moving WEST!

We've been living in Reno for about 8 weeks now and I'm just now starting to feel normal and settled!


Please, experience our move in pictures!

 A final evening stroll through our neighborhood!

 Final sunrise across Lake Michigan! Ugh, I'm missing this!

 Let's get a move on! Westbound I80!

 Bye Bye, Illinois!

 Day One concluded in Omaha, NE where we stayed with our lovely friends!

 

We spent a day exploring Omaha instead of driving! Besides someone stealing my cash, it was the best decision with a 15 mo old!

 

Sock Monkeys make good pillows!

  Day Three, destination Colorado!

 Keeping a little one entertained in the car for endless hours was tough so we shoved a lot of things in her lap to see what would happen!  Here she's reading to us! The book is up-side-down but really... it was awesome!

 Signing FISH!

 Nebraska, Nebraska, Nebraska!

Finally, there you are Colorado!

 We stayed with another lovely friend in Denver!

 Penny loved the STAIRS! They were really nice!

 Wyoming buffalo!  Don't be fooled - it's just a sign!

 We ended day four of our trip in Park City, UT! BEAUtiful!

 Hooray!  We made it.... or did we?!

 Someone was getting a little stir crazy!!!

 Go ahead, play the video! I'll wait to tell you the rest when you're done!

 In the middle of Nevada, our trailer blew a tire and caught FIRE!  

Yep, you read that correctly!

FIRE!

 After we put it out, called UHaul (sons of bitches) we kept P cool in the 90 degree desert!

 Does UHaul send replacement tires? NO! They send replacement trailers! WTF!!!

 Unloaded the stupid trailer!

 Penny was in the shade under a tree in her pack n play!  Man that thing comes in handy!

 Our Rescuers! 

Be my guest, send them a thank you note!

 They checked all our tires! Just in case...

6 hours later we were on our way...

Told you it was fun!

Fall in Chicago

Fall is the most amazing season in Chicago.  

As the temperature drops and the air turns crisp you know you're in for a visual treat.  The leaves around the city turn burning red, orange and yellow.  We switch out our summer/winter clothes and I revisit my other wardrobe that I haven't seen in 6 month (OK let's be real, 4 months).  Hello vests and sweaters!

I try to encourage family and friends to visit in Fall so they can experience what we love about the city.  Lots of people came to visit this Fall - finally the words is out.  Nolan's family, my mom, friends all showed up this fall to enjoy the city.

In September, Nolan's mom, sister, and nephew came and well - we packed a lot into 3 full days.  The six of us saw the zoo, 2 museums, an aquarium, a baseball game, the view atop the John Hancock Building, and were worn out reminiscing about it let alone doing it!

Ric, Nolan's sis, was impressed with how awesome our FREE zoo was!

 We almost mistook Penny for one of the animals in the primate house!  Oops!

 Bob's first street performer donation.

 A carousel - of course!

 Look at Bob, above then at Nolan, below - think they're related?

 

Imagine our surprise when we headed to the Museum of Science and Industry to find that it was a FREE day!

 Exploring the city

At the Cubs Game

My mom made it out this year in Mid October (apparently she needed to get a "Penny fix") and we enjoyed lots of walks, dinners, and conversation!

We visited the Chicago Botanical Gardens, 350+ well manicured acres.