Smoked

We visited some friends in Chicago last weekend, and our friend Andrew smoked a 13 lb. brisket to mark the occasion. He started it at midnight on Friday, and checked on it every 1 - 2 hours in the middle of the night. He had to rig a special cover during an unexpected downpour Saturday morning. And after 18 hours of tending and rigging and waiting, we feasted Saturday evening, and it was worth the wait. Delish! The accompanying BBQ sauce, jalapeño-cheddar grits, cole slaw and beer were pretty amazing, too. I wish I would have taken photos of Andrew and Meredith's house -- it's a row house built in 1898 in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. They have been fixing it up for several years, and it looks awesome.

Play Date!

June enjoyed her first play date this week when my friend Amie and her daughters Audrey and Vivi visited from Indy. By "enjoyed," I mean "slept through," but that's just how she rolls these days.

Feather Her Nest!

The Girls Night Girls hosted a baby shower for Hilary, and the theme was "Feather Her Nest" (got the idea from Project Nursery). We had so much fun finding ways to incorporate the theme throughout the decor, and hopefully Baby H will soon have a comfy nest.Everyone brought a book to start Baby H's library -- a wonderful surprise some friends did for me at my shower.Kari showed us a new take on your standard veggie tray.Megan made these adorable yarn bowls.
Even my mom was inspired by the theme, making this beautiful bird quilt for Hilary. Unfortunately, I did not get a good shot of it, but will soon!The girls.
The babies played very well together.And Max enjoyed playing with all of Audrey's toys.

Urban Farm

Our neighbors, Meg, Ryan and Naomi, have a chicken coop in their backyard, and they recently were surprised with 10 baby chicks. Max was allowed to see them, but he was not allowed to take any home.

Happy 30th, Amie!

Amie, Nick and Audrey came up for Amie's birthday this weekend. We stayed in on Friday, and then Amie and Nick had a date night while we watched Audrey on Saturday. Max loved having a friend in town, and they played so well together. Justin and I got to learn a few things about caring for a toddler, and we got a head start on our babyproofing. The "gate" for the hallway was only temporary.

Play Date

Some of the Girls Night Girls popped by with their babies while we were in Indy last weekend. Max was so excited to play with Audrey and Austin. It was tough to get everyone in one shot, and it looks like we all grabbed the baby who was closest to us.

A Crawfish Boil

Max got to attend his first crawfish boil this weekend in honor of our friend Torrence's 40th birthday. (It was actually Justin and Emily's first boil as well; Max is way ahead of the game.) We had a blast eating great food, drinking beer and visiting with friends.