{pretty, happy, funny, real}

I'm almost done with the next part of the Love Story, and it will be up tomorrow—cross my heart. In the meantime, here are some bits of contentment from this week.

{pretty}

While I was at my first CGS class on Saturday, Frank surprised me by hanging my entire blue-and-white plate collection!

I was thrilled, not least because we have a funny history with him hanging things ... you'll see in tomorrow's post. ;)

{happy}

Frank and I are spending the weekend near Cedar Point on a mini-vacation with my family.

My dad rented a lakehouse for us all, my mom's planned an entire "food schedule," and Frank is bringing enough beer to flood Lake Michigan.

The best part? Lillian and Matt will be driving out from Delaware to join us! I haven't seen them since their wedding and we have SO MUCH to talk about.

I think it's gonna be a good weekend. :)

{funny}

I didn't know until this week, but apparently my husband really likes apples.

Every time he goes to the grocery store, he brings back more—whether or not we've finished the ones we already have.

Right now, our fruit bowl looks like this:

And in case that doesn't look impressive, let me tell you, that's only one of two apple-filled fruit bowls.

I think we have about 40 apples for the two of us.

My vote is that we take some of those to Ohio and unload them on my family.

(And speaking of funny ... Jim Gaffigan's book, in the picture above, never fails to make us cry with laughter.)

{also funny}

Tuesday night Frank and I went to a benefit dinner for this great college, thanks to an invitation from one of my mom's friends.

The highlight of the night, for me, was a moving speech Maggie's mom gave about the benefit of a Lexington education (it's Maggie's alma mater).

But the funny part happened at the silent auction.

All kinds of items were on sale at the auction—a Chicago architecture tour, tickets to the opera.

Out of all that, what does Frank choose to bid on?

A family membership to the Irish-American Heritage Center.

via

Guys. I'm not even Irish.

Of course, he won.

So please meet the newest member of the Irish-American Heritage Center ... who doesn't have a single drop of Irish blood in her veins.

Do you think they'll revoke my membership if they find out?

{real}

I was struggling to come up with something for "real." Lately everything just seems pretty, happy or funny.

But then last night I decided to make a fancy salad for dinner—bacon, hard-boiled eggs, spinach and apples. (Just trying to use up those apples!)

While the bacon was cooking I got hit with an "overzealous housewife" fit and decided to do three other chores at the same time.

I completely forgot about the bacon ... until I noticed a slightly charred aroma rising from the stove.

Yeah ... it was burned to a crisp.

Fortunately I'd only used half the package, so we were still able to have bacon in our salad.

But it was a good reminder for me that, when it comes to cooking, multitasking is not always a good idea. And it gave me a "real" thing to blog about.

Thank you to the lovely Lawler ladies for hosting. Have a great Thursday!

Back on the {pretty, happy, funny, real} bandwagon!

Goodness, it's been forever since I did one of these! Here are a few great moments from the past few weeks.

{pretty}

 

The sky on the Fourth of July, before fireworks—isn't it glorious?

{happy}

The other Saturday I woke up to the smell of fresh cinnamon buns and coffee. Frank had made me breakfast.

Lately he's been using cooking as a break from bar-exam studying, and it's the best, because that man can cook!

{funny}

Angela made us a thank-you note for letting her sleep over the other night.

What really slays me is how she chose to address Frank:

Can you see that the bottom says "Frankinsense"? Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (one of our favorite movies) inspired this awesome new nickname for Frank.

{real}

I'm still trying to get the hang of baseball...

 

But I will say, I've been really enjoying going to the games.

Thank you to the lovely ladies of Our Mother's Daughters for hosting!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

Our Christmas tree, all set up for the holidays.

Usually we set it up on the First Sunday of Advent, but this year we did it a week early so the whole family could decorate it together.

What I love most about the family tree is the history behind the ornaments. There's a tiny silver cradle with my name on it, from my first Christmas as a baby ... a messily-glued paper Nativity I made in fourth grade ... countless ornaments my siblings have made, and from places we have traveled.

My mom collects ornaments every summer on our family vacation. I love finding little treasures from Yellowstone National Park or Mackinac Island buried among the stockings, bells, and red bows.

We listen to Christmas music while decorating, and afterwards we faithfully observe our silliest family tradition: watching "Santa Claus is coming to town" and dancing around the living room during the song Put One Foot in Front of the Other. My dad in particular loves that song -- he says it's about the sacrament of Confession and the Christian vocation. And dancing around the living room is always fun. :)

{happy}

Frank and Matt were incredibly helpful with the Christmas tree set-up. We went to a tree farm, and the boys took care of every step of the process: they sawed the tree down, carried it to the car, roped it to the roof, re-cut it at the house, carried it inside, and screwed it into its base in the living room.

He might not look it in this picture, but Dad was happy as could be to have all that help. With six daughters, normally he has to do every bit of it himself.

This year, he had two strong, able and willing helpers to do the job for him.

After the extra help this year, I don't think he'll ever be able to go back! Luckily I think these guys are here to stay. :)

{funny}

On Saturday afternoon I came home to find that Caroline was giving her dog, Skippy, a much-needed bath...

... in the kitchen sink.

She sat him down in a disposable aluminum pan to be thoroughly scrubbed.

I thought it was the funniest thing ever, but apparently she does this regularly.

I guess it makes sense when your puppy is hardly bigger than a squirrel!

{real}

There was one scary moment this Thanksgiving weekend: on Friday morning, my dad and Joseph got in a car accident on their way to play football with friends.

Poor Joseph was very upset when we got there -- his chin was bleeding badly and he was scared. Once we calmed him down, though, he admitted that it was "the most fun thing all weekend" to watch all the tow trucks and police cars. Frank said, "There's the ten-year-old boy!"

Joseph ended up needing six stitches in his chin. He offered it up like a champ for all the babies we pray for. He didn't cry -- even during the stitches -- and by the end of it he was smiling.

I love that little man so much and I'm so happy he's going to be in our wedding. He is just the best little brother there ever could be. Every time I come home he gives me a back massage, and sometimes he even agrees to some snuggling. I treasure these days when he's still willing to snuggle with his big sister -- pretty soon he'll be too cool for that.

Being with my family over Thanksgiving was so good. I'm already getting excited to go home for Christmas!

What were the highlights -- or the "funny" and "real" moments -- of your Thanksgiving?

Head on over to Like Mother, Like Daughter for some more Pretty Happy Funny Real fun!

And an extra little {happy} - Katrina featured my Advent wreath on her blog this week. Please check out the post here, and if you'd like to take part in her cute Advent series, send her pictures of your Advent wreath too!

PHFR: Frank's First Visit to Chicago

I asked Frank, "What did you like best about visiting my family for the first time?" and he said, "Honestly it's kind of a blur. But I really enjoyed all of it!"

That about sums it up. The weekend was quite the whirlwind of late nights, bridal shower prep and clean-up, a special Mass at my family's parish to celebrate the ordination of a new priest and then touring downtown Naperville and Naper Settlement and the Riverwalk. We were quite exhausted (and happy) by the end of it and we're still catching up on sleep!

On Sunday afternoon I gave my camera to 8-year-old Angela to take pictures of anything she liked. Here's what she gave me.

{ Pretty }

A pretty pink rose by the river, being held by a pretty pint-sized photographer.

{ Happy }

Lillian took the camera from Angela so she could be in this shot with (probably) her two favorite adults. I was thrilled to be with my family and Frank all at the same time. There's nothing better than being with your favorite people in the world, all in one place.

It really made me want to move back to Chicago. Now if only we can convince Frank to take the bar exam in Illinois instead of in Virginia... ;)

{ Funny }

A sequence of unsuccessful attempts to take funny-face photos.

Clearly Frank and I need to work on our timing... and our facial expressions.

A certain young one thought that nothing could be funnier than to take pictures of herself upside down.

Clever, Anj.

This photo of Lillian would have gone up in the "pretty" section... if it weren't for the werewolf/viper in the background. Frank at his most attractive.

{ Real }

I'm getting ready to leave town for a two-week fellowship in California. The itinerary includes a shooting trip, various movie nights involving John Wayne, a beach trip, a barbecue party and fun dinners out. As excited as I am for the program, the reading list may be the death of me:

Wish me luck! And enjoy more PHFR fun over at Like Mother, Like Daughter.

Pretty Happy Funny Real

Frank's family visited over the weekend and on Wednesday I hosted a book club party for Style, Sex and Substance.

{ Pretty }

Is it weird to call food pretty? These are the snacks I made for the book discussion party. Both of my co-hostesses are gluten-free so I set myself the goal of having an entirely gluten-free party. I found lots of good options at Whole Foods and I was thrilled it came together so well. Afterwards Serena declared me the "gluten-free queen" for providing so well for my gluten-free guests. I was so happy. I like making it a point of pride to have food available that suits all my guests' needs.

{ Happy }

Serena, one of my best friends in DC, is in grad school at Catholic University, which is far away from my house so we don't get to see each other that often. This summer, however, she accepted a (prestigious) fellowship at an educational institute downtown... that just happens to be around the corner from my own office building! Apart from being very proud of her, I'm also so HAPPY that we get to see each other more often. Here we are at the first of hopefully many lunch dates.

We went to a charming little restaurant/bar near Dupont Circle called The Mad Hatter. They bring you a complimentary cup of tea with your meal and they have a cheeseburger-and-fries special for only $5! It was delicious. I can't wait to go back.

{ Funny }

Frank and I went to the mall with his family on Sunday. We spent a long time in Old Navy because his mom loves that store. While wandering through it, we came upon some awesome hats...

Frank's little brother Ethan is being a goofball in the background.

{ Real }

I tried to get some good photos of our book club party, but it's so hard to take good photos with a point-and-shoot camera at night! It makes me want to get a fancy-schmancy camera and take a photography class.

Today Frank and I are driving out to Monticello with about 8 friends, including my sister Lillian who came to town for the occasion. Check out Like Mother, Like Daughter for more PHFR fun.

Hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

Just a quick catch-up post for some of the things I've been doing recently.

Right after getting back from Spain two weeks ago, I went to Chicago for my youngest sister Angela's First Communion. Frank was invited too but he couldn't come because he had a final the same day. So unbeknownst to me, he sent Angela a bouquet of tulips in honor of the occasion. It was her first time ever receiving a delivery of flowers (and from a boy, no less!) so she was understandably thrilled.

{Pretty}

Here she is with her flowers from Frank on the big day. Her First Communion dress was originally Lillian's. My mom bought First Communion dresses for Lillian and me which have been handed down through the family ever since. The dress has held up really well, hasn't it? I love that my sisters get to have that little piece of continuity and tradition when they first experience such a beautiful and important part of our faith.

{Happy}

Nothing makes me happier than being home with my family in Chicago.

Just looking at these pictures is making me nostalgic. I'm going home the weekend of June 2nd, though, and Frank is coming with me. It will be his first visit to my family's house. I'm already so excited for it. Now that is a happy thought.

{Funny}

I tried and tried to get a picture of our cute Yorkshire terrier, Skippy, but he would have none of it.

Cantankerous little beast. He's so adorable though that it's impossible not to love him. We are all fond of him but Skippy is really Caroline's dog. She's the one who gets up at 6 am every morning to let him out when he barks. I respect that, not least because I wasn't nearly that responsible at 16.

{Real}

One of the nicest things about living in DC is that friends pass through the city a lot and we get LOTS of visitors. 

My dear college friend Kelly was here on Sunday and we stopped for a picture on our way to Union Station to catch her bus. (This really should belong under "Happy," shouldn't it?)

After dropping Kelly off, I joined Frank and a group of his friends to tour the city with a lovely girl named Johanna. Johanna is from Germany and is spending the summer working at the German Embassy here in DC. Frank's dad and brother met her on a mission trip and Frank has been helping her get settled in. She is the sweetest girl and we all loved spending time with her.

We went to the American History museum, the Lincoln Memorial, and had dinner at Shake Shack. Johanna promised to let us know about cool events going on at the embassy in case we ever want to come to them.

I handed my camera over to Frank's best friend Evan as we wandered the city and he took a lot of funny candids.

This one cracks me up because you can see how Frank's hair dramatically changes color, from dark brown to red, right at his ears. Isn't that funny? I jokingly call him "the ginger-beard man."

I hope you enjoyed this week's PHFR!

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

I've been reading Our Mother's Daughters for months and months and have never gotten around to participating in their cute weekly post, Pretty Happy Funny Real. But this week I'm finally taking part and I couldn't be more excited. Without further ado, here is my first-ever edition of "Pretty, Happy, Funny Real."

{Pretty}

My bedroom when it's tidy.

With my trusty Daily Roman Missal handy 

I find it so calming. Now if only I can keep it like that...

{Happy}

Flowers from my boyfriend! I put them on my dresser so I could share them with the Blessed Mother. 

{Funny}

My family went out for a delicious buffet brunch on Easter Sunday. The buffet was amazing! They had every kind of breakfast food you could imagine, mounds of bacon and sausage, and even a chocolate fountain. Unfortunately, that gave my little sister Caroline some mischievous ideas. 

Because clearly nothing could be more delicious than bacon dipped in chocolate.

{Real}

I made the New Year's Resolution to work out more and I was inspired by a great exercise tip from Pinterest: Buy yourself a calendar and give yourself a sticker on every day that you work out. I happened to have a free religious calendar from my parish lying around my room, so I put it to use. Except here is what the month of January looked like:

Yes, that's exactly two stickers, both shortly after New Year's. Hopefully I'll get back in the workout groove now that summer's coming!