A little wind would have been nice

Steve and I are a lot of things, but spontaneous is NOT one of them.

So when our good friends, Matt and Sally, invited us to join them in Chicago for an over nighter (it was Matt's 40th birthday. Sally got him Bears/Browns tickets) we did something uncharacteristically us. We threw caution to the wind(y city), found a sitter and went.

Despite the nearly two 100 degree days, we couldn't have been happier about that decision!
While I lived in NYC for three years, I have spent virtually no time in Chicago. We only live 5 hours away and now I don't know why we have not been here more. From what we saw in our short little visit, it's a very cool city.

While the guys went to the football game, Sally and I shopped. It was so much fun to have girl time and laugh and talk and shop. It was like water to my soul.

But you know you are a mom when you are on a girls trip and you stop in and spend significant time at the American Girl Doll store. I had never been.

It was lovely. Lovely, highway robbery, yet lovely. I'm not sure I would dare bring Olivia to the store. But it was fun to look around.

Did you know that you can get your doll's hair done? For MORE than I get my hair done! Well, yes, I am bald at the moment, so that isn't too difficult. But I mean when I was getting my hair done.

I was also confused because you can get your doll spa treatments. Have they forgotten that the dolls are made from plastic? I'm not sure she is going to benefit much from a facial. America, we should be ashamed of ourselves for buying into this kind of thing. But I'll be the first to admit, O does have an AGD. I'm just saying the doll is going to have to deal with being the only doll on the block that DOESN'T get a facial.

They strategically put the store right next to the Lego store. Gotta give the boys in your life some lovin' too, I guess.

At our house, we have not ventured into Legos yet. Mostly because I'm a selfish pig of a mom. It is all about me, after all. I just am not ready to start stepping on those dang things every time I turn around... just yet.

My feet were screaming at me. I'm pretty sure they just had gotten over our trip to NYC and were not prepared to walk all over Chicago in flip flops. My tootsies are ready for cooler weather for the simple fact of arch support.

It's amazing what 24 hours away with great friends will do to refresh my soul.

I'm thankful for the way God has blessed me this summer. Honestly, the winter was one horrible blur. In contrast, this summer was one incredible blessing. I feel like our family squeezed the life out of summer. I'm so sad to see it go. But that is for another post.

If I have to say good bye to summer, this was one great way to do it.