family time - part two

While my dad and Dave were at the Indy Car race in Milwaukee last weekend, my mom and I got to go on a fun adventure!

My mom has always loved Frank Lloyd Wright. When I knew that we would be spending the day together I decided to look into where some of his homes were to see if we could go visit.  I found out that his first home and several homes he designed were in Oak Park. We decided this would be a great way to spend our day!

We started with a walking tour of the neighborhood where we wore headsets that told us about each house as we walked by. We started with FLW's home and studio.

My mom in front of the studio

We walked past 10 other homes he designed in addition to his own. We had a great time seeing them all! They were all in the same area as his home. It was a great experience.

My mom's favorite FLW home, built in 1902.

My favorite on the tour, built 1893.

After we did the walking tour we were able to go on a tour of his home and studio. We were not able to take photos inside, but it was very beautiful and unique.

We were also able to take a tour of the Unity Temple which Wright designed after the original church was destroyed by fire. He was limited with a small space and limited budget.

Oak Park is also the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway.  We made a point to find his birthplace home and had a look from the outside.

Even though the temperature was very warm, we had a great time touring the town of Oak Park. What a great memory to have!

family time - part one

June has been and will continue to be the month of family visits. First, Dave's parents came to visit us. Then, my parents the following weekend. And this weekend my sister and her family will be joining us for a long weekend. It has been nice to have people up to show them where we live and do some fun things.

We took Dave's parents to one of our favorite places. It is a hidden treasure off a busy road. We are new to the area so I'm not sure how many people have been there but you wouldn't even know what was behind the small entrance.

This is the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. It is such a beautiful, peaceful place. Dave has enjoyed going to their library to have a different place to study. It is only about 15 minutes away.  Saint Mary's was actually the first institution of higher education offered in the city in 1844 at it's original location.  It opened, here in Mundelein, in 1921 after many years of not being in operation.

Dave's parents, Penny and Stan

We had a nice time walking around the campus a little bit on such a beautiful day with two of our favorite people!

daddy's girl

Today I got to spend time with my dad for Father's Day. My parents came up Friday night and spent the weekend. It was great to have them here. My dad and Dave went to the Indy car race in Milwaukee yesterday and had a great time. They even made it on TV! I think that he enjoyed his Father's Day weekend filled with good food and racing!

cooking out Friday night

I'm so blessed to have such a great dad. I have so many great memories hanging out with my dad including many trips white water rafting and canoeing adventures.  More recently, off road adventures! My dad never let my anxieties get in the way of having fun.  He always reminded me that I could substitute the word "dangerous" for "fun!"

My dad has been a great role model of how to treat people kindly and to put others ahead of himself. He is always lending a helping hand to others making people laugh while he is at it.

I love you Daddy!

friend-zy

We got back from Muncie Monday night. I unpacked and repacked and took off on Tuesday afternoon to head back to Indiana. It was such a great week spending time with so many friends and family too!

First up, my two friends Michela and Beth. I met these great girls in 2009 through a Bible study we were all in. We became fast friends and these girls were a great support to me during a very rough time.  Beth and her husband have been trying for several years to have a baby and I was so excited to meet Ezekiel who was welcomed into their family 3 weeks ago. Here is the wolfpack :)

Next, I was able to see 4 great friends in one location which was very convenient! Kelsey and I have been friends since 2002. She has been a great friend over the past several years and I always enjoy catching up with her. You can read about some of our crafting adventures here.

Wednesday, I was able to have dinner with 3 great friends. I know these ladies from my Huntington College days but they will be life long friends.  Whenever we get together there is a guarantee of great food and even better dessert. Usually more focus on the dessert than the dinner! Here is Joanne, Shannon, and Jodi.

And the ever famous dessert shot :) This homemade hot fudge is only one third of the super rich dessert! YUM!

Then I was off to visit my in-laws on Thursday. We went out to dinner and had a great time. It was nice being able to see them even though it was a quick visit.

Stan and Penny

Friday was especially special because I got to see Stacy. Stacy and her family live in Colorado. The likelihood of us both being in Indiana at the same time is very unlikely since we moved to Illinois. Stacy got to Indiana late Thursday night so I stayed an extra night so that we could hang out. We met for lunch and a drive around Huntington. We always love to reminisce on all the great times we had during college. The bonus was being able to enjoy my favorite Mexican restaurant of all time.

At our favorite, Johnson's Junction

I was able to see 10 people, in 4 days, in 4 different cities. It was good for my soul. There are so many more people that I wish I could have seen. I will save them for another trip...maybe next week :)

memorial day weekend

Dave and I went to Muncie over the holiday weekend. This is the first time that Dave has missed going to the Indy 500 in past 8 years.  He was bummed out for sure but got to enjoy listening to the race out on the pontoon on the reservoir. It was hot and the water was cold and it was a great time out on the water. Ethan had a few firsts on this weekend and we were happy to be a part of that! His first boat ride and Indy 500, radio style.

You can tell he was really into the race!

Growing up, we would always go to the lake Memorial Day weekend. It was the first weekend of the summer that we could get the boat on the water and go skiing and tubing. My dad would often offer us five dollars to jump in the water without putting our toe in first. The water was always freezing! One of the down sides of the weekend, for us girls, was the need to listen to the 500 on the radio. Its bad enough that the race would cut into valuable ski time, then you couldn't even watch it! Just listen. :) Great memories at the lake!

Monday we had a cook out at Liz and Randy's. Dave got to experience a sweet moment of Ethan falling asleep on him.

You can tell that Ethan can't wait to be able to play with their dog, Dottie.  He gets so excited watching her and often moves his arms like mad trying to get to her! Dottie may not be as excited when he becomes mobile!

Dave has finished his first semester and first summer class. He enjoyed the break from reading and studying this weekend. Next summer class starts mid-July.  What a blessed weekend with family :)

Dave and brother-in-law Randy

My Mommy and Ethan's Grammy

My Daddio