Cookie Monster

After a rough start to the week, I needed a scoop of heaven to rev up my engine. Since we had Max all to ourselves tonight (with Delaney at a friend's house for a sleepover), it was a great excuse to do something special with him. Jeff voted in favor of taking the family to Cheddar's for a "Cookie Monster" dessert. If you've never had one, you've gotta try it! A made-to-order chocolate chip cookie skillet with scoops of french vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whip cream. Yum!
Chedder's has sentimental significance for me. The first time I laid eyes on Jeff interacting with his kids was when I peeked into the restaurant with my then-work crew to get a seat and a co-worker pointed to a guy in the corner with two darling kids, eating a "Cookie Monster" dessert. Jeff was a single dad at the time...and every time I bumped into him from then on out, he was always tending to his kids...bending down to tie their shoelaces, taking them to swim lessons, making crock pot dinners. I was very taken with this very tender-hearted man and thought whoever left him was crazy! Now that I'm married to Jeff I'm even more enthralled with what a fabulous father he is and now I get to experience his sweet heart--and sweet tooth--firsthand.

What on earth is this?

Last week as I pulled out of the parking lot at 91.5 WCIC, I heard a weird scratching sound and saw Jeremy Tracey (from Doing Life with the Tracey's) wave wildly for my car to stop. So I did. He then motioned me to pull forward. A part of my car apparently fell off! And I have no idea what it is or whether it serves an important function. All I know is that my car is falling apart. So, if you think you have a clue about this car part, give me a call tomorrow on the morning show at 7:41 at 888-691-9150. I wonder if this is a sign that I should finally turn my car in?

Here Comes the Bride...

Last night, Jeff & I had the pleasure of watching our friends, Bryson and Danell, get hitched! For those of you who listened during the morning show on Friday I bemoaned whether to wear an oh-so-cute white dress to the party...so I'm posting a picture of myself here to show that I wore the exact opposite color--black!--so as not to detract from the bride...Not that I could've because she was so beautiful...Danell looked like a princess who stepped out of her castle in time for her big day!

You know, I'm not much of a wedding person myself, which puzzles my husband. I'm a romantic, I enjoy interacting with people, I love my friends and family...But the idea of orchestrating a huge production that's hugely expensive and only lasts a few hours but causes months of stress doesn't appeal to me! That being said, I still appreciate a beautiful wedding and this was one of them...

In fact, I learned a few things: #1. The Electric Slide. When did this dance come about? I need to brush up on my moves in time for another wedding we're attending in October. #2. The Toilet Paper Roll Contest. The bride and groom each had to unravel a toilet paper roll and whoever did it the fastest wore the pants in the family. Did I hear the bride won? :) Max collected the TP. #3. The Dollar Dance. What a great way to make some extra cash! Maybe Jeff and I will throw a party sometime and line up folks to dance with us for a dollar. Jeff gave Delaney a dollar to dance with Bryson. It was pretty cute. Didn't whip out my camera in time for that one, though!

And finally, I'm reminded yet again how darling my husband is and I wish he'd get into fashion. A couple of church friends teased me that I should hit on the cute guy in the tux. During wedding ceremony, our pastor reminded me that I need to "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ" (from 1 Peter) and give unmerited favor in a marriage that will grow by the grace of God. He challenged us that our greatest acts of grace will be words like "I love you"..."I'm sorry"..."Please forgive me"...wise words from a veteran to newlyweds whose love we pray stands the test of time.
Congratulations, Bryson and Danell!

Luau time!

On Friday night, Scott & I hosted a "luau" to thank our fabulous listeners who gave so generously during Sharathon this past spring--specifically during the Morning Show's Hawaiian hours. It was a lot of fun! A special thanks to Chef's Catering in Washington for donating all the food and even roasting an actual pig--the poor thing. Her name was Matilda and she didn't look really happy! And thank you to the 4Hope Foundation in Morton for pitching in to take care of all other expenses--you're the best!

Of course, a luau wouldn't be complete without hula dancing, right? And it was the challenge of my life to find someone in the Midwest to help entertain people! Well, I finally did. Her name is Johnette Palumbo and she teaches hula at the Twin Cities School of Dance right in Bloomington! She brought a couple of students with her and they tried to teach Scott, Donovan, and whoever wanted to some moves. You can check out a brief clip here:

Daytrippin' to St. Louis

The kids are back from camp, so Jeff & I celebrated their return with a day trip to St. Louis. Our first stop? The Magic House! It's hands-down, slam-dunk the best children's museum I've ever been to. It offers kids almost hyper-stimulation--they can construct a firehouse, climb a three-story beanstalk, try out the president's desk, analyze codes and fingerprints...

It was fun to see Max sitting on the judge's bench...The Star-Spangled Center is like a mini White House for kids. The kids were running around so much, at one point Jeff & I split up and I took Delaney while he followed Max around.

Laney loved the "Kids TV" center, which allows kids to sit at a fake anchor desk and read a newscast...and be televised! It was especially fun for me to experience that with her since I worked in television. If Laney got into broadcasting, I'd get such a kick out of that!

We ended the day on a high note by touring the St. Louis Zoo. I LOVE this zoo...especially because it's free! And the wide array of animals is really impressive. My favorite exhibit houses the puffins and penguins. I could watch them dive all day. Again, it was fun to see the kids "Oooooo" and "Aahhhh" over the animals...the pythons, komodo dragons, giraffes, and sea lions. They've never been to the St. Louis zoo before so it's always neat to experience a first time with them.
I've got to hit the hay now with my husband because after six hours of walking and five hours of riding in the car I feel like a worn out dish rag. I'll post all 70 of my photos to my Facebook page. G-night!