Visitors!

We had such a nice time having Drew's family here over the weekend…it was very hard to have them go, and the apartment has been way to quiet ever since. They left me feeling a bit homesick, which I hope doesn't happen each time we get visitor's!

Thursday when they arrived we went for pizza at Gino's, to the 95th floor Signature Lounge inside the John Hancock building.

Friday we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo, Navy Pier, and our favorite Irish Pub, Declan's.

Saturday we went out Susana Farms for the corn maize, pumpkin patch, and hayrides.

It was a lot of fun having them here, and wish they could have stayed longer! We're looking forward to our next set of visitor's, my Mom and Jeff at Thanksgiving.

Here's some photo's of our weekend:

It's snowing!

Hard to believe October 22nd is the first day of winter here in Chicago! I'm hoping it goes back up into Fall temperatures before we're really into winter, but we shall see. Last year November 12th was the first day of snow. To be clear, I didn't actually get to see any snow...yet - it was concentrated in the suburbs today - but Drew did get to see it! 

Also, our Florida friends will find this funny...I had to buy a humidifier yesterday! It never occurred to me that we would need one here, until my sinuses started to get uncomfortably dry. So to Bed, Bath, and Beyond I went. It was an experience for me, because they had all of the displays set up and running so you could see which one was quiet, the difference between warm and cold vapor, etc. 

We haven't had to turn on our heater yet though, so I'm glad that it seems our apartment is pretty well insulated. In fact, I've been opening the door to let some cool air in, because it gets to warm without it. 

We get to welcome our first visitor's this weekend, and are excited to show them Chicago through our eyes - we hope they love it as much as we do! I have to say I'm surprised at how well we are adjusting -  people ask if we're homesick, and we really aren't. We miss our family, and friends, and our home - but we are enjoying being here so much that it is the tradeoff. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Open Chicago

This past weekend we biked all around downtown Chicago for Open Chicago, an architecture event that had over 150 buildings around the city and suburbs that are normally closed to the public open for two days only! We didn't make it to as many as we would have liked, but we did get to sit in Mayor Rahm Emanuel's seat at City Hall, and got to go underneath the Chicago History Museum into their basement where their archives are. We also went aboard the Columbia Yacht Club, it's a large boat docked in Lake Michigan, that has become a private club. We also had an amazing lunch at Berghoff's, a German Restaurant that holds the city's first liquor license. The weather topped 48 degrees on Saturday while riding our bikes, so we were bundled up!

 Orange water fountain? In honor of Halloween?

Taking our turn's in the Mayor's seats

 View from the Columbia, Boat Captain and Mayor in one day!

Our Apartment

I've been wanting to share photos of our new apartment, and now that we have our new couch it's time :)! Can't wait to welcome our first visitors next in less than two weeks! 

Meowka taking a nap :)

Sammy taking a nap :)

15 Years in Love!

Today is Drew and I's 15 year anniversary celebration of the day we started dating! I feel so old! I have been with Drew for more than half of my life! It has been quite a ride, and I am so thankful I have him as a partner. I truly believe that of all the choices we make in this life, who we choose to spend it with is one of the biggest! They provide the support, encouragement, different points of view and ideas to consider, and love. I am so thankful to FINALLY :) be married to my best friend. This move has been quite an experience, and it has been so wonderful having to depend on each other, and know we each have the other's back. Not all of our years together have been easy, in fact a great many have been harder than I would have liked, but if it prepared us for the happiness we have now, I would do it all over again! I can truly say that I feel like every night I get to have a sleep over with my best friend! I know this is sappy, but I want to capture it on the blog as part of the journey, it's a big milestone! We would've chosen to get married today, but we didn't want to wait another six months (and have a two year engagement), and also for our honeymoon cruise it wouldn't have worked out to go across the ocean. However, now that we're here in Chicago I'm glad the timing is what it is, because it would not have been possible to do this while planning a wedding.

Thank you to all of our family and friends, there are so many who have been with us since the beginning, and I am so thankful for the lessons we have learned from you through your wisdom, and experiences. I think it does take a village to raise a child, but I also think it takes a village to help support a young couple, and a marriage, and eventually a family! Thank you!

And I'd like to thank Drew for being the most amazing person. We are so different, and I've always known that, but watching us each adapt to such a big change like moving to a new city, starting a new job, and renting an apartment unseen - we've each reacted in our own ways. Drew's Mom, Linda told me when Drew was in kindergarten, on the first day of school she was going to drive him, and he said No, that's ok, I want to ride the bus. This story makes me laugh so hard, because he is still the same...nothing fazes him! On his first day of work, he wasn't nervous, and he's made a name for himself already as the friendly, easy going, whirly ball champ of the company!

I, on the other hand am the opposite! My mom teases me and calls me a Clinger, because I've never wanted to be left behind, whether on the first day of kindergarten, or at college, or when we leave from visits! Saying good bye and letting go just isn't easy for me.

I tell these stories, because it truly amazes me how we fall in love with people so different from ourselves. I really appreciate those differences, because they teach me a new way to look at a circumstance. So as I apply for new jobs in this great big city, I've been trying Drew's casual, take me as I am approach...and it's been a fun way to make what used to be an intimidating situation work.

Happy 15 year Anniversary! We'll be celebrating by watching our wedding video that we just received, and watching it on our new couch that just came today!

Above are some of our favorite wedding photos, and the last one is the first photo ever taken, on our way to Homecoming on October 10, 1998!

Weekend Wrap Up

We did lots of bike riding this weekend, on Saturday we went and bought Drew a new bike - it's a good time to do it at the end of the season. Biking has been a great way to explore our new city, and it's so easy to do here. Easier than driving! On Saturday we went through Lincoln Park and then back home through the path on Lake Michigan, and on Sunday we went through neighborhoods, Lincoln Park, Lake View and Wrigleyville. We went to Twin Anchors, a infamous local rib restaurant that Frank Sinatra used to frequent - it's literally in the middle of a neighborhood, and there's been a bar or restaurant in the same place since 1910. Very good ribs! We are looking forward to Drew's sister and family coming later this month, and are trying to scope out fun places to go.

The weather is changing...it seemed like it never would, and then we noticed that the pool's have been drained, and now there are a lot more leaves in the streets, and it is starting to get cold! In our apartment building it is either heat or AC, and they haven't made the change yet to heat - but I hope they will soon - while nice, the buildings a bit older, so the windows seem to let in the cool weather.

Here are some photos from our weekend adventures:

I met Drew for lunch last week when he was working in the City - we got a table by the Chicago River....

Just in time to watch the bridge go up for about 8 sailboats that were waiting

 In case anyone was wondering, this is what 18 apples look like in apple pies, I have never made homemade apple pie before, but in my first try made three! They turned out great!

Rode out to the end of a pier near Montrose beach, it was a foggy day Saturday looking into the City

 On Sunday we visited the Zoo, the FREE Zoo, open 365 days a year! We still can't get over that such a great attraction is available right across the street!

This is St. Michael's Church in Old Town, we stumbled on it while riding, and it looks like something from Europe! The trees are starting to turn pretty colors!