We're Back!!!

Ok, ok, it's been a while -- a long while. But the Macke's are in action with a lot of catching up to do!

It was a fantastic summer!! We took a number of fun trips and celebrated a lot of birthdays.

We started our summer travels early with a trip to Arkansas to celebrate the opening of our friend Damien's new bar in Fayettville -- LIT. Damo did a great job with the bar!! It really looks great and we had a lot of fun at the grand opening. It was nice getting to catch up with everyone too.




In May we took our first trip to Atlantic City. Our friend Selby was turning the big 30 so a group of us took the bus from nyc to the shore to spend the weekend celebrating. Who know AC was so much fun....

The group .....

The birthday boy.....

A little late night fun on the boardwalk.......


In July we took a trip to Louisville, KY. What a great town!! We had such a great time we can't wait to go back. Louisville is a town with a lot of character, charm, great food, and of course, lots of good bourbon. We were able to tour a number of distilleries along the Bourbon Trail including Maker's Mark, Jim Beam, Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve.




While touring the distilleries, we came across some beautiful horse farms. These guys were nice enough to pose for a few pictures with us ...


We also made to Closing Day and Churchill Downs. It was rainy but a fun day at the track. We sipped mint juleps as we cheered on the horses and, somehow, managed to win a few bucks.




While we were in Louisville, Jonnie celebrated his 30th Birthday -- yea!!! He celebrated with, what else, a good shot of bourbon.



After spending a few days in Louisville, we made a quick trip to Arkansas. While we were there, Patty, Mandy and I threw a surprise party for Jonnie. I don't think he was really surprised, but he did play along. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to get any pictures. If anyone has any, I'd love to get copies!!


August was another fun filled month at the Macke house. We took advantage of the weekends and went to a baseball game at the new Yankee's Stadium and a game at the Mets' new Citi Field.







We also made our first trip to Connecticut. Jonnie's friend Josh and his brother hold an annual pig roast and this year we were finally able to make it to the party. We had a great time and the food was fantastic!



After the pig roast, Jonnie and I decided to spend the rest of the weekend in the Hudson Valley of New York. We spent the night in Hyde Park, NY -- the home of President FDR. While we were there, we took a tour of FDR's Presidential Library. It was really neat to see. We also toured the grounds of the Vanderbilt estate. Unfortunately, my camera battery died and we didn't get any picutures. It was really beautiful.





Wow... I'm tired. Well, that was pretty much our summer. I'll start a new post soon with our Fall adventures :)

What's new...

Well, as usual, I'm way behind on posting. Since my last post, Mom and Ron made a trip to New York to visit; Jonnie and I made a trip to Arkansas; we found a new apartment on the Upper East Side; and we made our first trip to Atlantic City. Here are a few pics - I'll have a few more to follow soon ...

Sweet Baby Bri!

Jonnie and I went to Fort Worth last weekend to visit Wes and Jen and to meet our beautiful new niece, Aubri. Erica drove down from Arkansas to join us. We all had a wonderful weekend!

Christmas and New Years

I am a little behind on my posts - what's new. I have lots of pics from the past Christmas and New Years to share. We had a wonderful Christmas in Arkansas. Luckily, we were able to see all of our family in a very short trip, except for Wes and Jen. As most of you know, Jen was about to give birth to baby Aubri this Christmas, so they were unable to travel. We spent New Years in NYC again this year though much more low key than last year. Jonnie bought me a delicious birthday cake which we enjoyed at home then headed out for dinner and drinks to ring in 2009.

The Macke Family Christmas Tree...

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving in New York again this year. The day was pretty laid back and relaxed. Jonnie and I caught a little bit of the Macy's Parade, then came back to our house to cook lunch. Our friends Cory and Rachael came to our house to celebrate the holiday. We ate a huge meal, took naps, and watched football...what more could you want:)

I flew solo on my first Thanksgiving Turkey, and I think it turned out pretty good.

Election Night 2008

One of the great things about living in New York City is the opportunity to be a part of historic moments. This year's presidential election was one of the most amazing I have ever been a part of, not because of the candidates or the issues, but because of the passion of the people. I have never seen so many people so moved by the political process and the chance to have their voices heard. It looked like New Years Eve in Times Square last night. There were thousands of people on the sidewalks and in the streets watching as the election results were posted on the tv screens that fill the famous crossroads. Here are just a few pictures that I snapped as Jonnie and I stood just outside of the ABC studios in Times Square and watched the early election results come in.