the chicago trip {personal}

So, let me just preface this post by saying that it will be the LONGEST post I've ever done...but I just don't want to leave anything out! My mom (Grammie) treated the three boys and me to a trip to Chicago to visit my little brother, Beau! We had a wonderful 7 days there, and 490 pictures to prove it!!! (Now you know why this post is going to be so long!) Well, here goes my recap of the trip...

Wednesday: We flew out of SA on a super-early flight!!! We literally had to pull the kids out of bed and dress them, so we could jump in the car to get to the airport. This was my first time to fly with all three boys together, and it was Dayton & Grady's first time to Chicago!!! (Brogan went once when he was 3 months old, but the twins don't know about, so shhhhhh!) ;) Here we are at the airport, and eating yummy breakfast!...

We got to Chicago around lunch-time, and headed straight to the car rental place. We got to cruise around in a mini-van for a week...which to all my mommy friends that sport the van, I know why you like them so much....very easy to drive & they've thought of everything!!! My boys thought the mini-van was about the coolest thing they'd ever been in, especially since a push of a button opened their sliding doors! You'd have thought we rented a Ferrari!

We drove straight to Uncle Beau & Uncle Andy's house, which is in Roscoe Village (for anyone who knows Chicago??)

Their GORGEOUS home!!!...and this picture doesn't do it justice, sorry Beau!...

We just hung out and let the boys play with all their new Legos that Grammie had taken for them and the new Color Wonder stuff that Beau & Andy surprised them with!...

Thursday: We woke up early (as my boys always do...they're 6:00 a.m.-ers.) After breakfast and cartoons, my mom and I took them to Navy Pier!!!...

We walked the whole pier, played putt-putt golf, rode the merry-go-round, rode the super-duper-high ferris wheel (way to go Grammie!), rode the lighthouse ride, and ate yummy pizza!!...

And this Aero-Balloon thingy looked awesome!!! I'm a pretty big scaredy-cat, but I really want to go back someday and do this with David! It's like a huge hot-air balloon, but on a string! It takes you way up in the sky and kind of floats around, and then they pull you back down. I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but it's REALLY high!...

Also on Navy Pier is the Chicago Children's Museum. (very convenient!) Now, I'm someone that raves about the Houston Children's Museum and how much my kids love it, but this place was awesome!!! We had to scoot the kids from section to section, just to make sure we got to do everything. We could easily have gone back the next day and spent another 6 hours there! The boys LOVED it!!!...

Brogan's favorite "ride" at the museum...the elevator! He and I rode it about 5 times!...

Seriously, what are the chances??? The museum only has 2 street signs in the whole darn place...and this was one of them...

Can you even believe that?!!! I asked several people to tell me what it was all about, but no one knew.

Then it was time to go...

Grammie knew they were sad, so she treated them to a huge lollipop! Dayton and Grady immediately threw theirs in the trash when they found out that lollipops are full of sugar and contain one bazillion sugar-bugs on them...meaning, they cause cavities...but not Brogan! He could care less about the cavity-causing-info!...

And OUT!...this was a little foreshadowing for every day following...

Just playing back at the house...

Friday: Beau & Andy headed to work, and my mom and I took the boys to the Lincoln Park Zoo! It was full of animals (duh) and fun things for the kids to climb on!...

Kind of looks familiar from the day before...OUT!...

Once Beau & Andy got home, we loaded up the cars and drove about 2-3 hours to their lake house in Sagutuck, Michigan. They just built/bought the place in the last year, so it still had that cool new-house smell! The little town was just adorable with shops galore and cute restaurants everywhere! We spent Friday night walking around, eating dinner, and then getting ice cream!...

Saturday: We all woke up and were treated to yummy cinnamon rolls!...

Then it was off to what these locals call a beach...As a born-and-raised Texan, it's hard to classify this as a beach, but whatever it is, it was beautiful! It's really just a tiny part of the gi-normous Lake Michigan, and it was FREEZING!!! The boys didn't seem to mind too much!...

That night, we took a walk around their neighborhood. At the end of the culdesac, there is a big dock, which will eventually have boat slips...

Uncle Beau was always lucky enough to carry Brogan!...

And that evening, we headed to Earl's Farm Market to pick blueberries! This was our first time picking blueberries, and everyone loved it! While Grady was very serious about picking the most and best blueberries, Dayton and Brogan were more concerned with shoving them into their mouths. Someone else who was with us, also was shoving several into his mouth (*clearing of my throat*...Andy)...;)...

Again, lucky Beau...

Sunday: We spent the morning at home, lounging around, and playing the Wii. Then we headed back to town for lunch, strolling around the shops, and hitting the playground!...

I love this sweet picture of Grady and all those angel-kisses!!!!!!!!!!!!...

I think Dayton's pose is another example of why he was awarded "Biggest Flirt" in kindergarten!...

Someone had fallen asleep in the car, while we were driving around...can you tell by that beautiful bed-head?!!!...

Saying goodbye to the lake house, one more time!...

Then we loaded up and drove back to Chicago. We made it home just in time to hit an annual street fair called Retro on Roscoe! (I'm still mad I didn't buy one of the t-shirts!) Unfortunately all the kid stuff had closed and been packed up, but the boys thought it was cool just to cruise down the big street and hear live music!...

That night, we just had dinner and hung-out. Dayton decided that we needed to have an impromptu Talent Show!!! Dayton's biggest talent for the show was his hip-hop dancing and break-dancing!...

Grady wasn't so sure about doing it, but decided that he could bust out a little Karate Kid move, Danielson-style!...

And Brogan sang his, well really me & David's, favorite song...Skinamarinky Dinky Doo...which is a VERY altered version from the original!!!...but just about the cutest thing he does!...

Monday: This was the day that Dayton and Grady had been waiting for!!! My mom and I were taking them to the Legoland Discovery Center!!! (Rumor has it that one might be coming to Texas!) They were so excited and couldn't wait to go see and play!!! Mimi and Pop Pop had given each of the boys some very special spending money to be used at Legoland, so they each came home with a new Lego set!!! Awesome!!!

The Lego creations that are on display are AMAZING! My mom and I couldn't stop talking about that someone actually had the job of building Darth Vader. Like, "Honey, I'm off to work. I'm going to be building Yoda today at the Leogland!" Crazy!!! The detailing was simply stunning!...

That afternoon, the boys and I walked to one of the elementary schools' park. I LOVED how adorable the side of the building had been decorated!!! Too cute!!!

When we got back home, Andy's whole family was joining us for dinner! (His brother Rob, sister-in-law Amanda, mom Mary, nephew Alex, and new baby nephew Thomas.) It was so great seeing all of them again!!! Thanks Ms Amanda for bringing all the goodies for the boys!!! You were so thoughtful!!!

Brogan and Alex hit it off right away!!...

I stole Thomas for a very impromptu 2-minute-long photo session!...

Tuesday: This was our last day. All week, I just couldn't stand the fact that I could be within 20 miles of an H&M store, but wasn't going to have a chance to go and shop!!! I know it's very silly, but it was eating me up! So, the night before, Amanda saved the trip and found me a babysitter for Tuesday!!! I won't disclose how much this wonderful lady from Jamaica charged, but it was worth every penny! My boys LOVED Ms. Millicent!!! Dayton even told her that he wished we were staying a few more days, so she could come back over to play! ;) So sweet!! So, my mom and I jetted off to the Magnificent Mile. She visited several stores, while I literally spent all of my time (jaw-to-the-floor) at H&M...just breathing it in...and of course, trying on 5000 things!!!

Ms. Milly really wore those boys out playing and going to the park! This was Brogan when we got home...

And then it was time to head back to the airport. All three boys cried as we pulled off Beau's street. They had so much fun, that it was hard to come to grips that it was really "over"....

They loved taking their animals through security!...

And to keep the tradition of every other day of our trip, Brogan slept wonderfully on the way home!...

Thank you Mom for taking us on this awesome trip to Chicago!!! The boys are still talking about, and they can't wait to plan their next visit!!! (And thank you Dad for working to give Mom the money to take us on the trip!!!) ;)

Thank you Beau & Andy for having us to your beautiful home and lake house!!! The boys had so much fun getting to spend that much time with y'all!!

Thank you Mimi & PopPop for giving the boys some spending money for the trip! They still play with their new Lego sets daily!!

And thanks to my hubby for driving us to and from the airport VERY early in the morning and VERY late at night!!!...and for cleaning the house while we were away! Whoo-hoo!

Until next time...