Chicago Part 1

About a week after we moved in to our apartment here in Michigan, it was time to take off for a week in Chicago!  The purpose of this visit was, of course, Abby and Neil's wedding (and Jeremiah's ring-bearer debut), but we were able to fit in lots more stuff and a whole week of family time!  This will be Part 1-- sorry, the wedding, etc will have to wait until part 2 (blogging has become a lot more of an ordeal for me now that I have no Macbook.... had to return that to my school.  Boo.  So I have to do any computer stuff when I can use Adam's work laptop.  Big pain in the butt!!).  Anyhoo...

We left Monday the 16th after Adam got home from work, and arrived in Chicago about 7:30, I think?  We had an apartment rented in Bucktown with my parents and my brother and his family.  Monday night it was just us and Grandpa and Grandma in the apartment.  Jeremiah was SO EXCITED to see that our building was right next to the EL tracks!

He did a lot of train watching during the week!

Unfortunately, our first night of sleep in the apartment was not great, thanks to those lovely trains.  But amazingly we did end up adjusting to it!  Or else we were so tired, they didn't wake us up anymore.

On Tuesday, Matt & Cheryl and Josie & Evan joined us at our apartment.

Grandma and the kids in front of our place.

For the life of me, I really can't remember what we did on Tuesday..... sheesh.  Pregnancy brain?  I think before the others arrived, we walked to Ehrler Park, which was only a couple blocks away.  We went there a couple times over the course of the week.  It was nice to have a place for the kids to play, and to hang out with all the nannies.  Interesting.

On Wednesday, we tried out Adams Playground Park in Lincoln Park, which had a playground AND a splash park.  We got to enjoy it for approximately 20 minutes, before dark clouds and cooler temps sent us running for our cars with the threat of rain!

Playing in the sand at the splash park, of course!

We met Abby and some of her friends at Art of Chicken for dinner that night.  Cool place and great food!

The bride and Evan talking about the Art of Chicken.

This place was within walking distance of our apartment, too, which was great!  Except we got caught in a torrential downpour on the way home. :(

Check out my dad-- we were moving fast!
 

J and pants-less Evan representing.

Thursday I had obligations with the bride-- basically a whole day of bachelorette fun with the bride and bridesmaids!  While I was gone, everyone else headed downtown on the train (the highlight for J, of course!  Seriously, just  today he said to me, "Mommy, I miss those fast trains that went by our apartment.").

They went to Millenium Park and saw "The Bean" (I know it has a real name, but I don't remember it.  Ah yes, Cloud Gate!  Thanks, google), and Grant Park to see Buckingham Fountain.

Evan is super strong!

Meanwhile, I was being forced into brunch, pedicures, and other bachelorette fun with the bride and other bridesmaids. :)

 

 

We also had time in the afternoon to help Abby with some last-minute wedding details, like sign making, and paper airplane making!



Busy busy!

We also worked on preparing food and drinks for the bachelorette party, which was that evening!  All of the credit for the delicious food/drinks goes to Abby's wonderful OTHER bridesmaids, as I contributed very little.  They had great ideas and everything turned out wonderfully!



 

Then it was time for Abby's friends to arrive for the bachelorette party!  There was the delicious food and drinks, plus gift-opening and a game.  So fun to take time to celebrate Abby!

 

After the party, the rest of the group headed to Violet Hour for drinks.  Being old and pregnant, I was a party-pooper and opted to head home to bed (when did THAT happen?!?!?  Sigh.). :(

 

Friday was the day of the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, but that was not until the evening.  So we had a good chunk of the day to do something with, and we decided to head to the Lincoln Park Zoo!  The kids had a great time!

 



 

Grandma sprung for carousel rides!

Grandpa and Grandma and the kids.

I love this city!!!!!!

Josie and Jeremiah hanging with some cows.

Stopped for a bit to play at a park!

That evening, we headed over to Covenant Presbyterian Church for Abby and Neil's wedding rehearsal.  No pics though, sorry-- I was busy doing my matron-of-honor duties! :)  Rehearsal dinner was held at Pequod's Pizza-- somewhere I had always heard about when I lived in Chicago, but never made it to.  Glad I was able to try it-- great pizza!!



2 stars of the wedding waiting for some pizza!!

And then Saturday was the big day!  Stay tuned for a post about the wedding and the rest of our vacay! :)

Life in Michigan

I am sure that all of my loyal readers are wondering how we are doing now that we are in Michigan!  It has been quite a busy week and a half, but we are feeling mostly settled and getting more comfortable with our surroundings.

On Thursday the 5th, we picked up our UHaul and started getting it loaded up.  We have a lot of crap!!!!!!!


We obviously put this guy to work!

Then in the evening, our wonderful friends came over and helped us move the big stuff and get the UHaul loaded to the brim (literally, there was NO MORE ROOM and we had to leave some things behind!).

Not the pic I intended to upload, but whatever.  What a great group of friends!
 

On Friday morning, we did our last bit of packing and cleaning and were on the road for MI about noon.  Adam drove the UHaul pulling his work car on a trailer, while I drove the Durango with the boy and dog.

Watching the world go by.
 

Not watching the world go by.

We made a stop for the night in Lansing, IL and then finished our trek on Saturday.  We had 3 hired movers and 3 of my wonderful cousins here to meet us, and we got things moved in and settled relatively quickly!  We are so glad we ended up hiring some guys-- they got ALL of our heavy furniture up into our 2nd floor apartment!  My parents also came later in the day Saturday and helped us get settled and also helped us get the majority of our treasured possessions (aka crap) put into storage.  We are so thankful for all the help we received with both loading and unloading!!

So the rest of this week Adam has been working, and J and I have been doing some things and getting ourselves acquainted with this area.  We FINALLY got cable and internet hooked up on Wednesday, so that has been very nice (watching our only channel, FOX, for 4 days straight was more than we could take!).

Monday J and I went and had a picnic lunch at a nice little park on Laka Macatawa-- Kollen Park.  It was a gorgeous day!

He could get used to this.

 Tuesday we didn't do anything too special.  I have gotten set up with a new OB/GYN here in MI (cause I'm 22 weeks pregnant!  With how crazy and busy things have been, I sometimes forget!), so I had my first appointment at my new office, just with the nurse.  My first official appointment with the doctor will be in a week and a half.  So J came along with me to that appointment, and then we met up with Daddy for lunch.  So nice that we can do that again!

Wednesday, we had a special day- our friends from Iowa, Kim and Ruby, were in MI visiting Kim's in-laws, so we got to hang out with them for the morning!  It was SO NICE seeing friends from home!!!!  J and Ruby had a blast at Crazy Bounce, and maybe Kim and I did, too. :)

Lots of blurry pictures!

 We ended our morning at Starbucks, of course!!

Aren't they the cutest couple?  J is obviosly trying to impress Ruby here.

 And in the evening, Kim even offered to watch J for us so we could have a date night-- how awesome is that????  So she took J and Ruby for a Mcdonald's date and back to her in-law's farm (not a house, I am reminded by J-- a FARM), and Adam and I enjoyed a picnic dinner and out for ice cream.  So nice!!!!

Thursday was cool and cloudy, but J and I wanted to get out and do something, so I did some googling, and we ended up at the Critter Barn in Zeeland for a couple hours.  J loved feeding the goats and seeing all the animals-- we will definitely go back again for a longer day there now that we know about it!

Fire boots are the appropriate footwear at a farm.

He LOVED petting these little bunnies!

Feeding the goats!

 Kim gave us a tip that on Thursday evenings they have street performers in downtown Holland, and all the little shops are open late.  So, we decided to check that out!  It was very cool!!

Watching the acrobats.

Balloon sword= happy boy.

 Friday again was a day of nothing much-- a trip to the bank and Meijer and Mcdonald's for lunch (I do not know what it is, but why do the days seem to go so much faster in the Eastern Time Zone?  Sheesh!  Feels like we just get going for the day and then it's already 1:00!  Hence the stop at McD's for lunch-- Momma, baby, and big boy were all hungry!!).

We gave Biggby Coffee a try this weekend-- we all give it a thumbs-up!  :)

Who wouldn't love a cup of whip with sprinkles?!?!?

 And today after visiting a church here in Holland, we headed for the beach for a few hours.  I really do think J would play there all day!!  And he loves splashing around in that freezing cold water!

Daddy and J

(Can't forget to mention what a great daddy Adam is-- Happy Father's day one more time!!  We love you!)

And now that things have settled down a bit, it's time to shake things up again!  Tomorrow we are off to Chicago for a week for my sister's wedding on Saturday.  So exciting!!  So stay tuned for an update and pics of the absolute cutest ring-bearer EVER (and the bride and groom and everyone else, too).  :)

Saying Good-Bye to Iowa

I can't believe it's actually time to say good-bye.  Ankeny is actually the place I have lived the longest since growing up in California!  Crazy!  5 years in MI for college, 4 years in Chicago, 2 years in Sioux City.... and 6 years in Ankeny.  We have definitely put down roots here and that makes it so hard to leave and say good-bye.  We are leaving so much behind!

This house. 

Our little twinhome, half a house, really!  But it was our first home, the first house we bought.  We have been through a LOT in this home!  We brought home our puppy, and later our first baby!  Went through the sorrow of a miscarriage.  We have been through many ups and downs, joy, pain, excitement, struggles.... all of it here in this house.  Sure, there were things that annoyed us about it, but we love this little house and will miss it so much!!

Our church.

Where Jeremiah was baptized. Where we worked in nursery, taught Sunday School, ushered, tried to get involved.  Where we met wonderful people and amazing friends!  Finding a church is hard, and I don't look forward to that search in a new place.  After having a church where we "fit," it's going to be hard to find that again (but I know we will.... it will just take time)!

Speaking of amazing friends.

Our small group and friends we met at church.  Good friends are so hard to find!!  We started as a group of 6 couples and only 1 child-- we expanded to 8 couples and, um..... like 12+ kids between us.  We played summer volleyball (when we were young and kid-free!), had BBQ's, prayed together, studied the Bible together, laughed together (a LOT), our kids have become friends.... this is not something easily found either!  We will miss this group of people so much!  They have been along with us on our ride of ups and downs and have prayed for us and supported us.  Love you guys so much!!!

Shell's House.

1st Day at Shell's house!  6 months old.

End of Pre-School picnic, last time at Shell's house. 4 years old.

Best buddies!!!

J's home away from home, J's second family!  So hard to say to good-bye Michelle--the person who has lovingly cared for our son for the past 4 years!  And J and his buddy Grady-- they are 2 peas in a pod and will miss each other so much.  They love each other and pretty much act like brothers!  They will be lost without each other, and that makes me so sad.  From their early days of being the pacifier boys, to playing with Legos and trucks-- these 2 have been through it all together!  Such a precious friendship they have.  I know for a fact we will never find a childcare provider as good as Michelle!!!  Thankfully, I know we will stay in touch.  These boys will be having playdates via Skype! :)

And my school.  Oh, I may have complained from time to time about politics or rules or how things go.... but United Community School is the school where I have taught the longest-- 6 years!  I know the routines, the curricula, the kids, the families, the teachers and staff.  I will miss this school a lot, especially my co-workers and the kids.  On Friday, I got to watch my first class of 1st graders at this school graduate from 6th grade!  I saw one class go all the way through the school.  United is a unique and special school (no other school I have taught at has a tall grass prairie and outdoor classroom!).  I know, that if I teach next year or the year after, I will not find a school like United.

At United, I know how things go.  I know people, I know the routines, I know the traditions.  The thought of starting over at a new school (if that's what I end up doing) is not appealing at all!  However, I have done it before, and I know I can do it again.  It's just sad.

12 years worth of teaching, in boxes.  Sad.

It is hard to leave all of this.  It's especially hard to leave all of these wonderful things, places, people...  (plus more than I even mentioned here) when we are going to a place with a lot of unknowns right now.  Things will fall into place, I know.  But leaving a place where everything is ALREADY in place..... it's hard.

Have I mentioned that this is hard?!?!?  I have shed my share of tears over the past few days, but honestly I don't think this has fully hit me yet.  Maybe when I don't kwhen we unload in Michigan?  I don't know. 

But don't get me wrong, there IS excitement in going to a new place (and also having our family together again after 6 months!), and seeing what God has in store for us in Michigan.  I just pray that God will guide us and help us to do His will as we make this move (and go from a family of 3 to a family of 4....!!!!)!

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a busy and fun Memorial Weekend that included lots of traveling, family, and fun!  It certainly put us into "summer mode", maybe a week too early!

J and I started off the weekend on Friday morning with my Dr. appointment and anatomy scan ultrasound.  It was fun having J there with me-- he got excited when he recognized a baby on the screen and did an excited gasp when the tech told him that he is going to have a SISTER! :)  Just what he wanted!

"No more pictures, please!"

There she is

The Dr. appointment involved quite a bit of waiting, of course.  J did pretty well!  He waited until about half-way through the ultrasound before he said, "*SIGH* I'm bored!"

Trying to not be bored.

After my Dr. appointment, we hit the road for Michigan!  The couple times I have traveled alone with J to MI or WI, I have been quite impressed-- he is a good traveler!  And I am so thankful for that.  Yes, he watches several movies on the DVD player, but hey, it won't kill him!  We had to get a new DVD player on our last trip to MI because our other one died or was frozen in the freezing cold car overnight, and the new one we got has a remote.  Being a big 4 year old, J can now do "menu," "play," "stop," and "pause" all by himself- score!

We always have to make a stop at the I-80 Truckstop ("the world's greatest truckstop" according to J!).

The reason J likes to stop here!

We arrived in Grand Haven about 7 pm (I think), in time for a delicious dinner at Uncle Tony and Aunt Jeane's house.  Then it was off to bed-- tired after our day of traveling!

Saturday my aunts held a bridal shower for my sister Abby, who is getting married on June 21 in Chicago!  So exciting!!!!  The shower was so nice-- I was able to see a lot of aunts and cousins I have not seen in awhile.  And we got to celebrate Abby and Neil and their upcoming wedding and marriage! :)

Sisters!  Twins!  No, just kidding, I'm 6 years older-- can't you tell?

Saturday evening, a bunch of the family headed to Fricano's for pizza.  YUM!  Since J is kind of a Pizza Ranch snob and Fricano's super thin crust pizza is a little different, I wasn't sure how he'd like it.  However, he quickly gobbled up 3 slices!

I love pizza!!!

And after pizza, we just had to head to Temptations down by the waterfront for ice cream!

Blue Moon was obviously this guy's choice!

Sunday morning, we woke up and hit Tim Hortons for breakfast (hey Michigan people-- not sure what all the fuss is about with that place?!?!?  Not that great, in my opinion) and then we drove down to Holland to get a look at our new temporary living place-- the Spring Brook Apartments.  They are nice enough and will make due for 3-4 months, but we will be eager to get into a house!!!

In the afternoon, the weather was just gorgeous.  We went back to the cottage and made sandwiches, then took them down to the beach and ate lunch.  It was the perfect afternoon!  I do believe that J would spend all day every day on the beach, if he was given the choice-- he had SO much fun!

The water was numbingly FRIGID, but he somehow didn't mind?!?!?

Building (and smashing) sand castles with Daddy.

My cousin Bethany came down and played with J for awhile and also took him down to the beach again later in the evening.  She is his new best friend!

We enjoyed a steak dinner at Uncle Tony and Aunt Jeane's house that evening and ended the day with this gorgeous sunset!

Beautiful.

Monday morning we pretty much woke up, packed up, and hit the road for Iowa.  We made it back safely about 6:00 pm.

And now here we are-- tomorrow is my last day of school, and J's last day at Shell's house.  I don't think I'm ready!!!  How did this day get here so quickly, yet also took forever to get here?!?!?!  Crazy.  We have a lot of packing to do, cleaning to do, and good-byes to say.  Cue the tears for this pregnant lady!! :(