Museums

A couple weekends ago the in-laws came for a visit to celebrate a couple birthdays with us.

We spent a day downtown making our way through Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum.

On a side note, I checked the camera battery before we left, and somehow by the time we made it into the aquarium, it was nearly dead, so I only got a couple shots. 

To get into 3 exhibits (which is just about enough when you go on a packed weekend) it's only $8. It's probably one of the least expensive things to do in Chicago. It's free on Mondays and Tuesdays from Jan-March, but I'm not sure if that's for everyone or only Illinois residents.

Next time we will be buying our tickets ahead of time. We waited in line outside (freezing) for about 45 minutes as all the people who were on their game made their way into the warmth.

Matt and I will be heading back sometime to check out the other exhibits.

The Field Museum was really interesting, a little more expensive, but packed with a whole day's worth of exhibits. We really tried to do too much with too little time.

With a little one (and the other men) we got downtown late and had to battle the crowds to get in.

By the time we all had tickets, it was after noon, and the museums close at 5. 

Also, if you plan to spend a day around the museum area, be aware of the food options. Besides a hotdog stand, there's nothing within walking distance. 

There's a McDonalds in the basement of the Field Museum, and a cafe on the main floor.

It's a little hard to plan and coordinate for 7 people, but I think we managed the best we could.

That night we celebrated birthdays with presents, a delicious chocolate-peanut butter cake, and ice cream. 

It was nice to have family with us, even if it was only for a couple days.

Chicagoland

Let me start off by saying that M and I have moved to Chicago's suburbs (just in case you didn't get the memo).

I created this blog so I can tell everyone at home, all at once, what we're up to. Obviously, some of you may get phone calls before the blog posts appear (that's you, Moms & Dads), but for the most part, we've been finding ourselves telling stories over and over again.

Here's a way for you to get the whole story and some pictures.

A lot of people didn't understand why we decided to leave our families, friends, and lives behind. I'll explain it all.

We LOVE our families and our friends, but the truth is, we weren't loving our lives. We were living in a tiny apartment in a town that never felt like home.

M was working every waking hour, weekends included. Besides snuggling together at night while he slept, we didn't really see each other, and we certainly didn't have the married life we had hoped for. 

M and I had many conversations about packing up and leaving everything behind to start somewhere fresh. The things that other people take for granted, we were excited to experience: weekends together and a job that didn't require all of M's time and energy. 

He applied for a job outside of Chicago that he really wanted. It was the creme de la creme of jobs in his field, and as it turns out, he was a perfect fit. 

M left for Chicagoland in September, and the rest is history. 

I was left in Michigan to finish 3+ months of school. 

Every 2 weeks, we saw each other for about 3 days. I don't think I need to tell you how hard it was.

Fast forward to March, and I've been here (permanently) for almost 3 weeks. 

Every time we go downtown, I'm instantly reminded that our short separation was so worth it.

We sucked it up for a few months so that we can spend the rest of our lives in a place that we love.

We're still only 4 1/2 hours from our friends and families in MI/OH, and M even has some family (that I absolutely adore) 20 minutes away. 

So if you want to check up on us to make sure we're alive and doing well, you can come to this little blog. You can also call us and not see all the pretty pictures. Or you could just come for a visit and be in the pictures...

xo Heather

We've Moved

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