Chicago Trip

We moved to Chicago in 2001 after we both graduated from BYU. For two years, we experienced the ups and the downs of living in one of the greatest cities in the US. I appreciate our time in Chicago now much more than I did back then. We have many fond memories of our time there, particularly the time spent with my oldest brother, David, and his family. This home below is David and Brigitte's home in Oak Park (1117 Euclid Avenue). We have many memories of fun and family time in this home. I remember on many occasions enjoying Thai takeout at David and Brigitte's when Mark (my other brother) would be in town on business. I remember with fondness carving pumpkins each Halloween with our two adorable nieces. I also remember watching with fear and horror the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. One of the eeriest sounds I've ever heard was that of silence over the Chicago skies. Oak Park is very close to Ohare Airport, so it was very normal to hear the sounds of airplanes overhead. Holidays, such Thanksgiving and Easter were celebrated in this home. We also enjoyed watching our young nieces whenever we had the chance. Homemade ice cream, BBQ's, and of course, beautiful music played from the piano. Returning to Oak Park and this house reminded me that a home is made by the people and activities that go on within in the home. The house is simply the shell that makes these wonderful moments and memories possible. We are truly grateful for the memories made in David and Brigitte's home.

We enjoyed revisiting the city of Chicago. Here I am with my mom right next to the Wrigley Building (off of Michigan Avenue). I remember standing not too far from here on St. Patrick's Day 2003 when they dyed the river green. That was a fun memory for us. I also remember getting pick-pocketed across the bridge from this location back in 2001, a couple of days after arriving in Chicago. That was not such a happy memory.

Here we are down by the Water Tower off of Michigan Avenue. I used to walk by this every day on my way to work. I really enjoyed my lunch hours when I worked off of Michigan Avenue. I used to eat quickly and then walk up and down Michigan Avenue for exercise and enjoyment.

After my convocation on Saturday, we drove to Mundelein to visit my childhood friend, Missy, and her family. Missy and Paul moved to Chicago shortly after we did in 2001. It was a fun time reconnecting with them. I wish I had a digital copy of our first picture together - we were kindergartners waiting in line to start our first day of school. Missy and her twin, Heather, were in the background of the picture. Little did I know that we would be friends for a long time! Canyon View Elementary, Butler Middle School, Brighton High School, Seminary Council 1993-1994, BYU, and Chicago - who knew?

No trip to Chicago would be quite complete without at least 3 stops by Johnnie's for an Italian lemonade. They are the smoothest, most refreshing lemon ices you will ever taste. My favorite part of these treats would be the chunks of frozen lemon rinds mixed throughout. I know that probably sounds gross, but they taste candied. When it's 100+ degrees outside with horrific humidity, these treats are the only things that can quench my thirst. And, in case you're wondering, you don't swallow the lemon rinds. My mom and dad loved these lemon ices. When we lived in Chicago, we spent many hot summer days enjoying these treats with David and his family.

Last, but certainly not least, this is the wonderful Jackson Blvd apartment we lived in for 2 blessed years (do you sense some sarcasm?). We lived on the 2nd floor, right side. Our neighbors above were so loud for those 2 years. The only way I survived was ear plugs and brooms to bang on the ceiling. They celebrated their wedding for one full month every single night - music, dancing, etc. It was their national custom to do so, which is fine, just not for the people living below. One night (about one year after their wedding) I had to call the police because the ceiling was bouncing and glass was breaking. I found out later that the husband was beating up his wife - so very sad. We also slept with cardboard in our windows because the city lights were so bright. We'll never forget this place as long as we live!

Other highlights from our trip:

• Museum of Science and Industry (I still love going to this museum - it never gets old).
• Portillos, Edwardos Pizza, Long Grove Apple Haus, and Amarind Thai in Oak Park.
• Lake Michigan
• Beautiful Evanston
• Lots of time in the car driving (I was the official driver and was surprised at how much I remembered).
• Westchester First Ward - it was so fun visiting with our friends (Hatch's, Barnes', Holgreen's, Sister Fecske, Blakely's, and many others).

Next post: Lake Tahoe, my 33r'd birthday, Fresno, and Santa Barbara.

Graduation

I/We did it!
Here is a picture of the dean of my program hooding me at the convocation ceremony. I can't believe what you have to do to wear one of those!

My parents flew to Chicago to support me - they have been amazing the past few years as I've worked towards completing this degree. Dad even flew to Dallas for two weeks to help me with the kids while I finished up my thesis. Of course, Dale has also been a great support to me and my endeavors. I'm grateful for all of the love and support. These two pictures (above and below) were taken on the beautiful campus of Northwestern. I spent many hours sitting next to Lake Michigan, finishing a book or completing homework assignments.

After years of hard work and sacrifice, I finally finished something I never thought I could. Last week we traveled to Chicago where I graduated with my masters degree from Northwestern University. I'm so glad that I had that opportunity to attend graduation and bring to a closure a very exciting and stressful period of my life. During the course of my studies, I brought two children into the world, lost four babies, moved three times to three different states, and supported Dale through his MBA program at Wharton. Looking back, I recognize the love and support I received from family and friends that helped make this possible. I never could have flown to Chicago to attend classes without the help of my parents and Dale's parents who watched Laurel. I never could have survived my philosophy class or my American literature class without Dale, my sounding board and idea generator. I was very surprised when the dean of my program spoke about me at the ceremony and the difficult circumstances I've had to overcome to finish my degree. It reiterated to me something that I've always known - we must never, ever give up. One of the best things we can teach our children in this day and age is to finish what you start and to do the best you can. Reach for the stars. Don't be afraid to fail - there usually is someone there to grab your hand and pull you back up. For me, my family (parents, husband, children) performed that role beautifully and without complaint. Thanks to my mother-in-law, who made it possible for us to leave our children behind in Dallas. It made for a much easier trip. Now on to the next adventure and challenge! Stay tuned for more pictures from our trip to Chicago - we had such a wonderful time.

Ballet Recital

This past weekend our family enjoyed attending Laurel's first ballet and tap recital. I love how this picture turned out - Laurel is second from the left. This cute tap routine was set to "We've Got Annie" from the hit musical "Annie". The ballet routine was set to "Supercalifragilistic" from "Mary Poppins". The girls really didn't know their routines that well, but it didn't matter because they had a wonderful time, which is all that matters at this age. After the tap routine, I was quickly pulling Laurel's hair into a bun so she could be ready for the ballet routine. As I fixed her hair, Laurel says, "Mom, I want to be on a movie screen!" I just chuckled because that totally fits her personality.

Here she is posing for another picture - she had so much fun wearing this tutu!

I'm happy that this was a happy memory for Laurel. What made it even more special was that her Grandma Chris was in town and able to attend.

Severe Texas Weather

Large street lamp that snapped and toppled over during the storm. For those who know the area, this is near Tom Thumb and Wendy's off of the 2499 and Flower Mound Rd.
One of many trees we found ripped up from the ground.


This home is located in the Wellington section of Flower Mound. I saw several roof with this type of damage, as well as shingles everywhere. The roof companies are licking their chops this year! I think they have hit the jackpot in Flower Mound. I hope ours made it through unscathed because I don't want to cough up the $5,000 deductible to get it replaced. For those not familiar with Texas, most roofs only last 8-10 years if your lucky. Where I grew up, I think they were 20-30 years. This type of weather changes everything.

Let's just say that I do not recommend leaving home without checking the weather report here in Texas. My good friend and I decided we would head out for dinner with our kids since our husbands were out-of-town. We left at 5:30, arriving at Sweet Tomatoes 20 minutes later. Upon sitting down to eat, we get a panicked phone call from my mom's friend, asking her where on earth she is. My friend tells her mom that we are with the kids eating dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. Her mom tells her that tornadoes are in our path and that we need to get home immediately.

We leave our food, grab the kids, and run to the car. As we drove west, we could see the bad weather. It was terrifying. The radio reports were not good - as we drove closer to the town of Grapevine, the reports indicated that a possible tornado was in the path of Trophy Club, Grapevine, and Flower Mound, which was the direction we were driving. DFW Airport was closed. I was panicked as I exited the 635 freeway onto the 2499. Cars were beginning to slow down as they recognized that they were not going to be able to outrun this weather. We actually felt the wind go underneath my Honda Pilot and practically lift it. At that point I made a split decision to make a sharp left into the Grapevine Mills Outlet mall and run for cover. We grabbed the kids and ran as fast as we could.

Most people in the mall were oblivious to the danger outside. No public announcements were made and no sirens could be heard. One woman visiting from Connecticut saw the looks on our faces as we were running through JC Penney and decided she best follow us. We sought shelter in the center of the mall, behind all of the stores in the emergency exit hallways. I called Dale to let him know where I was in case something happened and then my battery died. Of all the days not to charge my battery up! Anyway, we could hear the storm over us, particularly because of the flimsy metal roof over us. I cannot even begin to convey the fear I had - how would I protect my children. If a tornado hit the building, how would I hold onto a metal door frame AND hold onto both of my children. It was extremely sobering. My friend and I later discussed how difficult it was to be the adult in charge of such a stressful situation. Our three kids were counting on the both of us to get them home safely. In my mind I kept thinking, "how on earth could I, a news obsessed woman, not turn on the television that day to check in with the world. I would have known the danger I was putting me, my kid, and my friends in that night. My excuse was the guest bedroom I was trying to paint - I was really trying to get it done before Dale's mom came to town at the end of the week.

Anyway, we camped out there for what seemed to be 1 1/2 hours, but it could have been less. Time literally stood still. We finally converged from the depths of the mall and peeked outside. The weather still looked bad, but it was pouring rain which we considered to be a better sign than had it been still and quiet, our had it been hailing. We made the decision to run for the car and get back home before something else came. The roof at the mall was beginning to leak and the toilets were backed up. If another storm came through, we would not want to be in that mall with a flimsy metal roof that would eventually collapse under pressure.

As we drove north on the 2499, the damage was staggering. Multiple power poles snapped in three pieces, metal street signs bent in half, sirens blaring, trees uprooted and thrown to and fro, power outages, etc. As we turned onto the main road heading back to our home, police had temporarily closed it down as they removed trees and debris that covered the road. When we pulled into our neighborhood, more trees and fences were blown over.

My neighbors trash bin from across the street was now on my property and my recycling bins were nowhere to be found. Our back fence collapsed in 4 places. Our BBQ had been moved to another part of our patio. Overall, we got away pretty well. Our neighbor 4 doors down said her roof was shaking as the storm passed, and our other neighbor actually saw a funnel cloud go over their house. I want to ask him what on earth he was doing looking outside!

The other developments got hit much worse than our development. Roofs torn off, shingles strewn about, trees all over, etc. We were told that an F-1 tornado touched down less than one mile from our house, but I haven't checked the validity of that source. After driving through that area, I could see how that would be possible.

I am just grateful to be alright and to know that so many others in our area are safe. While the power is still out for a large number of people, we can all thank our lucky stars that the situation wasn't worse. I've thought about those heavy duty storms that shoot through Kansas and Oklahoma and I have a new appreciation for the people who live in the path of such storms. Frankly, I would be putting my house up on the market if I lived in an area like that. I just don't think I could handle the possibility of such storms coming each year. The 80-85 mph winds our little town of Flower Mound endured caused quite a bit of damage, but some areas of the country endure 140 mph+ storms that level entire towns. It's a very sobering thought.

I will never forget this exciting evening for as long as I've lived and I promise, promise, promise, that I will never leave home without checking the weather report if it looks the least bit overcast, rainy, etc. I have learned my lesson in a most profound way!

Prince Andrew

Andrew and I spent some time together last Friday while Laurel had a playdate. I decided to take a few pictures while we were together.

I love this serious look he has in this picture. It reminds me of a picture of me when I was a little girl.

This picture represents pure bliss - he was so happy to be playing outside with his stroller.

Andrew looks so old in this picture - I think it's the pose. He is changing so much. Dale heard him say his name on Saturday - I wish I had heard it because he hasn't said it since. Andrew is truly a boy of few words. He'll tell you he's thirsty if you ask him, but most of the time he just screams. He is nowhere near as talkative as Laurel was at this age, but she was the other extreme.

I took the kids to McDonalds today so Laurel could play with some other kids. We don't go very often, but when we do, the kids love it. Andrew really likes their french fries. After experiencing several months of him not eating, I welcome any type of food, even if it's not healthy. I really love this stage of childhood - it's right before they hit the terrible twos and threes. They are sweet and love you unconditionally.

Kids

Our little girl loves the garden - She spends a lot of time outside playing with potato bugs, leaves, flower petals, and grass.

Oh how you've grown up this year!

I can't get enough of this little boys face!

Can I just freeze him in time?

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day 2009 Highlights

• Delicious breakfast served by my husband and daughter.
• Beautiful music.
• Adorable homemade gifts from my kids, which are always the best.
• Gourmet dinner cooked by my favorite man.
• Leisurely Sunday walk with the family and some great times with our neighbors - I love the street we live on because of our fun neighbors. We had a great evening outside.
• Terrific gift from Dale - Thank you so much!!!

Here is my family - I am so thankful for the chance I have to be the mother of these two kids. Although I fail most days, I am trying and I hope that they know how much I love them. I am so appreciative of my husband and the man he is. He not only provides for his family, but he loves us and supports us in every possible way. Last week I witnessed a little glimpse into Dale's weekly work routine and I was in awe. Dale, thanks for all you do to make our lives so great. All of the endless hours you sacrifice in our behalf are not only noticed, they are appreciated. Kudos to all of the men out there that support their wives, moms, and other women in their lives. We couldn't do all that we do without you and your love and support.

Finally, one thing I felt could have been emphasized at our church meeting even more was the fact that all women, young and old, with children or without, married or unmarried, deserve to be recognized. There have been many "mother figures" in my life that have blessed me immensely. Some of these women never had children of their own, but their influence upon me was profound and I am grateful for them.

I also want to honor my mom - I have one of those moms that knows how to make homemade donuts and spudnuts and made them often while we were growing up - they were SO much better than Krispy Kremes. Most weeks, we'd come home from school to find some treat or dinner mom was putting together. I loved the smell of my house when mom was baking. My mom is not afraid to try anything. She gardens, sews, shops (she knows how to find the best deals - she taught me to never pay full-price for anything if I don't have to), and puts a lot of effort into family and personal history. She's funny and has made me laugh so many times in my life to the point of tears. Mom taught her children how to work and I'm so grateful for that. Most of all, mom loves her children and grandchildren, and we love her back!