Family; Chicago and the Fourth of July!

Fireworks!

I love fireworks...Hope your Fourth of July was fabulous, as you celebrated Independence Day!

This year, Randy planned for our family to spend a few days in Chicago together, so we arrived there on the 4th! And, so to sit in Millennium Park, with our kids and grand kids and watch fireworks being displayed over Lake Michigan was amazing! (and, of course, a little hot!)

The Palmer House was our hotel destination that evening, as always, we were not disappointed!
The next morning, we took an 'architecture tour' on the Chicago River...in a speed boat... Hilarious!

All I can say is: hilarious!!! Randy booked this tour thinking the kids would love 'going fast'...not taking in to consideration how potentially 'wet' we'd get!!! We were on Lake Michigan for approximately 5.7 seconds when the entire population of our vessel got drenched! I was on an aisle seat, smugly thinking I might get a little 'over spray'...and Whooosh....the water just rushed over the edge of the boat, the entire upper half of my body looked like I'd just gotten out of the shower!...hilarious!!

All I could do was scream and laugh...the kids in front of me were as wet as me, and laughing just as much...Randy looked hilarious with water just dripping off his glasses!! The girls were sitting on the outside...so they were completely soaked, as well!

While I was laughing and considering how ridiculous we all looked, I heard screaming...

Can you say: Terrified?

Ally, poor little thing, was terrified...they were directly behind us, and when the water & laughing & screaming began, she was so scared, all she could do was scream and cry:(

Alayna got her some what calmed down...but we continued to 'get wet' until we entered the locks that connect Lake Michigan & the Chicago River! From that point on, we learned a lot and were in the sun, so we dried out! And, little Ally fell asleep, which was a good thing:)

We enjoyed Navy Pier the rest of the afternoon, rode the giant ferris wheel and Alayna & Wes took Will & Ally to the Children's Museum, which they loved! In the evening, we took a short walk to Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) and took the SkyDeck tour. We ended this day at the 'Bean' and the 'fountains with the random faces', again at Millennium Park...the kids had so much fun playing in the water!

On Tuesday, we enjoyed the Lincoln Park Zoo--the flowers, the trees, and water elements there, with the city sky line as a back drop are, for me, breath taking!

On this day, we changed hotels (don't ask--it's a Randy thing) on purpose, moving to The Drake. After a quick check in and a dinner reservation secured, we walked the short block and a half to the Cheesecake Factory for a light lunch and cheesecake. We ended this day at the huge Borders book store just across the street from Water Tower Place. I love getting lost in there! And, I wasn't disappointed! I found a fabulous book! (I'll share more about that later!)

Today, we slept in a little and had a late breakfast in our hotel. SO much fun! Two times per year, the Drake has an emergency evacuation for their employees. Two times per year. As we were being seated for breakfast, it was ONE of those two times...and so, emergency speakers and alarms were going off for 10 straight minutes. Employees had to evacuate the building, so we got to sit under the alarm while we 'waited for their return'...I'm telling you hilarious!
The view from that dining room was fun, it over looks the walk way and beach area of Lake Michigan.

One of my favorite buildings to look at and ponder is the water tower. I think it is gorgeous....I think I love it so much because it was one of the few buildings that survived the famous Chicago fire. Longevity!


Which makes me remember something my brilliant grandson asked me this morningwhile we waited for our breakfast to arrive. Will says, "G-mar, I was looking at your wedding pictures and you and Grandpa don't have the same faces, where did those faces go?" Longevity! I tried to explain that his face looks 'different' from when he was a baby...I don't think he was impressed!!! I also tried to explain that I was old...still unimpressed...then his eggs came, and it didn't really matter any more! Hilarious! Just hilarious!

Fun times. Great memories! And, of course, Randy's already planning the next place to go!