09.26.10

We just got home from a fantastic weekend in Chicago to celebrate the wedding of two of our friends from business school, Kristy and Nathan.  It was so fun to reunite with our Chicago friends -- we stayed with Ankur and Paula who got married this summer and Marisa and Scottie flew in from SF as they are getting married in Chicago next weekend!  

Friday night dinner at Scuzi.  Ankur and DC share a mutual love for all things pizza.

 

 As we were crashing in the Udani living room, this is the view we got to wake up to every morning!

 Beautiful bride

Married!

 

Paula, Marisa, Kristy, me

 There was a break between the ceremony and the reception so we headed over to Kelly's in Lincoln Park and caught up over pitchers and fried food.  Way too much fried food.

MJ and Scottie practicing for their big day!

Dining at Spiaggia overlooking Michigan Ave

The gang.  Love these kids.

We can't wait to head back in five days and do it all over again!

09.21.10

Welcome to the show!  We dove into Cincinnati life headfirst this weekend - Oktoberfest on Saturday night and a full day of tailgating and football-watching at the Bengals game on Sunday.

Personally, all I know about the Bengals is that I picked them to win the Super Bowl in third grade based solely on the fact that they resembled my cat, Tiger.  That said, the weather was gorgeous, the stadium was nice, and they managed to win unlike another, ahem, team that has yet to figure it out.  

09.18.10

Okay, this is the longest post ever but it just speaks to what a fun day this was!  The weekend before we left Texas we celebrated my mom's 60th birthday with family and friends.  We surprised her with family from Chicago, had a brunch at the house, and then threw a true surprise party that night at Joe T's.  The weather was beyond perfect so my dad pulled out his kayaks and almost everyone spent some part of the day in the lake!  Selfishly, it was a fantastic way to spend our last few days in town.  And, no one deserves celebration like my mom!

Maddie's scary face

Kate and her best friend GG

The morning spread.  Thankfully my sis is a fantastic cook so all I had to do was combine fruit and vegetables and call them salad!

Miss and her mini me

Josh and his monkey

Steve and Connie kayaking

Maddie and Dad

Will had a slight mishap that allowed him to beat Dave Cole's "falling out of the kayak" record by seconds.  Notice my dad's sympathetic face.

Steve, Connie, Kathy, Mom, and Katie.  If GG is around, Katie is within inches!

The room at Joe T's

Surprise!

Happy Birthday to You!

Speech!  Speech!

Miss and Josh

The Duncans

I've taken a lot of pics with this girl and this just might be my all-time fav.

Ditto.

Me and Maddie

Cartusciellos

Family

We had such a fun time planning and preparing for this party and very much appreciate all the help we got from family and friends.  It is not easy to plan a party for the one who is always doing the planning!  That said, we have already decided to take a trip for my dad's 60th!

09.16.10

We made it!!!  And we finally got internet access!  The last two weeks have been crazy to say the least but we are officially settling in to our life as Cincinnatians and, I have to admit, I sort of really like it!  The house is nearly put together and as soon as DC finishes having all kinds of fun with the laser level I'll get some pics taken.  On the 14-hour drive up here we made a decision to jump into life a little bit faster than we did in Chicago - so far so good.  We joined a gym, visited a church, found a grocery, and David even met some nice lady that agreed to cut his hair.  On a regular basis!  

P&G has been really good as well about hosting events all over the city - Oktoberfest, Reds games, happy hours.  In light of last week's football debacle, we have even decided to attend a Bengals game  with my "new hire class" this Sunday and hope that our Cowboys can stop playing like they all went to Flozell training camp!  Peace.

09.01.10

I hate the last few days before we leave anywhere but especially home.  Mostly because we have to say goodbye to people like this.  And don't even get me started on family.  T-minus 3 days...

08.30.10

Only a Cole boy would choose the hottest month in Texas to build a giant shed!  We keep joking that David is constructing our future room at his parents' house but, I see the way he looks at that thing, and I'm thinking the joke may be on me.  If I return to Ohio solo on Sunday it is most probably because David has set up shop next to the lawnmower.  

08.28.10

We spent last weekend at my parents' lakehouse near Alba.  It had been a few years since our last visit but I found it comforting to discover that East Texas is still operating in the usual manner.  Front yards are still used for storage, goats are still used for lawn maintenance, and the American flag is still available with or without  a portrait of Elvis screen printed on it.  We tried to take a daily bike ride to compensate for all the eating and spent plenty of time napping, reading, and fishing.  

Breakfast of champions (on vacay, that is)

Lakehouse from the dam

Dad and David at the dairy

The general store

Banana ice box pie at Tiffany's

At this house, fishing poles are like shoes -- you need a different one for every occasion

David's happy hour

My happy hour

Lamb kebabs and Greek orzo 

Regulating mom's excessive pepper usage

The finished product

Dinner on the patio; minutes before the mosquitos struck and forced us inside