Same Team

The new Mr. and Mrs. Guebert at brunch the morning after the wedding. Guess who's idea it was to get matching Christmas sweaters for the occasion? : )

Our Reception

From the choreographed entrance to "Seasons of Love" to the personalized M&M's saying "Married Christmas", we had so much fun planning and enjoying the reception of our wedding day. Thank you to all of the friends and family that helped bake cookies for the "Cookie Table", and for Santa for coming to visit all the way from the North Pole. Everything about our reception was wonderful, and we were so glad to share it with all of our family and friends.

The Wedding

The wedding ceremony was perfect, and all went exactly as planned. We loved the beautiful music from the Madrigal singers and string players from Glenbard East. All of the kids, including last minute ring bearer, Riley, did a great job going down the aisle. Ava loved her dress so much that during one of the hymms she got into the aisle and started dancing. It was such a blessing to see that the wedding was exactly as we wanted it, including the lightly falling snow that blanketed the street just as we came out of the church.

The Big Day

Valerie and her bridesmaids had such a fun time getting ready for the wedding at her parent's house. While sipping Vueve champagne and nibbling on appetizers, we all had our hair and makeup done. Little Megan was so excited to put her dress on first, and the girls were so good during the many photo shoots. The big news of the morning was that Jenna, one of Valerie's best friends and bridesmaid, was going into labor and wasn't going to make the wedding. (Jenna had her 2nd baby, Colin, around 6:30 pm that evening). It was a great way to start the day.

Madrigals and Strings

The music from our wedding was amazing, thanks to the Glenbard East 

Madrigals and String Quartets.

Rehearsal Dinner

Rodger and Valerie gave Ava and Mae a jumpy ball toy for Christmas.  Rodger loved to play in it just as much as they did!

Christmas from Down Under

Of all of the gifts that have arrived on our doorstep lately, this present needed no explanation. It had no card, no recipient listed, yet it is the gift I believe has been the most meaningful to me so far. For at least fifteen years, one of my closest friends and I have had an affinity for Christmas ornaments. At special times in our lives, such as major vacations, graduations, thirtieth birthdays, etc. we have bought each other collectable Christopher Radko glass ornaments. So, as I opened this box I felt a warmth of happiness and thankfulness that I have such a dear friend that loves me and knows me so well. This is the first Christmas that my traditions with this best friend and I have not been met; as Christmas for us has always been: Roger Whittaker's "Darcy the Dragon" sing along, attending the Chanticleer concert in Chicago, making pizelles, and celebrating our friendship over a glass or two of wine. So, receiving this special gift in the mail was just a wonderful way to know that we'll always be together at Christmas time! Thank you, Jamie, for this awesome kangaroo ornament from down under, and for being my long-distance Australian friend!

Ten, Nine, Eight...

It is clearly the final countdown for Rodger and Valerie's big day. All of the wedding plans are done and most of the details have been worked out too! The only thing left to do is to pack for our honeymoon, and enjoy this special time in our lives. Thank you to all of you that have helped us, listened to us, and supported us on our engagement journey. See you as I walk down the aisle...

Makin' banana pancakes

Inspired by the song "Banana Pancakes", Rodger registered for and received a pancake griddle as one of our gifts. On Thanksgiving morning, he woke up, took out his trusted recipe book, and went to work on creating the breakfast from scratch. I am sooo excited to be marrying a man who makes me banana pancakes and sings me the song while I enjoy them!!!

Mae Mae is ONE!!

On Thanksgiving day, the Binkowski family not only celebrated everything that we are thankful for, but also celebrated a big milestone. Mae Binkowski turned 1. We're not sure if she was afraid of the chocolate turkey cake or if the crown was too tight on her head, but Mae was certainly not happy when we sang to her. However, after trying a bite of chocolate cake, she realized how awesome a birthday can be!!

Happy Thanksgiving Birthday

Valerie's Bachelorette Party

Valerie and her friends took Saturday afternoon to relax and celebrate the upcoming wedding. The day began at the spa with massages, facials, and pedicures. The spa was followed by wine tasting and dinner at Tango. Valerie received a variety of gifts and toys, including Sheri and Trisha's "before, during, and after" gift and the flannel pj's from her mother.

Guebert Bridal Shower

Kay, Loran, and Janis hosted a bridal shower for Rodger and Valerie at the Guebert house in Steeleville. One of the highlights of the shower was the game "Who is Valerie's twin", in which future sister-in-law Shelley won the prize. But, the most fun and laughter came with the "over 21" game regarding household chores. You will have to ask one of the attendees for more details. The house was beautifully decorated for the holidays, and the food was excellent! Thank you to all of the family members that came to the event.

That's Amore!!

Bridesmaids Jenna and Lynn hosted a shower for me this weekend. It was an Italian themed shower, where they paid attention to every last detail. From the passport invitations to the bottles of wine with Guebert labels, the girls did a wonderful job of celebrating my special day. Thank you to everyone that attended and had a part in the shower. Rodger and I are very grateful to have wonderful friends and family to surround us with love!

Happy Halloween

Despite the warm weather this Halloween, both Ava and Mae were sick. That didn't stop them from wearing costumes and trick or treating though! Ava was a princess, and as you can tell from the photo, was a little bummed that she wasn't getting the attention of the camera while Auntie VV and Mae posed for a quick photo. I took this great picture of Care Bear Mae Mae, but Princess Ava was looking a little like Cinderella after her stepsisters ripped her dress in all of the pictures that I took. I'm sure that you can find better ones on www.babybinks.com from Andy! One proud fact: I didn't eat ANY Halloween candy on Halloween ( what will power!!)... however, Rodger bought Christmas M&M's already and a few of them fell down my throat. Tis the season!

Weekend in Saugatuck, Michigan

Happy Birthday, Rodger! We celebrated his birthday by spending the weekend at a Bed & Breakfast in Michigan. It was an amazing weekend together, and a nice break from wedding planning. We climbed the sand dunes and admired the fall colors, walked along the shops of Saugatuck, ate at the White House, Chequers, Crane's Apple Pie Orchard & the Wild Dog Cafe, and watched an entertaining crowd at the "Adult Halloween Parade" in Douglas, MI. It was a wonderful weekend, and we plan to go back again!

Homecoming at SIU

Loran invited Rodger and Valerie to visit her at SIU, where she is a freshman. Sporting the colors of the Salukis, we took Loran to see her first college football game. The game itself was a blowout, with SIU winning 60-7 against Indiana State. Valerie and Loran most enjoyed the band and the cheerleaders! It was wonderful to see that Loran is adjusting to college life well and we are so proud of her.

Valerie's Bridal Shower

Last weekend, Margret hosted a bridal shower for me at La Sorella de Francesca Restaurant downtown Naperville. It was attended by many of my mom's bunco friends, neighbors, and family friends. The attendees enjoyed many laughs as they guessed trivia questions about the happy couple. We are very grateful for the generous, thoughtful, and unique gifts that were given to us. Rodger said that he enjoyed his first shower, and would be happy to be the only male at the next one, if he is allowed! Thank you to all.

The Time of My Life???

Valerie has been known to be a social planner, whether it be for her family, school friends, or the Jaycees. On Saturday, October 4th, about 24 people went to Petterino's for dinner and to see Dirty Dancing. Unfortunately, it was not the best musical, but the time with friends and family was great. Of course, Kelly brought her camera, which is why we have a few snapshots on here to share with all of you. While the music was just like the movie, and they did use the line "nobody puts baby in the corner", most of us would agree that the show was NOT the time of our lives. That's ok... next year will be just as fun!

Engagement Photos

This is just one of many photos taken during our engagement photo session. It was a wonderful time, although no one told me that we'd be kissing so much, so after the first 10 photos, I don't have any lipstick on! We are now looking forward to the wedding photos!!

An iphone family

Well... we did it.   The Binkowski family went out and purchased iphones.  So, now  Tom, Karen, Andy, Margret, V, and Rodger are all connected.  I haven't mastered using it, so there's no photo to accompany this post.   But, the cool thing is that now we can send blog updates via the iphone at any time... 

Sent from my iPhone

Happy 3rd Birthday Ava

Ava was a princess for her birthday.  She received a princess sleeping bag from Auntie VV and Rodger.  Her birthday cake was a butterfly.

The new Mr. & Mrs. David Guebert

Shelley and David were married on September 6. David is Rodger's youngest brother, and Rodger served as the best man. One of the highlights of the evening was when David sereneded Shelley on the dance floor to a song which he wrote (well... wrote the words...). Rodger and Valerie enjoyed dancing all night, though Kay and her cousins stole the show with their interpretive, lyrical dance towards the end of the evening. The wedding itself was beautiful, and we were both glad to be a part of it.

Rodger is the big winner

At this year's Last Fling, Rodger entered the Apple Pie eating contest. It was then that we all saw a glimpse of his competitive nature. Unlike the other contestants, Rodger had the technique and skill nailed down. The crowd erupted in cheer as he bit the pie plate, turned the remains over with his teeth onto the table, and ate the rest of the pie. Indeed, Rodger was crowned champion of this event. The Binkowski family is not sure if this is something to be truly proud of, but we love him for winning and bringing home another first place ribbon (the other one was little Mae, who won the diaper derby by crawling the fastest across the finish line). Way to go Rodg... looking to see if you defend the crown next year!

David's Bachelor Party

This past weekend was David's Bachelor party, signifying his last few days of the Bachelor life!! The day started with Paintball at Wacky Warriors in the morning, a Cardinals game in the afternoon, and betting on the ponies at Fairmont Park to end the day. Despite a little rain at the end of the Cardinals game, everyone had a great time and made it home safely. This is especially true of our brother Ted, who won over $200 at the track while I didn't win one race!! Oh well, it's the fun that counts, right?!?!? Congratulations David!!

Wedding Flowers

Rodger and Valerie selecting flowers for our wedding.   

My hair hero

Paul Todd, our favorite musician from the church in Southwest Florida, played at Benedictine University for a benefit concert.  We were so excited to hear him sing "The First Lady in My Life", which became the mother/son dance at our wedding.

Manasquan 2008

My best friend Lynn and I have been going to her family's beach house annually since 1991. The 12 hour drive turned into 15 hours with Riley, Maddy, and Megan but we were very excited to see everyone when we arrived in Manasquan, New Jersey. We stopped to celebrate Megan's 4th birthday at Red Robin (but notice that she's wearing a Burger King crown in the photo)! Some of the highlights of our vacation included: Riley's new inflatable boat, Maddy improving her dance skills at DDR at the arcade, jumping the waves with the kids, daily walks to the inlet, and spending time with the Dickman cousins. We were a little upset that our favorite french fry stand on the boardwalk closed down, but still enjoyed our Gigi's pizza, ice cream with sprinkles, and skee-ball.

2008 Jaskowiak Reuion

July 2008 means its Jaskowiak Reunion time! Every three years, the Jaskowiak family converges on Shakamak State Park near Jasonville, IN and increases their population by 50%. Yes, we are a very fertile family!! This year was especially rewarding since this was Valerie's first Jaskowiak Reunion and she was able to meet the ENTIRE family. In addition, they had a chance to meet her. Everyone had a wonderful weekend spending time in the pool, playing a little softball, and catching up with the family.

The following link will take you to my Flickr account to see all the pictures from Shakamak.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rguebert/sets/72157606347760035/