CHI-TOWN

Yes, it certainly has been a long time.  I started this post weeks and weeks ago.  Since then we have moved, Lexi was in the E.R. and we have had wedding fever!! (Nate and Cris get married this weekend!!!)  So apologies for the long absence and late posting of our wonderful girls' trip to Chicago in May.  In May the bridesmaids took Cristina to Chicago for a fabulous, fun-filled, bachelorette weekend!  We ate the most fabulous foods, drank the most fabulous drinks, danced at fun clubs, shopped in the best shopping district and enjoyed a hilarious night at the comedy club.


The first thing we did after our flight; Brunch and Mimosas!



A beautiful view of Chicago!



We enjoyed dressing up...however we didn't realize it would be in the 30's after the sun set and we had to come home and change into jeans and sweaters before hitting the comedy club.

Me, Tracie, Bride-to-be, Audra and Randi

The tulips were in full bloom and were planted all over the city...they were so beautiful!

What does everyone do when they visit Chicago?  Well, besides going to Wrigley Field and the Navy Pier or the Loop?  They go to the top of the Sears Tower (now called Willis Tower but not as recognizable).  Lets just say I stayed far away from the glass ledge that shoots out from the side of the 110th floor.  Unfortunately it was very cloudy on the day we went so the views were not as amazing as they could have been.  But none the less, it was an awesome experience!

I know I said I wouldn't stand on the Sky Deck Ledge but I did for a half of a second and looked right up to the camera, smiled and then got back to safe ground!!  I didn't look forward or down, just up at the camera.

This picture is a reminder of why I'm scared of heights...CRAZY view!

 Just as all tourists do, we headed to the Navy Pier.  Again, it was very cloudy and foggy so the pictures are a bit bright.  It was freezing on the water but the views were once again spectacular.

I thought this lighthouse was so neat, I think I took 20 pics of it.

And of course we headed out to Wrigley Field.  You can't go to Chicago and NOT go to Wrigley.  Unfortunately there were no home games while we were there.  So, we just took pics, bought shirts and took the train home.

Our trip was great and the company was fabulous.  As always, it was nice to get home even though we were in the middle of packing up our house.  Two weeks after our bachelorette trip Lexi, Grandma Diane and I went to Coral Springs for Cristina's bridal shower.  Her family threw her a great shower and we all had such a nice time.  Lexi enjoyed herself as well....

Lexi was Cristina's Vanna White...

The little cutie in the background is Amy's Daughter, Bella.  She was also a great helper!

Cristina's amazing family; these women know how to have fun!

Great conversations...never a dull moment!



This weekend is the big event!  We are so excited for Nate and Cristina!! :)  We've been looking forward to this wedding for a year now.  We are honored that all four of us were asked to be apart of their wedding ceremony and to stand by their sides and support them on the most important day of their lives.  I'm sure I will post way too many pictures from their wedding weekend but that's just how it's going to be!  Wishing everyone a safe but fun Fourth of July!!

Zoo Animals

Well, it's been a long time since I last posted.  May was a very crazy, also very fun, month!  The weekend after mother's day Andy went off to Las Vegas to celebrate Nate's bachelor party.  They had four nights of pure fun and enjoyed their days poolside with a drink in hand.  While Andy was away I tried my best to wear the kids out and keep them busy.  Mission Accomplished!  Between a trip to the zoo, trips to the beach, Grandma's day at the water park with them, and play dates with friends, mommy got to sleep in late (late to a parent is 8:30 right?).  If you were beginning to think I got the short end...don't...because last weekend I went to Chicago for Cristina's bachelorette party (that'll be it's own post). :)   And when you think a family can't get busier...did I mention we are moving too???!!!  All of this is going on simultaneously; it's a bit hectic around our house right now to say the least.

In between chaos, we try to have some fun.  While daddy was in Begas (that's Vegas to Devin), I took the day off of work and met the Beckman girls at the Naples Zoo.  It was the middle of May and felt like the middle of summer; HOT, HOT, HOT!  Nothing could stop our little zoo animals from having fun though. 

This is how the trip started...you can't even make this stuff up...they're the cutest!!!



Miah grabbed Lexi's hand and they took off!

 

They have no idea how precious this is; how precious they are.


 

The Three Amigos!

 

The bright colors caught my eye.  This was an extremely bare tree finally beginning to grow leaves and bloom again.  I believe, and I'm probably wrong, this is a poinciana.



At the end of the day I tried to get some shots of the kids with this beautiful bright green background and no one wanted any part of it!  I got one decent shot and a lot of being yelled at! :)




This is how they roll!




Miah Jane thinks she's hilarious!

 Now for some other zoo animals.........


I always like looking at the alligators, even though you don't have to go to a zoo to see them.  They're everywhere in South Florida and I go to a zoo and watch them swim and sunbathe!



Nothing is more precious than a mommy and her baby.  These are Greater Kudus from Africa having lunch.

 The next series of pictures were taken on the Primate Expedition Cruise.  Nothing is more fun than keeping three toddlers still and quiet on a boat, while it's moving and explaining why we can't get off right now! LOL  This is actually a very neat experience and you get to journey through man made islands and see monkeys, lemurs and apes.  They are all so different; some like to hide out or lounge around and others came out to the boat to either show off or scare us and defend their island.


Insert Tarzan call......

This White Handed Gibbon is one of my favorites.  I think she's so PURRRTY!

I know it's important to keep up the appearance of the zoo but I couldn't believe what we saw on the primate cruise.  A guy mowing the lawn on the island while spider monkeys were swinging about.  The best part of it was there was a woman with a walkie talkie standing there watching him!  What was she going to do, call for help?!  They're on an island, help is gonna take some time!

You know how you have to pick up your feet when someone is vacuuming the floor near you?  I feel like the monkey had to pick up his (hands/feet?) in this next picture so the mower could get by.  That is too close for comfort in my opinion.  I hope the zoo employees have AWESOME insurance!

On to another funny picture...I had no idea giraffe were so darn flexible.  I have at least five pictures of this giraffe winding it's Gumby-like neck around another giraffe.

I got an itch right there!

Well...Hello there!

We probably won't be visiting the zoo again for awhile.  It's too darn hot in the summer time.  Even when you go early, you fight the humidity and mosquitoes.  We have plenty of zoo animals in our own home to enjoy! :)

Next post, CHI-TOWN baby; mommy's fun weekend away with the girls.

Trolley Pub Crawl

Last Thursday night we helped throw a pretty awesome Jack and Jill party for Nate and Cristina.  These two cute love birds are getting married in like 8 weeks!!!  In what is now a Schaps wedding tradition, we rented the Naples Trolley and with 25-30 of Nate and Cristina's closest friends, we went on a pub crawl around town.  It brought back fun memories for Andy and I; we did the same thing with our wedding party and friends days before our wedding 5 1/2 years ago.   It was so much fun and everyone seemed to have a really, REALLY, good time!  Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa O'Dean, Andy and I had a great time too!

The two love birds....

The night started off at South Street where we indulged in pizza and beer.  It was the starting point to a very fun night!  Oh and I must warn you, you may want to turn down the hue on your monitors.  This was a Hawaiian themed party and the guys went all out with the brightest and boldest shirts I have ever seen.

Susie and Kevin

Nate and Andy (who has to be goofy 90% of the time!)



I made them take a serious picture too and it turned out nice!



Kevin and Trent managed to go out that day and buy the same exact awful Hawaiian shirt!!

Cristina and Susie

The other two love birds! :-)



Some of the bridesmaids with Cris: Susie, Audra, Randi and Amy



Add one more bridesmaid...ME!



Cristina with her brother JJ and his girlfriend Amber



A great picture of Cristina and her brother.

Cristina, Me and Chrissy...not sure why I'm making such a funny face?



Crazy Girls!

Let the dancing begin...

Nate treated us like a herd of crazy animals and had to blow his horn at each stop so we'd all gather back together and load up on the trolley.  I'll just say that he took his job of the herder very seriously!

Not sure if you've noticed but Nate changed his shirt at each and every stop we made!



CHEERS to Nate and Cristina!

Not only were we celebrating at the bars we stopped at but we had a pretty fabulous...and windy...party on the trolley too!  Believe me cause I'm leaving out a lot of pictures from the trolley ride. :)

The beautiful bride to be with all of her 'flare'...I don't miss that!

We had so much fun celebrating with Nate and Cristina and their friends.  It was just a small taste of what's to come in the next two months.  Next up...the bachelor party in Las Vegas and the bachelorette trip to Chicago!!  We are so excited for Nate and Cristina and are honored to help them celebrate every step of the way.  We love you and can't wait for your special day in July...and all the special days to come in the future!