Happy Birthday Grandma Hartge!

Today is Grandma Hartge's Birthday!

Here are 5 things you might not know about her... {that you didn't learn last year}

1. In high school she worked at a nun retirement home and would sometimes play loving tricks on the sisters to get them to take their medicine.
2. She used to play on the Softball team at Spaz's a bar that she and her friends liked after college
3. Grandma Hartge does not like cats after a bad babysitting experience with a family with a cat, but loves Hershey {dog}very much.

4. She has only taught in Catholic grade schools first Mother of Good Council and now St. Matthews teaching both 4th and 3rd grade respectively.

5. Recently, she has taken up knitting and is getting pretty good at it, having made a hat for Aunt Molly and even Frank 5!

Another Grandparent's Weekend

Because I was in Chicago and Daddy Frank was on-call. Frank5 spent most of the weekend with his Hayes Grandparent's. They said they had an amazing {yet exhausting} time... playing with CARS, watching Elmo too many times to count, going on walks and building forts. Grandma taught baby Frank to count to FIVE! W have been working on counting and before he would say one {unn}...two {teew}... but when I was feeding him on Monday he counted more with a three {free}... four {fooow}... five {five}! What a great thing for grandma and Grandpa to help him learn!

Frank LOVES Cars!

Hmmm... which car do I choose...

Picked the perfect one!

Fixing the track for his cars

Watch them go!

Organizing his tent with all his toys

Looks Perfect!

Taking laps around the house with his cars

Puzzles!

Playing in Matthew's Jeep... learning to drive already

sideways picture in the field

Happy little man!

Picking out some more cars... getting sleepy

building bridges with his track

watching some football... what a busy weekend!

Sunday Morning Stroll

While out in Chicago we ate Breakfast at a Lincoln Park bagel place, and they had this picture on the wall... I was laughing so hard I had to take a picture to share!

Sunday also took us to a local bar where Katie Ingersol's friends were hosting a football party. Though we were watching the Bears play... it was fun with some great homemade food!

The bar was "dog-friendly" because it did not actually serve food... this is Katie's dog Joey watching the game.

Katie and Joey

On our way home we walked through the "Oz Park" Considering I love the wizard of Oz and in middle/high school I was the tin man TWICE {in the Wiz}... this statue holds an extra special place in my -heart-

Four friends and a dog strolling in Oz Park

Passing the Scare-crow

While in the park I saw all the mommy's and daddy's with their little ones on the playground... it made me wish my Frank's were there to enjoy this weekend with me. Though I had a GREAT time and it is so nice to get away... I guess Dorothy is right... "There is NO place like home"

Rainy Day in Chicago

Saturday we walked around Chicago and IT WAS RAINING!!! so much rain... but that did not stop us from having a great time.

Katie and Nathan... walking in the rain

Millennium Park had a microbrewery festival with free beer... you would think the rain would have deterred Chicago-ians... but I guess free beer always has huge drawing power...

Rut keeping dry... all the beer and rain must have reminded her of home in the UK

Chicago Deep-dish!

What would a visit to Chicago be with-out some deep dish pizza. We went to Pizzano's because it was right next to Millennium park and it is where we went with the Chicago Hartge's last time in Chicago. It did not disappoint.

The ladies enjoying Pizza

Look at all that cheese!

{Sears} Willis Tower

One of our touristy stops on Saturday morning was the Willis Tower {formerly known as the Sears tower}. They have a new glass ledge that you can step out on to see down 103 floors... I was pretty amazing and a definite recommend for Chicago visitors.

Willis Tower

Tall city buildings

Nathan, Katie, Me and Ruth in front of the Willis Tower

Ruth and I posing

Don't look down!

A view from the top

All of our shoes standing 103 floors from the street

All the girls standing in the box

On top of the world

Katie and Katie

Ruth and I

View of cloudy/rainy chicago

Our lovely hostess Katie Ingersoll viewing her city!

Another view of Chicago.

Wondering Chicago

Ruth and I landed in Chicago Friday morning and took the train downtown to meet up with my friend Katie Ingersoll who lives in the city. We met her at her office building to get her apt. keys and then headed out on the train again. After dropping off our luggage we were ready to explore!

Ruth on the train.

I am sure if you know me at all... you know I love my iPhone. I would have never survived the city this weekend without it! The google maps app. not only told us how to get from place to place... but told us what trains/buses to get on, where the stops were located and WHEN they would be arriving! Ruth and I navigated the city like residents... and we were pretty pleased with ourselves getting around a big city all by ourselves on Friday. The other thing I LOVED! is the UrbanSpoon App... It will use the GPS on the phone to tell you where you are located then recommend restaurants of all types which are close. You can even read reviews, see the menu and then google maps will give you directions to walk/ride there! I have become an addict! It recommended this cute little local brewery to us "Goose Island Brewing Co." and it was delicious! 

Ruth enjoying lunch

I could not believe I was having a beer at noon on a Friday... I really was a single lady for the weekend!

After lunch we grabbed the train to the Shedd Aquarium {one of my favorite Chicago stops}. I did not have my camera and did not take pictures for some reason... but we really loved it! 

Saturday we headed downtown again... More friends joined us... Katie Greiner and her fiancee Nathan were also in the city and since they haven't had engagement photos... we said they should get them taken in the city! ahaha... Ingersoll and I proceded to take pictures of them all over the city... This could possibly be ont of those -you had to be there moments-

Love on the Train...

The couple in the city construction

Shopping in the city.