So Much To Be Thankful For!

Awww Thanksgiving! It really is my favorite holiday! Some people find that strange. Some people think it must just be for the ridiculous amounts of food and the afternoon naps. I associate it with more than those things though. Thanksgivings growing up were always so fun. When I think of Thanksgiving I think of family. Thanksgiving brings everyone together. I remember playing with cousins, smelling the food cooking, setting the table all pretty, eating the olives off our fingers as a pre dinner snack, laughing, sharing and loving. We have always gone around the table to say what were thankful for. Some people made you laugh, others made you cry. This year I am grateful for so many things. As I have gotten older I realize how truly blessed I am. I no longer live in the sheltered world of my youth. I see sickness, hunger, loneliness, heartache, bitterness and sorrow in the world around me now. I see now how truly blessed I am. I am grateful for agency. I feel so blessed to be able to make good choices and take responsibility for my own happiness. I am so grateful for a loving eternal family. I feel so blessed to have my best friends be within my own family. I have been so blessed with amazing friends. These friends know me better than I know myself. I am so grateful for a great job. I know in this economy not everyone can choose what they want to do and where they want to go. I love being in a profession that allows me to serve people every day. I am grateful for the challenges and the opportunity I have to never stop learning. I am grateful to have a place to live, a car to drive, food to eat. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to travel for work, meet new people, and experience different places. I am so grateful for my health and my ability to be active. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. Without it I don't know where I would be. I am grateful for a Savior who died for me. A Savior who makes it possible for me to repent and strive to be a better person. I am grateful for commandments and counsel from modern day prophets. I am grateful for the protection obedience brings. I am grateful for trials. I am grateful for what they make me learn and the strength and character they bring into my life. I seriously could go on and on. What are you thankful for this year??

Dreams Do Come True:)

     Alright guys.... prepare to be very jealous....So first off it has warmed up here again so the beach is still awesome!! On Friday my friend Dallin and I decided to go surfing. I worked the night before and had a busy day planned but decided play was going to win over sleep. So we got to the beach. Dallin went out to surf for a bit while I caught some rays. I feel bad when we go because he just ends up coaching me and doesn't really get to surf. So anyways he comes back and says did you see the dolphins? What? No. You mean I missed that? I was kinda bummed. So then we went out together. It was not the best day as far as the waves went. They were either too small, or so big they took me out just trying to get out past them. So we floated around alot. The dolphins ended up surfacing nearby. I was so excited. He was like "do you want to swim out to them?" That was like asking "Do you want a big bowl of ice cream with a large mound of cookie dough, some brownies and caramel on top?" (An awesome combination by the way!) So we swam out towards them. They surfaced a little ways away and then it was just floating out there waiting for them to resurface. I was so excited!! And nervous!! Sure enough they surfaced about 6 feet from us... well Dallin says they were 10 feet from us... we comprimised on 8 feet. It was awesome. I am pretty sure I was like squealing like a little girl. All the manly surfers were probably laughing at me but I didn't care. I have been talking about swimming with dolphins for as long as I can remember. This way I didn't pay $100 bucks to do it. Anyways surfing was a blast. I actually did pretty good this time. I stood and rode some of the waves out. Still not as great as my first time in Hawaii but I am making progress:)
     Saturday ended up being an awesome day as well. We got a group together to play beach volleyball. It had been a long time since we played. It was sunny and warm. Then we tried out a new place for lunch.
   It was an awesome weekend all around. I went to two Halloween parties and today at church we met with a couple other wards and discussed goal setting. It was awesome! I got to set some new goals and gain some insight on achieving them. Sometimes we get discouraged when we don't meet our goals. If we look back though, oft times we have made progress, and that goes a long way. I am excited to do some self improvement. Hope you guys had an awesome weekend as well!!!

Amber's Visit Continued:)

Well I guess I was almost done..... We did some other fun things like walking around in downtown Hollywood. We admired the Chinese Theatre which Amber had to explain the significance of. We went to a museum called The Getty. It was ginormous. Seriously we spent a couple hours there and only saw the gardens and one of the five buildings there. We also went to Runyon Park. Runyon Park is up in the Hollywood Hills. It is known for celebrity sitings. Much to Amber's dismay we did not see any:( It was a really cool place to hike. There were lots of people there dragging (literally) their poor purse puppies up the trails. We saw some yoga going on in the park. Pretty cool popular place with awesome views of the city. I had sooooo much fun:) I was so spoiled last month. I got to visit Jessica in Salt Lake and have Amber visit me here. I can't wait for Thanksgiving so we can ge the whole family together!!!!

Amber comes to LA:)

So I am yet again way behind on blogging. Amber came to visit at the end of September. It was awesome. She wanted to lay on the beach all week. Honestly that week was the worst weather. It is always sunny and warm here, Most of the time she was here it was overcast and gloomy. No worries I had made an agenda and we had plenty to keep us entertained. Most mornings we were up super early (anything before 10 is early for this poor graveyard shift girl) and played all day. Here are some of the top moments on that trip!!!!! Enjoy! We did!

So Amber brought the best invention ever. I have always been so bad at taking vitamins. I do good for about a week and then quit. Whoever thought of gummi vitamins for adults is genius......

WARNING: Consuming vitamins like they are candy can lead to an upset stomach. Consuming vitamins on an empty stomach (because you saw them in the bathroom first thing in the morning and were so excited you couldn't wait to take them) can also lead to an upset stomach. Like everything yummy you are also consuming calories when you consume these.

Speaking of candy remember that one time Amber that I mispelled candy?? Yep thats right. I blame it on being up at 630 in the morning. We were discussing that stage with kids where you have to spell things so they don't know what you are talking about. I was like yeah like when Jeff was little (he couldn't have candy since hes a diabetic) and we would spell K-A-N-D-Y...... Lol. I blame it on the early hour, it did make us laugh:)

My friend Dallin was awesome enough to take us surfing!! We may not be very good at it but it was so much fun. The best moment was when Amber almost took me out with her board. Thats right..... Dallin and I were standing and talking in shallow waters when I hear Amber yell my name. I look up to see her coming straight at me on a wave. I ducked like those birds that swim around and when anything comes close they duck under the water. It was hilarious. I stayed under the water til I was sure she was passed me. We took some awesome pictures with my waterproof camera. Genius me took it out surfing and one of the times I was expertly standing up it slipped off my wrist never more to be seen. Dallin got some after pics of us.

One morning we woke up extra early to beat traffic and headed to Santa Barbara. It was a lot of fun. We took a trolley ride around town. We ate lunch downtown, saw the mission there, walked the pier and walked along the beach. As a side effect of being a night shifter I actually slept on the trolley ride. It was kind of embarrassing. Here we are being touristy and driving around town and I am doing this ridiculous head bobbing thing. Poor Amber sometimes I may not be the best company.

 

We did some typical Buchanan things. We stayed up most nights watching FRIENDS. I love that show. I had stopped watching it for awhile. It was good to rediscover the joy it brings;) We ate good as well. LA has so many good places to eat. We made sure to make a couple stops at Diddy Riese's. Thats a place by UCLA that has rows and rows of fresh soft cookies. For a buck fifty you can get a cookie sandwhich with ice cream in the middle or 3 cookies for a dollar. That explains why there is a line down the block at all times. So good. So being 5'11 I wear heels but not the super cute really tall ones. I just never felt I could with my heighth. Amber has been trying to tell me it doesn't matter and I should get some. So I got a pair. Can I just ask???? WHY DO WOMEN TORTURE THEMSELVES? Seriously they are ridiculous. I was walking with my hometeacher and felt like an idiot because I couldn't keep up. I could be standing still talking to someone and lose my balance. While walking, carrying food from break the fast, I just about broke my ankle cuz the concrete got uneven. I now understand why on tv you always see women take off their heels and start rubbing their feet. I got a cramp in my calf. I towered over people. I will admit they did make my calves (which aren't muscular or impressive in any way) look pretty nice. Amber welcomed me to womanhood. Yes at 27:) I may retire early and go back to my old lady looking heels sometime soon:)

To be continued.....I think its not letting me post anymore.....

Ok ok....I'll blog some more...

I know its been FOREVER. I know you guys are dying to know what the latest and the greatest. The more time I let pass, the less I want to blog. Too much to catch up on. I have been in LA for 2 1/2 months now. Guess how long I'm gonna be here?? The end of Febuary. Crazy right? I decided to extend my contract here. I do like my job at LA Childrens. The staff is great and I am learning alot. All the places I want to go for my next assignment have this nasty little thing called winter. Bleh, gag, brrr, yuck, no thanks. So I figured southern California was a great place to continue soaking up some sun and pretend snow, ice and cold don't exist.

     One of the things I really wanted to do since I was living in California was visit the family that lives in California. It was an awesome trip. I got to spend time with my awesome Uncle Dwight and Aunt Barbara. They have always been good examples to me and I will always be grateful for their frequent prayers that the poor single Buchanan sisters will find mates. My Aunt Barbara did inform me that I was loved regardless:) Good to know single people are lovable too;) I also got to hang out with a couple of my cousins that I don't get to see often enough. I loved hanging out with their cute, energetic and awesome kids. Hats off to all you moms and dads out there. Raising kids isn't easy. Sometimes I wonder how I will ever be able to make the transition. Being single I am spoiled with lots of sleep, free time and flexibility. Heres some pics of the good times in Nor Cal. I got to drive up the coast, another thing on my bucket list.

Around LA I have walked around some pretty impressive malls. Who has enough money to shop at them? I have no idea. I spend a lot of time at the beach. I go there a couple times a week to go for a jog, catch some rays, read a book or take a nap. I went kayaking for the first time and saw some sea lions right by our kayak. I checked out the local state fair. There are also a lot of good places to eat around here!

Last weekend I went to Salt Lake. I do love visiting my sister and friends there. Its interesting I don't realize that I am not being completely myself until I get around close friends and family. Always being in a new place where no one really knows you can be different. I loved every minute of being around some of the people that know me best. I hope that with a little more time here more of that Monica can come out. I definately let loose in Salt Lake. We played in the local Walmart and splashed, slipped, trudged through epic amounts of mud!!! Some of my friends and I participated in a Mud Run benefiting leukemia and lymphoma research. The pictures say it all.......

So after a fun filled weekend with Jessica....Amber is coming into town today and I have tons of fun things planned for us. There is so much to do in LA and I am so excited to have someone to do them with. So look forward to a fun filled post later. So sorry about the ridiculous spacing of everything on this blog. I am not very good with computers and the computer won making this post:)

California Lovin:)

   So i have been in Los Angeles for a month now. I can't believe it. I am getting all settled in my new place. I live in the Bentley Monica apartments. Cool huh? My roomate seems super nice but I hardly see her. Its kinda like living by myself again which I don't mind one bit! Good news!!! No more code blues at work:) But as a result of me previously passing out at work, everyone knows who I am! Great way to get to know people and make an impression. I would not recommend it however, too risky to your poor noggin. Don't want anyone breaking their head just to make a good impression.
   Moving on... there is just so much to do and see here. My good friend Helen and her boyfriend Wesley were in town a couple weeks ago. It was fun we went to downtown Hollywood did the star walk and went to a wax museum. I personally have never wanted to go to one but it ended up being so much fun:) Seriously you would look to the other side of the room and really think there was a celebrity there! Here some pics of the good times!

Strikin a pose and wanting a cowboy. Seriously I don't know what it is with me and cowboys lately but I want one so bad. Which reminds me I need a good excuse to wear my boots. I miss them. I love them. Need to find me some coutry dancing in this city:) Which reminds me Cowboys and Aliens was actually a pretty good movie. I had my doubts. Also... left me again wanting a cowboy:) 



  I've been touristy here:) Hiked up behind the Hollywood sign with a friend. It was cool driving up in the Hollywood hills. There are a lot of cool houses up there. The view from the top was awesome too:)

In other news..... went on a ward campout with the Santa Monica ward. We went to Malibu. Who knew there was camping in Malibu??  It was fun we BBQ'd, campfired, played beach volleyball and soaked up a whole lot of sun! Playing beach volleyball in the morning. I try to go to the beach alot, whether its laying out, walking the pier or finding a cool park that overlooks it. I know I feel pretty spoiled right now.

So one thing I have noticed in Southern California is that there is literally a donut shop on every corner. I am still trying to decide if this is a good thing or not. To be honest I have tried a few. They were ok but I have had much better. So now I have this obnoxious and unhealthy desire to find the best one. This could be a problem.

SO COULD THIS!! Fried chicken and waffles?? Who does that? Roscoe's.. thats who. And it was pretty dang good! So thats whats new in my life. Anyone visiting LA anytime soon? We can go get waffles!!

First Impressions

So tonight was my first day of work on my own. For those of you who don't know as a travel nurse I go to new facilities every 13 weeks or so to work. I went through the hospital orientation, 2 days with a preceptor and then I was ready to get to work. So tonight, like I said, was my first night alone. I got report. Sounded like it was gonna be a pretty chill, uneventful shift. So there I was talking to my patients mom. I had assessed my patient, given her some medications, and made a plan for the night. I was standing in the doorway listening to her mom tell me a bit about the patients history. We were talking for quite awhile. I started getting kinda hot...ignored it kept listening... started feeling a little dizzy but didn't want to be rude and interupt, maybe my vision started getting a little blurry. I decided it was time to step away, get some water sit down. So I interrupted and said I needed to step out for a minute. Ummmm that was the last thing I remember before hitting the ground. Yep thats right. So apparently as I turned to leave I ended up passing out. I went down to my knees. I think the mom caught me so I didn't hit my head. So I was laying there and could hear the mom running out to the nurses station saying something about nurse and down. Suddenly there were more people in the room and I was coming to. I tried to get up with the help of another nurse. Guess I wasn't ready as I felt myself going down again I heard people calling Code blue... code blue... ( that is what they call in a hospital when someone goes into cardiac or respiratory arrest. Basically it calls overhead for the whole hospital to hear and gets all the big important people in the room STAT) I remember trying to say no... no... no code blue I'm fine. Well I must not have been because the next thing I knew I was in the bed with a ridiculous amount of people in the room hovering over me. What a way to meet all the new residents and such:) Anyways they kept asking if I was ok. I think I was mostly just embarrassed. What a way to show your competency at a new job:) The PICU doctor insisted I go to the ER even though I looked ok. So I got to take a little tour down to the Emergency Department. I felt so silly bein wheeled off the unit. All the nurses and staff were there looking at me all sympathetically. I thought well I haven't met most of you yet but I will be known as the traveler that passed out from here on out. Got checked out in the ER. Ran some tests, everything was fine. Guess I just wanted to check out the brand new facility and play with the awesome tv/movie/internet/game system they have for patients. It got me a even longer weekend! No work til Monday:) So that was the excitment of the night. Made my poor roomate come out and get me because they wouldn't let me drive home. My poor patient looked a little freaked out. They had to take her out of the room. Guess its not normal to have your nurse become the patient in your bed:) So there you have it. I knew LA Childrens was gonna be exciting and challenging. Just didn't realize I was gonna be the one causing all the excitement!!

Next Chapter:)

So its been awhile since I've posted. Too long really. So much has happened in the last few weeks. I had a great break in between assignments:) First was driving from Denver to Salt Lake. My awesome friend Maren flew to Denver just to drive with me. We had many adventures including suicidal bugs and being stuck in traffic and almost resorting to cooking ramen noodles on the hood of my car in fear we might starve before traffic got moving again. I understand that was a run on sentence:)
            Salt Lake City was a blast. I have so many good friends there. I had a spa day with some good friends, lunch poolside with my work buddies, country dancing with my sister and friends, not to mention time with these cuties:)



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I think its safe to say these girls missed me almost as much as I missed them. Little Elizabeth who said my name for the first time... ok she called me CA my last day before I left for Denver....started calling me Onca as soon as she saw me. She called me Onca all week and was always trying to show me something. It made my week!!

After Salt Lake Jessica joined me in the long drive to Mesa. It was 118 as we were driving in. Miss AZ, not sure if I miss the heat. I got to spend the week with my family. We had a BBQ on the 4th. I got to help one of my best friends paint her and her husbands new home. Love being around friends and family. My next adventure was awaiting. 

    So unfortunately I had to make the drive to California by myself. Anyone who knows me was a little concerned about that. I tend to get tired at the wheel pretty quickly. No worries though:) I made it safe and sound. Learned a few lessons on the way. Never leave the gas pump unattended. Yep thats right. I have never done that before.... and what happens the time I do?? The gas pump decides to overfill my tank by 6 gallons. So that meant gas pouring out of my tank surrounding my car and spreading. Not only did it cost me an extra $20 but also the embarrassment of everyone behind me in line at the gas station whispering "Theres a sign up saying don't leave your car unattended, Doesn't she know you aren't supposed to do that? tsk tsk." I also learned to trust your instinct and stop to go to the restroom when you need to. You never know when you will get stuck in another traffic jam and have to hold it for another hour cuz there isn't a tall enough bush in sight. 

   Anyways I made it. My new home. At least until November 19th. I drove here and met my new roomate. A girl I met on the LDS housing website who offered up her living room until I found a place to stay. I was a little nervous about that. Its worked out awesome. She put up a airmattress in her living room and said I could stay as long as I'de like. We get along great and have been experiencing LA together. I think I found a place to move into the 1st of August. It will probably be an hour commute (even though the hospital is only 10 miles away). LA traffic is a real treat. I have learned to deal with it. My Bishops wife advised to to accept it as a new part of my life and not let it get to me. I think the beautiful sunny weather, beach nearby, and fun things to do are gonna make up for it!! My new place is right by the temple and the ward building so I think thats a good trade off!! So far the ward seems like its gonna be a lot of fun. Lots of people here for summer internships. So I was supwe nervous about moving to LA. I have a very creative imaginiation. I pictured driving to work with gang bangers on either side, homeless people lining the streets. I pictured myself living in shady neighborhoods with drug deals and dangers on every corner. I pictured myself getting lost with my stupid GPS and getting into rough neighborhoods fearing being hijacked or worse. As far as the hospital I pictured any horrible scene that I have ever watched on ER or Greys Anatomy being daily occurances. I don't know what I was thinking. Seriously I have issues. Work is awesome:) Haven't seen any drivebys or felt threatened in any way. My imaginaton makes me laugh:) So that is life lately. The adventures as of late. You will have to read my next blog on first impressions. Hopefully it will make you laugh:)





Just Some Random Thoughts

1. I hate goodbyes....I would rather just sneak out....or holler see ya later as I'm walking away:)
2. Colorado summer is beautiful, I'm gonna miss it
3. I am officially homeless as of tomorrow, staying with a stranger for a bit in LA until I can find a place.
4. I have too much stuff and my car is too small.
5. Who thought it would be fun to move every few months? I mean come on packing? Goodbyes? Cancel the cable, transfer insurance, cleaning, driving (A LOT)...
6. How cool that I get to start over every few months?! New goals, new friends, new adventures, lots to learn:)
7. Excited for the beach, sand volleyball, Disneyland, California sunshine, surfing!!!! If anyone is anywhere near LA this summer you  better hit me up:)
8. My sleep schedule is SOOOO messed up. Love working nights....not a fan of what it does for my schedule, or my social life for that reason.
9. I hope there are cute boys in my new ward who don't have commitment issues, are dating machines, and goal is to marry me but not stay in So Cal (does that exist? might just be a fairtale)
10. This next week and a half is going to be AWESOME!!! Salt Lake to visit friends, hiking, swimming, Zupas, Studio 600 COUNTRY SWING!!!, AZ, 4th of July, FAMILY, new job and returning to my California roots (kind of). I remember when I was a little girl asking my mom "Mom  is a California girl blonde hair and blue eyes(mine have since changed to green)?" She thought about it and said yeah I guess that is the stereotype. I remember pumping my fists and saying "YES!!!!"
Just thought I would share....My California bucket list is yet to come.....Could still use some ideas. Thanks:) I would love to do a coastal drive up to Oregon. Whos down???

California Bucket List!!!

So I ran into this girls blog and I thought it was an awesome idea. Basically she got this idea from her Aunt and its similar to what on of my good friends Helen does. So there are alot of advantages and disadvantages of being single. Some of the advantages being the ability to travel more, spend your free time however you want, financially have less obligations ect. So basically she made a Bucket list of things to do while she was still single. I want to make a bucket list for each assignment I take. They don't necessarily have to be big things but it will be a good way to see and do as much as possible. They can be as simple as a bike ride or jog on the beach, getting a guys number at the gym, to going to Disneyland and things like that. I have a list started which I will post at a later time but I wanted to get ideas from everybody! I will also blog about my adventures. Hopefully it will be a good way to get out there and meet people too!! I am gonna need that for sure because the closer I get to leaving the sadder I am about leaving the amazing poeple I have met here in Colorado:)

I am a SpAzMaTaZz

So recently I realized something about myself.... I tend to freak out when it comes to making decisions. I freak out the most when it is something good and right. I get all worked up and crazy. I realized this when I was making the decision for my next travel assignment. I have been wanting to go to southern California for the summer. Laying around the beach on my days off just sounds amazing. I was looking for San Diego when a job offer in LA fell into my lap. Its a childrens hospital (which I miss), stepdown PICU (which is great place to learn and experience a ton), started when I wanted it to, and is at an awesome childrens hospital which happens to be moving into a brand new facility. Anyways I interviewed thinking I don't want to live in LA. Traffic, smog, gangs, ghettos, traffic, need I go on? After talking to the manager however I found myself wanting the job. They offered it to me despite me not having the travel experience they were looking for. I told my recruiter I needed to think about it. I spent the next weekend weighing out the pros and cons. Depeneding on who I was talking to I was either excited or scared out of my mind. When the day came to tell my recruiter I told her I would accept. That night I talked to a lady at work who lived in LA for years. She spoke super positive things about the facility but then talked about the smog, commute and dangers. AAAAHHHHH. I freaked... told my recruiter I didn't want to go there anymore. She was awesome and said she supported me whatever I wanted to do. Then she talked about all the travelers that were there and how much they love the facility and all the fun things there are to do in that area. So I reconsidered. I ended up finding a lot of people to talk to who have lived there or are currently living there. Suddenly it didn't seen so bad. The funny part is my sister and 2 of my best friends laughed at me and told me they knew I would go all along and it was right. GRRRRRR.... why do they get to know its right and I freak out??? I started thinking about it and basically I have done it with any big decision.... the decision of when to go back to nursing school, moving to Utah, moving to Colorado, breaking up with boys... with all of these things even though in hindsite they were without a doubt the right thing to do I fought it, freaked out, overanalyzed and doubted. Dang fear and its power:) I am so grateful for supportive friends and family who smile and nod and let me come to the conclusion myself! So basically I leave here in 2 weeks, drive to Salt Lake and visit there for a bit, home for the 4th of July, then off to LA on the 6th til the end of Novemer:)
So I am enjoying my last 2 weeks in Colorado. Its gonna be hard to leave. I really like my job right now. I have been spending alot of time in the NICU lately. Gotten kind of attatched to some of the sweet babies and their sweet parents. I love my ward. I have met some awesome people here. Gonna miss playing volleyball til midnight twice a week. Gonna miss the mountains. Spring has been beautiful here. Colorado has certainly been good to me. Great place for my first travel assignment. I feel like I was in a rut that last little while in Utah. I loved Utah and miss my friends there but a fresh start in a new place was just what I needed. I'm a little nervous about California. Gotta find a sane roomate, gotta commute to work, gotta find a safe neighborhood, gotta try to be trendy. Excited for new friends and new learning experiences in nursing. Anyone is welcome to visit. I hear its nice there in the summer!!!

So I have been hiking a few times here in Denver. Every time we drive at least an hour away and everytime we get snowed on. Hmmmm that kinda thing wouldn't happen in AZ. This hike was on Memorial day. I think it was actually high 70's back in Denver but we decided to drive into the mountains and freeze. Hiking in the snow can be fun and the mountains are beautiful. This is my friend Jason that I went hiking with:)

Family visit and more of Colorado:)

I have the best family!!! My siblings decided to come and visit me in Denver. We had so much fun. The weather threatened not to cooperate with my outdoor plans but everything worked out in the end. The first day we visted Golden Colorado. It is just a cute town. We ate pizza, walked around main street looking at the shops and took pictures.

The next day we went to 6 Flags. As kids we always had season passed to Great America in California. Love roller coasters!

Sunday we got to go to a place which I have heard alot of people talk about in Denver. Its called Red Rocks. Its an big ampitheatre where they have outdoor concerts and movie nights in the summer. It was so pretty there. There are also trails to hike around there. These pictures will show you one of the reasons I love Colorado.

 

The last night here Jeff wanted to get some night shots of the city. We had fun taking cool pictures. The following pictures show Jeff's AMAZING photography skills.... and some of the Buchanan's great modeling skills!

Love Denver at night!!! So basically we had an awesome weekend. I am so lucky to have some of my best friends be my siblings. Poor Jeff must have been tired of all the girl talk by the end of the weekend but he was a good sport about it!!!

Chicago:) The windy, rainy, foggy cold city!!

 The building to the right formed ice at the top of the building and would melt it down inside the walls to cool the building down. Look at the size of that building. Skyline to the right.

So a couple weeks ago my friend Natalie and I got to go visit our friends Daria and Jeremy in Waukegan, Illinois. For those of you that have never heard of it its about an hour out of Chicago. We had a ton of fun things planned. The weather however did not cooperate. That worked out for the best though cuz the real reason of going was to hang out with Daria, Jeremy and their adorable little girl Annabella:) So we started out doing a architectural tour of the city. This was awesome!! We hopped on a boat and rode up and down the river that goes through the middle of Chicago. We learned a ton of fascinating information and saw some incredible buildings!! The picture above is right after the boat ride. We figured out real fast that our hair was going to be crazy the whole trip and there was nothing we could do about it.

We didn't want to do much driving in the city since the people there drive like maniacs. So the first day we got bus passes. We were trying to find Sears tower. The bus driver said he would tell us when to get off. Well he didn't... so we got a little lost but found an amazing italian bakery where we got pizza and this yummy canoli:)                                                                                                                                                                                     

 

 We didn't have anything to split it with so we went Lady and the tramp style:)



Luckily I thought to throw the Monopoly card game in my suitcase last minute because we spent hours playing! It was so much fun we even had to play a few rounds before Natalie and I had to leave. Jeremy had to play until he won. Well he finally won and he definately monopolized the game and took us for all we had.

On another day we took the pretty drive to Wisconsin. We checked out the cheese factory there. We got a little cheesy as you can see. Even the baby got in on the fun. We also checked out the Jelly Belly Factory. It was cool they give you a free tour on a train ride. We got to see how they came about and how they are made.

Lets see what other cool things did we do? We went to the aquarium. It was awesome. They even had dolphins there. We went almost to the top of Sears tower. Its where you can step out in a glass box from like 90 strories up. Because of the fog however there was zero visibility so it just looked white. We ate lots of good food. We had Chicago style chili dogs and the best pizza I've ever had:)



It was an awesome trip. I love traveling to new places. Love that after all these years since high school these guys are still my best friends. We missed Erin on this trip, next time.