Prom 2014

Will's junior prom was this past Saturday. Initially I wasn't sure he was going to go (date drama)(yeah, boys sometimes have drama too) but I'm so glad he did. He ended up going with one of his friends and they had a great time! Here are some pictures!

This was Will's first time to wear a tux and I though he looked SO nice and SO grown up. I know I'm partial but he's one handsome kid!

Here he is with some of his good friends (the girls! ha!)

 But don't be deceived. The group he and his date went with was HUGE!

So huge, in fact, that they rented a PARTY BUS to take them to prom. 

The bus actually took them to dinner in Denver first. I suppose they could have had dinner in Colorado Springs but they needed to get their money's worth out of that sweet ride. 

The funniest part of the evening was when his date opened his boutonniere and discovered it was actually a wrist corsage! Oops. We pinned it on anyway and he said it stayed on all night.

I'm so glad he went and even more glad he had fun! 

Six on Saturday

Oh wow...it's been awhile since I've checked in here, hasn't it? Here's what I've been up to.

1. My mom came to visit over Easter. It was fun having her here for a week! We got to do some fun things with her and she got to experience the craziness of our schedules! Last Saturday morning, she treated the girls and I to the Easter Tea at Glen Eyrie. It was wonderful!

2. Our Easter was very nice! Guess what? NO snow this year. I don't think it's snowed on Easter in a few years now. That makes me happy. My mom took some pictures for us after church--these are a couple of my favorites. 

On Easter afternoon, we went to see the movie God's Not Dead which seemed to fit the theme of the day. Have you seen it? I thought it was good! 

3. A few days before Easter, this cutie got about six inches of her hair chopped off. Her new hair cut is adorable...and I think it makes her look older. *sniff sniff*

4. My doorbell rang one day this week and I answered it to find a fun surprise from my boss--flowers for Administrative Assistant's  Day (or Secretaries day or whatever it's called). Regardless of what the day is called, it was a sweet treat and they look beautiful on my kitchen table. Fresh flowers make me happy.

5. Know what else makes me happy? A Saturday with very little on the docket. It's almost noon and I'm still in my pjs! I do have somewhere to be later but only for about an hour and then it's back home and (hopefully) back in my pjs. Days like this are so nice. And so few and far between.

6. We have four more weeks of school! FOUR! I am super excited about that. Summer is my favorite season and I'm envisioning long days at the pool and have my sights set on a few 14ers. More than anything I'm ready for a break from the daily routine. Four weeks...I think I can, I think I can.

Happy Saturday, friends. 

SMP = 4.15.14

SMP = Seven Minute Post

Know what today is? Besides Tax Day? It's haircut day for ME! I'm so excited. I can go about eight weeks between cuts but it's been more like twelve. I'm gray and shaggy and my roots are looking rough. I am sooooooooo excited about my appointment today.

John and Abbey set their alarms to get up and see the blood moon last night. Not me. I'm a huge fan of sleep. John said it was beautiful. I betcha I can find some pics online today. :)

See this girl? She won 2nd place in "Interpretation of Poetry" at her speech/forensics tournament last Saturday. I am SO proud of her. Her poet-dad was even prouder.

And see this snow? We woke up to several inches yesterday morning. I'm so over it. More snow (non accumulating) is expected this week. But we're also expecting some nice days too. Spring in Colorado is just nuts. I'm grateful that the forecast for Easter looks to be nice. 

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope your day is great!

April Currents

Current Read: I'm still reading Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist and it is SO good. Oh my gosh, her Blueberry Crisp is amazing. I've made it three times in three weeks and am thinking about making it for breakfast in the morning. I'm also reading this Bread and Wine book. So funny...

Current Playlist: Chris Tomlin, Jared Anderson, Matt Redman, New Life Worship, and Passion. So basically a worship mix.

Current Color(s): Lime green. And anything else that feels springy. 

Current Drink: I just discovered the white chocolate mocha from Starbucks last week. Oh dear me, it's delicious.

Current Food: I'm hooked on this specific Greek yogurt with this specific granola on top, because I'm not picky or anything. So good. Most dairy bothers my stomach but thank goodness I can handle this yogurt!

Current Favorite Favorite: The leopard flats I bought last fall. I dug them out from the back of my closet when our weather finally warmed up enough to wear them last week. They are so fun...and so comfy...and they go with everything!

Current Addiction: I am addicted to the sushi from my local supermarket. It's so yummy...and inexpensive. I've been picking up a roll almost every time I go to the store lately. Addicted.

Current Wish List: I can't believe I can't think of anything right now. I usually have a wish list a mile long.

Current Need: A new washing machine. Ours is not going to make it much longer.

Current Triumph: Lately it's been pretty clear to me what to say yes to...and what to say no to...that feels like a big triumph to me!

Current Annoyance: Cold, snowy weather. I'm ready for summer!

Current Mood: Relaxed. I love Sunday afternoons.

Current Blessing(s): I'm really feeling grateful for my marriage and my family. Some friends of mine are going through some r--o-u-g-h stuff right now and it helps put my blessings in perspective.

Current Outfit: A Patagonia fleece top I've had since probably 1996 and paisley pajama pants. Don't judge. It's a lazy Sunday afternoon and it's snowing here. 

Current Excitement: A new season of Mad Men begins tonight!

Current Project(s): I've been working on a website for my Beachbody business. If you want to jump over there and take a peek I'd LOVE it. I hope to add some more content soon so if you want to bookmark it and come back that would be even better!!!

Current plans for the day: Well, today is almost over but my plan is to eat dinner soon. I made chili since it's snowing and it's probably the last time we'll have it for awhile. After dinner I need to get things in order for tomorrow (do you prep on Sunday evenings for the week ahead?) and then I'm retiring to my warm, comfy bed to watch Mad Men. 

Saturday Stuff + Pictures

Good morning, blog people.

I'm enjoying a slow(ish) Saturday morning despite being up earlier than I wanted to be. I'd hoped to sleep in a bit but two of our kids had to be at school events pretty early so there was no sleeping in for me! That's okay though. I drank my first cup of coffee in bed (bliss!) and John made me pancakes so I kind of eased into the morning which is a nice change of pace from our weekdays.

On tap today: I need to make a huge grocery + Costco trip. Abbey has a speech tournament and we are going to watch her event later this morning. I'm so proud of her. I also need to give my house some attention. My mom is coming this week and I need to get things shaped up around here. I also need to finish getting my kids' Easter clothes rounded up. I'm close....but finding dresses for teenage girls is challenging for me!

Here are some random pics from my week. Keyword = random.

Ummmmmm, yeah, that's the bruise from my fainting episode. It actually looks even worse today. I don't think I'll be going sleeveless for Easter. 

One of Sarah's friends changed her phone to auto-correct the word "fine" to "hannah montana" for April Fools. I guess because our phones are both linked to the my iTunes account the change affected my phone too! Oh. My. Gosh. It has been driving me CRAZY! Every single time I typed the word "fine" it changed it to HANNAH MONTANTA and I didn't know why it was doing that until Sarah's friend confessed this week. It's pretty funny.

I saw some Big Horn sheep at Glen Eyrie this week. There is a herd that lives on the property and I see them there almost every time I go. I was SO hoping they'd be out and was SO happy that they were. It seriously made my day! Aren't they fascinating?

Glen Eyrie is such a beautiful property. It's sooooooo tranquil. My time there was perfect.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

PowerICE Review

From time to time I get requests to review products on my blog and my typical answer is "no thanks" or "sorry, that's not my thing" but when the nice folks at PowerICE asked me to review their frozen hydration bars I said YES! I was drawn to the fact that they're a Colorado-based company and I'm a sucker for anything resembling a popsicle. 

PowerICE is a sport hydration bar that you freeze and eat. Think pop-ice for people who work out. It's full of electrolytes and can be eaten pre-workout, during, or post-workout. PowerICE sent me a box of Orange Blast and Lime Kicker and Pomegranate-Raspberry Rip to try. 

The one thing I didn't anticipate was having to share them with my husband and son.

 Here's what John had to say:

"PowerICE bars were a great alternative to drinking a big glass of water post-run. They taste great, like a frozen sport drink but without being overly sweet. Eating something frozen causes you to slow down a little instead of just chugging a post-run drink. It helped me with the cool down effect."

Will, my sorta-picky seventeen year old loved them and ate more than his fair share! He said they were "a great way to refuel and cool down after running."

I thought they tasted great. I'm not a fan of all the ingredients in most sports drinks so PowerICE was a pleasant surprise. The bars were light and filling without being syrupy sweet and without the long list of unpronounceable ingredients (see full ingredient list here). And like I said, I'm a sucker for anything resembling a popsicle. Lime Kicker was my favorite flavor.

After trying PowerICE bars I've decided they're going to be my new go-to for post-workout hydration! 

Now, if I could just find a way to keep them frozen and carry them with me when I hike this summer. Can you even imagine how great they would taste at the top of a 14er? 

Thank you, PowerICE for letting us try your product. The LifeAt7000Feet family members are fans!

*I received a box of PowerICE bars in exchange for my review. 

Booby-Trapped

I have a funny story to share. My hope is you can LAUGH with me.

After I left Glen Eyrie yesterday, I grabbed some lunch and headed to a diagnostic center in Co Springs. I had my yearly mammogram last week and they called me back for "additional views" of my right breast. It's not uncommon to get called back and I wasn't nervous or concerned at this point because this isn't my first rodeo, people. 

Let me just interject here for my family and friends that are easily swayed by fear and worry that I'm more than fine. They got the views they needed and everything is normal. 

So....

I got called back to the imaging room, got changed, and before the smashing began the technician showed me the images from last week and what they wanted to get a better look at. She showed me two areas of concern. I agreed with her that they did indeed look concerning. I'd just eaten lunch and honestly, all that stuff makes me squeamish and I started to feel nauseous.

She got me positioned in the machine and snapped a couple of pics. As we readied for the third image, I started feeling VERY nauseous. Right after she got me all set up and stepped away to take the image, I said to myself: I'm going to faint.

AND I DID.

I FAINTED. 

WHILE I WAS STILL IN THE BOOBY TRAP!
(I crack myself up).

I came to after a few seconds while staring up at some strange lady I didn't immediately recognize. I was horrified. Not to mention fully exposed from the waist up. Awkward.

She was so kind in the moments that followed. She let me lay there on the cold, concrete floor which felt surprisingly great since I was sweaty and clammy. Yeah, the germaphobe in me lost that battle. Another tech came in and brought me a cold wash cloth for my head and after a few minutes they worked together to get my last two images, one never leaving my side.

Surprisingly I didn't hit my head when I fell but my arm hit the corner of the machine and I have a pretty nasty scrape and bruise on my tricep (or my flab)(ummm, let's go with tricep). I also have a decent abrasion on my breast, a purple knot on my knee and my thigh, and a stiff neck.

I wasn't nervous at all going in but I think I got nervous when she started showing me things and expressing concern. Like I said, I'm squeamish.

Thank goodness the "things" they were concerned about have been there for years...and haven't changed...and have already been viewed via ultrasound...and are just fluid-filled cysts. I am soooooo grateful.

I had to sit there in all of my humiliation for a good 30 minutes before they'd let me leave to drive home. And the tech made me promise to call her when I arrived home safely.

Ladies! It doesn't get much worse than this, does it? If nothing else I hope you'll think of me and LAUGH when you go for your yearly mammo. I'm laughing today despite being crazy sore. And I'm desperately hoping that was an isolated incident never ever ever to be repeated.

SMP 4.8.14

SMP = Seven Minute Post

Good morning! I'm so grateful the sun is shining here this morning. Yesterday we woke up to snow (my affection for the white stuff is really waning) but it was a short burst and thankfully gave way to blue skies pretty quickly. Colorado weather is quite schizophrenic this time of year.

I'm headed out soon for a personal retreat. I reserved the prayer room at Glen Eyrie and am going to spend the morning there. I'm taking my journal, my iPod, my Bible, and possibly my hiking shoes. I'm very much looking forward to a few hours alone in a quiet, tranquil setting. My heart needs this!

I'd love to stay there all day but life beckons--appointments, carpools, meals, and activities for a family of five. I'm grateful for a free morning to steal away.

Alive and Well.

Well, hello, o' blog o' mine.

It's been awhile.

I've received several messages lately noting my absence here and asking if I'm okay. Yes, I'm alive and well. One friend asked if I gave up social media for Lent. No, not for Lent. I gave it up for me as part of that "getting healthy" thing that God has been calling me to. Social media is definitely a noisy (and UNhealthy) place for me, but I've come to realize that blogging feels different. This is a quiet(er) space and I've kind of missed it.

So...how about I jump right back in with a couple of pictures?

John and Abbey celebrated their same-birthday a week or so ago. Abbey had a cooking party and chose to make ALL desserts. Of course.

 I thought John's apron choice was hilarious.

That's all I've got for today...but I'll be back soon.

Peace out, peeps!

Currently: March

Current Read: Last week I ordered Bread &Wine by Shauna Niequist. I absolutely love it so far and her recipes look amazing!

Current Playlist: As usual, I have an eclectic mix going at all times. Some of my favorites include Brave by Sara Bareilles, U2, and Matt Redman. See? Eclectic.

Current Color(s): Brown. Navy. Black. Not necessarily together. 

Current Drink: It's still cold here so my beverages must be warm. Coffee with almond milk is my favorite current morning drink but mid-morning I switch to tea. This is my old favorite that has become a new favorite again.

Current Food: This popcorn (Chicago mix from Costco). Ugh. Can't. Put. The. Bag. Down.

Current Favorite Favorite: My cousin introduced me to the teasing brush in Chicago last month. I came home and bought one and I LOVE it. It gives me the volume I need without having all kinds of product residue in my hair! I tried to find the same Paul Mitchell teasing brush that my cousin had but couldn't (and was too impatient to order/wait for it) so I ended up buying this one instead.

Current Addiction: Instagram. And Words With Friends. And Candy Crush. Sigh. 

Current Wish List: I really love these stackable rings. I think a set with my kids' names would be fun but I also think a set with character traits or words that I aspire to be would be equally awesome. JDB, there are a couple of gift occasions coming up. Hint hint.

Current Need: I need a new hairdryer. Mine seems to be dying a slow death. I went to buy one the other day but couldn't decide on one. I guess I'll keep using what I have until it goes kaput. I'm very picky about my hair appliances. 

Current Triumph: After a pretty slothful few weeks, I think I've found my morning exercise groove again. I've gotten up and walked the past 8 out of 10 mornings. Triumph. It's getting warmer (and lighter)(until time change this weekend screws that up again) and that certainly helps.

Current Annoyance: Competition. And you know what? I'm competitive. I'm annoyed when I feel drawn into competition and I'm annoyed by what it stirs in me.

Current Mood: Thinky. Is that a word? And introspective.

Current Blessing(s): Physically and emotionally healthy kids. Answered prayers. And people who bring peace to my life.

Current Outfit: Yoga pants, tank top, fleece hoodie, UGGs. Wore the same thing yesterday. And I might even wear it again tomorrow. Smile.

Current Excitement: Looking forward to time with some friends on Thursday. We're overdue for a catch-up! And SPRING BREAK! Really excited about a break from the daily routine.

Current Project(s): Decluttering. My house...and my life. This podcast was a good catalyst for me--
PODCASTS - Christine Caine (You might have to scroll down to find the one on Decluttering.)

Current Prayers: My 4-month old nephew has been in the hospital since last Friday, with the flu and rotavirus (and possibly more infection). It's pretty pitiful but he's in a good place and they're slowing getting answers. Also praying for ANOTHER friend diagnosed with breast cancer. I'm growing weary of seeing the number of friends diagnosed climb higher. It breaks my heart.

Current plans for the day: Coffee with a friend and some birthday party planning for Abbey. My house could use some attention too, but the other stuff is way more fun. It might be wishful thinking but I'd also love to work a short nap into my day since I woke up (unintentionally) at 4:30AM.

Current thought that I love:

Six on Saturday

1. I've been a little more quiet here lately. It's not for lack of thoughts. My heart and mind are exploding with big things that God seems to be working out in me but I'm processing more inwardly than outwardly these days. There's good stuff there but it's made me a little more quiet.

2. Were you aware that last Thursday was an awareness day for human trafficking? I gained a deeper understanding of this gut-wrenching issue last year at the Life and Justice conference I attended and there are a couple of ministries I support whose goal is to END IT. Anyway, I used a sharpie to make a big ole red X on my hand on Thursday. It didn't wash off easily and therefore I woke up on Friday with a big ole red X on my face...and on my pillowcase. Funny. Two days later I still have a faint red X on my hand. I think that's a good thing though...

(This is the two-days later photo.)

3.  I mentioned earlier this year that John started a new job--this new one being part-time. He was able to move to part-time but keep his full-time salary and full-time benefits (CRAZY!!!) That means he's home with me a lot more. We've synched our days at home together around our work schedules and so far it's going well, though we've both had to make some "adjustments" to being home together so much. Overall, I'd say it's been a very good thing for our family! I think my favorite part might be having some help with kid activities and transportation. Is that lame? 

4. Yesterday I made my big grocery shopping and Costco trips. In between those two, I met a friend for lunch. She ended up going to Costco with me...and can I just say that Costco is much more enjoyable with a friend?!?! She made a mundane task so much more fun! This reminds me that I need to post my menu plan.

5. Last weekend, I went to a painting studio with some friends for an open paint class. I shouldn't really say it's a "class" because they don't teach you HOW to paint. You can choose from dozens of paintings they have (or pick your own) and then you just sort of imitate it while they guide you along the way. I came home with this..

Mine turned out a little different than the original one (on the right below) but I was pleased with it. 

John wants to frame mine. Which is sweet, but not necessary. I had a fun evening with friends and I get to go again soon for another friend's birthday party. :)

6. I'm so slap-happy that it's the weekend. I'm heading out in a little while for a ladies morning out with one of my favorite speakers from the IF Gathering. We also have a track meet on tap today (though it's in the 20s and just so yucky outside) and other than that we have little else on our "have to-do" list. That's my favorite kind of weekend. Happy weekend to you, too!

SMP 2.25.14

SMP = Seven Minute Post

John bought me this mug a few years ago while on a business trip. I had seen a t-shirt like it while vacationing in Durango, CO and would have bought in in a heartbeat if they'd had my size. I like the mug better though and not just because it's "one size fits all". I think it's because I drink from it almost daily and it's a reminder for me that life is best when lived offline. That's 100% opinion, by the way. I just don't think constant connectedness is good for me. Not necessarily for you, but for ME.

{Insert nice, smooth segue here.}

I seriously cannot believe it is almost March! February has FLOWN by. I'm ready for spring but I have to balance that with the reality of where I live and the fact that we get some of our biggest snows in March and April. And it's usually still snowing in May. Ugh. We have had some really nice spring-like days and I love that it's staying light longer. Guess I need to focus on those positive things, plus the fact that I get to wear boots and cords longer than my friends in the south. Don't taunt me with your flip-flops, y'all. Smile.

The fence guy is coming today to fix the section of our fence that blew down in last week's windstorm. He was actually supposed to come last week but we got a good bit of snow that delayed the repair. I'm SO ready for it to be fixed because we're having to go outside with Jack-the-beagle whenever we let him out so that he doesn't run into our neighbor's yard and do his business. Not fun when it's 15 degrees at 10pm. Not fun anytime of the day actually. 

SMP 2.21.14

SMP = Seven Minute Post

I feel like I need to throw myself a party for making it to Friday. It wasn't pretty, y'all. It's been a long, hard and full week and I feel like I'm limping to the finish line, aka the weekend. I think I say this weekly but I'm SO happy it is Friday. Weekends are my favorite.

So, ummmm, when you realize that your theme for the year is "HEALTH" you might not realize all the unhealth in your life and you might be unprepared for how and when it might surface and engulf you. I'm not really talking about physical health here as much as spiritual and emotional and relational. Wowza. It's been quite a week and I had a mini-meltdown last night. It wasn't pretty but I stepped away  from my "tantrum" with a very clear awareness of some things I need to move away from--things that fuel unhealthy patterns and attitudes in me. I will try to elaborate when I have more than seven minutes for a post. My thoughts are vast...

A few weeks ago my beautiful friend, Deidre, asked me if I'd be willing to write a guest post for a series on her blog about receiving God's love. I prayed about it and felt led to share and you can read it here if you'd like. It's a good reminder for me {dare I say all of us} that I am deeply loved. Even when I have mini-meltdowns/tantrums. Even when I doubt. Even when I blow it. Yes, even then. 

Happy Friday.

Six on Saturday

1. I had leftover sushi for breakfast just now. My "surprise" Valentine date last night was a movie (August: Osage County) followed by sushi. My husband doesn't love sushi but he loves me and he was sweet to take me to one of my favorite sushi spots. It was delicious. The movie was r-o-u-g-h though. Definitely not a happy movie.

2. I wanted so badly to sleep in this morning but was awakened at my normal time by insane wind gusts rattling our windows. Gusts up to 70mph will not only rattle your windows but will evidently snap wooden fence posts. When I opened our bedroom blinds I found a section of our fence had fallen down. Awesome.

3. One day this week I drove to the Springs to run some errands and since I was "in the neighborhood" I took a detour through Garden of the Gods. I couldn't help myself. I was so close and it was just there beckoning me with it's beauty. I NEVER get tired of these views.

4. My husband and kids all have Monday off from school and work. You have no idea how happy that makes me! Three-day weekends are my favorite.

5. Do you ever just sit back and marvel at the providential ways that God works in your life? John and I had a situation this week where one piece after another just fell perfectly into place. It was something we didn't see coming--something good for one of our children--that God completely orchestrated and carried through to completion in a matter of days. We talked about it again over dinner last night and we {again} marveled at the whole of it. Marveling is a good thing, people.

6. I desperately need to make a new menu plan and grocery list and re-stock my fridge and pantry but it seems I've lost all all my kitchen mojo. That's the biggest task on my list today though so all is good. Happy weekend, everyone!

SMP 2.14.14 {Valentine's Day}

SMP = Seven Minute Post

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

I have a date later today with my long-time valentine and I'm very excited about spending some time alone with him. He hasn't told me what we're doing yet--only what time I need to be ready. I love that he planned a surprise for me. Very, very sweet.

Yesterday was Abbey's class Valentine's party and it was my VERY LAST elementary school Valentine party. EVER. I couldn't decide if I was happy or sad about that but happiness won out in the end. There may or may not have been some mamas high-fiving each other when the party was over. I've been planning and going to school holiday parties for 12+ years and I feel like I crossed the finish line yesterday. I might be a little sad next February but for now I'm good.

Other than our date, we have no big plans for the weekend and I'm beyond thrilled about that. I'm in serious need of some downtime and my house is in serious need of some attention. We talked about seeing the Lego movie because we've heard it's really good. Anyone seen it? Did you like it? I need to know these things in advance because "kid movies" sometimes turn into very expensive naps for me.

Chicago 2014

A couple of months ago I was in St. Louis with my aunts, cousins, and my sister and they tossed out an invite to join them in Chicago in January. I came home, got the green light from John and made plans to spend a few days with them in the windy city.

I hadn't been to Chicago in years and years. It's a beautiful and fun place and we had a FABULOUS time.

I flew out of Denver on the Thursday before the Super Bowl. This signage at DIA cracked me up.

This was one view of downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan from our hotel suite.

 And this was the view from the other side looking towards Navy Pier. It was cold while we were there but it had been colder the week before and the water surrounding the pier was completely frozen.

 On Friday morning, we all got up and went to the hotel spa for various "beauty treatments" and then had a late lunch at Deca, the restaurant in our hotel. 

 Our hotel connected to Water Tower Place and I sent this picture of the flagship American Girl store to Abbey. She was dying. I didn't check out the entire store, but I did go in and walk around--it's about twenty times bigger than our AG store in Denver. I've got to take her there sometime!

Friday night, we took the train to the Cadillac Palace Theater.

We had tickets for Phantom of the Opera.

It was spectacular. I absolutely LOVED it.

 We woke up Saturday to lots of snow. I think it snowed all day and all night!

That didn't stop us from celebrating my aunt's birthday. I won't say how old she turned...but it's more than the two candles on her cake.

Nor did it stop us from shopping! Downtown Chicago has some serious retail establishments. One of the reasons for my no-spend January was to save up for this trip. I found some crazy bargains at Banana Republic and Nordstrom Rack. I could barely zip my suitcase on my return trip!

 It was a super, sloppy, snowy, wet day. I was prepared for it to be crazy-cold but it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Either that or I'm used to wintry weather.

Saturday night we went to dinner at Vinci (delicious!) and then headed to Second City to see Let Them Eat Chaos. Oh my gosh...I laughed so so so so hard. It was excellent.

On Sunday we woke up to a beautiful sunrise over a snowy Navy Pier.

 We got dressed and went to Mass at Old St. Patrick's Church. I haven't been to Mass in several years but it was a beautiful service and the church was absolutely gorgeous. I forgot to take a picture until we'd started to walk away.

 We grabbed a quick lunch at Potbelly Sandwich Shop and I don't know if I was super hungry or if it's because I rarely eat gluten but that was one DELICIOUS sandwich.

After lunch we took a cab back to our hotel and everyone packed up to head home...which is basically all over the US. I flew back to Denver with my cousin from Seattle and since it was Super Bowl Sunday we changed into our respective Broncos/Seahawks gear. 

I really did not expect Denver to lose that game but I was SO happy for her and for all the Seattle fans. She texted me when she arrived home and said the fireworks display over the Space Needle was the biggest she'd ever seen!

Of course we had some deep dish pizza from Giordano's while we were there. Seriously YUMMY! We also ate at The Local one night and it was amazing too. So much good food.

It was such a great girls weekend! My three aunts are my dad's sisters and since he is gone, it is very important to me to stay close to them. Trips like this make staying close pretty fun. Can't wait to go back...Chicago is a fabulous city!