Great Friends!

One thing my grandpa truly appreciated was good friends. He even went to his high school reunions until he was 88 years old! And so it makes me happy to write about the weekend before my grandpa passed away when our friends, Johanna, Jason, Erica and Craig came to visit us from Chicago.

These are some of the funniest people I've ever met -- there are quite a few pictures that would make you laugh, but that I better not post on the blog (unnecessary close-ups of the dog...and Jason doing his way-too-good imitation of a pregnant woman). We relaxed all afternoon -- grilling, catching up on the back patio, smoking cigars (the boys) and sipping champagne (the girls). Then we went for a stroll around the neighborhood and started planning a big 30th birthday bash for all of us!

My dad and Ning babysat Saturday night while we went to Basta in Peoria Heights for a cocktail and had dinner at Seven. Our friends were off early the next morning. It was the perfect weekend!