A Growing Family

Two  weeks ago my sister and her boyfriend came to visit Chicago and meet Nathaniel for the first time.  Although it was too short a visit, introductions were made, Chicago was seen and much fun was had by all.  The day they arrived we took a trip to Gene and Jude's hot dogs for lunch.  It is a Chicago institution and they are the only place to go for hot dogs in our opinion.
Lucky for us we went when we did, because a week later, due to severe flooding in the area, they are temporarily "under water".



 

This is what it looked like when we went...



 

...and this is what it looked like last week



After Gene and Jude's we came home and put down our bags, then headed out for a lovely, though rainy walk to one of our favorite coffee shops, Metropolis for some coffee and a lesson in single brew cups from the very knowledgeable barista.  Following our coffee stop we walked down through Loyola's campus, stopped to admire Modonna della Strata, and continued north along the lakefront for as long as we could stand the wind and rain, then headed home.  The remainder of the evening was spent chatting and enjoying takeout  BBQ from RUB where the highlight is probably the brisket, which was mistakenly left out of the order the first time around but was worth the wait when it finally did arrive.

Saturday was spent enjoying downtown Chicago.  We started off with a short walk to Chimney Cake Island where the chimney cakes are INCREDIBLE, and the service is wonderful, and enjoyed a uniquely Transylvanian cultural experience. That was immediately followed by riding the El, which as any visitor from small town America will tell you is definitely a must, as it has a way of contributing to the "big city" experience. Being as our guests had arrived from Boston, however, I'm not sure it was as thrilling for them.  But we did see Wrigley Field as we passed by on game day...a bonus sighting as the Cubs game did not make it into our agenda for the day.  We enjoyed pricey beverages with an incredible view from the 96th floor of the Hancock building, stopped in at St. Patricks Cathedral, and walked a decent chunk of the Magnificent Mile down to Millennium Park for a look at "The Cloud Gate" a.k.a "the bean", followed by a look around the Chicago Cultural Center where we admired beautiful stained glass, beautiful mosaic tile work, and an art exhibit all for FREE!!  After all of that walking, we were eager to get home and enjoy a meal.  For dinner we chose to go with our favorite Chicago style pizza at Pequods , and I think I can safely say, it was enjoyed by all!



The boys on top of the world! (96th floor of the Hancock building)
 

On Sunday, we woke up and went to Mass, we took a short drive up to Wilmette's antique store, stopping briefly for a cup of single brew at Metropolis, (which I must say was much smoother and clearer than your average cup of joe) and followed up antique store shopping with brunch and the best bloody Mary's I've had in a long time.   Then it was time to say goodbye to the lovely couple and we dropped them off at the airport with hugs and promises of future visits to Boston and back to Chicago.  It was a whirlwind trip, but we are so glad they could come.  

Two weeks later I received a call from my sister saying that they are engaged!!!!  Supposedly he had the ring with him in Chicago!!! HE COULD HAVE PROPOSED HERE!!!  We couldn't be more thrilled for them and we are so happy to welcome Tim to the family.  He is a wonderful man, and they are very happy together.  May God bless you on your journey together. We look forward to seeing much more of you :)

Congratulations!

The happy couple with little Nathaniel!
 

 

We had a great time with you and miss you already.  Thank you so much for visiting.  I am certain Nathaniel was so happy to meet his Auntie and soon to be Uncle!