Bet Your Bottom Dollar You'll Lose Your Blues in Chicago, My Hometown!

Here it is, the post you've all been waiting for. All about the trip I had been waiting for and now its come and gone! I can't believe it. This is a LONG post, so either skim or get comfy.

It all started with me and the girls taking our first airplane trip without Daddy. The flight was relatively open, so I got 3 seats together. But since the people at the airport were all new, no one knew if they could let me take the carseat on for Taryn. So we didn't have it and I sure wished I had it in the end! I vowed that I would make them let me take it on the way back if there was room. If you don't know Taryn well, let me tell you that she is a wiggle worm! She is in constant motion and HATES to be restrained. So a small space is not her friend. It was a long flight, but I was SO excited to be going home!!

We got there on Monday night and got picked up by my sister, Kerri! It was COLD...about 37 degrees and it was PERFECT! I loved the cold. It felt so refreshing. That night, we stayed up way too late talking and playing games and loving being there. The next day, Kerri, Carter, Addison, Keara, Taryn, and I went to this great children's museum where they had so so so much to do that we could have gone back every day and never gotten bored. I had such a great time getting down on the floor with the girls and exploring. I think I might have had more fun than they did. Taryn loved it because she could just roam all over the place and explore without anyone telling her no. After naps that afternoon, we headed to my parents' home. I drove with the girls by myself and enjoyed the scenery and silence of the drive. I felt stupid, though, because I realized how quickly I had forgotten the area. When I turned down my parents' street, I started to cry. It was so stunning with the trees canopying over the road. It was perfect.

It was SO exciting to come home, to finally be home and be able to play, relax, do, see, and be there. It was so good to walk in the door and see my parents and to let the girls get to know them. Keara fell in love with the basement (why don't I have pictures of that!) where my parents have 3 swings hanging from the ceiling, a juke box, disco ball, black and white checkered floor, and plenty of play space! She loved having the juke box play church music and swinging so high that her feet hit the ceiling.

She and Carter, who are 1 month apart, had such a great time together. At first, it was a little rough getting to know each other and become comfortable, but by the end, they were like 2 peas in a pod! It was adorable. For the first couple days, my other sister, Tauna, and her baby, Claire (who is 1 month older than Taryn) were there too. So Taryn, Claire, and Addison (1 month younger than Taryn) got to play together too. It was great to have the cousins together.

On Wednesday, we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Since that doesn't mean a darn-tooting thing to most of you, let me explain. One thing I LOVE about Chicago is there are so many things to do for cheap or free. The whole city is based on the idea of having entertainment, parks, and other things available to the public and to families, so there are parks everywhere. They have statues and other amenities that are just for fun. Since the whole city is on Lake Michigan, there are beaches everywhere. For those who think its not really a "beach", it sure feels like it! Lake Michigan is huge so you can't see any of the other shores. For transportation, we just used the "L" train which is cheap enough to jump around the city any time you want. Since there are so many stops, you can go just about anywhere you want. Plus, the kids loved being on the train.

Anyway, the Lincoln Park Zoo is built in the middle of the city (sort of). But literally, its just plopped down right in the middle of people's way home from work, neighborhoods, etc. And its free. And its great. This is no dinky zoo. It is huge, with tons of exhibits and animals. And I hate to say it but I love zoos where the animals are in enclosures so we can see them up close and personal and see a bunch one right after another. None of this natural habitat stuff. It was AMAZING to be walking around the city, seeing all the animals, enjoying the weather, and being with my sisters and mom. I loved that day. My favorite part was as we were walking along this one path, all of the sudden, it opened up to Lake Michigan and Lake Shore Drive. Then, a bit further down, another gate opened to the skyline and the goregous city. Man, I love that city.

We went to the beach in Wilmette with my mom, Kerri, and the boys one morning.

We had the place to ourselves (surprise) and had a great time chasing seagulls, playing in the sand, swinging on the playset, and eating ladybugs. Okay, the last part wasn't that "great". Keara said it was yucky and Addison choked. Kerri and I worked on a few different projects while we were there, like caramel apples, oreo truffles, caramel/chocolate dipped pretzels, and a beautiful blanket for her sons' bed. If I can get a pic of that, I'll post it. Thursday, we relaxed a bit I think. I got to see my high school friend (more like from kindegarten on) Anna Lee. It was SO good to see her. It felt like no time had passed at all. We took Keara and Taryn to my dad's office with some treats for his employees. The smell of his office...ahh. I don't know why plaster, toothpaste, sterilizer, alginate, and the stuff to make retainers smell so good to me! I have always loved it.That night, I had my parents to myself since Tauna had left and Kerri and Steve went to their ward Halloween Party. It was so great to sit up late and talk with my parents. I miss them so much. I loved my last 2 years of high school when it was just me and them. They were (and are) my best friends and I loved (and love) them dearly. It's been quite the adjustment to go from constant contact to rare visits. I miss them so much.

We went to the library for story time on Halloween, which was fun to do with Keara. She was a little unsure of the big group thing, but enjoyed running with Carter after the other kids left. Keara and I also tramped around the yard a bit where she got to experience leaves, real trees, an abundance of grass, and open air for the first time. The weather couldn't have been better. Especially on Halloween where we were able to trick-or-treat without coats or sweaters for the first time I can remember.

We dressed up with Kerri and Steve's family for Halloween. They were Popeye, Olive Oyle, Swee Pea, and a mini sailor. Kerri found Keara a sailor costume, so she and Carter looked like twins. It was adorable. They acted like they knew exactly what they were doing and loved running from house to house, saying "Trick or treat" and a big "Thank you!!". It was magical. I made a costume for Taryn so she went as a can of spinach. It was mostly for the laugh factor and people loved it! She looked great.

We also got to see a family I babysat for years...the Schield's. It was SO good to see them that night and then visit with them again on Sunday. I love the many people who so influenced my life, but the Schields and the Kennedys (another family I babysat for years) were 2 of the most influential in my life. I love them!

Saturday, we went back to the city to go to Millenium Park. There's not enough space on this blog to describe my feelings for this city, so go visit. But Millenium Park is this huge area they built a few years ago. They moved the outdoor ice skating rink there, built a huge grandstand area for concerts, put in 2 huge pillars that show faces and shoot water in the summer, a floating puddle thing also in the summer, and then the bean. The bean is a ginormous silver thing that looks like a kidney bean. It reflects in fun different ways depending on where you stand. Its a huge tourist attraction and really is fun to explore. We also had Giordano's pizza in the city which was a must. Mainly because I bought an extra one to take home to Braden, but forgot it when I flew out. Darn!

Sunday, we went to my old ward. There's hardly anyone there anymore that I know, and they renovated the building, but it was good to be there just the same. Taryn was a nightmare in church and I really missed Braden's help. I was so sad to leave on Monday. It just wasn't enough time. I loved every minute of our trip. I didn't think I would miss Braden as painfully as I did and I was so excited to go home to him, but I didn't want to leave. It was the first time in years I have felt those tender feelings of being home. Feelings of peace, safety, happiness, and the true ability to be myself. I was so happy every minute. I am so grateful I got to go.

Our flight home was a nightmare. It was packed and they didn't even have 2 seats together for me and Keara. A nice gal switched places with me, but that still put us in a row with this 20 year old single guy who "likes kids cause I've got a little brother and sister" but really tried hard to sleep the entire time so he wouldn't have to deal with us. I wished we had gotten a grandma to sit with. Oh well. Because of the laws on liquids, I brought only enough to fill the sippy cups. That was fine until about an hour before we landed when Taryn wanted another bottle and I didn't have anymore water. I didn't want to spend the $4 for a bottle of water and they wouldn't give me their tap water. So I delayed, trying to keep her satisfied. But after another 20 minutes of her squirming and the many "I'm trying to look like I sympathize with you but really wish you would quiet your child" looks around me, I asked to buy a bottle of water. "No, you can't buy anything now. It's all put away." That's when I broke down and cried. I tried not to let anyone see, but Keara did. For some reason, my being sad always turns her into angel child so she was perfect the rest of the flight. Taryn still fought me the rest of the flight and the nice people in front of us tried to help, but I prayed for the flight to end as soon as possible. We made it off the flight and waited for Braden to come get us. It was the greatest sight in the world to see my dear husband who I missed so terribly walking toward us! I didn't want to let go. I was glad to be with him again, just wished it could be back in Chicago!

Thank you to everyone who made that trip possible. I needed it so badly. Unfortunately, it left me wanting more, so I'm ready to go back! I'll wait until its practical or necessary again, and I'll rely on pictures in the meantime. What a bum way to end a trip, and then to get sick, but other than that, it was perfect. The greatest trip I've ever had, if only Braden had been there too.