Budding Baseball Player!

Matt decided it was time to start teaching Gracie the ins and outs of his favorite game - Baseball. Gracie was a more-than-willing participant! She has great form, and is a south-paw just like her Daddy. That makes it much easier for both of them! Mommy is not so great...at baseball in general, but definitely not at playing it left handed!

Getting her feet and hands in position....



Teaching her the art of the swing............................... AND THE HIT!!!!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME!!

Here is a short video - IT'S A HIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(note: there is a second video..but it is refusing to load... so i will try try again tomorrow! J. )

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday to Tiffany Ramsden!!! She is 13 today - a TEENAGER!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great day, Tiffany - We can't wait to see you!

Love,

Your Illinois/Missouri Family :)

Quote for the Day - by jackie

Roy L. Smith is quoted as saying (in 1886) that :

"The ideal marriage is not one in which two people marry to be happy, but to make each other happy."

Here's to the happiness in all our futures! May you have someone to share it with. :)

Wedding Questions - Answered!

Why hellooooooo!!

Here is a breakdown of the day, for starters:

Friday, September 18th:
5:15 pm - Bridal party and all others included in the "day of" workings should meet at 820 Division St. in Lisle for the Rehearsal at 5:30 pm. This is the Church :) Rehearsal should go about a half hour to 45 minutes. If you have any questions, let Jackie know ... I truly apologize that the traditional "Rehearsal Dinner" will not be included.


Saturday, September 19th:

745 a.m : Bridesmaids to On the Edge Hair Studio: 1175 Oak St # BNorth Aurora, IL 60542-2064 PHONE: (630) 907-2525. Appointments have been made for Jackie, Anissa, Danielle, Michelle, and Kelly. Gracie and Nicole will be in attendance. Mother of the Bride is requested :) These should take till about 9:30 am, per Maria at the Studio. Due to time constraints, please bring EVERYTHING with you, as there may not be time to go back for them!

9:30 a.m: Bridesmaids en route to Church; Groomsmen should be at Barb's in Lisle with Matt.

***Suggestions for travel arrangements? Who is driving w/whom? Email me to let me know if you have any special requests here, or suggestions. THANKS!!

10:15 a.m. - Arrive at the Church if you are the Bridal Party or Ceremony Participant. Or, if you just want to help out with the kids! :)

11:00 a.m. - Ceremony to BEGIN!!! This will include Readings, Nuptial Blessing, Unity Candle Ceremony, Marian Flowers Ceremony, and the Blessing of the Marriage. This should conclude by 11:45.

11:45 - 12:15 - Pictures - NOTE - please stick around during this time as I would like to get some Family Portraits as well for all of you (really, are you surprised? that Jackie wants as many pictures as possible? Really?)

12:15 - 12:30 - TRAVEL to Reception site - direction cards should have been included w/your invitation - if you did NOT get one, please let us know.

12:30 - 4:30 PAR-TAY! Sit down Lunch will be served, as well as dessert and wedding cake. DJ will be available for any requests (no country/western please, or the Macarena...shudder).

4:30 p.m. This concludes our Wedding celebration! Thanks for coming!!

End of July...Has this really been Summer?!?!

Okay, these pictures loaded in a backwards chronological order... and it would take SOOOOO long to put them all right... so bear with me... I will caption each picture so you know what was going on :)



My sweet Tyler... 8/2/09... he was really sick this weekend, but with a steady dose of Motrin, lots of cool baths, near-total nakedness, and lots and lots of loving from Mommy, Daddy, and Gracie, Tyler is doing better. Probably an ear infection due to teething...that is generally the issue! Nothing antibiotics can't cure. :)


My Monkey girl...this is a tree in our "backyard" that Gracie considers her own. It is not a very old tree, not a very strong tree...but she loves it. She stayed with this tree for over an hour on 8/2/09, just playing with it...watering it...and climbing all over it!



Okay, it is going to get wierd w/the pictures now... This is from 8/1/09, the North Aurora Days Fair. Gracie and I and Alayna Gavin (daughter of a coworker who is becoming a great friend for Gracie...Alayna turns 4 in October) were on the Giant Spinning Apple ride (ask Gracie and Alayna....they refer to it as "The Pumpkins!!!!!!!") We had a blast!!!




Gracie and Alayna on the walk to North Aurora Days!





My Tyler - I dont know, he really looks like he has Matt's eyes in this picture.. Can I please get a baby who resembles me A LITTLE BIT!?!!? LOL!!





Gracie at home with her new Lightning Bug friend... this kept her occupied for quite some time. She did squeeze him though... and that wierd green stuff that makes them "lightning" bugs? Yah, she found that.

Gracie and Tyler 7/26/09, in downtown Naperville at Potter's Mexican restaurant. They love each other!!! It is such a joy to be a parent to these 2.

Tyler at home! He is POSING! Seriously... he was crawling around, looking cute as ever... and so I got out the camera. He stopped, froze, and grinned. What a ham! He does love the camera - and he's already figured out that he can see himself in it after I take the picture!

Daddy and Gracie after Potters (see picture above of the kids). This is the best, most normal smile I could get out of her!

OKay, wierd!!! Matt playing ball at Benedictine University in Lisle. Check out the flexibility! Where did his leg go in Pic #2?!?! It was a great game - kids had a blast, and I love watching Matt play. I've been watching him play for 12 years now - and can't seem to get enough :)

Me and Gracie... Just hangin' out at Grandma Magis' house. She was hitting the camera with that stick...thought it was damn funny. Good thing she's cute.

She wanted a picture of her "laying in the grass"!!!!!!! Well, it's probably one of the best I've ever gotten of her - so, GOOD CALL GRACIE!

7/15/09 Gracie's first field trip w/her "class" at A Generation Ahead. check the cute T-shirts!!! It was also my first foray into the world of chaperoning. I loved it!! Matt came too - Gracie is such a lucky girl!!!

July 4th (and the next couple pics as well). After the fireworks, Gracie wanted Mommy's sweatshirt and Daddy's arms. Look how happy they are!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! A picture of Matt and Jackie that is NOT a self-portrait!!! At the Lisle Eyes to the Skies festival (in a Peoria T-shirt too!), it is our July 4th tradition of the last few years. Thanks to Melissa for taking the picture!

Gracie at Eyes to the Skies - Dragon Coaster girl! Her very first roller coaster ride - and we'll never get her off them, she is such a thrill-seeking child.

With her Uncle Dave at the American English concert, July 3rd in Lisle.

Matt and the Now Famous (in small circles) FOOT LONG CORN DOG!! LOL!!! This was sooo funny...and the dog disappeared in about 30 seconds too. ("what foot long? i dont see a foot long. " )

Ty's a good boy - he loves the Beatles!!!! He was dancing, laughing, flirting with everyone... and up until almost 11pm that night! He did great - this is one of my fave alltime pics of my boy.

Kelly and Corey went to American English too!! And...Barb is there behind Kelly - it was a great time, can't wait till next year!!!

Me and my babies... LOVE this one.

Matt and Tyler, getting ready to go to American English (told you the pics were backwards :( ) What a handsome pair!

And...finally.... Me and Danielle in Springfield! Again, great time - can't wait till she lives closer!!!!!!!!!

That's it for now... my fingers are tired, and i'm sure you are done reading :) Hope to see you soon!!!!!

Jackie

Did you get your Invitation?

If you got your invitation, please RSVP to Jackie @ 951-236-5161 or Matt @ 951-850-2920. If you have any questions/concerns/tidbits of information - pass it along!!

We are so excited to finally be able to receive the Sacrament of Marriage - and, even better, our children can be there to witness it! It is going to be such a special day for our family, and we are so glad that we are able to have our extended family and friends with us this time.

We can't wait to see you!!! LET'S PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Save the Date is IN THE MAIL!

Just in case you haven't received your "Save the Date"/ Invitations yet... Matt and Jackie are getting married in the church finally!!!



September 19, 2009.... St. Joan of Arc parish.... Lisle, IL. 11am ceremony and mass, followed by a luncheon reception at Alpine Banquets in Darien (don't worry - it's only 8 miles from the Church!)

Call me if you have any questions/concerns/suggestions!



Hope to see you there!!!!



Jackie and Matt