whirlwind weekend

In the middle of September, I accomplished one of the most complicated travel schedules of my life. It involved over 400 miles driving/riding/ubering in a car, 4 miles of walking, and about 1300 miles of flying. But it all went smoothly, and I made it to all my events!

On Friday we met mom and dad at an outdoor venue at a winery for a dueling pianos performance. Mae loved the music (especially the Taylor Swift songs), and we had to tear her away from the dance floor at bed time. Colin spent most of the evening playing ball with Dad on the hill. He was easy to spot even after it got dark because of his light-up (“lightning”) shoes.

Saturday we drove to Notre Dame for the game against Central Michigan. We had a little tailgate party with snacks and drinks in the field where we parked. Mae and Colin had their tailgate literally in the tailgate.

We walked to the bookstore to get "The Shirt" for Mae. It was her first football game, and she really enjoyed it! I was worried she’d get bored in the second half (and wanted to end on a high note for her), so I let her leave at half time and she met Mom and Colin at the nearby playground.

After the game, we went to mass at the basilica (Colin was literally climbing the walls.) Dan went back to Indy with the kids for the night, and I hitched a ride to Chicago with Kelsey and Will to catch a flight out early Sunday. I got to see their new apartment, and I can't wait to go back and enjoy the view in the daytime! I woke up at 3:30 am and was on my flight by 7:30 to make it to Colleen's baby shower later that day. Bobby picked me up and we had a fantastic lunch while Colleen finished getting ready.

The shower was fun, and it was lovely to see friends and family for the first time since Colleen and Bobby's wedding last summer! The weather was a little drizzly, but they had a tent set up in the backyard that was surrounded by grape vines! (I spent a lot of time taking photos of grapes.)

I was so relieved that Colleen and Bobby's baby gift arrived in time. They requested a Lord of the Rings baby mobile for the nursery, which was super fun to design and make! I finished stitching and photographing it Wednesday morning before the shower and then shipped it out, since I didn’t have room in my carry-on! More detailed photos to come!