the 'cago

adam and i went to visit my lovely sister and brother-in-law in "the 'cago" (as graham says). it was the first time we have left all three kiddos without one of us and we missed them so much. adam has just finished some intense months on the job and this trip was very timely for us. even just the time on the airplane was so restful and refreshing. there was uninterrupted conversation, sleeping in, no hurrying, running and walking together without strollers or backpacks, a concert, a museum trip, time with another couple (one of our favorites!), good food and drink. we decided we like our normal chaotic life best, but our weekend was certainly a welcome treat. we are so thankful. and also, adam and i are still best friends and actually enjoyed just hanging out, without too much agenda. sometimes in the midst of craziness with kids and wild schedules it feels like we are business partners who live together, so we are so thankful for a few days to remember who we really are. my parents rock because they acted like half their age and parented all three of the little tornadoes we love while we were away. thank you thank you! here are a whole lot of pictures of just two days...such blessed fun!

Saturday:
Jeremiah showed us the way to a scenic run while he studied for finals. this is the library where jeremiah studies, right on the lake!

adam: "i'm freezing and i have sand in my five fingers!"

loyola university...where jeremiah has been in school the last year

a freezing, but beautiful run on lake michigan

museum of science and industry was fascinating and enormous!

took this picture of incubating chicks for the kiddos, but i really wanted to hold one of those little fuzzies myself

tornado exhibit...the storms section was way cool

i couldn't get the whole real submarine in the photo because it was so long, but the wwII U-boat exhibit was adam's favorite

still freezing at the bus-stop (i was not prepared for the weather at all, but it was a nice break from the sunny and hot south!)

a house in hyde park i would like to buy

char arranged these lovely flowers from her shop

their apartment is really lovely and charlotte's decorating style is so so wonderful! i'm always trying to be more like my artsy sister...

bleu is a great study-buddy. we were so glad to meet our niece-kitty

we stopped in at the flower shop/cafe where char had to work sat to eat dinner and watch her in her element

she served us paninis, soup, pie, coffe and here we are finishing off some leftovers as she was closing up shop...scraping the bottom of the "vanilla storm" ice cream and finishing off a chocolate malt. yum.

and then, we headed to the over the rhine concert. seasoned i-phone users helping us navigate an unfamiliar city

this is my favorite band, but we haven't been to a show in several years. what a treat! it was the best i've ever seen them...all acoustic

excited!!

so close

we could read linford's set-list...

Sunday: we enjoyed visiting their church that meets in a nearby school

in the afternoon, we enjoyed turkish coffee and a raspberry/chocolate crepe. another yum.

then we did some more meandering, shopping, conversing, before heading home for traditional sunday night popcorn and smoothies.

love you guys! thanks for the hospitality. it was so good to see you doing well and we miss you already.

watermelon

it already feels like summer around here so we've been enjoying good things like watermelon. butternut is a huge fan!

yesterday was the first sprinkler day of the season. i knew that system was installed for a reason! tomorrow marks the end of adam's final intense month (goodbye ccu and nights for a good while) of residency numero uno. so the blog will probably quiet down for a bit while he is around more in the next couple months (esp at night...i usually blog things when i'm lonely).

we are thankful! we are looking so forward to visiting my sister in chicago next weekend...just me and dr honey bunny, a much needed catch-up with charlotte and jeremiah and time away with adam. what marriage could not benefit from a little tlc?

at the end of yesterday, graham sustained his first rough-play-injury-requiring-medical-attention. wrestling match with daddy resulted in landing on a toy and a busted eyebrow. there was a lot of blood, but he is a trooper. if you would like the full story, just ask marit. she loves to tell all the details about how mommy ran to get a rag for the blood and how graham cried white and red tears. thankfully, the glue held the skin together so no stitches were needed. now we will have matching eyes and matching eyebrow scars. i have fully forgiven my brother for slamming my face into the corner of the wall as a very irritating little tyke, but i will never be able to forget it since there is a scar right there above my eyebrow. love you abe.  

random thought: not sure if there are any feminists who read this blog, but i am contemplating posting my notes from a recent women's event at our church that was decidedly counter-culture. i was so challenged and encouraged by 'Relationships:Investing in the Kingdom' and this time it was about men-women relationships. however, this old blog is not a place for debating controversial things like women being created for men, so i'm hesitating. any thoughts?

spring 2012 zoo trip

we enjoyed adam's day off last week at the zoo...lovely weather and sweet time as a family was so so refreshing. happy train face

marit's favorite part

fell asleep as we left the zoo

and the drive home was quiet

a good problem

these are the books i am "reading" right now, as in i've started and have yet to finish since Christmas and another in the mail today!). my sister gave me the whole anne of green gables series for Christmas and it has been since middle school that i have journeyed through those treasures. it has sort of halted the rest of my reading list...especially now that i am in book 6 and anne is such a sweet mama to her six wild and imaginative children. well, i've almost finished the one on the bottom for our bible study this quarter. i highly recommend it if you are looking for a Biblical femininity/relating to men in a Christ honoring way sort of read. these others in the pile are so good too, though i will give a more informed recommendation as i wade through them. i have problem, but it's the good kind i guess...