Rachelle Laughs.: more fun birthday events

Since I last wrote I have just been on the go go go go go! I think this is how my life is just going to have to be from now on. I can sleep when I'm dead... right? Jay will yell at me if he reads this post, he thinks I need to cut some fun out of my life (aka facebook, blogging, and doing unnecessary things like crafting and writing an obscene amount of cards to people I love). He is probably right. I do work full time. I am also a full time student. I need my sleep... but I really enjoy all the extra things I do with my time. I would rather have less sleep and more fun.

Anyway... after my trip up to Sturgeon Bay with the girls, I worked Friday night, then napped for a couple hours and then it was go go go. My annual family picnic was this weekend. We play tug-o-war, have sack races, balloon tosses, eat lots of food, dance, play basketball, sand volleyball and take pictures... all wearing primary colors. My dad is one of 14 children... we all wear green. Then other big groups of extended families wear blue, red, yellow, and white. It is fun. We play games as family teams. I think this year my extended green family won most of the games.

green vs. yellow

green totes won.

my cousin maricel (the big kid)

with my cousin's girls Madison (left) and Mia (right) and their friend Maggie (2nd from right)

Straight from the family picnic, Jay and I headed to our friend Madeline's house for a birthday party. Madeline and I have the same birthday, so it makes celebrating double the fun! We played beer pong, cranium, hung out on the porch, and ate lots of yummy foods.

a back seat view of some of my pals playing cranium

whoa close up! of madeline and me:)

We stayed the night at Madeline's house, then woke up Sunday morning to head downtown. Part of Jay's birthday present to me was to take me on the Spirit of Chicago, a boat that sails along the Chicago coast. The other part of my gift was a vintage leather camera strap for my canon rebel xs! We boarded the vessel and had a table for two, decorated with a blue balloon for my birthday. We ate delicious food and then spent most of our time outside on deck enjoying the sunshine, the beautiful skyline scenery, and each others company. We don't get to spend a lot of alone time in the summer, because every minute we are together is on the weekends and every weekend is booked full of parties and picnics, concerts and events where we are usually with my family, his friends, my friends, or his family. So, we cherished the couple hours we were alone. We can't wait until we live in the same town again. He is at school at the University of Illinois getting his PhD (finishing this fall or next spring, yay!)