Amusement Park fun

Saturday we took the kids to the amusement park. We all were looking forward to it and couldn't wait for it to open again for the season. We had wonderful weather and a great time. We went to see one of those great amusement park shows and the guy doing it invited all the kids up on stage to dance. It was so funny watching Broderick up there. Carys was asleep in the stroller, but she probably wouldn't have gone up anyway. Broderick was pulling out some great moves and really making Rob and I laugh. I wish we would have had the video camera. Watching him really made me want to put him in some kind of theatre program.

Last year the kids were not so keen on the characters. This year they both really liked them. If we saw one out we had to stop what we were doing and go see them. Broderick just started watching Scooby Doo and Carys likes Dora so it worked out great!

Both of the kids also had grown since last summer and they both were able to ride new rides. That made it new and exciting for them. We had a great time and I can't wait to go back!!

CELEBRATION!!!

You are stronger, You are stronger

Sin is broken, You have saved me.

It is written, Christ is risen.

Jesus you are Lord of all.

(Hillsong, Stronger)

Happy Easter Everyone!

Chicago Wrap Up

So instead of dragging this out for another week I decided to figure out how to get more photos in my posts. There are a lot of pictures in this post, but I won't be to wordy...

On Friday of our trip we went to the aquarium. It was so neat. Unfortunately we didn't get very many good pictures because it was dark and we couldn't use the flash. The picture below was in the Amazon area. It was really neat all the "extra" stuff they added. The other great thing was that a lot of the tanks were at the kids eye level so we didn't have to keep holding them up, they could just walk right up to the tank and look in.

This tank was right when you walked in. It was a giant circular tank and we could walk around the whole thing.
Friday night we also did the Sears Tower. It was just around sunset too when we got up there. Great time to go...we got to see the city while it was till light out, watch the sunset and then see the lights on the buildings come on. Very cool. I think this was a huge highlight for Broderick and Carys. After we did this, they kept talking about "the tower."
After the tower we went to Gino's East. Seriously the best pizza I have ever had. This was my first true Chicago pizza and it was great! I love to take pictures of food...probably because I love food!

On Saturday we did a little shopping. Our day started off at American Girl...and yes...her daddy caved and bought her a doll. At the store you can buy one of the twins so it worked out great! This is her after showing the sales associate which doll she wanted and now she is waiting for it. Can't you just see the light in her eyes?

He and I at the store after she got the doll. I don't know who was more excited, me or her.

Broderick's treat was the Lego store. It was very cool and overwhelming for him. Rob and him were in the store for about 45 minutes while Broderick tried to decide what he wanted to get. He finally decided on a few things. While in line waiting to pay for the things he picked he leaned over with his hand on his knees and took a deep breath. I said, "what is wrong?" He said, "that was a tough decision." I just started laughing. Poor little guy was stressed out over what to get.

Above: Broderick outside the store. After all the purchases we ate at a wonderful place on Michigan called Grand Lux Cafe. It was very tasty! Below: The boys "blowin' it up!"

Broderick and Carys playing with their loot after a LOOOONG day!

That evening we at hot dogs at Portillios. It is a place that has like street food but in a restaurant...my kind of place. It was really cool inside.

Last Day: We spent a couple hours at the Field Museum. We got to see a very cool pirate exhibit, some real dinosaur bones, and lots of interesting things from other cultures.

Above: Being silly.

Below: Picking corn

Below: Inside a hut.

The End. Exhausting I know. We really did have a wonderful time. Did a ton of fun things, had some great family time and made some wonderful memories!

We interrupt this Chicago trip...

My sister gave me the best birthday present EVER!!! (My birthday isn't until June, but this was great!) We went to the New Kids on the Block concert!! It was so much fun. One of her friends that she has had since 5th grade organized the trip and eight girls total went. I didn't know all of them but it was still a blast! I decorated the car which my sister just loved!! (Not really, I think she would have put a bag over her head if I had one.)

I get so aggravated because I can't take our good camera into events like this so I didn't get any really good pictures of the actual concert. We actually had really good seats though. Ya know...there isn't a real high demand for New Kids tickets these days!! The women screaming in the audience were just as loud as the first time I saw them about 17 or so years ago. When I came home the whole next day Rob was telling me I was talking really loud. I couldn't hear, I could tell I was talking loud, but I couldn't help it.

My sis and I at the concert having a GREAT time!

Thanks Kelly for a wonderful night!!

Shhh-cago Day 2

If you all are wondering why I keep writing Shh-cago...Carys kept calling it Cago. So I told her to say Shhh (very emphasized) and then cago. So she was really pronouncing the shhh, like you would if you were telling someone to be quite, and then saying cago. It was very cute!

So on day 2 we went to the Museum of Science and Industry or Science and Industry Museum, I am not sure, something like that. It all all sorts of hands on things. A real submarine that was captured during WWI, I think! We got to take a tour of that and it was really cool. They had a real airplane we got to walk on, a coal mine tour that we didn't get to, farm machines the kids got to sit in, all sorts of fun stuff.

I love this picture of the kids...we were waiting to take the tour of the sub. They were being sooooo sweet to each other.

That night we ate at the Rainforest Cafe. Super Fun! The pictures didn't turn out real great because it was dark. The kids thought this was so cool! (So did I!)After dinner we walked to Michigan Ave and went to the Disney Store and Hershey's. Hershey's had a little cafe with cupcakes, cookies, chocolate milk, and all sorts of goodies. We got cupcakes and chocolate milk and they were good!

This day was my favorite! I mean, if chocolate is involved of course it is, right!!!