Baby Weekend

It's been a baby weekend! Congratulations to the Hunt's. Ethan John was born on Saturday morning. He was a little early & therefore small, but he seems to be doing so well; its wonderful! God is definately looking after this little Angel on earth and we couldn't be happier for them. This photo is from their website and I just love it. His eyes are fairly wide open for a newborn! ... I'm a huge fan of babies. Makes me wish Mal and Nick weren't growing up so fast.


Also, this weekend we traveled to Tucson to attend a baby shower for Kurt & Jamie Weibel. Jamie is due to have a baby boy, Luke Allan Weibel, sometime in August. I forgot the camera (should just leave it in my purse?) so there aren't any photos, but it was a nice gathering. Jamie's mother and sister made very yummy appetizers and amazing cupcakes with lots of icing on them! Every cupcake should have the prerequisite 2" of icing to even be considered a cupcake. Kurt and Craig have been friends since high school; its so great that they live just 2 short hours away in Tucson and we can be a part of special times like these.

I got my hair cut really short this weekend too and some more highlights made it very blonde. It's still to be determined whether or not I can pull off short hair?! I'll post some before/after photos in the next post.

a KitKat a day...

So, most of you know by now that I've started a new job. I actually started the week of the wedding and they were kind enough to let me have the 4 days off even though I start with no vacation time whatsoever...



Anyway, I didn't realize how stressful it would be? Before now, I was with the same company for 9 years; I was 23, Mallory was under a year I think and I just had other priorities when I started there. Sad to say, but I was barely paying attention to being the new person. This time though, this means everything to me, I have to find my place within a whole new group of people and run alongside programs for awhile and until I build up enough knowledge to actually lead them. My bosses say I'm waaay too hard on myself, that it will take time and I should chill out. I'm just so used to being the center of project activity though?



So, I have started to eat KitKats. First it was only when I felt stressed out, but the more I get into things, the more stressed I am. So, I've had a KitKat everyday for the last 3 days. I don't know if this is bad or what. I have a real zit now - my first in awhile - I don't think that's directly related to the KitKat because they always say that chocolate doesn't bring it on, but I think the stress does! ha!



mini-congrats to Craig on his first post below! He always tells me I don't update enough, maybe he will bless all of us with the writing skills he's refined in law school? :o)

Ali We're Thinking of YOU!

This message is to our great friends Matt and Alison back in Chicago. Ali is in the hospital with baby Hunt. We're glad things are going as well as they can be right now. We're excited for Baby Hunt to arrive in two weeks!


Ali we're all thinking of you out here in AZ!!


Love,


Vic, Craig, Mal, & Nick

I realize no one may care, but I heart these sandals! They come in a couple different colors at JCrew, but cost $325. Why so much? gees... pricing me right out of the game. Its hard to justify cost like that when you've got a family/kiddos. There was a time not long ago when I would own these. Maybe the birthday fairy will see this post and bring them to me?

Sorry, back to the family. I didn't really do a lot this weekend. Still settling out stuff from the wedding?! We went to the pool all day on Sat and started writing all of our Thank You's cards that finally came in! Finished them on Sunday. Also on Sunday the kids hit the party circuit. Birthday parties started at 11:30 and lasted until about 8pm when all was said and done. Nick was t-i-r-e-d! I guess we all were. :o)

Closer...

Today, the Supreme Court of Arizona, Committee on Character & Fitness has deemed Craig Steven Riebe certified to sit for the Arizona Bar Examination. Woohoo.. we (he) is one step closer to becoming an actual attorney.

It only says that the school has filed Evidence of Graduation, so I don't know if that means all of the character references you've sent in on his behalf have been considered or not, but it seems he's good to go. Thanks to everyone for not mentioning that he disappears for days at a time to gamble at the casino! We owe you one! ;o)

If It's Sunday, it's Meet The Press

Sad day today, as the moderator of my favorite Sunday political news show was suddenly taken from us. Tim Russert, the moderator from Meet The Press, and the Washington D.C. News Bureau Chief died today of a heart attack.

I've been watching him since he started the hour long version of the show when I was a Sr. in High School. This is a huge loss for the nation, I will miss seeing him on the air. I always wanted to be him. He had such a powerful insight into the political horizon of the country, and I was extremely interested in Journalism when I was in school.

Palm Springs Baby

I won't bore everyone anymore with the story of how our trip to Maui for a honeymoon got cancelled. (Our airline went under.) I think we just got slapped by the universe for trying to take a huge trip when neither of us had jobs?!









So, while my parents and sister were still in town, we took the chance to get away for a few days to Palm Springs. We thought about San Diego, but SD in May is not very hot and we wanted some pooltime.









We stayed at the Viceroy, Palm Springs which is pretty much in the heart of everything. It was the coolest boutique hotel, very European in style, as evidenced by the God-like, very tan, slender gay men lounging by the pool. Everyone there was super gorgeous and super LA. Very Calvin Klein. Craig likes to tell me that I wasn't cool enough to stay there, which may be true, but then I don't think he was cool enough to stay there either! We had a wonderful, restful stay. We did a couple's massage for the first time and I think Craig is now hooked. He's decided that anytime we go somewhere for vacation, we will book this appt. OK, I won't argue. My therapist was a lovely small-ish man (also very Euro) and so I thought it would be good. The next day though, I felt a little beat up. He was really trying to work out that wedding/job hunt stress, I was pretty sore?

We also did the touristy thing and took the Tramway to the top of the Mountain. From the top, it was a great view and the brisk air up there was a pleasant change. And, it just wouldn't be us if we didn't do a bit of shopping. The Lacoste and Armani Exchange stores were calling our names. We both got some cool things.

All in all a good mini-honeymoon, but we are still planning to go to Hawaii at some point!

Last Wedding Post (Behind the Scenes) - Top 10

Don't you love those shows on TV that go behind the scenes of your favorite show or events to let you know what was really supposed to happen or what could have gone wrong? I do - love them! So tonight, I thought I would give you all one last post about the wedding mishaps and misc. facts. Not that anyone cares particularly, but if you were there, it might be interesting to you. And if you were not there (sorry, we could only do very very small) maybe you will still find these things of interest... Here we go. Photos included where necessary.

1. The ceremony table with our unity candle on it had less than 1/3 of the contents it was supposed to have. Looked pretty bare and lame right? Before the wedding, I shipped a box of 'ceremony stuff' to the resort for safekeeping. They kept it so safe, no one could remember where they put it. They kept showing me boxes from the bride who was getting married there on Sunday? There should have been a cool wrought iron cross on the table. See photo.

2. There should have also been a huge creme colored candle in the unity vase. A candle that probably would have been easier to light. But, that was in the lost box too. Instead, the tiny red pillar candle is from a Ross store I stopped at on the way back from getting my hair and makeup done. It was the only store I could find when Abbey called to say the box was really missing. The actual candle looks lovely in the giant vase on our dining room table. In case anyone is wondering, we do not light it together at night.

3. I'm really not sure why Abbey, the wedding coordinator, made Craig wait at the 'alter' for what seemed like an eternity, but was really 7 mins. I'm sure it seemed like 7 years. For the record, I was ready and waiting since 4:40 that afternoon. Despite his efforts to flag me down, did anyone see that?, she still wouldn't let us walk. Oy.. (Craig's only comment: "Abbey is an idiot.")

4. Before Wedding Week Thursday, it had not rained in the valley for 98 days. (!!!!) And typical May months have not received more than .005" of rain for the previous 10 consective years.

5. Most of our out-of-town lady guests now all own the same white cardigan sweater from Target.

6. Craig and I arrived at the courthouse to get our marriage license on Friday afternoon at 5:03, the office closes at 5pm. Thank goodness the Court security guards were too busy planning their Beer Fest Happy Hour to notice the time. We got back to Copperwynd at 6:07, leaving me 23 minutes to get ready for the Welcome dinner. That explains why I look the way I do.

7. My dad was a DJ for 7 years. Maybe 8, not sure. Not even in a previous life or back in the day, this was less than 3 years ago, I think. He digs music and likes to host things, so got into it on the side. He does a great job. I think he misses it.

8. The boutennaires we bought were originally Stephanotis, which would have looked wonderful and fit in with the whole white flower variety theme I had going. However, the petals turned brown prematurely and looked horrible. My dad and brother-in-law took roses from my bouquet, leaves from the peonies and made the boutennaires for the dads and Nick on Friday afternoon.

9. The Welcome dinner was actually outside. Even though it seemed like we were inside (I hope), that room had a temporary roof, which explains the gaps in the ceiling and the water on the floor. That one probably wasn't hard to figure out.

And No. 10...

10. Everyone knows that Chris 'Spud' Psihogios was asleep in his room and missed the entire wedding ceremony! He did not attend the very event for which he even came to town. We know you feel horrible Chris, and we still love you! Someday you will laugh about it like we already do. (Second Craig comment: "Thanks for showing up, Spud. Glad you could at least make dinner and the reception.")

All of these things made our day truly unique, to say the least. It's taken me a little while to realize that even with all of the weather and Plan B's, we had exactly the wedding we planned. We planned to celebrate our wedding with all of our family and close friends, and that's exactly what we did!

Nick's Birthday

In the midst of all the excitement of the last two weeks, Nick had his 9th birthday. Even though our party plans got postponed a bit because his two best friends were not available, we still had lots of celebrations. He went to an Arizona Diamondbacks game with his dad and then had cake with his grandparents on Sunday. Then when he got home on Sunday, we celebrated some more with a party, a few presents and cake, inlcuding a Stoudemire shirt from Craig's parents.

Gamma and Papa also celebrated his birthday last week when they came into town. They took him to his favorite indoor amusement place, Amazing Jakes and they played all day. Aunt Steph and Uncle Robert bought him the Shaquille O'Neal jersey he wanted too. So, even though his birthday was smooshed in the middle of a few crazy weeks, I think he still had special times.

Graduations - Part 2

So, the last post is entitled Graduations because Mallory also graduated from the 6th grade. I have to brag a bit about my smart daughter, who's made it all the way through Elementary school with all A's and 1B. Getting the first B of her life was pretty hard on her because her expectations for herself are so high, but she worked really hard and the next grading quarter she pulled her math score back to an A. Its that kind of effort that I'm so proud of. Her straight A years are great, but I think its the efforts we make in life to succeed that count the most sometimes. Getting that B brought out her determination and problem solving skills. She really did what she needed to do to get it done. That's our Mal, she gets it done!

At the end of every year, awards and medals are given out. She received an award in Math and a medal for being on the Distinguished Principals honor roll. Cheers to Mal and even though you're in Jr. High now, you'll always be my baby girl!

Graduations

Before the wedding weekend, Craig's parents and Anne flew in a bit early to attend his graduation from law school. It was a very hot day, but it went well overall. This graduation ceremony and all of the students with advanced degrees and even international diciplines was a big deal.

We are all so proud of Craig - that's Craig S. Riebe, J.D. now - and it feels like things are going to start to get back to normal. The graduation means that he can move back to Phoenix, which is huge for us, no more commuting between Tucson and Phoenix. Class has begun to help him study for the bar exam, everyday from 9am to 1pm and then studying all day. So, he'll be underground over the next 8 weeks as he prepares for probably the biggest test of his life, so far.

I just think Craig is an extraordinary man. In one week, he's become a law graduate, a dog owner, a husband and a bonus dad to Mal and Nick. (Bonus dad sounds better then step father, so that's what Mal and Nick have decided on.) Most people get to ease into these roles throughout their life, but he's taken them on all at once. Not everyone would be up to doing this, and that's why I love him so much.