Chicago with Rodarte's

Last week our friends from California, Hector and Christy, visited from Monday to Saturday. This was Christy's first time in Chicago.

I took the day off work Thursday to go to the city with them.

We started off the day at Lou Malnati's for breakfast.

Then we took the "L"-train up to Lincoln Park Zoo. Admission is FREE!

Ben liked the giraffes.

This was my favorite... I call it the yoga ape.

We ate at Giordano's, then ended the day shopping at H&M. This is how Ben and Hector shop.



One of the nights, Hector and Christy took us out to eat in Naperville at the Rosebud Italian restaurant.

We have more pictures if you click here.

Falling Trees

We've had a lot of major storms here the past few weeks. For a while I felt as if we had a tornado watch or severe thunderstorm warning at least every other night.

I've become quite the fraidy cat when it comes to tornado watches. Lately, I've made myself and Ben sleep in the downstairs bedroom because I was too fearful of sleeping through the possible tornado siren. Wimpy, I know. It doesn't help that we sleep with a very loud fan...so we can't hear anything.These are photos of a tree that was blown down from this morning's storm. This tree is (was) located at the park down the street (where we held last year's Pumpkin party).

The Landscaping's Taking Over Our Home!

Our landscaping is getting out of control. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful and we love it. But, there are a few things that need to be trimmed and we just do not have the tools for it yet. Ben did buy some clippers and trimmed up the short green bushes, but there is one bush that is HUGE and pretty much covers our entire house! This bush was one that we were contemplating removing, until we returned from vacation and found this:

So, we'll be keeping it, but we'll need to talk to our landscaping friend, John, and figure out how to maintain it.

It's been fun spending our first spring here and having a surprise of different colors every few weeks. Check out the colors in our entry way:


Another surprise popped up this season in our backyard. We noticed, in a very random spot, that someone planted these tulips and other flowers, just in one spot. I think the previous tenants may have buried a pet here!


Check out the difference in our yard between April and May. (Keep in mind we did not plant anything new.)

April 2008:

May 2008:

Hilton Head Vacation

A week after Ben graduated, we took our long-anticipated vacation to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.

We spent the entire week at the Main Street Inn & Spa, relaxing on the beach, golfing and eating a lot of good food.

You can see pics of our vacation by clicking this link.

Another Crash :(

My car is a magnet for crashes...that always are the fault of the other. Today on my lunch break, on my way back from snatching a free chicken sandwich from McD's, a lady rammed her Toyota Tundra into my wee Toyota Camry. Ahhhh... the annoyance of it all. We leave Saturday for our road trip to Hilton Head and will now be taking a rental car instead.

The crash was obviously the fault of the owner of the Tundra. We were at a 3-way stop, I stopped then drove straight and immediately when I got in front of her she pulled out and drove right into the side of my car and damaged my rear passenger-side door/tire/quarter-panel/bumper.

She was waiting to turn left from her side of the 3-way stop and tried to blame the crash on me because she stated I went out of turn!

It's strange that she tried to say the crash was my fault, when we both were going less than 15 mph yet she still managed to HIT me. I know she just didn't see me because she didn't even start driving from the stop sign until after I was already in front of her.

I tried to be nice, offered my cell phone, smiled and waved at her child in the back seat...yet I still got dirty looks from her.... but smiles from the child. Ooohh... the sweet innocence of children.

Above is the back of the policy report where I was instructed to draw the illustration of the crash. I have to send this in within 10 days or my drivers license will be suspended. Interesting.

Just pray the insurance goes through and is determined that it was indeed her fault. The police did not issue a ticket, but they did list her name first on the report, which is an indication that he believes it was her fault. We do not want to get stuck with paying for the rental... (unfortunately we didn't sign up with our insurance for the rental coverage). It's not like Michigan, either...where they have weird "no-fault" insurance policies. So, her insurance should have to pay for everything.

On a lighter note, we're still very excited to go on vacation. Again, we leave Saturday for Hilton Head Island. We'll stay Saturday night at our favorite half-way spot, Nashville, and stay with Marlena and Devin. Then arrive in Hilton Head on Sunday and leave on Friday to head up to North Carolina and visit Clay and Heather...then head home on Sunday.

YAY!!

Graduation... Done.

Wow... graduation is over. We had a great time visiting with friends and family. Did you know we had 12 people staying in our home over the weekend? Thanks to the Gracey's for making it possible to rent such a lovely huge home!

Ben looked so professional in his gown. I'm so proud of him.

The last 4 years flew by. What are we supposed to do now? Oh, get ready for vacation in Hilton Head? Okay! :)

Testing the Water

We installed a new water heater on Tuesday. Before this, Ben was always taking luke-warm showers and I never knew it until two weeks ago when I mentioned that I think we need a new water heater because on the days we get up at the same time, I always have a cold shower.

So we called our wonderful landlord who arranged for the plumber to come over and check it out. Sure enough, we needed a new one.

Since we have gobs of company staying at our house next weekend for Ben's graduation, I wanted to make sure the new water heater would hold up for all the showers. How could I test this out, though, when I get up so early during the week and take my shower...then Ben wakes up about two hours later to take his?

Well, on the weekends we wake up about the same time...so yesterday was my chance. I woke up, took my HOT shower first. Then, I ran two loads of HOT laundry did some dishes in HOT water and flushed the toilet (without actually using it) while Ben was in the shower. Then, I asked Ben if his shower was HOT.... His answer? Yes, very hot.

YAY! Our hot water heater works... and works well.

That's what I call "testing the water".

Hello Spring, Meet Ducky!

Spring has finally arrived this week! What a pleasant surprise to see the tree out front starting to blossom. We definitely need to work on our landscaping this year. It's hard, though, to make the decision to put money into landscaping when you don't actually own the house. But, it is our home and Ben likes to work in the yard, so I think we might just bite the bullet this year...if we find time.We had little visitors today. Two ducks were right out front, just wandering around. We normally do not see them around our house...but rather in parks near ponds. So, I had to take a few pictures.I'm excited to enjoy the outdoors and really take advantage of the spring/summer. So far we have great outdoor plans at Wheaton's French market, Montana Charlie's flea market, Seven Gables Park for jogging purposes, Micah's (our friends' son) tee-ball games, camping with our small group, vacationing in Hilton Head, Ben's graduation party, drive-in movies, grilling, couples photos, the beach at Lake Michigan and many other activities we come across. Oh! And, we decided we are going to buy season passes to Wheaton community's Rice Pool. I can't wait to have the liberty to go to the pool this summer and just relax and get a sun tan! :) Last year... I was so white! This year... bye, bye white skin...hello summer tan!

My next mission... trying to find affordable bikes so we can bike on the Prairie Path this year.

Special Effects on Video iChat

This is what happens when you have three guys talking on iChat on a lazy Sunday afternoon. (Ben, Clayton and family friend Ryan)

Chicago Blackhawks Game

Sunday night we went to the Chicago Blackhawks game. Our friend, Walter, had tickets for us and a bunch of friends from church. We had a skybox all to ourselves with a bunch of free food, drinks and desserts! And, best of all... we won the game!

Check out more pics of our fun night here.

And So This Is....... Spring!?!?

Today's weather... not so spring-ish.

Memories Illustrated

My friend, Jamie, just made her talents into a creative business! She can draw your fondest memories into a comic strip type illustration so you can frame it and display it. It's so cool! Below is the illustration of my wedding. Soon I'll be ordering illustrations of my engagement and honeymoon for a complete set.

She also makes very cute notecards that you MUST check out!

Her business website is under construction, but in the meantime you can check out her blog and view all of her creations so far here: Memories Illustrated.

In a few weeks I'm going to hold an introduction party for her. We're thinking we'll serve cute little appetizers. :) I'll be sure to post the recipes on my food blog!

You can find details about how to order notecards or your memories illustrated here.

Wet Towels

I'm sneaking this post in while Ben is away on a missions trip in NOLA with a few guys from church.

Once in a while, without thinking, Ben still throws his wet towel on our bed leaving a damp spot on the sheets. It's always on my side of the bed, too! Usually, I'll catch it in time and remove it before the bedding gets too damp.

This last week he did it again! This time I was at work all day so it wasn't caught in time and the foot of my bed was damp and cold.

I called Ben into the room and moments later found him "fixing" the situation. See the photo below: LOL!

More Snow!? You're Kidding...Right?

Yup! More snow...already here and more to come! We're expecting at least 6-8 inches overnight tonight!

Our good friends had us over for dinner tonight to celebrate Ben's successful defense. (The meal was awesome! Thanks Mike and Jamie!!) When we got home, we decided to play in the snow. This is the snowiest winter in 22 years, surely we couldn't go on without making at least ONE snowman!

He Passed!!

I love my Dr. BG.

It's an iPhone! :) [Read previous post]

...more from Ben later.

The Big Day

This is the day we have been waiting for since Ben started his doctorate 3 1/2 years ago. Right now he is at the college, standing in front of a board of scholars and academic spectators, defending his 300-page dissertation.

The defense is scheduled from 3:20pm until 5:20pm. Right now it is 4:48pm. I've been praying for him all day.

I'll save the details for him to share on a later post. But, let's see if anyone can guess the present I bought for him pictured below!

Four Car Crash

Yes... I was in a "4-car pile up" Saturday. No no no.. don't worry. No one was hurt, and my car barely has a scratch on it. And, it wasn't my fault! :)

My friend, Michelle, and I were on our way to the mall and were stopped at a traffic light with two cars stopped behind us. There was also another stop light not too far behind us. Another little white car decided to race through the yellow light without noticing the stopped traffic in front of him. So, I heard a CRASH, looked in my rearview and saw the van behind me lunge forward, then .... tap!... my car was ... well... just tapped!

So, not that you need further explaining... but the car who caused the crash slammed into a car, that then hit the van in front of her, who tapped us. The first car was totaled. The poor guy must've broken his nose from the airbag because his eyes and face were immediately bruised. Everyone else seemed okay, except the lady behind us with her husband... who was a little too dramatic.

I had my camera on me, so I took a few pics. They aren't very good. I didn't really take the time to take any good ones.

I've counted my blessings and am grateful no one was hurt and that our car wasn't damaged. Plus, the policeman made mine and Michelle's day right before we left when he said "You ladies look like you could be on TV!" hahahaha Was that a compliment? :)(My car is in front of the van)

Snow Tracks

There's not much to blog about lately. We've had quite a bit of snow this week. In fact, Ben's mom was supposed to visit, but there was so much snow coming in the day of her flight that we encouraged her to cancel and come a different weekend. The roads were horrible on Thursday and Friday. Today is better... it's actually very pretty. We'd like to go sledding again, but haven't found the motivation or time.

Speaking of motivation, we finally made it back to the gym this morning. Ben has been going off and on, but ever since we moved a whole 2 miles farther from the gym, I haven't gone! Yikes. It felt very good to make it back again today. Three of our friends recently signed up, so we get 3 months free for the referral.

The last two weekends I've been gone, without Ben. :( One weekend I was in Nashville for a girl trip. It was a lot of fun. The best part was a concert we attended at the Grand Ole Opry. It showcased 10 country singers who each sang a gospel song. The concert was recorded for a showing on the GAC channel scheduled for February 9. Our seats were amazing and the tickets cost us only $25! The line-up included stars like Trace Adkins, Vince Gill, Sara Evans, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels and Carrie Underwood! It was so amazing listening to them singing gospel songs. Vince Gill's "Give Me Jesus" was my favorite because of his high uncracking voice. On the other hand, my friend, Jen, was in love with Trace Adkins' deep voice.The weekend after that, I was in downtown Chicago for my church's women's retreat. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott right off The Magnificent Mile. Jen was my roomie and we arrived way early in the limo our small group ladies rented. So, we headed to the Grand Lux Cafe for a late lunch/early dinner. It was a neat place! I've heard a lot of people talk about it... but never had a chance to go until then. The retreat was fun and refreshing, but it was nice to get back home on Sunday and be with Ben again.This weekend we are relaxing and of course watching the Super Bowl. A few friends will be coming over to watch the game with us. We'll hopefully have some good food and fun fellowship. Ben is also reading and studying like crazy since he defends his dissertation in only 2 weeks!!

I'm going to leave you with a puzzle of the picture at the beginning that I took a few weeks ago when we had some snow. (This is Chicago's snowiest winter in 22 years) The photo is taken from my craft room, where I saw random tracks in our yard leading from the house to the sidewalk. Each track looks exactly the same and the exact same distance apart! I can not figure out what they are from. Any ideas?

Elaine Mae Knapp

My Grandma Knapp passed away last Thursday morning (12:40 AM), January 3. She was 87 years old, turning 88 at the end of this month. Ben and I are in Michigan at my parents' right now. We had visitation tonight and the funeral service is tomorrow.

Even though I dread visitations, this one was actually pretty refreshing. The circumstance may have been unfortunate, but it was nice to catch up with my cousins, aunts, and see old friends. The best part of it so far is when we sat together as a family after the last visitation tonight, and just shared memories of Grandma...laughing and crying together, but mainly laughing. Grandma always had a sense of humor and I know that she was looking down on us smiling as we shared these memorable moments as a family.

Everyone is at peace about her passing, because she was ill for quite some time. The night she passed away, all three of her surviving children were there with her at the nursing home along with my mom, cousins, and Rachelle. My dad and his two sisters were actually in the room when she died. They said she opened her eyes wide and smiled, then she was gone....just like that. She saw something.... she saw Jesus.

It is very comforting to know Grandma is in a better place and no longer in pain. Funny how death can be so much easier to cope with when you know the deceased person had a relationship with the Lord. We can only be selfish in feeling sad for her death. Instead, we should rejoice that she is with Who we long to be with someday. We'll see you again someday Grandma! We love you!

Phantom of the Opera

Ben bought me tickets for Phantom of the Opera for Christmas. Little did he know when he bought them...the show was playing on New Years Eve! So, we had to cancel our plans to go to the N'skis for a party, and headed to the city instead. We took the train and walked to the theatre from the train station. It was a short distance, but it was cold and snowy. We really just laughed at each other in the end because we literally ran back to the station after the show.

The night was a lot of fun. We didn't go out to dinner before-hand because places were booked and others were really expensive. So we saved our green and ate a sub from Jimmy Johns on the train.

The show was amazing. I have to admit when I saw this show in Nashville I didn't like it very much, so I'm glad I got the chance to see it again. Last time I was bored, this time I was intrigued. Ben loved it too. All of the lead roles were very good, and the inside of the Cadillac Palace Theatre was so beautiful!