Chi-CA-go

I've had a blast in Chicago this weekend! Scott and I woke up for a late breakfast Saturday morning and took the metra into the city. We got off at union station and walked to the ESPN zone taking in all the sights. Ashley and Ryan met us to watch the game (if you can call it a game, sorry U) and we decided a deep dish pizza was a must. After putting our name on a 90 minutes waiting list at Giordano's, we went up in the Hancock tower in time to see the sun set and then get some great night shots of the city. We got back to the restaurant in time to sneak into our reservation slot which was lucky for us because the pizza was amazingly good and the company even better :-)
After taking the metra back to Glenview where we were staying with Scott's Uncle Dan and Aunt Robin, we crashed from another funfilled day.
On Sunday, we woke up to meet Ryan and Ashley for Church at Harvest Bible, a Chicago mega church with Pastor James MacDonald. After church, we went to Ashley and Ryan's house for a wonderful lunch, a nailbiting Bears game, and some play time with their pet hedgehog, Coco. Scott's friend Tunie lives close by Ryan, so when we left after the Bears game, we picked up Tunie and grabbed dinner in Wheaton, Il. It was another wonderful day with the perfect fall football weather and spending more time getting to know Scott's friends from college.
Today Scott started his rotation, so I have been catching up with emails, updating my blog, obviously ;-) an spending time with his Aunt Robin. I leave tomorrow afternoon to head back to Richmond and will fly back out at the end of the month to keep Scott entertained on the drive back, a job I take very serious ;-)

Finally an up-to-date post!!!!

Scott is spending the month of October doing an away rotation in the windy city and what better bonding experience than a 16 hour road trip!!!
We left Thursday evening from Norfolk, VA- stopped in Richmond to have dinner with my parents- then arrived at his parents house in Staunton at 10:00pm Thursday evening- cutting 3 hours out of the trip. Scott woke up at 4:30am to pack the car, recline the passenger seat, and perfectly position my pillow all in the midst of a downpour (Somehow a "terradactile sized bug" entered the car and it took us two highway pull overs to get the creature out of the car). He woke me up at 5:00 and we were on our way. I slept for 2 more hours then we found a Cracker Barrel in WV to eat breakfast. We sidetracked through Upland, Indiana to visit his alma mater Taylor University. After visiting the athletic department, prayer deck, cafeteria, bookstore, tennis courts, driving by his house, walking part of the loop, eating at Toppit Pizza, and getting ice cream at Ivanhoes, we were back on the road heading towards Chicago. We pulled into his Aunt and Uncles driveway at 10:30pm and had a wonderful nights sleep after the rain filled day long drive and LOTS of laughs and memories.

Competition for the cutest :-)

It's a tie!!!!

VT versus Nebraska

If you ask me what my favorite season is- with no thought or hesitation, my response will be fall!!!!! The food, decorations, weather, and weekends full of football is something that I am always ready for by late August. This year, I'm only able to make it back to three VT football games which, considering the drive, has become plenty for me. I was lucky enough to go to the VT vs Nebraska catastrophe where we stole a W from Nebraska in the last 2 minutes. It was Callie's first VT event and Scott drove in for the day to attend as well. Our tailgate was phenominal with a low county seafood boil, crablegs, and all the standards. That Sunday we had a family reunion with my grandfather on my mom's side of the family. It was the perfect "gear up for fall" weekend!

Go Rapids!!!!!

My 10 year high school reunion was September 12th and above all I was amazed to see how little people had changed!
Friday night was spent at the HS football game and then a bunch of people met up at a sports bar down the road afterwards. Saturday, Scott and I went to one of my favorite places in the whole world, Maymont Park, in Richmond. This is where my mom would take my brother and I on nice days when we were out of school, or my dad and I would go walk around and spend time together. I've been looking forward to taking Scott and it was a beautiful day to walk around. We toured the mansion which I have never done, walked through the Italian Gardens, and got the Tech game update as we passed fellow Hokies that were checking the score on their phones. Saturday night was the big reunion event at a bar downtown. It was wonderful to see all of my best friends from elementary and high school and to hear everyone's accomplishments and successes.

August 22nd

Scott and I celebrated our one year anniversary of dating on August 22nd with a weekend full of relaxation. Friday night, Scott brought me beautiful flowers, we cooked dinner together, and watched the sunset on the bay. Saturday we spent the day at the bay until it started raining, went wine tasting, rented a movie, and went out to dinner at One Fish Two Fish.
A year ago I couldn't have imagined the wonderful 12 months we would spend together and I am looking forward to all of the changes and growing we will encounter over the next year!!!!!
Even more important, I am so very thankful for God's wonderful and perfect timing in bringing Scott and I together :-)

Myrtle Beach 2009

I haven't had a chance to update the blog from our Spiers family trip to Myrtle Beach that was almost two months ago. This trip was two weeks after Scott and my trip to Charleston. I don't have pictures with me right now since I am updating this from Scotts computer in Chicago and the pictures have already been transferred off our camera to my computer in Virginia, so those will have to go up later. The trip was one big photoshoot documenting the cute things Callie would do and I would send daily emails at night to Scott with pics from the day.
The trip was spent with Grampy and Callie time every morning, Callie trying to drink coffee out of Grammy's mug, and then naptime. When she would wake up we would head down to the beach and she would stick her toes in the ocean, leak her diaper all over my belly, sleep in her stroller, and try to drink the pool water. On the rainy days we all enjoyed the mall and outlet shops. Two nights were spent having dinner in and the rest were meals out and about. It was a wonderfully relaxing trip with my family and I can't wait to get home and post the great pictures for everyone to see.