day two in chicago.
we spent the morning at our photo session.
i have never prepared my children's/husband's/my own personal outfits like i did for that.
we looked MArrrrrrvelous….if i am allowed to say that?
and i have nothing to show for it.
the pics take weeks to see
(which i understand more than many people…seeing that i am weeks behind in my photos also)
and i took none of us.
seriously.
so we will wait.
patiently.
and hope that i do not look pregnant (because i am NOT) in at least 70% of the pictures.
not that that would be wendy or tyler's fault….just mine.
we tried to go to the Sears Tower.
my family wanted to go to the glass skydeck…at the top of the building sticking out…waaaay up.
i did not.
but i would have let them.
we arrived and it was a 1.5 hour wait in a long line.
with 5 hungry grumpy hot kids craig and i said "no way"
this is as close as we got to the Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower….????)
why do people have to change history like that?
for real.
as we were walking to our lunch destination we came upon streets shut down for the filming of
Transformers 3.
it was cool…not something you see everyday.
that is the set.
right on a real chicago street.
later we watched all the ACTUAL transformer cars race down the street….even Optimus Prime!
i have no clue what i am talking about….i was as clueless as the elderly people walking around
asking "what is going on here? why are all these people stopped? who is up there?"
BUT i did grow up with transformers so i recognized the name optimus prime.
it was cool to see it.
but i doubt i will see the movie.
oh SHiAAAA!!! (i can't say his name without thinking of this clip…)
we did not see him…much to lauren's disappointment.
LUNCH.
it's always portillos.
always.
i wrote out their orders like a waitress and took my sheet to the line to order.
seven different orders are just too much to remember anymore.
when i got back to the table scott took this pic of craig and me.
ha.
moving on through the busy chicago streets…
we made it to the lego store.
it was sean's birthday wish.
and i was determined to make it happen.
it took about an hour for sean to look over the whole store.
the other kids had left with craig.
he chose the space shuttle for ages 16+.
i had no doubt he could do it.
i told him if he chose that it would be his only birthday gift.
he was very okay with that.
the joy he had being able to pick it out…tell the saleswoman it was his birthday gift…priceless.
i got all teary eyed.
he was SO HAPPY.
which makes a mama happy too.
meanwhile down the hallway of the mall we were in…
the girls were shopping too.
each with their own money they had been saving.
annie and talby bought monkeys at the hello kitty store.
possibly the cutest stuffed animals ever.
and lauren bought a very cute dress at Lucky.
um….i loved that store.
never been in one.
i wanted this for me….bad. in navy…as a shirt not a dress because i am 34.
but i bought nothing.
not even a starbucks.
the other smiley son.
he had no money to spend…spent it ALL the day before the trip.
on PSP stuff for the drive.
pretty smart actually.
it's a loooong drive.
are you tired of seeing the camera over my face?
this was the last one.
i really like it.
talby was called out of the crowd for a business card with "The Tin Man".
and a photo op.
she was BEAMING. the card is a treasure. she even has his cell phone number.
if you ever want to book him for a party let me know….
lauren wanted to go in burberry.
so we waited.
i think she was surprised at how truly expensive it really was….but at least she got to see it.
and then….craig and i decided that we'd had enough chicago.
it's just not the same with 5 kids at our sides.
it was fun but michigan awaited.
goodbye chicago.
i looked over at craig about an hour into the drive and said "i can feel my stress lifting. i can breathe"
the city is so loud and busy that i get tense with my kids there….but i still love it.
i am just on high alert the whole time.
hello michigan.
chicago jen and her family arrived at the rental house shortly after we did.
we were spending an entire seven days together.
it was the longest trip we've taken together yet…..and it rocked.
we had time at the beach as the sun was setting.
michigan has the best sunsets!!
stress is gone.
ready to chill all week with my family and our best friends…..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
we were near Saint Joseph, MI.
on lake michigan.
we love it here.
April - St. Joe…..love it there!! Did you guys go to the fountains??? How about Kilwins?? I can’t believe you were right by where I live….I was waiting to see if you would say where in Michigan:) Looks like you guys had a blast!
Rebecca H. - we were just in Chicago this weekend also! LOVE your pictures… I’m now kicking myself for missed picture opportunities… but have some great ideas for ‘next time’ Hope you had a great time! Enjoy Michigan!
midwestmom - I would love to know where you stayed at too. Please?! My hubby wants to vacay to MI but we have never been to that area. Great pics and I love your blog.
Shannon - It’s so nice to hear people say such wonderful things about Michigan. Locals have been doing a lot of bashing these days, but I keep my eyes on the prize. I love lake Michigan. We camp at state parks along the lake. They are absoluely beautiful.
www.Kellyloves.wordpress.com - I’m like you … I’ve *heard* of optimis prime. ha! still cool.
http://www.kellyloves.wordpress.com
Jennifer - Love your jewelry-you guys look terrific and I can’t wait to see your pictures. Looks like a blast!
Karen Lehmann - I took my kids to Michigan so that my oldest could swim at the camp at the University of Michigan for a week. I want to move there. really. i would move there tomorrow.
Gemma - I want to go to Chicago now! It looks like a lot of fun for a mini break : )
Great pics as usual!
Gemma x
Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Meg, that looks amazing! I’m so happy for you!
Toni :O) - OMG…not only do I LOVE St. Joseph area…Silver Beach ROCKS!!! I MUST show my son your blog in the morning because he will go NUTS with your photo of the beat up road for the filming of Transformers. We’re told they will be filming in the Detroit area and I would LOVE to be able to take my son to see that…he’d go CRAZY with excitement as Bumblebee the Camaro is his favorite car in the world! Great pics and it’s cool to see so many Michigan readers on here…woot woot!
*Alex* - I’m from Michigan and then lived in Chicago and these pics make me miss them both SO much!! Love these!
Mansi - Awesome pics..
Janelle Dobbins - im a blog stalker but just had to comment. i must have just missed you! i was in chicago last week for our pampered chef conferece. this year we were at the hyatt on wacker. they did a lot of ariel shooting for transformers while we were there. it was pretty neat!! the embassy in chicago is the best! who can beat that AWESOME FREE breakfast and free happy hour!!!
Tanya H - I HAD to show my son and husband your transformer movie shots. We saw Optimus Prime and Ratchet (I barely know what I’m talking about either!) a few weeks ago- they stopped for the night in a hotel in our teeny little town on the way east. My kids were out of their heads excited. π
Rachel / cREaTe - you are so cute. love your hair, shirt & necklace! such cute pics & i am dying to go to ANYWHERE on lake michigan. [we were super close to going to mackinac island this weekend!] LOVE that you got to spend 7 days with your best family friends. π awesome.
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - That’s exactly how I feel when I leave the city too… a weight lifting! Cool to see the movie set. I’m kind of impressed by things like that.
Loved your hair in all those pics. It is super cute.
Oh and I bought my girls those exact monkey’s when we went to Miami recently. I thought they were the cutest things ever…my husband fought me on it. I won:)
Shann - While in Michigan, you were really close to where I live! π We love the beach up here. Just like the ocean but without seashells. Darn it. π Your trip sounds like so much fun with your friends. I know what you mean about a trip to Chicago with kids. Very stressful. So much could happen to them and when you are from a small town like I am, they are just not exposed to all that wackiness. π
Genn - Hi Meg! My name is Genn and I’ve been reading your blog for a while now. Sorry I don’t usually comment! I am a little intimidated sometimes I guess to comment on “big blogs” like yours. You seem to get so many comments, sometimes I wonder how do you possible have time to read them all?
Anyway, here I am commenting, and saying hello!! Your pictures are always so fantastic. I am so inspired by them. Your family seems like so much fun, and I kinda feel like I know you (I know that sounds stalker’ish right?) since I’ve been reading your blog for so long and never said hello.
Feel free to stop by my blog sometime so you know who I am. Maybe then I will seem less stalkerish. π
My favorite picture in this post was the first one at the end of the afternoon in Michigan. Beautiful!!
Happy blogging! ~Genn
Melissa V. - Would love to know if that was a cute camera bag that was hanging from you…or what you use for a camera bag during a trip?
Shirley W - Great photos. Our son and family live right downtown and our daughter lived there for 5 years. We have visited many of the same sights. One of our first trips there, I, too, thought I would buy something at Burberry….not! We love to visit but certainly appreciate our small town when we get home.
shelley - we live close to st joe and head up there all the time. your pictures are fabulous as usual!
Beth W. from Dirty Laundry - I always feel so guilty when I don’t wait in lines for everything with my children who are just dying to ride that ride or go to an opening night movie…so glad to hear you didn’t wait in line for Sears (Willis??) Tower—makes me feel a little better. I just loved the hello Michigan photo. Absolutely gorgeous.
heather - love all your adventures! i know what you’re saying about kids in the city versus being there alone…we still love to do it but it is clearly very different!
and on the clothes front…i love the lucky dress/shirt! very cute! and the tank/leggings set your daughter is wearing cracked me up because my one year old has the same outfit. very different look on a big kid (but still very cute)!!
Laura Phelps - oh Meg…I just love going on vacation with you…
your pictures pull me right in as f I am there
my girls would have bought those monkeys
you look beautiful
colorful
alive!
thanks for sharing
xo
CK - So glad that you got to see some MI sunsets. They are the best! We recently went to the east coast. Our kiddos have been spoiled by the freshwater of Lake Michigan that is so big it looks like an ocean! They didn’t care much for salt water… St. Joseph is a wonderful town. We live not far away. Love the pics. Thanks for sharing!
Jeannette - Ohhh Chicago, my kids and I just came back from our first trip there!!!! We LOVED it there and how crazy we stayed in the same exact hotel……we were there the first weekend they started filming Transformers 3 and the picture policy didn’t allow us to take any pics. I looked through all of yours from the city and it was like I was right there again!!!! Thanks for sharing :o)
angela - I love how PROUD he looks over getting to pick out the Legos!!! (Love following along on your trip too!)
Wendy - I grew up on Lake Michigan. In a little town called New Buffalo. It’s quite built up and touristy now. Enjoy your time.
jamie - we live in michigan, the ann arbor area. i just dragged my hubs and two of my kids to lake michigan a week ago for a day trip to st. joseph! where was the rental home? would LOVE to check it out for a possible stay! michigan is lovely, isn’t it?
Sarah - Funny. My husband and I just got back from a weekend there just for us. We were at that same Lego store and Hello Kitty store getting toys for the kids. And, our hotel was right on the street where they were still filming Transformers. Great city!
Lisa - Im loving looking at all the photos. There is something about seeing a place on the other side of the world through the eyes of someone else. Perhaps one day we will travel and see some of these sights too.
I was surprised when you said that water was a lake. It is so expansive i thought it must have been the ocean. Now im gonna have to look at a map and see where Michigan is. LOL
Flower Patch Farmgirl - Silver Beach!!! We are close to St. Joe and we love that whole area. Can I just say that if I had happened upon all of you that I quite possibly would have accosted you in some fashion? It would have been a friendly accosting, but an accosting, nonetheless. Oh, I also would have fainted dead away.
Kimberlee J. - Chicago might have been stressful, but you look fabulous. Pregnant? I think not.
That Lauren has great taste—Burberry. IN MY DREAMS. Sigh.
DreamGirlLisa - OH Megan, what wonderful trip…love seeing it through your eyes/lens…your hair looks so darling, I really love it, all the pics of you are coming out great…can’t wait to see more!
You have really made me want to go to Chicago…someday hopefully!
Staci - Ahhhh π Beeyouteeful!! Never been to Meeechigan…gonna put that on my list π Glad you had such an awesome time!
Keisha - I live about 30 minutes from St. Joe and love going to Silver Beach. You are right Michigan does have the best sunsets and beaches. Sometime you should visit South Haven they also have beautiful beaches. Love reading your blog:) Thanks for sharing your photos.
Tonya - Not sure if you and your family are popcorn fans, but Garrett’s Popcorn shop on Michigan Ave is WONDERFUL!!!! They always have a long line, but it goes fast and is totally worth it. I used to live in that area and GP, Portillo’s (which I see you found already), Giordano’s and the Hancock tower are just a few of the attractions I suggest to friends. Thanks for sharing.
http://www.garrettpopcorn.com/
elma - Oh Meg I just took six of my kids to Chicago by myself for two days. I was soooo stressed that I would lose a little one. The place is sooo busy and crazy but my kids loved it. We to went to Lego land and I posted pictures on face book of Lego Woody to:) Glad you have a great time.
Loved the pictures of the lake. We went there last week and are going with my girlfriend and her kids tomorrow. They are from Canada so they are super excited. π
Lori - I agree. I love Chicago to visit once in a while but it’s almost overload with all the hustle and bustle. Beautiful sunset picture!
linda lou - this will be my only trip to chicago & michgan i’am enjoying it. the photos are awesome(:
blessings, and safe trip home
Shari - So I see that you are using your camera without a strap? I find that my strap gets in my way more than it helps…
Jocelyn Stott - Great pics. I love the lego Woody. Looks like it is a great trip!!!
lala - Meg, Would you share where you rented or some recommendations? St. Joseph is not too far from here and we need a mini-vacay before summer is over. Thanks! Lindsay
Talysa - So glad to hear that I’m not the only “high alert” mom. I like that name…sounds much better than neurotic. π
Stacy - Love the pictures. Looks like you are having some wonderful family time. I don’t know if you have any Ross stores where you live. But I saw a shirt there that looks almost exactly like the dress you wanted a Lucky but it was only 14.99. Just wanted to share.
shelly - Ah, Legos! My sister had our boys this weekend and took them to Legoland in Schaumburg…they are still talking about it!!!
Julie - What a nice vacation! Enjoyed seeing your pictures and reading about your trip. My boys would love to go to the Lego store for their b-day ~ totally cool boy b-day!!!
Aimee - My family is from Michigan. Not me, but my mom and nana. I lived there for a couple of years in my early twenties. We would drive from NY to MI just about every summer when I was a kid. I LOVED it! Its such a relaxing place and I love that the sun sets so late there (so close to the edge of the time zone).
Jennifer - We’ve never been to this part of the country…your pics make me want to head that way! Oh, and btw,I soooo love your hair!!
BriBedell - Okay now I am really upset..woman, I live so close to St. Jo. (creepy stalker alert) Bummer π Hope you guys had a good time!! Please tell me you made it to Silver Beach Pizza at least once!!
elisa - Lucky Girl- love Lake Michigan.
Pushing for a trip there too!
Penny - St. Joe is a lovely place. I love Lake Michigan!! We are on the other side of the state. My daughter goes to college in Grand Rapids. It is so nice there. I love all of the pictures. How wonderful to spend a week with friends. I feel the same about cities. They are great to visit, just way too busy for me!! Thanks for sharing your trip!
Ashley Stinson @ The Hillside Home - great pictures!!!! thanks for sharing!
Lisa - I hear what you’re saying about Chi-town being stressful with the kiddos – not the same when you’re there alone as a couple! Glad you had a good time on vacation – Michigan looks fantasic!
Georgia - Ohhhh i really want to goto America again.
I have visited Florida twice as a kid, but i need a city adventure and it looks like just the place!
Sophie - Such gorgeous pictures,you’ve got me wanting to visit Chicago now! And I totally agree on the Sears Tower thing π