I am so grateful for the wonderful trip we got to take last week. The kids and I have never been away from home for longer than 2 nights, so it was quite an adventure to be gone four nights.
This trip would not have been possible if it weren’t for two sets of aunts and uncles letting us stay with them three of those nights. In addition to their generosity, we had one free night in a hotel. Also, with the food I packed and the food we were provided by our family we never ate out. This was truly a blessing.
Last Monday night we stayed with my aunt and uncle (my dad’s brother) which got us closer to Chicago. They provided us with supper and breakfast as well as a good time catching up.
Tuesday morning we headed to Chicago. After missing our turn to park at Shedd’s Aquarium we finally made it. The price of the tickets and parking was fairly pricey, but I think the kids had a fun time.
Then we headed to the American Girl Place in downtown Chicago. It took us a while to secure parking, and we had to walk quite a lot. However, it was worth it to see how excited my daughter was as she got to use her birthday money to buy some outfits for her doll. I think that made her 10th birthday complete.
We decided to go to the Lego Store to allow my oldest son to spend some of the money he had been saving. He loved it, and I am pretty sure my husband did as well.
We were so blessed to have had great weather while we were walking through Chicago. However, on our way to the hotel we ran into a nasty storm. The rain was coming down so hard that we could hardly see 10 feet in front of us. I actually got claustrophobic and asked my husband to pull over for a while. The trip to our hotel took us twice as long as it should have, but I am so thankful we made it safely.
The following day we woke up to clear skies and great temperatures. I have always wanted to go to the Indiana Dunes, so that is where we headed on Wednesday morning. I cannot begin to explain how beautiful it was. We stayed on the beach for about three hours. My kids loved every bit of it. In fact, I think that was the highlight of the trip.
Wednesday afternoon we headed to another aunt (my mom’s sister) and uncle’s house. We stayed with them until Friday afternoon. We had lots of fun boating, swimming, golfing, playing at the park, catching up and just having a fun time.
I am so thankful for safe travels, the ability to have a nice vacation without spending much money, and for being able to visit family. God truly blessed us last week and for that I am so grateful.
