May in Indy

This trip already seems like it was months ago. Tommy, Taylor, and I flew back to Indianapolis for a 10-day visit around Memorial Day. In my opinion, there is no better place to be in the month of May than Indianapolis. The city is alive with excitement for the Indy 500, and the weather is typically perfect - warm and sunny but not too humid (yet...).

Taylor, once again, was a trooper on the flights to Indy. How I wish there was a direct flight from Seattle! No such luck, though. This time around, we flew through Phoenix and had a two-hour layover. In case you are bad with geography, Phoenix is not exactly on the way to Indy from Seattle. It was a long travel day. Taylor had a record setting trip - she pooped three times and let out her first belly laugh. It was such a sight to see Tommy walking back from the bathroom on the airplane - only to realize that he was holding a naked baby! Taylor had poop up to her shoulder blades, so Tommy wouldn't dare put her clothes back on. Taylor had another blow out on the second leg of the trip; this time she was in my arms and added a little "color" to my outfit. :) However, all of the poop activity paled in comparison to hearing our little girl laugh for the first time. Taylor giggled and giggled when a man sitting next to me started talking to her and snapping his fingers. It was so precious to hear that sweet sound!

Tommy and I spent the Friday before Memorial Day weekend at Carburetion Day. Because I had to miss the 500 for the first time in 10 years, I attempted to get my racing fix. In my opinion, Carb Day holds nothing to the 500, but it was still fun to spend the day with my niece and nephew, Alexa and Casey, and my brother and sister-in-law, Scott and Mandy.

On Saturday morning, Tommy and I headed to Chicago. The last of my college friends, "Coors", got married on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. I was honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, along with my other Chicago girlfriends from college. The four of us had such great times together while I lived there, and I miss them terribly. Below is a picture from Coors and Craig's rehearsal dinner at Carson's (the place for ribs!) on Saturday night.

Left to Right: Gretchen, Caroline, Foli, Ali, Coors
Jill and Craig's wedding was a huge success. They had perfect (almost chilly) weather, and the reception was a blast. It was so fun to celebrate one last Butler wedding with my girls.

The beautiful bride and her bridesmaids
The Butler Girls:

Caroline, Sandra, Gretchen, Ali, Shannon
Jess, Megan, Foli, Brooks

Meanwhile, Miss T was back at my parents' house for the weekend. She was very well-behaved for my mom, thank goodness! I was extremely worried that she wouldn't take a bottle, but she did. Whew! Once I learned that she was eating and enjoying her time with my parents, I had a much better weekend away!

Alexa and Casey were at my parents' house for the weekend as well (since their parents were enjoying the Indy 500 festivites). Mimi had a full house, but I know she loved every minute of it.

Taylor loves when Alexa reads to her.

Exhibit A

Exhibit BExhibit CCousins!


After we returned from Chicago, Tommy and I spent the rest of our trip relaxing and spending time with friends and family. Sadly, I did not take many pictures, but below are a few.

On my birthday, we met my grandparents for dinner. Below is a picture of four generations:

Bligh family photo

Taylor and her grandpa

Below are a few pictures from a playdate we had with Sara and her daughter Tatum, and Chelle and her sons Isaac and Keaton. Taylor and Keaton (born in April) are a little too small to participate in the playdates, but it was still fun to see the kiddos all together.

Sara holding Taylor and teaching Tatum to be gentle with the baby.

Clockwise: Isaac, Tatum, Taylor, and Keaton
It was great to see everyone. There is a good chance we won't be "home" again until Christmas, so I always cherish the time I have with my family and friends. We are happy to be back in Seattle and are gearing up for a busy few weeks with trips to Newport Beach, CA and Breckenridge, CO. Too bad Taylor is too young for a frequent flier account!