La Vie est Belle

A bit over a year ago B's cousin G, got engaged to a fabulous girl.  Being as they are both Venezuelan Dutch, it came as no surprise when they announced the wedding location as Amsterdam.  Seeing as it is quite a trek to Europe, not to mention a bit costly, we decided that we would make a two-week vacation out of it.  After checking into a few different locations (Greece, Turkey, Germany), we settled on an old favorite - Paris.   We have all been before, and that was one of its selling points.  We could relax and not have to rush to see all of the sights (though we did a fair bit of sightseeing).  It also allowed for an effortless train ride into Amsterdam when we needed to get to the wedding.

We left, appropriately dressed, early on Tuesday morning...

And arrived at our Airbnb about lunchtime the next day.

Jet lagged (we had been up close to 24 hours at this point since sleeping on the plane proved impossible for us all), we hit the streets.  And we walked and walked and walked...We have already seen the Tuilleries and the giant wheel, and we have walked the length of Saint Germain des Prés; we have looked out from the top of the Eiffel tower and have taken silly pictures of it from afar.  But the girls were so young the first time (it was 5 1/2 years ago after all) it was good to reacquaint them with it all again.  And it was an easy way to get some fresh air and reset their body clocks.

She kept awake by doing handstands and running stairs...

And jumping to catch leaves...

Then, suddenly, there it was...

 And I had to recreate the cheesy photo we took the first time.  Now a preteen, she wasn't as enamored of having her picture snapped here, but she did it to please her Mama (and is now glad she has it as a memory).  We couldn't recreate it from the exact same spot because she has grown considerably and we couldn't get the picture with her standing up so high.  But we could do it with Stinkerbell...

We had tickets to the tip-top this time (last time it was closed due to strong winds).  I wasn't so sure how I felt about that, but in the end, I am glad we did it.

 At this point, the girls were running on fumes, so we hopped the Metro (where some of us took a quick nap) and ate dinner at the unheard-of hour of 5 pm.

 Bedtime was early (like 7:30 pm early), and with the aid of some melatonin, we all slept like babies until our wake up call the next morning.  We had a big day ahead of us once again.  And yes, I know I said earlier we were going to relax this time around, but it doesn't mean that we were going to just sit around and eat macarons...

You've just graduated, what are you going to do next?

I'm going to Disney World!

We have a pretty busy summer planned with MadHatter attempting to make her first Junior Olympics for Track and Field,  Stinkerbell practicing 5 days a week with her gymnastics team, a two week trip to Europe for a family wedding, unpacking all of our worldly belongings and all of the other minutiae that goes with just being alive.  There aren't a lot of days that are just free from commitments except for the first few right after school let out.  I could have just relaxed and enjoyed the free time, but what fun is that?  Instead, I planned a 4 day trip to Disney World to celebrate our recent grad and our soon to be Birthday girl. 

Early the morning after school let out for the summer (and by early, I mean 6 am) we were on the road.  We pulled into Epcot just as they were opening for the day and spent the next 4 full days riding as many rides as we could, stuffing our faces with junk food, and just making memories.  I won't bore you with all of the pictures we took but no post would be complete without a few...

 A new parade!

 

 A birthday present finally fulfilled.

 New ride coming soon.

Just a few steps (and we weren't quite done yet...)

 Soaking wet but no matter, it was super hot so we dried quick.

 Termite hills and upside down trees.

 I drank the beer, they stood in the single rider line for Everest (over and over and over again).

 A bit of rain never stopped us.

Blown Away by Navy Pier

Saturday in the Windy City and it looked like it was going to be sunny and in the mid-'70s.  That meant only one thing - Navy Pier and a walk down the Magnificent Mile.  Having lived in Illinois for many years, I have trod the Magnificent Mile plenty of times but this was my first trip to Navy Pier.  This is mostly because I left the state before the Pier became what it is today - 50 acres of parks, restaurants, exhibits, and attractions.  As we were walking up the first thing spotted was the giant wheel which everyone declared was a must.  Heading over, we got sidetracked by the giant chair and the need to sit...

We made it to the wheel and those of us not deathly afraid of heights got in line while the others waited below soaking up the sun.  Which was necessary because that wind off of Lake Michigan is no joke.

We needed to get two cars.  This is my attempt at a photo of those in car 2 from our group...

Uncle C also snapped this...

We got some pretty cute kids in our car too.

 

And there are a few of the rest of us having some popcorn while they wait on the bench.

The Pier.

That skyline...and you can start to see the dark clouds rolling in.

The kids spotted the swings from the wheel and we promised them a ride.  But not before getting them all sweatshirts.  Did I mention that wind that the Windy city is named for?

P (sitting with MadHatter) is deathly afraid of heights.  The kids talked him into this.  And that smile is nervous as all get out.

Love a good reflection shot.

By now the sky was threatening rain.  So much for the sun and 70s they forecasted.  But, having grown up in the midwest, it was not unexpected by any of us.  The weather can change on a dime.  We decided to ditch our walk on the Magnificent Mile and hightailed it to our cars.

We did not make it!  Those of us without hoods stayed behind and sought cover while the others sprinted ahead to get to the garage.  Grampa came back and picked up Nana, Spike and I and off we went in search of dry clothes at the hotel.

Still gorgeous even in the rain.

Dry clothes secured.  And just in time for dinner.  And since the kids had never had deep dish pizza we knew exactly what was on the menu.  What is Deep Dish, you ask?  Well, as the name suggests the crust is very deep creating a pizza that looks more like a pie than a flat pizza.  But that doesn't mean it is thick crust pizza.  Traditional Chicago deep-dish is a thin crust with a thick, thick layer of toppings including a chunky tomato sauce and layers upon layers of cheese.  And because of its longer baking time, which would cause the cheese to burn if put on top, the ingredients are assembled upside-down from a traditional pizza.  Mouth watering good! 

And the girls agreed!

Look at all of that cheesy goodness!

A balloon lady even came by and made swords and animals for the kids.

Stuffed, we headed back to the hotel for a nightcap where MadHatter decided that her Uncle C needed to update his hairstyle.  And then proceeded to do this for the better part of half of an hour (he is a pretty good sport).

It was getting late, and we had a very early taxi ride in the morning, so we bid everyone goodnight and farewell.  It surely was a whirlwind weekend and we will have to get back to Chicago soon to sight see with the girls but it was so worth it.  It was fun introducing my kids to my home state.  And on the way home I got to introduce them to one of my other favorites from when I lived in North Carolina (we went through the Charlotte airport) - Bojangles.  The best chicken and biscuits around!

Until next time Midwest!  I'm sure we will see you again soon.