Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Last night some friends and I went to see the True Colors tour at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. My friend Laura invited us a couple of months ago and we were all super excited! Audrey, Gina, and Laura and I all headed down to the park around 6:30 or so. The traffic was pretty bad around the park, but we eventually made it. We packed a cooler with a variety of drinks and Gina embroidered us some really cute koozies to hold our beverages. You can see them in the pics. We then met up with my cousin Candice who works for the catering company Proof of the Pudding. She gave us some awesome food to eat. There were two opening acts which I can't remember their names. I do remember that Audrey was excited to learn that they were from Toronto. Then Rosie O'Donnell came on and she was hilarious. After her, the B-52s performed and they were awesome! They haven't changed a bit and their music was still very entertaining. They did some new stuff and of course their old, like Rock Lobster and Love Shack. After they performed and while Cyndi Lauper was getting ready, Carson Kressley came out to entertain and fill the time. He was hilarious too! Cyndi Lauper came out and stole the show. I can't believe how good she still looks and sounds after all these years. Her performances of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Time After Time were my favorites, although when all the artists came out to sing True Colors that was definitely good too! It was a late night and I was really tired this morning, not to mention we were out of coffee, but it was well worth it!

Here we are with our cute koozies again and delicious food

Lobster Dip, a Brushetta tray, chicken on a stick, shrimp, beef tenderloin, chicken caesar salad, cheesecake and poundcake were our menu for the evening. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Candice!

These are my cousins Candice and Bill. They are brother and sister. Thanks for making us look extra pale with your tan Bill.

This isn't a great pic., but this is the B-52s performing. They were great!

Here is Cyndi again singing out in the audience. That is the great thing about this venue is that the artists come out into the audience to sing.

Here is Cyndi Lauper performing

This was all the bands that performed. The opening acts, Cyndi Lauper, and the B-52s, Rosie O'Donnell and Carson Kressley

Happy Daddys Day!!

Happy Daddys day (as I like to call it) to all the Daddys out there. Who really calls their daddy father? It will always be daddy to me. It is so special to be a parent and Lee is the best daddy ever. Today, we let daddy sleep in because we had a late night at a couples baby shower. When he got up Jake gave him his gift and told him Happy Father's Day. It was so sweet. We later went to my parents to see my daddy and have dinner. We had barbeque chicken on the grill, broccoli, rolls, hashbrown casserole, and corn on the cob. It was delicious. Even though Lee's dad is no longer with us, we think of him each and everyday, especially today and remember what a great daddy he was. There is nothing greater than being a mommy and daddy except maybe a grandparent (so I've heard). There is a video below. I am so impressed with myself that I actually was able to do it. It was suppose to be a picture, but my mom had the dial on my camera turned to video.


Me and my daddy

Papa and Jake. Notice the yellow highchair in the background. It was mine when I was little and now Jake and Ben use it at Mimi and Papa's house.

Lee and Jake in my parents' backyard.

Ben jumping in the jumper with Abby looking on.

Papa and Ben. Ben chewing on a ball

Ben chewing (again) on a spoon

Nana's house

On Monday after the wedding we staying at Nana's condo in Boston. Lee invited our friends Josh and Sara over to visit. It has been a while since we last saw them and they have new baby girl named Seraphina. She joins big sister Lyra who is 3 years old (sorry you guys if I misspelled their names). It was great to see them and catch up. Sara is a teacher also and is still in school for another week. WOW!

Earlier in the day, Jake and Nana watered her plants outside. If you know Jake, he loves it outside. We warned Nana that she might not be able to get him back in, so Ben, Lee and I joined them outside too.



Nana and Jake watering the flowers outside her condo.



I love this picture of Nana and Ben


Lee and Josh


Sara and their new baby Seraphina


Jake and Lyra

Sarah's wedding in Boston

Well, we went to Boston for my sister in law's wedding this past weekend. We arrived on Friday and spent the evening with Nana, aunt Margie, Sarah and Jonathon at Nana's house. The boys did great on the plane. Jake slept almost all the way there and back. He had so much fun being on the airplane we couldn't get him to get off. Saturday was the rehearsal dinner at Papa Razzi and it was delicious. Earlier in the day we went to the Horticultural center where the wedding was held to rehearse. It was hot!! We thought we were getting away from Atlanta summer heat, but of course Boston decided to have a record breaking heat wave the weekend we came. After the rehearsal, we met up with Lee's friend Aaron for lunch. Man, did he ever pick on me! He was really on a roll with his southern jokes and mocking my accent. He is a great guy, but I will get him back. Sorry, I got a little off track there.

On Sunday, we headed to the wedding around 3:30. It was a beautiful day, but still pretty hot. The wedding was at 4:30 outside in a garden setting. Sarah looked beautiful and the ceremony was very nice. Lee's aunt Katie sang a song and she has a wonderful voice. After the ceremony, there were cocktails in the garden and then a reception inside with dancing, desserts and a Dj in an attached tent. We had a great time and it was wonderful to see Lee's family again and meet new ones. We met some family members that sent us wedding gifts, but weren't able to come to our wedding. It was nice to put names to faces. I attached several pictures, so please enjoy.

This was the little girl Jake started playing with in the Boston airport the day we left. It was a match made in heaven. She pulled out a box filled with toy cars from the movie Cars. (Jake's favorite)

Sarah and Jonathon at the rehearsal dinner


Blue bear, Ben, Me and Lee at the Rehearsal dinner. It was really yummy!



There goes the bride and groom.  Sarah's dress was actually the one her mother wore on her wedding day. She made a few alterations on it, but it was the original dress.  I thought that was really special.

The bride and groom. Jonathon loves to make faces for the camera. They both looked great.



Nana, Sarah, and Lee coming down the aisle.


The Koster Clan. Cousin Michael, Aunt Katie, Uncle Robert and cousin Jason. What a great looking family!

Jake found a new friend to play with at the reception. It was cousin Michael's girlfriend Liz.



Nana and Jake



Nana and my handsome husband



It's a little blurry, but it's Nana dancing the Horah too!


Sarah and Jonathon dancing the Horah!

Little Red Sox and Braves!

I took these last week and since we are going to Boston for my sister in law's wedding this weekend, I wanted to post them. Jake and Ben are wearing their Red Sox attire that Nana gave them. I couldn't believe I got Jake to look at the camera and actually smile. Of course Ben always looks and smiles, at least for now. We love watching baseball. My husband is from Boston so we watch the Red Sox quite often. I know, I know, what about the braves? I do have Braves outfits for the boys too. I just bought Jake another Braves outfit this year. We are hoping to go to a Rome Braves game soon and hopefully an Atlanta Braves game too. I used to go Braves games when I was little. We would sit near the dugout and my dad would try to get me to go down and get autographs before the game. I was shy, so I wouldn't do it unless he came with me. My dad still picks on me today about not asking the players myself. I would make him do it. Go Braves! and Red Sox.

Today is also our 4th wedding anniversary. We don't have any big plans. I think we will have too much to do with packing for our trip tomorrow. Please pray we have a safe flight. Those of you that don't know, I am terrified of flying. No matter how much I do it, I still get very nervous, mostly during the take off. This will also be the first time we are flying with 2 babies. I think we will take the portable DVD player and maybe Jake will watch his favorite movie Cars. I have been telling him that we are going on an airplane to see Nana and Aunt Sarah. I know they say that it is good to have babies suck on a pacifier or bottle during the take off for little ones' ears. I can not get Ben to take a pacifier so hopefully he will do okay too.



Okay, here are the Braves ones. I took a good one of Jake by himself, but I couldn't get it turned vertically. Oh well, I will try again late. Aren't they cute? You can tell Ben has been eating those orange veggies.

Happy Birthday Mimi!

Monday night we celebrated my mom's birthday. I won't tell her age, but if you know mine, she is 20 years older than me. We took her out to eat to Longhorns and it was delicious. We all had steak except for Lee. He had meat the night before and that day for lunch so those of you that know him, he can't eat the same thing twice, much less, three times in a row. :) Then we came back to out house, took some pictures, sang happy birthday, and ate some yummy ice cream cake (our favorite). I don't know what got into Jake, but he was quite wild this night at the restaurant and even back at our house. He was like a wind up toy that wouldn't stop. We never can get him to look at the camera, so my mom decided to hold his face to hers to get the picture above. It turned out pretty good, I thought. Ben, of course was an angel. I think they have done a complete role reversals. Jake is now a little uncontrollable while Ben is sweet and calm. I guess that happens. Jake is two!

Pandas, Tigers, and Giraffes. Oh My!

Yesterday, we went to the Atlanta Zoo. We had so much fun. I haven't been there since I was in Elementary School and I think I had more fun than Jake. Above is a picture of the famous gorilla named Willie B. He was pretty much the main attraction at the zoo for many years. This was a statue they created as a memorial to him since he passed away a few years ago. I remember being little and being so excited to see him at the zoo. Jake had a great time too, but seemed a little out of sorts at first. I think he didn't know what to think at first, but after he got his energy back at lunch, he was ready to go back and see the animals. We had a picnic at Grant Park and enjoyed eating chicken, baked beans, mashed potatoes, and watermelon. It was really hot out, but the watermelon helped to cool us off. I can't wait to go back again!

Lee, Jake and I riding the train

Jake and I sitting on the Komodo Dragon

Lee eating watermelon

We had to cool Ben down during our picnic

Lee and I had a great time too!

This isn't a very good picture, but it is the Panda Bear.

Playing in the petting zoo

Kangaroos laying in the shade

The monkeys hanging out