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!