On August 17th - Logan's 5th birthday, we were sad to be leaving for a wedding in Chicago and miss the day with him. Luckily, we had spent some time celebrating leading up to his big day. Kate and Lang's wedding had been planned for earlier in the month when they asked John to officiate and the date changed. Of course, it was not an event we wanted to miss and John was more than honored to be a special part of their day. We had a birthday breakfast and hugs and then were on our way with just little Eden.
First stop: Chipotle in Madison. John did the double burrito. Yes: that's TWO burritos. Whoa.
Eden was champion baby on the way! She slept and played and when she got a little tired of being in the back by herself, I joined her. I really enjoyed the time playing with her, talking to her, and reading to her - so undivided. It was great drive.
We checked into our nice hotel room and had a little time before meeting up with the Bride and Groom for the rehearsal.
And we didn't eat until much later - but couldn't resist ordering some Chicago style pizza. (at 9 pm?!)
We walked along the lake for a bit and watched the sailboats and then turned into Millenium Park.
We had to stop at Cloud Gate (aka "The Bean") because I had never been there.
We thought this sign was so funny! Don't mess with your Chicago Dog.
The fountain flashes faces and then while the face puckers...
it sprays water! Pretty funny to have a spitting fountain in the middle of the city. We thought the boys would have loved running in the shallow water!
From Millenium Park you can walk a bridge to the Art Institute to the sculpture gardens, so we walked the bridge and got some great views.
When we got to the other side, there was nothing to see at the sculpture garden, so we just took a couple photos and headed back.
Then it was back to the hotel to get ready for the ceremony.
Even after a long sleep in the Ergo, Eden had a cool little nap while we got ready.
Eden wore her party dress and looked so cute. This is a dress my Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Greg sent for Eden. It reminded me of something I would have worn when I was little - kinda frilly and pretty. It was so adorable!
The Windy City lived up to its name while we stopped for a Starbucks in the University Village on our way to the ceremony.
Unfortunately, I was busy keeping Eden busy at the ceremony, so I didn't take any photos. It was beautiful. The ceremony was at dusk, which highlighted the stained glass windows in this old church. The church was actually pretty shabby - some walls cracking and not very well kept. But, the church was a part of Kate's family history and made it so special.
The ceremony was candle-lit and very humble. The best part about weddings is how personal they can be for the couple and this was a perfect wedding in that respect. It was a favorite of mine. It was Christ-centered and beautiful. Kate and Lang are a special couple. John did a great job with the ceremony and message - what an honor.
After the ceremony, we drove to The Bristol for an out-of-this-world dinner reception. It was delicious and beautiful.
Eden was only awake for a little of the party. We got to see some old friends and meet some new friends, so it was a super fun night!
But by the end, we were as tired as Eden.
What a busy and FUN day!!
Since we didn't have anything to rush home for on Sunday, we booked an architectural boat tour that took us along the river and explained the history and architecture of the city. We really enjoyed it and the morning was lovely.
Who is the cutest little girl in the world? This one. Love that smile.
Maybe you are sick of hearing it, but Eden was awesome. She enjoyed the tour with us - and a few snacks along the way. :)
The boat docks right near Navy Pier, so we thought we would walk and enjoy the beautiful day and our last couple hours before heading home.
The view of the city from Navy Pier. John had never been on the pier, so we thought we should give it a go. Its not really something we like to do, but there was some good people watching and we saw some of the air show that was going on.
John took over all the gear and the baby after I did most of the carrying all weekend. I was relieved to give my back a break! Doesn't he look good with all the stuff?
We hit the road after our quick trip to Navy Pier, stopping for lunch and only got stuck in a little bit of traffic on the way. One more stop a diaper change and we were home! Eden was a super baby - the best traveler and a joy to have a long. We got updates all weekend on the boys' great weekend at Nana and Papa's. They came home Monday - just in time for Logan's 4 year well check at our pediatrician's office. It was a fabulous weekend. Thanks to Kate and Lang for including us in such a special way and thanks to my parents for making Logan's birthday weekend really great.
