Chicago

For Memorial Day Weekend we went to Chicago. The Storeys went with us and we all had such a great time. I loved Chicago. I was really impressed with how clean and well maintained the downtown area was. It's a very aesthetic city with lots of parks, courtyards, fountains, and stautes.

Favorite Things about our Chicago Weekend:

1. Walking around Downtown - We did a lot of walking. But it was such a fun city to walk around, I don't think any of us minded one bit.



2. Hancock Tower - not the tallest building (we'll have to do the Sears Tower next time we go), but a great view nontheless.



3. The Beach at Lake Michigan

4. Architecture - Chicago is known for its amazing architecture. My favorite was the Chicago Tribune building . . . very gothic in style. The new Trump Tower is pretty impressive as well. We would have liked to do an architecture tour cruise, but again, we'll save it for next time.

5. Navy Pier - A big touristy spot with rides, shops, restaurants, etc. (the Pier 39 of Chicago). We ate Chicago style hot dogs and went to the Chicago Children's Museum (thank you Cosi pass for free admission!).

6. Giordano's Famous Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza - the picture speaks for itself.



7. Dan & Ross's "Night Shots" - After dropping all the girls off at the hotel and getting the kids ready for bed, Dan and Ross went out to wander around and take "night shots" of the city. This was probably Dan's highlight of the trip. He learned some cool photography tips from Ross and the two of them had fun running around Chicago "Bourne" style. They didn't get back to the hotel room till 1:00 a.m.











8. Millennium Park - Sunday after church we explored this huge park downtown. It's a must do in Chicago.











9. Sunday Night Dinner - We decided to eat Sunday dinner at the Hyatt's fancy restaurant (where we could eat for half price thanks to Ross's employee discount). We ordered the Sunday night special: a family-style, 3 course all-you-can-eat meal for $24 (so$12 for us). Oh, and kids ate free. They brought us soooo much food, it was unbelievable. I was laughing so hard, tears were streaming down my face. First they brought out appetizers. A huge bowl of ceasar salad, 2 big pizzas with mozerella, tomatoes, and fresh basil, a deli tray with lots of different lunch meats, olives, blue cheese, etc. and tons of yummy garlic french bread. THEN, they brought out the main course. The menu had only said chicken and salmon. But when the waiter came out for a second trip with 2 dishes of pasta with shrimp, and 2 more dishes of a red pasta with meatballs, we about died. Even the waiter was laughing trying to fit all the dishes on our table! The drinks were all included as well and we even ordered free chocolate milk shakes for the girls. It was just all too funny. The dessert was a little dissapointing, but after all the food we ate, none of us had much room for dessert anyway. The other nice thing about it was after we were done, our waiter packed up all the food we hadn't eaten and we all ate it for lunch the next day. So for $24, we had a great Sunday dinner in a fancy restaurant (and that was our only meal we ate on Sunday, besides cereal in our hotel room that morning) and then we had plenty of leftovers for Monday as well. It worked out beautifully. I look at the picture below and can't help but smile. Good times, good times.



10. The Museum of Science and Industry - We went here for a few hours on Monday before we drove home. It was rated the best museum in the mid-west, and it's not hard to see why. It's a very impressive museum, with lots of different exhibits. My favorite was the U-505, the only German submarine in the U.S. The girls loved watching the baby chicks at the chick hatchery.





All in all it was a great trip. We had a blast with the Storey's. The theme for the weekend came from a Jack Johnson song we listened to on the way up "It's always more fun, to share with everyone." We shared transportation, hotel room, food, and occasionally children. (Spouses were the only things off limits.)

Cafe Rio Night

I love Cafe Rio. For many reasons. I love how cheap it is for a relatively large amount of food. I love how every time I went I saw someone I knew (well, back in my BYU days). I love that Dan and I ate Cafe Rio in a park on our first date. And I actually love how it's always crowded (a testament to how good the food really is). But the biggest reason is the food. It's just so dang good. Every year when I'm in Provo I have to eat there at least twice to get my Cafe Rio fill for the year. This will probably be the first year in a very long time that I won't make it out to Utah. And not knowing when I will be able to have Cafe Rio next, is making me crave it even more. So when Katy Storey asked me if we wanted to have a Cafe Rio night, I answered in my best Utahn voice, "Heck Yes!" We all pitched in and made different parts of the dinner. We did pork salads (my favorite!) and although it wasn't the actual thing, everything was delicious and it definitely satisfied the craving!

Dan & I, Katy & Ross Storey, and Sara & Brandon Hicks

Does watching babies suck on sour foods ever get old?

After dinner we played a game of Pictionary. It was hilarious some of the words we were getting and the things people were drawing. We had played Pictionary with this same group before and played girls vs. boys. The first time we played it was a close game but the girls ended up winning. This night's game was also very close and intense, but the boys somehow managed to pull out a come-from-behind win. Very exciting (for them). So it's tied one to one. A tie-breaker night needs to be planned!

Leah's expression pretty much sums up the night:

Miniature Golf

Tonight for Family Home Evening we went and played mini golf with the Springers. The kids loved it. Dan and I didn't really play too much, but we had a great time helping the girls and taking pictures!

Camden designated himself as Annie's personal golf coach. It was cute listening to him try to teach her the proper way to hold the club.

Here he is teaching her how to stand.

"Yay! I did it!"

Basketball

I started playing basketball when I was 12, and it has always been one of my favorite things to do. I was always so excited for basketball season in high school. I love everything about basketball: being part of a team, running up and down the court (it's great exercise), trying to steal the ball on defense, that feeling you get when you swish a shot, etc. It's awesome.

When I got married and had kids, there were some things in my life that I knew I just wouldn't be able to do as much as I used to do. Not that I really minded, it's just a part of growing up, I guess. And there weren't really any opportunities for me to play basketball in San Francisco. So I was pretty excited when we moved to Ohio and found out that there was a group of women in our ward that love to play basketball as much as I do. So, after 5 years of not playing much basketball at all, I was finally back out on the court. It's been so much fun.

We played stake basketball and did pretty good - we never lost a game. We also played in a Columbus Parks and Rec women's basketball league. We played every Wednesday night and we had so much fun that after the winter season was over, we signed up for the spring season. Well, last night was our last game, and boy did we end with a bang! We were down by like 12 points at half time, and after our sweet comeback, ended up winning 43-42 in overtime. It was so fun. And it was great having lots of the husbands and kids there to cheer us on!

This picture was taken right after we won our stake women's basketball tournament. This is such an awesome group of women and I have absolutely loved playing basketball with them. Thanks for a great season girls!

May 10, 2003

Wow, five years! And I can't imagine spending them with anyone else.

Tonight for our anniversary we went to The Melting Pot, a very unique but amazing restaurant that features a four-course fondue dining experience. We had our own private booth and the entire restaurant offers a very romantic ambiance. Each table has its own burner where your waiter prepares the fondue right in front of you. We started with a cheese fondue, with breads, vegetables, and apple slices to dip. Then a salad. Next came the main course. We ordered a dinner that came with filet mignon, sirloin steak, chicken, shrimp, pot stickers, and butternut squash ravioli, which you cook at your table in a delicious broth fondue. Last but not least - dessert. We chose a chocolate and caramel fondue, which came with strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, rice krispie treats, brownies, pound cake, and cheesecake. We were in heaven! Everything was so good. We were so full by the end, but somehow we managed to eat most of it! The dinner took almost 2 1/2 hours, and we had so much fun talking and dipping and not worrying about the kids. What a great night out to celebrate 5 great years!

Fiesta!

Dan and I decided to throw a little fiesta to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year. We don't really know too much about this holiday, which has actually taken on more of a significance here in the U.S. than in Mexico, but, hey, it's a fun excuse to throw a party! Falling on a Monday this year, Cinco de Mayo was perfect for a fun family night and we invited a few families from our ward. We threw up some decorations, people brought some yummy Mexican foods, the weather was ideal, the company great . . . . this will definitely be a new tradition for us!

Dan mixed up some mean margaritas!

The highlight of the night: the Pinata! We went youngest to oldest, and it would be hard to say who had more fun - the kids or the adults!

Ross ended it all with this swing!

Booker and Annie showing off their loot!

I wish I would have gotten a picture of the festive table spread. Oh well, something to remember for next year. I tried out a new soup and a few people asked me for the recipe, so I thought I would post it here.

Fiesta Chicken Chowder

3 Tbsp. flour

1 envelope fajita seasoning, divided

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups water

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can corn, drained

1 cup uncooked instant brown rice

1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies

1 can (11 oz.) condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup

3 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp. lime juice

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour and 2 Tbsp. fajita seasoning; add chicken. Seal bag and shake to coat. Saute chicken in oil until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic until onion is tender. Stir in the water, beans, tomatoes, corn, rice, chilies, and remaining fajita seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in the soup, lime juice, and chicken; heat through. Top with cilantro, sour cream, and chips.

And then, enjoy with a friend!