CHICAGO!

I will post pictures soon of our trip out here to Ohio, but for now, I am just going to try and keep caught up with what is happening in our life right now! One of the reasons we were excited to move to Ohio was so that we would be able to visit all of the places we had talked about visiting. Tad came home on Wednesday and said that he had to go to a meeting in Chicago on Friday. He didn't even have to ask if we wanted to come along...I was already starting to pack before he finished his sentence! 

In all honesty though, I wasn't packing, I was dialing! Once upon a time when we lived in West Jordan I lived next door to the most amazing friend ever! She only lived in Utah for a short second, but we have stayed in touch ever since! Her cute family now lives in Chicago and after six long years I was so excited to finally get to see them! She was sweet enough to clear her schedule so that we could spend the day together on Friday while Tad was working!  So...by Thursday afternoon we were ready to head out the door! My awesome new neighbor took care of Kaya while we were away! The kids were so pumped...until we had been driving for about an hour, and then all of our 1700 mile memories came flooding back and they started asking if we were there yet! Luckily, it was night time, and one by one they all started falling asleep. For me, I was in Heaven! I love road trips with Tad...we just talk and talk and it is one of my favorite things in the whole world. I hated having to come out here in two cars because I didn't have my traveling buddy right next to me. Anyway, we got there at around midnight.  

                              

The Nelson Family (taken from Facebook!) Hope that's ok Nicole!

The next morning we spent the entire day with this cute family!

It was as if we had just seen each other the week before...which of course was how we knew it would be! But the awesome thing was that our kids all got along so well! They played and we talked and it was a perfect day! The only thing was that in all my chatting I didn't snap one picture. She is such an amazing mom and wife and person! I love all of the ideas that I get from her and I am so excited that we get to be a little bit closer now! We already have a trip to Indianapolis in the works...she has lived there too, so she is sharing all of her tips with me! Thanks Nicole for such a great day! The kids miss you guys already!

When Tad got back Nicole took us to one of her kids favorite places to eat, Portillo's for Chicago hot dogs! Superb of course! Then we went back to the hotel. Tad was excited because our room said that we had ESPN 2 for the Utah/Utah State game...but we didn't. So I took the kids swimming and he hunted down a bar to watch the game at. He ended up at Applebee's. When he asked the bartender to turn the station to ESPN 2, the guy turned it there and then looked very confused when he saw what it was. Tad explained that he was from there...but then he said it was hilarious to watch all of these people look totally confused when they looked at the TV and there was a Utah game on. He was just excited to watch the game...especially since we won...OH YA...UTAH STATE-HEY AGGIES ALL THE WAY!

Quick funny story from the day...so anyone that knows our family can tell you that our little Livia is a feisty one! She makes a big impact FAST! Livia was in the hotel room with Tad getting ready and I was down with the four other kids having breakfast. A lady that was at the desk the night before when we checked in came up to me and asked in full, loud Chicago style where my other daughter was. I told  her she was upstairs. She then proceeded to tell me and everyone else having breakfast that morning..."That girl is SPICYYYY! She has more spunk and personality in her little pinkie then most people have in their entire bodies! Woooeeee! She's spicy!" I laughed and asked her when she had met her. She said...oh just last night when you guys came into your rooms! I had to laugh...two seconds and Livia was being described by a Chicagoan as Spicy! So that is the day that Livia gained her nickname Spicy! 

Saturday we woke up and went into Chicago! We got yelled at by the parking lot attendant for going in and then going right out ($25 dollars for parking for 3 hours).  But then went back in when every where else was just as expensive! Then we walked along the water at Navy Pier. We were there pretty early (9am) so nothing was open yet and the only other people around were the runners and bikers. The kids loved seeing all of the sail boats and the light house. 

The light house in the distance (for you grandma Retta!)

 The city was awesome! The water was also really blue! The kids loved looking at all the different buildings! And that chain behind us is what runs along most of the walk way. That is why you see the two little ones in the stroller freaking out...there was no way those two were getting loose! One little trip and an early morning swim would have been on the agenda!

 We of course had to go into Garrett's Popcorn as soon as it opened. We could smell it all the way down the Pier! We got the caramel popcorn and just for Uncle Tyler we got the mix (caramel and cheese). I was skeptical, but it turned out to be the family favorite!  I had it under the stroller when we were walking around and I kept finding Ainslee getting into it and handing it to Audrey!

 After popcorn we headed over to the Ferris Wheel! Tad was just going to take the older kids, but last minute Ainslee and I decided that we couldn't miss out. We had to split up, and I won't lie....Tad was a little freaked out!

 Oh wait, maybe that was me. I was holding onto Audrey like there was no tomorrow. Even as I was taking the pictures, I didn't move my body...just my hand.

Picture courtesy of Trey

 It was crazy how high we got up! But it was awesome to see everything from way up high!!!

 Trey usually doesn't like stuff like this. He did pretty good, he was just being like mom and wouldn't move! Don't rock the boat!

 After the three older kids wanted to go on the swings! They had so much fun!

 And then the big kids had to watch while the little ones went on the carousel. They loved it!

 Chicago has all kinds of great sculptures and art work! The kids loved looking at everything. We decided to walk from Navy Pier to Millennium Park. We didn't think that it would be too bad. This sculpture was our first little break! The kids had a blast sliding down it. (PS...there was group after group getting there pictures in it and sliding on it...I don't normally let my kids play around on art work!)

 This bridge was fun to cross too! Ainslee ran the entire way!

 And then we finally made it to the BEAN! It took us about an hour to get there, but I am really glad that we saw it! We didn't stay very long though...we were tired and it was lunch time!

This is under the bean looking up...pretty cool huh! 

 We decided not to walk all the way back to the car. Instead we got a taxi. I think that the taxi driver thought we were nuts, six of us in the backseat, Tad in the front and a huge stroller in the trunk. Oh did I mention it was a compact little nothing of a car. It only cost us five bucks...we should have done that in the first place...oh well, now we know right!  When we were getting out of the car, I was holding both of the little girls. A lady from London was standing there as we got out of the car. She said to me as I got out, "wow, you have your hands full!" Then as Trey, Livia and Aurianna got out she took a step back and said, "Oh my. Do they all belong to you?" Tad and I laughed later...we probably looked like clowns that get out of the tiny car at the circus! Yes, the car was that small! But it was also funny because this has become a normal part of our everyday life here. When I took the kids to the zoo, there was so much staring and questions, I swear some of the people thought that we were an exhibit!

 We had so much fun in Chicago! We are excited to go back and do some of the things that we didn't have time for! Thanks Nicole for taking such good care of us! Thanks Chicago for producing great hot dogs and popcorn and a really cool gigantic bean! Goodbye family and friends... until the next adventure!

Love,
Milana