Chicago

It was a fun, but long weekend in Chicago. So good to see Liz and Randy and glad they let us crash their baseball weekend!

We left Thursday afternoon after school and drove most of the way. We got up Friday morning and headed for our hotel in Chicago. There was a lot of traffic and it took longer than we were planning to get there, but we made it. The kids were commenting on how many buses they saw, as well as how many police cars and ambulances. Henry reported that he had no idea it was such a big place. Both Henry and Anne were amazed at all the tall buildings and commented about how they were even taller than 10 stories! It was really funny to listen to them. When we got to the hotel we were able to check in early and got all our stuff organized. We then met up with Liz and Randy to head off to Wrigley Field. The kids enjoyed the subway, even though it was very full of people. It was fun to be at the game and see some home runs. Mae and Anne loved dancing to the music too. After the game we went back to the hotel. We were going to head out for dinner and walk around a bit, but it started raining and it had been a long day, so we went to the grocery store that was about a block away and ate dinner there and called it a night. The kids all went to bed quickly.

Saturday we got up early to try and beat some of the crowds. We walked over to Millennium Park to see cloud gate or 'the bean'. We also saw some fountains there. We then walked over to the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). We went to the top and all of us went out on the ledge. The ledge is right over the river and it made my stomach a bit queasy to see boats moving in the river below me. The kids thought it was fun- Anne said it was her favorite and Henry said he wished it had more history, like the washington monument. After that we headed back to the hotel and stopped for lunch along the way. After all that walking we were ready for nap time. When Mae got up we took the kids swimming in the hotel pool- another favorite activity for our kids. After we cleaned up we went out to try some famous Chicago deep dish pizza. The place we walked to was packed with people. It was hard to get inside and figure out how long a wait, but finally got our name on a list, but it was going to be awhile. We then realized another place with good reviews was only a couple blocks away and had no wait. We left and enjoyed being warm inside a restuarant that was much quieter. The pizza was really good and very filling. By the time we got back to the hotel after dinner it was late and we went to bed.

Sunday we packed up our stuff and headed over to church. Mae was a total mess and we decided to leave after Sacrament meeting. We drove by the chicago temple, so the kids could see it. Pete went there as a youth and even before his mission, but hasn't been back since. The church building was one of the most interesting buildings I've ever seen. It was stone, the pews had a lot of detail on them, rooms adjacent to the chapel with windows to see into the chapel, and it was also a huge building- especially the gym. The temple was also neat to see and the kids commented about it being more gray than white. After that, we went to Navy Pier to meet Liz and Randy for a picnic lunch before heading back home. The kids enjoyed feeding the seagulls, ducks, and anything that would eat their food. I enjoyed the sunshine and looking out at the water. A neat place to see. We then packed up and headed for home. The kids did a good job traveling and being in the car.

So much fun to see and do new things and visit with family, but also good to be back home in our own beds. Hotels are hard for me with the kids because they are up early and ready to play and don't understand how to be quiet. Enjoy the pictures!

Kids at the bean

Out on the ledge.

Looking out at the water from the tower. 

Navy pier

Gas, bathroom, and stretching legs break. So funny. 

Mom, look how fast I am.