FRIENDS, PHOTOGRAPHS, and Birthday FUN! 3/3 30 Day Photo Challenge Day 21

[-Hope-]

I'm getting so excited for you. That pools looks GREAT! Can't WAIT to see all the pics! Will you be able to get any nighttime/cityscape shots???

I hope so! I'd like to take the water taxi (which travels across Lake Michigan and would have great views) back in the evening for that very reason. We would have to walk through the park from the station to the hotel though and I'm not really sure my mom will feel comfortable walking at night. There are sightseeing cruises but they stretch the budget (which is why we're doing the water taxi to begin with, we get out on the lake without spending a fortune).

 

[-Hope-]

Wednesday July 20:

Our last day will be strictly for travel. Our train leaves at 9:25 AM and is scheduled to arrive back in St. Louis at 3:00 PM. Since it will be the middle of a workday my dad will be coming to pick us up without Robbie (he doesn't have a typical 9-5 job but Robbie does). I feel bad that he has to drive into the city on his birthday to pick us up but Mom is the one who picked the dates. He says he doesn't mind and I'm sure we'll be hungry and can let him pick somewhere to eat so it won't be so bad.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

I cannot wait to read all about your trip and see the pics. I've never been to Chicago (other than inside the airport) so I'm curious as to how it looks and what you're going to do!! It sounds like a lot of fun and since I've never been on a train, I'm anxious to hear about that, too!!!

 

[-Hope-]

I cannot wait to read all about your trip and see the pics. I've never been to Chicago (other than inside the airport) so I'm curious as to how it looks and what you're going to do!! It sounds like a lot of fun and since I've never been on a train, I'm anxious to hear about that, too!!!

I'm sure there will be LOTS of pics- and you know I'm going to yak, yak, yak about it.

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Your plans for your Chicago trip look really great, Hope! I haven't been there in over 20 years and that was for a choir trip in high school so I didn't get to do much. I've always wanted to go back and take the kids. I'm looking forward to you "yak yak yak"ing about it Especially about the Field Museum and the food! Those are the two main reasons I want to go to Chicago LOL! You guys are going to have a blast!

 

[-Hope-]

Thanks Erin! I'm pretty excited. I spent a three day weekend in Chicago a few years ago but all I really had time to do was the Pier, some shopping on Michigan Ave. and seeing Wicked (which was AMAZING). I'm really looking forward to going back and trying new things.

I got new printer ink in the mail today and already got my t-shirt transfers from Amy. I have the day completely free so I think I'll make the kids t-shirts today!

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Ladies - Hope and Karen - you know this is Princess weekend, right? And that you will have to meet all of us on the Wish Thread??? Bwahahaha!

Sorry, I'll sit down and read the rest of the thread like a good girl now!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Ladies - Hope and Karen - you know this is Princess weekend, right? And that you will have to meet all of us on the Wish Thread??? Bwahahaha!

Sorry, I'll sit down and read the rest of the thread like a good girl now!

LIZ! OF COURSE I know it's Princess weekend! I will be turning 40 a mere week after this and I'm determined to be trained for the Princess by then! Oh and you must bring beer in the car for after the race...or will Nancy cover that?

I'm not sure Hope will be arriving until after the race, but I was going to come in a day or two early so I could get it done at the beginning of the trip!

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Okay, loving the Chicago trip! My husband would LOVE to take the train. I make him fly from NJ. We have lots of family there - all of mine - and I love Chicago!

Sorry, back to my reading!

I hope Karen warned you about us - we are a little tiny bit enthusiastic. Teeny bit.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Oh and you totally had me confused posting here, I was over posting to you about alcohol and then I pop over here and you are talking about the Princess!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

uh...ooops! I didn't warn her!

Hope, you are duly warned! No worries, they like to run, they are snarky, and they drink. It's all good, you'll love them!

 

[-Hope-]

Snarky drinkers, yeah, I think I can handle that.

But more runners, really- is something chasing you people??

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

****off biotch!

 

[-Hope-]

I am SHOCKED at your language!

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Snarky drinkers, yeah, I think I can handle that.

But more runners, really- is something chasing you people??

Yes. Fast food.

No, really, I love to eat. Junk, too. And drink. I'd love to say I'm all fit and stuff but the reality is, I have struggled with weight since my daughter was born. I've lost 80lbs and got ripped and then put most of that back on...I do this race because I get to hang out with my friends! And I HOPE one day to be fit and ripped and skinny again. But until that day, I plug along and try not to eat too many dark chocolate peanut M&ms per day.

However, we do have real runners...but they are very nice and drinkers, too!

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Oh and you totally had me confused posting here, I was over posting to you about alcohol and then I pop over here and you are talking about the Princess!

I know, I am TOTALLY messing with you today! Also, no idea why I'm not multi quoting. I'm like a noob.

 

[-Hope-]

Yes. Fast food.

No, really, I love to eat. Junk, too. And drink. I'd love to say I'm all fit and stuff but the reality is, I have struggled with weight since my daughter was born. I've lost 80lbs and got ripped and then put most of that back on...I do this race because I get to hang out with my friends! And I HOPE one day to be fit and ripped and skinny again. But until that day, I plug along and try not to eat too many dark chocolate peanut M&ms per day.

However, we do have real runners...but they are very nice and drinkers, too!

Oh, don't get me wrong, I like to eat. And drink. And junk. And I need to lose weight. But I'm too lazy to run so I like to sit back and make fun of the runners to make myself feel better about it.

 

[-Hope-]

Well, I had every intention of posting pics of the kids shirts for Chicago today but I have a snag in my plans- there's a mouse in my kitchen and I can't bring myself to go in there and do the iron-ons until my hubby gets home and checks the mousetraps! I know that's insane and that a tiny little mouse can't really hurt me but phobias have nothing to do with rationality. Thank goodness we live near my parents because I walked over there when I got hungry so I wouldn't have to go in the kitchen.

Anyway, I printed out the transfers yesterday and already had the shirts washed and ready to go so when DH gets home and assures me the mouse is gone I'll get them finished and post some pics. In the meantime I'll share a few minor updates for the trip- which is in just FOUR days!

1) I got a call from Amtrak last week and they had to make some changes to our reservations due to track maintenance. The good news is that we will arrive in Chicago a few hours earlier the first day and leave a few hours later on the last day. The bad news is that the train station is hours from our house and now we have to leave at about 4:30 AM to make it on time. And we are getting back on my dad's birthday and it will be too late to have a nice dinner with him on the way home.

2) The weather report looks fantastic! High 80s/low 90s all week and sunny! This is great because the extra few hours we have on our arrival day can be spent on the beach before heading to Navy Pier.

3) My SIL is originally from Chicago but lives in Germany now. She just so happens to be there now visiting her family and we're going to try to see if we can work out our schedules for her to have lunch with us one day. I rarely see her since she lives so far away and it would be really great if it works out. I'm not really sure because we are both have extremely busy schedules while we're there.

4) Our final RFC gift card arrived from My Points. $125 total. And I already have nearly enough points for another $50 card for when we go to T-Rex in KC in December.

5) I've actually been procrastinating with the packing. This is mostly due to the fact that I don't have a lot of clothes and need to wear some of the things I want to pack. I did talk to my mom and we are all only doing carry-on. You get two carry-ons plus a personal bag on Amtrak so there's really no need for anything more for a four day trip. This is especially great since we have to leave so early and, unlike air travel, on the train you don't have to arrive as early if you aren't checking a bag.

6) I still have to go shopping for snacks for the train and the hotel room. I'll probably do that tomorrow.

7) I also need to print our train confirmation with the new info. I just realized that the one I have in my folder has the old itinerary and train numbers!

So, that's about it. I'm getting really excited!

 

[-Hope-]

I also have a small Disney related update that I was going to put in that last post but it got too long and I thought it would get lost.

Karen told me the other day that another friend is thinking about coming with us!

She has an infant who will be two at the time so she has to figure out the details but we both really hope she can come. Here's hoping for a little

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

WOOT! I'm so excited for your trip to Chicago! I hope the mouse is a goner by tonight so you can do the shirts (ahem...and post PICTURES!)

I hope Summer can come as well, it will be so much drunken FUN!

What do you think of Raglan Road? I think it might be a fun choice for us. We're doing DDP, right?