S'08 GTG Weekend

**Disclaimer** I could have sworn I hit "Publish" about a week and a half ago until I came on to start another post today. Apparently I didn't. Oops!

I had an AMAZING weekend with my friends! It was incredible to FINALLY meet these women. I picked a few of them up from the airport and when I got there it was so cool to know exactly who was who. There was no need for introductions! It was kind of a sureal feeling. 


The girls I picked up were incredibly nice and went with me to drop off Chance after babysitting for a few days. (Talk about exhausting.) We then took the EL to our hotel and after getting settled (and finding a nice surprise of wine in our rooms) we met at the hotel bar for drinks and appetizers. As more and more people arrived they joined the group before we all got ready for dinner. 




There were 11 of us for dinner that night and the company and the food were both great. Everyone pretty much went straight to bed that night since we were either tired from travel or running after a 12 month old and a 9 month old. ;)







The next morning we got up early to go to breakfast. It was a pretty cool breakfast joint that when you walked in you got a donut hole, you sat down and got a box of Milk Duds and then after you had your meal you got a little scoop of ice cream. Ice cream at 8AM? YES PLEASE! ;) 







After we all got ready for the day and one of the other ladies arrived most of us went on a Trolley tour of Chicago. (The other ladies did a food tour) We met the Trolley at Millenium Park and before we did that we took a bunch of pictures by the bean.





One of the stops on the tour was Water Tower Place where we got off to grab a quick lunch. (And stop at the Hershey's Store for our free chocolate bar!)


(Can we talk about the size of that Hersheys Syrup?! YUM!)

For the next leg of our journey we had to ride on the top of the bus! HOLY COLD!



Our next stop was the Sears Tower... ok it is now called the Willis Tower but not in my mind.
We all had tickets to go up and J was going to be bringing B down to meet all the ladies so they were going to join us there. Sadly he was running late and the line was supposed to be 2 hours long and he wouldn't have been able to meet up with us. So I decided to save my ticket since it is good for a year and went back to the hotel to wait for them.

It worked out ok in the end since all of the ladies got to meet them.






I put Brynnie in the window for a photo shoot after I fed her. :) She LOVED it!







That night we had dinner at the hotel - China Grill. So yummy.








Thanks for the bracelet Amy! I wear it all the time!

We also had plans to go out dancing but since it was so cold we ended up staying at the hotel and going to the bar there.




































2 of our lovely ladies that couldn't make it were there in spirit. :)

Several of the ladies had to leave early to catch their flights but those of us that didn't met for a quick breakfast.



After we all went our own way I took the EL back to my sissy's picked up my car and headed home. It was much too short of a visit but I was so happy to meet them. We are already talking about our next GTG. We are thinking a beach somewhere... :)

Hopefully even more of us will be able to make it to that one.


xoxo... P

S'08

I can't wait!
Some of you know what S'08 and others are thinking what in the world is this crazy cakes talking about but I'll say it again before I explain I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

S'08 is September of 2008.
My wedding month.
The month of weddings for some of the most amazing women I am lucky enough to "know".

These ladies and I all "met" on a board on the knot.com back before we got married. Most of us still talk on pretty much a daily basis. We now have several outlets for our communications and it is incredible how we have become so tight knit.

We have been through so much together and are always there to support one another through all the ups and downs of life. Planning weddings, the actual weddings, buying/building homes, having babies, illnesses, deaths, and also a divorce. Because of these events that can so drastically alter your life we have formed strong friendships. Even though most of us have never met face to face. I know that these girls will be there for me in good times and in bad just as I would be for them. I am eternally grateful. No matter what has happened in our lives we will be welcomed back to this group of women with open arms. It is a safe haven for a lot of us. We talk about things we don't talk about IRL (in real life) with people who have known us forever. It is real regardless of what others think. Some of these friendships are more real than with people I have known for years.

Now what can't I wait for you ask.... This weekend. March 25, 26, 27 of 2011 I am FINALLY going to be meeting 12! of these women! We are spending the weekend in Chicago eating, sightseeing and talking talking talking!

We have arranged a couple dinners, a night of dancing at a dueling piano bar, going to the top of the Sears Tower (because I refuse to call it by it's new name), a trolley tour and some ladies are doing a food tour.

J & B are going to meet us downtown for a while on Saturday afternoon so I can show her off introduce them to all my friends!

I'm so excited to meet these women and wish the rest of them could come as well. Hopefully one day next year we will get it worked out to have a GTG with all of us.

I consider myself so lucky to know such an amazing group of women and am grateful to have each and everyone of them in my life.

To my nesties: I love you all! I will of course be back with pictures galore! :)

xoxo...P