My Chicago Adventure!!

I told you I would be back to tell you about my big adventure!! It all started out a little precariously!! Woke up to a little snowstorm. Gma, gpa and aunt Yaya braved the slick roads and met up at my house. Daddy was checking out the scanner, and this is one of the reported accidents we heard about! Not to be deterred we hit the road!!

How cool is this!! On the way down we came across this gas station......Awesome name if I say so myself!! :)

In order to keep the mood light in the van I let everyone watch my DVD player and a little Word World!! And why would I have to lighten the mood......?? It was about this time that gma realized that gpa left both her cameras back at my house in her jeep!!! Trust me when I tell you this was NOT a good thing. His only saving grace was that aunt Yaya remembered hers and promised to document the trip for gma!!!

Where were we headed you ask?? To this building, along the shoreline of Lake Michigan in Chicago!!

When we arrived it was a tad on the chilly side and so I got all bundled up in the stroller and gpa was more than happy to give me a ride to our destination!!

What was that building you ask??? It was this.............

.........and if you are wondering why I have this expression on my face?????....


It is because this was the line to get in!!!!!
I will not tell you what gma said when she rounded the corner!!!
On the other hand.....she did make the comment that it was worth it for me!!


We did get a chance to take in the Chicago skyline....pretty impressive for my first view of a BIG city!!

Aunt Yaya getting creative with the camera.
How do you like my gloves?? Guess what we left in the car, thinking we were going to be inside right away!!! Gma was nice enough to give up hers so I could stroll around a bit!!

I tried to tell everyone that if we just headed up the steps we could probably sneak in!! heheh:)
Or NOT!!


Me and mommy posing in front of the aquarium! That canvas walkway you see is the 2nd part of the line. And as we found out later there was a 3rd part once you made it through the DOOR!!!

After awhile gpa gave me a view from up high!! Someone told me they call this the windy city....I believe it!! It was starting to get COLD!!!

At this point it was really starting to get a little "ridiculous" as gma said, and I was really getting COLD...so I got bundled up in my blanket!! Soon after this mommy and I went to wait just inside the door while the rest of the family continued to wait in line!!!!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!

We made it inside and I got to see what everyone had been talking about for a few weeks now!

The DOLPHINS...I was so excited. Aunt Yaya has a really cute(if I do say so myself) video of when I first saw them.....but it is a little too long to post on here.....unless gma wants to wait for a few days for it to load!!!

I YELLED........."There they are!!! I see demmm!!"

Daddy and me watching the otters.

I got to push some buttons and hear the sounds of the beluga whales.....and if you know me at all you know I LOVE to push buttons!

Watching the whales swim around!!

I got a chance to see a lot of penguinos...:) and then I got to play like I was one......sliding on the fake ice!!

While we were waiting for the dolphin show gpa told me some stories about them!! He is my buddy and so much fun to see new things with!

We had to wait sooooooooooo long for this show to start and I tried to be patient, but there is just so much waiting around a little guy like me can do. Mommy took me up higher so when it did start I could see it!!

This is gma stealing Lukas' blog writing.....After sitting and watching then listening to someone tell us for 20 min. how they train the dolphins... the show finally started. Now wait for it........I kid u NOT this is one of the 4 jumps they made and the show was OVER!!! GRRRRRR... SERIOUSLY!!!???
Sorry, I guess gma needed to vent!!! I still enjoyed it!

Aunt Yaya bought me a new friend...his name is Sharkey...and I am showing him how to pose for the camera!

Gma and me checking out the coral...some of it was really squishy and some was bumpy!!

The stingray display was cool...you could walk right over them...and I may have laid down to check them out!! I also may have played"Ring Around the Rosie" on it too!! :)

I found this awesome turtle statue and introduced him to Sharkey!

He offered me a ride on him too!!

I have a little admission to make here......All day long I hadn't been feeling good. I had some tummy issues, but I really tried to hang in and enjoy myself!! I got a little mesmerized with the fish. I didn't have much of an appetite and was really tired....everyone said I was a real trooper!!

Daddy was happy to give me a lift so I could see all the stuff from his vantage point!!
Gma says she is so proud of what a good daddy he has turned out to be....I have to say I am NOT surprised...he is AWESOME!!!

This is one of my favorite....seahorse!! I told everyone that he was eating a sandwich....not sure why everyone was smiling!!!

Hey, quit rocking the boat aunt Ya!!!! Sometimes I am a little hard on her...:) but she is always there for me...she is the best aunt EVER and I LOVE her!!!

I didn't quite understand the joke behind the half a ball on daddy's head, that gma bought him. I guess when he was a youngster he had one and one of gpa's friend licked it and put it on his forehead. It was stuck on his head and it had to be pried off with some tool and left a HUGE bruise.

Gma sat on the floor and let me sit on her lap to see the big fish tank. It was full of all kinds of things to see!! Good thing daddy was there to help gma get up after she sat there with me for so long!!! heheh

Spending a few minutes with my mommy.....she is the BESTEST mommy EVER!!!!

We spent another day in the big city, but I will leave the rest of the story for gma to tell....I am a little overwelmed and need to rest for now!!!

It sure has been a great experience so far!!

The Adventure Continues!!

Well, our visit to the aquarium was fun. I was a little irked by the line management, or lack there of......and a couple of rather rude employees. Especially the one who told us to get moving, while we were trying to put the barriers back that someone else had knocked down!!! Had to love Amy who sort of barked back at him..."We were trying to fix your fence buddy!!" I think you need to handle with kitt gloves after they have stood in the COLD for an hour!!! And while I am complaining.....just one more thing and I will move on.......you get a ticket, plan your time, sit in a crowd for a half hour, and see the dolphin jump 3 times...REALLY??

But, on the up side, just seeing Lukas' reaction to the dolphins and the whales made all that worth it!!!

Alrighty then!

We moved on to our hotel, and it was really nice and the view from the rooms was great!

As you can see someone found her bed right away!!

After resting for a few I went to the front desk and asked for recommendations for dinner, keeping in mind we had a tired 2 yr. old along. The suggestion was a place called Lou Malnati's, that was just a few blocks away. It wasn't too busy when we first arrived and luckily they suggested we order while we waited and it would be ready when we were seated...It was AWESOME!!!!

A you can see someone was more than satisfied!!!

Then it was on to dessert!!! They had a chocolate chip pizza, that from the responses at the table, got a A1+ rating!!

After we returned to the hotel we had about an hour before the pool closed!! After seeing this I wasn't sure if I wanted to go along or wait in the room....again, because of Lukas I was willing to deal with the embarrassment!!! :)

But, before we could leave I had to try out the Nook. Still trying to figure this thing out......!!!!
Good thing the flash covers a little of the grey!!


Time to head.........haha.....to the pool....
...........GET IT!?!?! HEAD.....man I crack me up!!

Lukas liked taking on the elevator operator duties!!

I absolutely LOVE this picture.....without a doubt Dave loves this little boy!! It has been one of my greatest joys watching him with Lukas!

Warms my heart!!

Then it was Lukas and daddy time!

Dave and Jesse decided that a little race across the pool would be fun.....can you tell by the way other people were staring that they were causing a small tsunami!!! Dave thinks he won!!! We will let him think that if it makes him feel better!

Lukas decided that it was time to head back to the room so he wanted to help pull daddy out of the pool......

PULL!!!

Gpa on the other hand wanted to float for a few more minutes!!

I thought this was cute.....on the wall of the building next to the pool by the hotel was a lattice skyline!!!

Lukas joined us in our room to scope out the weather conditions!!!

Yes, it snowed over night.

FYI, I have never stayed in a hotel where even though we turned OFF the heat it was still way to HOT!!!

Plan had been to head over to the "Sears Tower" and the sky deck......a little socked in so an adjustment in plans!!

That's how he ROLLS!!!!

First stop....the Disney Store....and yes it is possible that someone scored a few new toys!!!

Kind of looks like a scene out of ET doesn't it!?!?

He was still having tummy issues but, man what a little trooper! He didn't have much of an appetite, but no fever, and through it all, he tried to enjoy himself!

We almost lost Jesse at NikeTown!!

Showing Mickey and Pluto around NikeTown....gma was not all that impressed with this store, or the Garmin store either!!

At this point he had enough.....and needed a nap!! We bundled him up put the shade on the stroller down and headed out into the snow!!

My girl posing with the gargoyle!!!
She is the BEST daughter any mom or dad could ask for....we are so proud of her!!

Some of Sarah's friends suggested we try a restaurant!! It was a little ways from where we were parked but, off we walked!!

For anyone who has never heard of the place....it is a MUST Go to place!!
Seating for 5 weirdo's and a brat please, and they threw us some hats!!

A hat for Pluto!!

Another for Mickey!!

But, no matter how we tried......NO hat for him!!!

An explanation.......when you go here the expectation is you are going to get abused, and abused we were!!!

Who abused us?? .......KITTY!!!

She insisted that we hurry and figure out what we wanted, threw our straws at us, told us to hurry up she didn't have all day.......

..........and best of all looked at Dave and said ..."SOOOOOOOOOO what do you want GRIZZLEY!!!...Could not have been more perfect!!! The entire table cracked up!! We all know Dave has occasionally had an issue with hair maintenance!!!

This is the inside and a view of the performance area!! Yup, the wait staff danced for us!!

Daddy and daughter!!

This was while Jesse was trying to explain to Amy that this was not a bathroom that he should have taken Lukas too!!!

Yup, Jesse braved it and went for the big wiener......or did Kitty call him a big wiener, I am not sure!! :)

Trust me.......It's better if you just DON'T ASK!!!! :) :)

Lukas enjoying what is claimed to be the worlds smallest sundae!!

We had a really good time here...and would like to go again sometime!!

We made one last stop and saw this on the wall.....If this was another kind of blog I might make a comment....but it is a family blog so we move on!! :)

With that is was time to hike back to the car.....

One last picture in the parking garage....and yes that is snow on my hair, not dandruff!!

Lukas and Sharkey ready for the trip home!!

Believe it or not this was my first trip to Chicago as a tourist. We were there years ago for a boat show, but didn't take in the town. All in all it was a great time.

Time with this family is always so VERY SPECIAL to me and I am so GRATEFUL!!!!