Chicago In September

Chicago in September

We spent the last Saturday in September making memories in Chicago.

It was a beautiful day - 

the sun was warm,

the wind felt good,

the food was delish,

and the kids were awesome.

3 things I should have done:

1. Worn a pedometer.  We spent the entire day walking and I would love to know how many miles we walked.

2.  Kept a talley of how many times we heard "You have a beautiful family!".  Stranger after stranger after stranger took the time out of all of the hustle and bustle to tell us that our family was beautiful.  We heard a few "congratulations" and many "awwws" with tilted heads.  

Not only was it a 'feel good' booster, but it was very cool to see and hear all of the kindness. 

3.  Brought my camera!  Taking pictures in Chicago is one of the funnest places to take pictures and we forgot our camera.  Boo.  Thanks to a decent camera on my phone, though, we were able to capture a few of our favorite moments from the day.

Mason's favorite part of our day in Chicago was riding the huuuuuuge ferris wheel at Navy Pier.

It took 7 minutes to ride this 150 foot ferris wheel.

The kids loved it!

(i get nauseous just looking at this picture)

Makayla's favorite part of our day in Chicago was the horse and buggy ride.

We took a ride down Michigan Avenue and down Lake Shore Drive.

Here's Makayla posing with Salt, our horse...and poor bubby, I wanted to rub his shoulders when we were done.  

It was magical.  

In the past, I've always said a horse and buggy ride was romantic, but now after seeing it through the eyes of my kids, I can say it's also magical.

...and obviously, by the looks of Mia's arms, it was a pretty exciting time!...an

My favorite part of our day in Chicago was playing on the beach at Navy Pier.

There's just something about sand, water, and the happy squeals of my kids that makes my heart go pitter-patter.

With the warm sun beating down on us, my kids' blonde hair glowing in the sunlight, and seeing their smiles as they splashed through the water...I'll never forget that moment.

Daddy's favorite part of our day in Chicago was eating the Chicago-style food.

With lunch at Portillos (where we got Chicago-style hot dogs) and dinner at Ginos (where we got deep dish pizza), we got our fair share of yummy, delicious food.

...and besides our favorite things of the day, we also got to

drive under the city (creepy!),

watch all of the entertainers on the streets (mimes, dancers, singers, musicians),

enjoy a water taxi (mason thought it was pretty cool to ride a big boat in the city)

We got to hang out at the pier (watching big boats & little boats, watching birds glide over the waves, and one of mine and Makayla's favorite things to do - people watch)

We had a wonderful time yesterday spending the entire day together - no agenda, no schedule, nobody to meet, nowhere to go...

just being.

just having fun.

just experiencing.

"And that's the wonderful thing about family travel: it provides you with experiences that will remain locked forever in the scar tissue of your mind."

-Dave Barry

I will never look at the ferris wheel on Navy Pier the same again without being reminded of Mason's excitement and awe...and every time I lay my eyes on the beach at Navy Pier, I will see my children in there 5, 3, and 10 month selves running through the water and playing in the sand.

Life is good.