This fall, M had two college roommates get married, 3 weeks apart. Both weddings were in Chicago which seems close until you consider traveling with your 2 & 3 year old! We picked one wedding to go to as a family, talked Mima & Papa Wade in to accompanying us, and had a lovely time!
We left around noon on Friday and headed up to Champaign, IL for the night. Mike often has dreams about this Papa Del's pizza; perhaps his most favorite food in the entire world. This pizza crust is so thick that it takes an hour to bake. I couldn't finish even 2 pieces, and the 6 of us even left a piece alone on the table. It's.just.huge. I was so full that even thinking about eating it 2 months ago kind of makes me want to burp now ;)
We then took a little tour around campus, marveling at it's beauty and also how quickly things seemingly change on an ever dynamic college campus.
A enjoyed the bike racks.
Saturday morning we hit the road toward Chicago, and Papa Wade gave us a tour of his home town. Park Forest, a suburb on the south side of Chicago, was built primarily for WWII vets returning home and establishing families and communities. His dad, Earl Wade, commuted to O'Hare and spent a career flying for United. It was fun to travel down memory lane and see where Papa went to grade school, high school, church, etc! Oh, and of course we had to stop at a playground to let the kids stretch.
The 4 college roommates. L-R: Andy, Mike, Matt (groom), and Greg (groom 3 weeks later). These guys are all engineers, trumpet players, and genuinely great guys (despite the fact that they bleed orange and blue).
Sunday morning we attempted downtown (before the Bears game).
Our goal was 'The Bean' but we had a bit of walking to do from our free (way to go M) parking space to Millenium Park.
Owen really got a kick out of The Bean!
Amelia required a little cuddling....
Skyline Reflection
I was intrigued by the new art additions since I've last been to Chicago.
These faces were a hoot.
Who comes up with this stuff?
Being downtown invigorated me and made me wish we had longer to spend. I'm not a city girl per say, but I sure do love the hustle, bustle, and culture of a vibrant downtown!
Thanks again Mima & Papa for watching the kiddos while we went to the wedding & for tolerating the 4 of us for so long in the car...! Love you.
No comments:
Post a Comment