Warrior Dash

We ran the Warrior Dash today and it was fun!

Because...

...I really needed to laugh today when I realized just how much work I have to do over the next couple of weeks. Days off always come back to haunt me. Do they haunt you? In any case, I love this commercial and it always makes me laugh. Tom and I get a kick out of how the little girl says "baby" and find ourselves telling the other they "[fill in the blank] like a baby".

Do You Insta?

One of my favorite apps on my iphone is Instagram. This free app allows you to edit your photos into really cool pictures. Below are a few of my favorite edits, just because.

Going on an adventure.

Terminal E at Boston's Logan Airport.

Navy Pier in Chicago.

The Kauffman's at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

Miami Beach from the Eden Roc Hotel.

Miss Shea.

Hibiscus.

Miss Bailey.

Bailey again.

Flowers at City Market in Kansas City.

Milwaukee Art Museum.

Boston Harbor.

Birthday Boy's Dinner

Interior of the American Restaurant. Three-story windows overlook KC. {image via}

For Tom's birthday he wanted to eat at the American Restaurant here in town. Consistently voted one of the Best in KC he was eager to go. Also, his favorite blend of The Roasterie coffee (a local roastery) is the American Restaurant blend. So, in honor of his birth, we made reservations for dinner.

Oh. My. It was wonderful. We all chose our own five-course menu and everything was fantastic. It was fresh and interesting and delicious. The service was fantastic and the view unbeatable. They knew it was Tom's birthday so they printed "Happy 28th Birthday Tom" on the top of our menus and then sent us home with copies signed by the chef, as well as the label from our bottle of wine.

Here we are at the end of our meal, full and happy.



Birthday Boy!

Tom turned 28 last week. He had a wonderful birthday, I think. Lots of good gifts, good food, good company, and plentiful Facebook wishes. What more could a guy want, right?

The Cubs were in Kansas City so we attended the game. Prior to the game we put together a great tailgate with his parents who flew in for the weekend. We had grilled Italian sausages, peppers and onions. Italian Beef. Apparently putting that all together makes a great sandwich at Portillo's in Chicago, which is Tom's favorite. I also made Greek Pasta Salad, Cucumber Pickles and Apple Snicker Salad for dessert. Yes, a lot of food. But soooo good.

Tom and his mom having a very good time at the tailgate.

Tom of course had to take a turn in the batting cage. I think he hit 3/5 pitches. But the other two almost hit his ankles so we aren't counting those. And yes, he was the oldest batter by about 15 years.

What a good-looking boy.

Group photo by the fountain.

Every Friday night the Royals have fireworks after the game. Last Friday's show was particularly great.

Trip to Chicago!

A few weeks ago we took a trip to Chicago to visit friends. We had a great time. We saw a Cubs game at Wrigley, ate Nigerian food, swam in Lake Michigan (just the boys), spent time at Navy Pier, took an architectural boat tour on the Chicago River, ate great Mexican and attended a hilarious comedy show, Bye Bye Liver - two parts comedy, one part drinking game. All in all, it was a super trip.

At Wrigley - my first time. I also ate a true Chicago-style hot dog (minus the onions, tomatoes and relish, plus ketchup - so kind of real). The Cubs wons so I got the pleasure of hearing "Go Cubs Go" which was very fun.

Post-game beers in Wrigleyville.

Along Lake Michigan after the boys took the plunge into the lake.

At Navy Pier.

On the boat tour. This was very cool. It's a fun way to see the city and learn some Chicago history. Plus, it was a gorgeous day so that made it even better.

Dinner at Mercadito. Awesome food. If you're going to Chicago, make a reservation. They are especially great for groups.

Nummies!

Do you have a special name for dog treats at your house? We call them nummies. The girls have been spoiled lately with some fancy nummies from the refrigerated cooler at Three Dog Bakery. Here are a few pictures of them enjoying their baseball cupcakes.

Aren't these cute?

It was tough, but Shea did it. She sat patiently next to her cupcake so I could take a photo and then she chowed down. Like all things Shea eats, the cupcake did not last long.

Bailey daintly licked the frosting off before chowing down on the cupcake.

Finishing it off. She also made sure she licked every last morsel from the deck.