June highlights {Temptations, date weekend, playhouse, baby shower, Father's Day}

 1) The Temptations. whenever I hear Motown music, it immediately transports me back to college days, listening to the crooning melodies and tight harmonies while driving around in Nick's hearse (yes, he drove a hearse -- it's a long story, but it's not as weird as it sounds). last November I opened up an email from the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust to find that The Temptations, including one member of the original band, are still touring and they were coming to Pittsburgh in the spring for one show only! I conspired with our friends to plan another double date, just like we did for Seinfeld last year, and gave Nick the tickets for Christmas. however, we realized shortly afterwards that we had a conflict with the performance date. I offered up the tickets for resale to different friends and in various local Facebook groups, with no takers, so I assumed we would just be out the money for the tickets in addition to missing the show (salt in the wound for sure!). then, just a few days before the performance, I received another email from the Cultural Trust stating that two of the performers were sick, and the performance was being rescheduled for June. lo and behold, all four of us could make that date, and we were able to go after all! 

it was such a fun show, even more so because Nick and John knew virtually all of the songs performed by both the Temptations and their opening act, the Four Tops. the audience was encouraged to sing along. it was quite surreal to hear "My Girl" performed live! 

2) date weekend.  we had a delightful weekend to ourselves in June, attending a colleague's wedding on Saturday, mass together Sunday morning (well, Nick was in the organ loft), and then lunch afterwards. life gets so busy with the whole family, and of course we knew what we were signing up for with a big family, not to mention a baby on the way -- AND ALSO it was wonderful to spend time just the two of us. we kept turning to each other in amazement that no one was whining or peeing their pants. 

the wedding ceremony was held in gorgeous Heinz Chapel. Nick played for the wedding, and the prelude concluded with Elvis's "Can't Help Falling in Love" -- our first dance song at our wedding! we had a great time at the reception. most of the other people at our table were Nick's coworkers, whom I hadn't met before, and they were lovely. 

keeping it real -- I went home in between the ceremony and the reception to put my feet up the wall in an attempt to quell that pesky third trimester puffiness. after this glamorous maneuver, I thought perhaps I'd be able to squeeze into my chunky heels for the reception, but alas I had to resort to my flipflops. 

my vantage point while lying on the bottom bunk in Cece's room

upright again! 32 weeks pregnant with baby boy

I had to do the side-by-side: same reception location, same maternity dress, in 2023 on the left (38 weeks pregnant with Victoria)! my hair was definitely looking better then, ha!

the anniversary dance. I just love these photos Nick's coworker took!

no one makes me laugh like he does!

their cookie table was epic and heavily peanut butter themed (it's western Pennsylvania tradition for the bride's family to bake copious amounts of cookies which are set out for guests to eat during the reception, and then boxes are provided for guests to bring cookies home as well)

 

then I slept in on Sunday morning (the best!) while Nick was up at his usual time to play for 9 o'clock mass. I went to the 11 o'clock service, and afterwards we got lunch. we specifically picked a restaurant the girls wouldn't like ;) this particular restaurant used to be one of our favourite date night spots, a Thai restaurant called Bangkok Balcony. it has now reopened as Kiin Lao, serving Laotian and Thai food. it was delicious! 

my handsome date

I ordered one of the house specials, khao soi with sai oua (street noodles with Lao sausage). it was pleasantly spicy and so flavorful!

3) playhouse. Nick has once again outdone himself and built an epic playhouse for the kids in the backyard. when he told me he was going to build them a little house, I thought it would be built out of plywood and maybe would have a swinging door. I had no idea that he envisioned a two-story domicile with real windows (with window boxes and real flowers!), a flag, a peep-hole, and even a rug inside. he wins the Best Dad Award for sure! 

the girls picked out the flag

now with window boxes! the marigolds were planted specifically to deter deer from eating them 

making stone soup

showing the girls that he intentionally built the loft high enough that he can walk underneath it

I told him maybe the two of us should move out here to get some peace and quiet

Cece's new reading nook

Nick let them paint the window boxes. she was very pleased with her artistry!

4) baby shower. my amazing coworkers threw me a surprise baby shower at work. I walked in to find my office decorated and the kitchen smelling amazing with all the food they brought in. who says the fifth baby doesn't get any love? 

so many cute clothes, generous gift cards, and diapers!! not to mention the adorable baby blanket my coworker's wife made. 

baby boy at 32 weeks -- his left hand is up over his left eye, and his right leg is hinged in front of his face!

my coworkers also went in together to gift us a 3D ultrasound package at a boutique ultrasound place. the very first thing the tech said was, "wow, he has a lot of hair!" it's all that shaggy looking white material on the scan!

his face was kind of smushed but still just so amazing, and the girls loved seeing it in real time (they haven't come to any of the other ultrasounds). such a great gift!

5) Father's Day. we didn't do very much to celebrate -- Nick's one request was to go out to Eat'n'Park, Pittsburgh's iconic chain restaurant!  we went to mass as usual in the morning and then I decided we would probably have better luck getting a table if we went to dinner rather than to lunch/brunch (they don't take reservations). we'll never know how busy it would have been earlier in the day, but the dinner time crowd was pretty light and we were seated right away. Nick availed himself of the Father's Day special (a $1 burger for dads!) and then we all split a slice of strawberry pie. I am so grateful for all of the wonderful fathers in our lives! 

no trip to Eat'n'Park is complete without posing with the giant smiley cookie

bonus round:

Elizabeth and Victoria were invited to a daycare friend's birthday party. I haven't been to this gymnastics place for years, but Greta and Cece both attended birthday parties as well as summer camps here in the past. the girls absolutely loved it.

Elizabeth loved the zip line into the foam pit!

 

speaking of camp, Greta and Cece both attended a basketball day camp held at the Catholic high school where Greta most likely will attend. Cece's session was in the morning and Greta's was in the afternoon. we mitigated some of the driving around in circles by carpooling with friends. they really enjoyed it and both won superlatives and got to pick a prize at the end of the week! 

maybe I'm the worst mother in the world but I confess when she told me her superlative, I burst out laughing. hey, at least a good attitude is happening somewhere! 

yummy Thai food with out-of-town friends:

Johnny and Jaziel, visiting from California

Amelia, in town for a music education conference

the babies being randomly cute:

testing out the new-to-us carseat

banana muffins in princess dresses

they were so excited to be flower girls in my sister Kira's wedding in June (that will merit its own post!). Elizabeth is modeling her new dress and shoes, and Victoria is modeling her new shoes 

she blocks the back door whenever Nick attempts to leave for work, and won't let him through unless he gives the password, which changes periodically (some previous passwords have included "open sesame" and "princess Belle")

I discovered her packing her own suitcase in preparation for Kira's wedding

Dr. Ellie using a ball pump to "suck the juice" out of my stomach

Nick is famous for his lunchtime leftover concoctions, which we refer to as "amalgamations". this was a particularly impressive specimen. I should mention he has been going to the gym regularly and has been steadily losing weight. it's just not fair. 

and finally, a truly breathtaking sunset one evening. the sky looked like a painting! these photos are completely unfiltered.