TV and Callie Visits

To say November was a busy month is an understatement.  We got home from Chicago on Wednesday and had a crazy busy weekend.  It started with the kids being little TV stars on World Prematurity Day.  Our local news station let the March of Dimes Board chair and the kids speak on the noon news.  We had practiced what they would say and they did really well saying that.  Then they had some extra time and the anchor asked them some other questions.  They had to go off script but they did well!  They loved being on TV and they were excited to hear that the school secretaries and Lindy's class had all actually watched it!

The rest of the weekend was a fun one because my bestie from grad school flew in with her family!  Her husband wanted to come back to his 10 year law school reunion so they made it a family trip.  We met them for dinner Friday night in downtown WS and ate at Sweet Potatoes.  We headed back to their hotel downtown, the Kimpton Cardinal, which is the new swanky hotel in town.  It is actually a miniature version of the Empire State Building and was the original headquarters of RJR Tobacco.  It has been redone into a hotel and apartments in the past few years.  We had a babysitter come to the hotel and she stayed with the kids in the hotel room while the adults went down for a drink and to hang out.  We were checking out the hotel and found a great play room - for adults and kids!  We stayed there and bowled, play foozball, pool, and ping pong.  It was a lot of fun!  We had a drink at the bar and then headed home.  Our kids stayed at the hotel with the Grecos for a fun sleepover!

Saturday morning I headed back to town to meet up with them.  We headed to Salem College, where Callie and I met during grad school.  We ate lunch and headed to Wake Forest to check it out.  We played for awhile and then the kids and I had to leave to take Will to a birthday party for his friend, JT, at Rockin Jump, the trampoline park.  Lindy and I got him checked in and then we went and picked up food for the football and tailgate.  We got Will and then we headed to the football game.  It was a crazy, late 7:30pm night game against NC State but it was great because they won!   We saw Callie and family briefly during the game and said our goodbyes.   They flew out Sunday morning while we were at church.  We were so excited to have then in NC, even if it was just for a quick weekend.  We hope they come back soon and stay longer!

Sunday we had church and then we had the church Thanksgiving potluck supper.  We have it at a VFW that also is a dance hall on the weekends.  It's great because there is a big place for the kids to play and run around.  Will shocked everyone when he got the juke box working.  It was super loud but he got a few up dancing! ha!

TV Stars!

 Purple for World Prematurity Day

 Callie and I at Salem College at the May Dell Amphitheatre.  This is where graduation took place - except I didn't get to go.  I was put on bedrest with the kids.  

 A couple Southerns and Grecos hanging together!

 These girls had fun together and got matching hats that said, "Fight Like a Girl!" 

 These two are long lost sisters.  Never know what's coming out of either one their mouths! ha!

 Beautiful selfies! ha!

 Playing with toilet paper from a rolling of the quad at Wake.

 Sweet girl looking so cute in her fall dress.

 Lindy dancing with Ms. Linda from church at the Thanksgiving pot luck! 

Chicago with Drew

Drew and I decided to jet off for a couple of days away from life and reality.  In May we celebrated our 15 year wedding anniversary and we didn't really do anything so maybe this was a late anniversary trip.  Really just a chance to see somewhere new and to forget about life's responsibilities for a couple days.  While we were gone, my mom came and stayed with the kids.  She handled the running around perfectly and we are thankful for her help.

We flew out on Sunday, November 12th and came the closest we've ever been to missing a flight.  We made it, but with only about 10 minutes to spare.  We got to Chicago and we decided to ride the train into town.  We figured out where we needed to get off and knew we needed to transfer to the red line to get to our stop.  All was fine and dandy till we get off and see the red line is being detoured.  We follow all the signs and not till we were on the train do we realize they detoured us to the brown line and they skipped our stop!  We had to get off again and go south on the red line and we finally made it!!  Sunday was a little bit of a crazy traveling day but we made it safe and sound!  We went to dinner that night and then attempted to go to the John Hancock building. We did go up and we were going to get a drink in the bar on the 93rd floor but when we got up there, it was crazy foggy and you couldn't see anything.  So we rode back down and called it a night!

Monday morning we just set out on foot and walked all over the city that morning.  We looked for public art and for historical buildings.  We stumbled upon First Methodist Church.  We had deep dish Chicago pizza for lunch and it was delicious!!   We spent our afternoon checking out Millenium Park, which has the famous Bean in it.  We did the obligatory tourist pics and then we spent the rest of the day at The Art Institute of Chicago.  It was a great museum and we enjoyed our afternoon.  Drew and I do museums very differently.  Like I enjoy looking and Drew enjoys reading every plaque on every statue or painting in the place.  I'd take my laps and then chill and wait for him.  We saw many famous paintings which was very neat.  I personally liked the bottom floor which had the paperweight collection and the 68 miniature rooms.  I have always liked doll houses and these were like the neatest and most ornate dollhouses ever.

Monday night we had dinner at a pub and then we saw an improv show at the famous Chicago comedy club, Second City.  We enjoyed it and are happy to say we have seen a Second City show, but Drew and I both agree that improv is not our favorite form of comedy.

Tuesday morning we went out to look at more architecture around Chicago.  We walked all around and we headed to the Sky Deck at the top of Willis Tower, aka the Sears Tower.  We headed up 103 flights for a great view of the city.  We got lucky and went in the morning when we could see because it got cloudy in the afternoon and the visability would not have been good.  They have the windows that you walk out over the road below and I went out on it.  I couldn't get Drew to go with me!  The first step kind of made your heart skip a beat but then I was fine.  I thought it was super cool and got some fun pics!  Drew did not agree!   Tuesday afternoon we took an architecture boat tour around the rivers and thoroughly enjoyed it.  We got to see them from different angles and hear the guide tell you about them.  After the boat tour we walked to Navy Pier, but we wish we wouldn't have.  We can only figure that during the summer there is more to do but all we saw was a ridiculously long building with restaurants in it.   We wish we had not wasted our time there but we can at least say we've been.  Tuesday night was my most favorite night because we saw the Broadway show, Hamilton.  I have been wanting to see it and it did not disappoint.  It was awesome and everything I hoped it would be.  The music is just incredible.  As much as we enjoyed it, the two people sitting next to us did not! ha!  They both fell asleep and at intermission they said they weren't enjoying it and wished they had gone to the hockey game. ha!  I can't imagine there are many people who see it and don't enjoy it but we sat next to two of them!

Wednesday morning we made our way back to the airport and we headed back to NC and reality.  We really liked Chicago and are glad we could get away for a few days.

 John Hancock Building in the fog

 While we were there they were decorating all the trees on the Magnificent Mile with Xmas lights.  See the guy in the tree decorating it?  They worked all night!  We missed seeing them all on though.  

 The Macy's was all decorated for Xmas and the windows were so fun to see.

 Pigeons getting warm by the fire. ha!

The Bean!

 Delicious pizza! 

The Art Institute of Chicago

 Marc Chagall's America Windows

 American Gothic!  We listened to a discussion on this painting and it made me think about it in lots of different ways.

 One of Drew's fave paintings.

 Andy Warhol's Liz #3

 Monet!

 A Crozier standing by a Crozier!

 The art was neat but so was the building!

 Part of the paperweight collection

 One of the miniature rooms

 Monday night at Second City 

 One of Drew's favorite buildings - Marina City

 View from the Willis Tower

 Out on the Sky Deck!  agag!

My view!

 On the Wendella boat tour

 One of my favorite buildings

 Navy Pier - never again.  ha!

 Our hotel for our stay

  Yay - Hamilton!!  

 We were on the last row but so happy to just be there!