Book/Seiler Birthdays

Happy birthday on Friday to our sister-in-law, Jamie! We called her Friday night and she was being the mom-of-the-year to her three boys. Never a break...again, why I think aunt may be my calling. :)

Today is my dad's birthday! He got to spend the weekend in Iowa City and with his favorite little guy, Nate.

Today Steve and I also celebrated my 1/2 birthday (Sept. 16) with our annual trek to Olive Garden. We didn't even talk. We just ate one bowl of salad, another bowl of salad and then another bowl of salad. Best. Thing. Ever.

Just Hanging Out

Steve and I haven't seen each other much the past few weeks. So the plan was to lay low and hang out this weekend.

After returning from Vegas last Sunday night, I pretty much went straight out of town for a few more days. So when I pulled in Friday night, I had hit a wall. A large, painful wall.

Lucky for us, we had plans with Scott and Kellie, so it kept me going. I still call them our neighbors even through they moved from directly across the street to two blocks away.

But anyway...we had some drinks in their new abode, called a particular cab to pick us up and next thing we know we're going 70mph in a 35mph down Broadway from the plaza to Westport. Wowzers... We enjoyed dinner and then realized we were well over 10 years above the average age in the bar we stopped by. One thing about Wesport...venues may change, but the age always stays the same.

On Saturday morning our friends, Joe & Angie, came over with their dog, Wrigley, after doing the Brookside Strut N' Mutt dog charity walk. We don't get to see each other often enough so it was fantastic to catch up.

Saturday night we hit a new neighborhood Mexican restaurant. I chose their special Mission Hills Margarita. Well, for those of you who know Mission Hills you know it's on the fancy side. Well this margarita hit the mark and was so strong I left having pipe dreams we would soon be moving over the state line.

I'll keep everyone updated on that previous sentence. Because I'm sure that will be happening any day now...

Viva Las Vegas (Day 2)

After a few hours of sleep, a group of us rolled down to the lazy river at the MGM pool. It's amazing how a cold beer can taste good, even after surviving a Vegas night, when you're riding on a tube down the lazy river.

Mid-afternoon, everyone jumped on various chartered buses on the strip and headed out to the UNLV stadium which is literally in the middle of nowhere in the desert.

Joe always has the hook-ups; as he did with the game.


Sam and Paula ditched the Phi Delt bus b/c there was supposedly a stripper pole on the Phi Delt bus (for a bachelor party). Well unfortunately we learned there was no stripper pole (only b/c it would have made good pictures, of course).


The KD girls with Cy. It's too bad Cy's shadow from his neck overtook my entire face.

Clint Taylor and me enjoying some warm beer in the middle of the windy desert. Everyone had 12-packs of beer but nobody had any ice. Yet we all kept drinking. We were in Vegas at a tailgate afterall.

Eric Land and me (with his Dad and Tad joining in). We met originally nine-years ago in Vegas. He's the nicest guy and his aunt was my second grade teacher!

Tad and me inside the luggage compartment of the charter bus after the game. That's what warm beer does to you...

Viva Las Vegas (Day 1)

Friday morning I flew to Vegas for a weekend of fun in celebration of the Iowa State/UNLV football game!

Iowa State last played in Vegas 9-years ago. It was seriously one of the best weekends of my life, so when it was announced the clones were going back to Vegas, I was determined to be there.

When I arrived early Friday afternoon, I went down to the MGM pool and before I got outside, I was on the VIP list for virtually every MGM club with my guest list of 10 other people. It's amazing the pull a girl (without a male) has when walking around a casino/hotel.

I met some friends who were also staying at the MGM at the "lazy river". A couple were Steve's fraternity brothers (who I also knew in college and actually one from when I was little) another was our friend, Clint, who we first met last fall when he walked through our front door and stayed over night and then there were a couple other newbies who were quite a bit older than us.

We immediately saw other Iowa Staters and met tons of people who were intrigued with all of these people who originally from Iowa. (Let's just say I got quite a few New Yorkers who had never been in the state to bet on the Iowa State game.)

After the pool, we quickly got ready and headed across the street to Hooters where the official Iowa State Pep Rally was being held. I should add this was my first time ever setting foot in a Hooters. It was fabulous out by their trashy pool...we saw tons of friends and others we hadn't seen in years.

Later our group hit the Hard Rock Casino where my friend Joe was awaiting us (due to delayed flights). We went to some show called Rodriquez & Cha cha cha (that's not the name but I can't remember her name). Regardless of their name, it was an amazing show. Wow!

After the show, we cabbed it back to the MGM. We hit a lounge and everyone got a little spread out. I went to the restroom, got turned around and ended by the sports book where I randomly started talking to some couples (who I did talk into betting on Iowa State) and I hung out with them until 4:15a. Only in Vegas...

I took a lot of pictures and then also forgot to take a lot of pictures, so here is a random sampling from Friday.

Post pool at the Hooters ISU pep rally with the guys.

Clint, Jeff and Tad. I know all of these guys completely different ways.

Clint is the guy who we met last fall when he stayed at our house. We've seen him a couple different times since. I always have a great time when Clint's around.

Jeff is Steve's fraternity brother. But I knew him in college when he dated my sorority sister.

Tad and I originally met 9-years ago at the last ISU/UNLV game. And here we are again!

Tad and me. Saying he is so much fun is an understatement.

My sorority sister, Chelsea, and me hanging at the classy Hooters pool.

Rick is the husband of Jenny who is Ann's best friend from college. Get it? His fraternity brothers were setting me up with the beers to pass out to me group which really worked in my favor.

Wyatt and me. He's a great friend from college who married my sorority sister, Chelsea. They are die-hard fans unlike me who just shows up for the fun games.

The KD's Hooter's Style. Paula, Chelsea and me. Paula and, her husband, flew out of KC with me. We had some funny conversations with randoms in the Denver airport.


For the Storm Lake readers... Chris Muilenberg. He is from Steve's hometown and also was a Sig Ep. But like almost every Sig Ep, I knew Chris years before I met Steve. Why did I know so many guys, but not Steve?

Steve, Walsh and me. Steve is one of the guys I met this weekend. He's went to Dowling & Iowa State a few years before we were in college, but now lives in Austin and is friends with Clint.

The name isn't the only thing he has in common with my husband. Joe even agreed, this guy is Steve Seiler in so many ways. Crazy...

Aaron Tolzmann and me. In addition to being in Steve's house and knowing him before Steve (shocker), I've actually known him my entire life. He's from Spencer and our dad's are friends from when we lived there.

We are finally with Joe! Here we are leaving the Hard Rock after the concert waiting for a cab. The guy next to me was my puppy dog. He came with Tolzmann from Breckenridge and was so drunk. Nicest guy but he needed someone to ensure he made it back to MGM!

And then there was some dirt.

It took 10-months, but the dirt has arrived. I've been trying to understand the next steps for this dirt for 10-months without success. But Steve has an extremely clear vision so I'm going with it...

I'm leaving for Vegas on Friday for the Iowa State/UNLV football game. Before I knew the dirt was going to find it's home this week, I was excited for the getaway. Now that this is in our driveway, the prevailing feeling is clear...thankfulness to not be here when the dirt vision is being carried out!

Steve's Dinner vs. My Dinner

As I pulled into the driveway from Jazzercise tonight, the grill was out and I knew a good meal was on it's way.

Not only did Steve come outside and "escort" me inside, but an entire meal with all four food groups was waiting for me plated and all.

As we were eating, I mentioned to Steve that I felt really good after dinner last night because I felt like I made and served dinner for us (for once).

It's too bad my meal consisted of heating up pasta in the microwave that was a mixture of his mom and my pasta from dinner Friday night from an Italian restaurant.

It's also too bad that even after pushing 1:00 over and over, the pasta was still a little cold when I served it.

And it's really too bad that Steve ate it, smiled and thanked me for the meal. And then he thanked me again 24-hours later.

If I knew how to cook, I would probably feel bad, because Steve really does take the majority of the burden when it comes to cooking and grocery shopping.

But I can't cook, I don't like to cook and I don't enjoy going to the grocery store. But I'm apparently very good at setting low expectations since warmed-up (but still cold) pasta that was once eaten by two different people gets me two thank you's from my husband.

A Recap of Steve's Friend Bill

Today is my 1/2 birthday so tonight at dinner Steve asked me when I wanted to go to Olive Garden to celebrate like we always do.

Talking about it took us back to the hilarity from last year's 1/2 birthday Olive Garden excursion.

I still cry laughing about it. It was one of our funniest moments from our past 7+ years together, and we've had a lot of them.

60th Birthday Bash!

On Tuesday we celebrated our close friend, Beverly's, 60th birthday with a big birthday bash at Jack and Beverly's house!

In 25ish years, we've got a lot to live up to...

Steve and I enjoying the trillion pounds of spaghetti Steve had just picked up from Anthony's for the party.


With the birthday girl!


With the co-host and hubby, Jack.

The Bachelorette Party!

After a day of shopping on Michigan Avenue, the bachelorette party was on!

We kicked it off with some champagne (in coffee cups).

We then moved down to the Omni lounge for a personal shower...

And more martinis...

After a group shot we were off to dinner and then...

to a lot of dancing, drinks and girls' fun!

Chi-town on a Friday Night

After we each ate at least 5 lbs. of Giordanos deep dish pizza, we walked back to our hotel and headed to happy hour in the Omni lounge.

Lucky for us, Jen knows the GM, so our drinks were on the house. Oh the martinis!


We then cabbed to Lincoln Park to have dinner at Rose Angelis.


Andrea, Jen and me.



Sara, Allison and Amy.
Amy is Allison's high school friend from Lincoln, NE who I finally met this weekend. Not only did she go to Iowa State and lived next door to me when we lived in our sorority houses (and directly across the street from Steve Seiler), but she then moved to Newport Beach and knows my friends who lived there. She's very fun and I look forward to seeing her at the wedding!

After dinner we walked across the street to Maeve for more martinis.


And then we hopped in a cab and ended up at English.


Pictures were taken at English, but squinty eyes really aren't becoming...

Chicago Bound...

This weekend I spent three glorious days in Chicago celebrating via Allison's bachelorette party!

Half the fun was getting there...

What better way to start off a bachelorette party with drinks before the flight on a Friday morning? Sara, Allison, me, Jen, Lisa and Andrea.



Jen had SWA drink coupons for everyone! The flight attendant asked if I needed a straw to go with the lid for my red wine. I must have screamed "spill" to her...



Allison and me on the Airport Express enroute from Midway to the Omni Hotel downtown.

Bedside Service

As I was partying the weekend away in Chicago for Allison's bachelorette party, Steve was putting our toilet from the upstairs 1/2 bath in the middle of our guest bedroom.

So, who wants to come visit?

We love new Books!

A new Book baby is on its way!
Steve and Ann are pregnant!

Sometime around March 9-10, Steve and I will either have our 5th nephew or our 1st niece!

I don't want Ann to be overdue (truly, I don't), but I'm very used to sharing my birthday, so I think March 16 would be a fine date for Baby B to make his/her entrance so he/she could share a birthday with his dad and favorite aunt.

And since Steve and Ann will now have two children and since their house isn't super roomy, I think it would be an excellent idea for Nate to just come live with us. It's close so he could visit as often as he wanted, he loves being at our house and really it would be a win-win for everyone involved (or maybe just me).

I feel like we've all been waiting forever to share this exciting news...I'm so glad 13-1/2 weeks is here and everyone is healthy!

Iowa/Maine Game

This weekend I rode up to Iowa City with Steve (brother), Ann and Nate for the Iowa/Maine football game.

It was a fabulous day to be outside!

Finn, Wendy & Brandon's youngest, and me chugging at the tailgate (okay, his was water with the cap on).


Nate counting the bean bags.


Nate and Jack, Wendy & Brandon's oldest, playing WWF in the Jamboree.