blankets over your head and sing happy birthday! all of us gathered in her room and dragged her out of bed. 

we took her out for a yummy breakfast at the original pancake house. 

dressed the only way you should ever be dressed the morning of your birthday walking in the streets of chicago.

lol...we also told her it was 5 am...

herez rachel fully enjoying her strawberry waffle.

lots more happened on her birthday, like getting a puppy, a ring, and a boyfriend that surprised her from VA, but thatz her story to tell...ask her about it or check facebook for pics.

Friday i went out with ilene and Ms. lovins in the above photo. after that, i dogsat! for Baby Marry!!! (steph's puppy). Rachel (Marry's Grammie) and I (Marry's aunnie), watched her all afternoon while steph and paul went to class and out to lunch...perfect little puppy was so sweet and too cute. i fell in love, and immediately after watching the puppy at night, i gave Ryan the puppy dog eyes and told him how much I absolutely NEEDED a puppy of my own. 

cuz, well, look how absolutely happy i look with one in my arms!

but, oh well, probably won't happen because the apartment we want to live in next year doesn't allow dogs. *sigh* oh well...

anywayz, on to brighter and happier things: that night for halloween we did our usual Chipotle burrito run and dressed up as a burrito with blankets for free burritos. well...so we don't completely look like a burrito, but we got a free burrito anywayz. (pic taken by Whitney Cornett). 

we took our burritos to go, and got ourselves seats at the North South game, the annual football game between Dryer and Culbertson. it was fun, but i left to cuddle with a puppy that had one night left in chicago.

(pic taken by whitney as well).

saturday, i woke up at 9, played the Wii with ilene in my pjs, went shopping at the water tower, worked on my paper a bit, then went over to Matthew's house to babysit. 

Sunday, i went to church and really really enjoyed the series in Colossians that Pastor Todd is preaching to us and Ryan and i picked up some operation Christmas child boxes. Those are so fun to put together. We make a date out of it and go shopping at target to fill those boxes up. then we usually write a letter, place a picture of us in the box, and then send it off!:)

after church, i went over to the Clarkster's house...i'll have to post a little bit about that after i see him the next time, because i don't have pics to post with it...but i asked him a very important question about August 8, 2009, and a very important job of being the most special and important little boy...more about that when i have pics...just a reminder of who clarkster is...this is one of my all time fave videos of him...its from this past spring.

anyways...that was my weekennd ya'll. God blessed Chicago with wonderful wonderful weather this weekend too, and it was so enjoyable being outside without a heavy jacket. The whole weekend kinda just makes me smile when i think about it. it'll be good to have the thoughts of this wonderful weekend in my head, while i sit in the library trying to write my Apologetics project presentation. I'll be in Wheaton college all day tomorrow studying at the library, while ryan's in class. we're going to make a day out of it. studying over there (they have an extensive huge library), and then having a nice evening outside the city. should be fun, i'm kinda excited about it:).