Friends and The Windy City

For Christmas Steve gave me a gift certificate to take a photography class...little did he know that my $50 gift was going to turned into a girls weekend away. Emily found a great deal on Groupon for our class and we started our planning. Two of our other friends decided to joined us and it quickly turned into a two night trip to Chicago. Whooo Hooo for a girls weekend away!

The weekend started off with a bang. Our train pulled up and we were all walking outside when all of a sudden my suitcase became a whole lot lighter. The handle, along with the bars that give the suitcase its support and the wheels, came completely out of the suitcase. So there I was holding the handle while my suitcase was laying on the floor. Everyone around laughed and a very nice guy carried it for me and loaded it on the train. What a way to start off the weekend.

When we got to Chicago we had to take a taxi to the hotel. Heather did a great job getting us one!

The other girls were afraid to ride in the front of the taxi. Thank goodness I was there to be the brave one. Our driver was super nice! He drove us through the tunnel that a scene from Batman was filmed in, it was pretty neat. We won't talk about his fast driving...I just pretended that I was on Amazing Race.

We stated at the W on Lake Shore Drive right across from Navy Pier. This W on the outside of the building was very cool, it glistened at night!

We got to our hotel at around 8:30 pm and were shocked at what we saw. The lobby literally was a night hot spot. There were people everywhere with music, drink and people dressed to the T. We felt very silly walking in, it was for sure out of our league! (keep in my mind my suitcase with a big hole in the top of it!)

Our room was very disappointing. It wasn't anything like the website, and not what you would expect after seeing the lobby. We have a feeling floor 32 was the "hotwire" floor. That and the floor that every drunk person was staying on. The first night none of us slept very well at all. The second most of us slept better, poor Emily didn't go to sleep until 4:30 and even then she tossed and turned. The first night we woke up to a guy screaming, the second night the room beside us decided to have a party. A very loud party. Sleep was not our friend!

Angela and I got ice out of the ice closet that was right across the hall from our room. We encountered more than ice during our trip across the hall....he was scary!

The whole reason we went to Chicago! Emily and I both feel like we learned a lot in our class. We had heard some if it before which helped! I was surprised at the amount of new things I learned! Now I just need to take the time and work on implementing what we learned.

This was our instructor William, he was from Scotland and is called the Simon Cowell of photography. He kept us entertained and did a really good job of teaching us! We are ready to go back for another class.

We followed so many of these signs this week. Heather does not know that the red hand means don't walk!!

We met up with the girls, who shopped all day, and walked across to Navy Pier for dinner. It was SO cold. Heather was all bundled up and ready to go!

Heather, Angela and Emily ready to head back to the hotel after dinner.

Heather likes things HOT. Like really, really hot. I toasted with the heat up as high as it was the first night. Heather decided to sleep in the hotel robe on Saturday night to try and keep her warmer. It was still hot in the room. Jon is a saint!

Emily hanging out in our bed.

Sunday we woke up and went to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Then we went and did some shopping. This lady was sound asleep, the guy beside her was even funnier. Asleep with head back and mouth open, he woke up as soon as I started to take their picture. The sad thing is that the four of us were not to far away from doing the exact same thing!

Emily hanging out with the Lego man.

The problem with being behind the camera is there really isn't any proof that I was on the trip...but I promise you, I was there!

After we shopped a little we sat down in the food court for a little while. I bought Cael a Lego airplane but decided to open it up and put it together. I thought it would be more fun to hand him and actual airplane as his surprise as opposed to a box with pieces in it. When I opened the box I about had a heart attack. I am not sure what I was expecting but there were so many pieces!! In the end we were glad to have something to help us pass the time.

Angela was my co-constructor on the airplane. We made a good Lego team!

She took her job very seriously!

Emily joined in and helped with the gas station. Funny story : us girls were confused as to why there would be a gun included with an airplane. You should have seen Steve's face when I told Cael the little Lego person could also hold the gun. HA!

Good team work Angela!!

Our finished project, including the gun....er gas tank.

Headed back to the W to get our bags and head to the train station.

The don't call it the Windy City for anything!

It was so cold!!

Our ears suffered the most!

The girls hanging out at Union Station. It was slightly different from the station here in Springfield!

Horrible blurry picture but I had to include it. Heather and Emily were also afraid to use the bathroom on the train. They couldn't believe that Angela and I had used it on our trip up. We finally convinced Emily that it wasn't that bad! Here she is coming out of the train bathroom...and she survived!

Emily and Angela on our way back! Our seats were facing backwards, it was really strange! Once it got dark you really couldn't tell.

My train partner on our trip home!

It was great weekend and a nice little break from the real world. I left my phone in Springfield so I didn't have immediate access to Steve or Cael all weekend. I did call them Friday night and gave them the hotel phone number. We talked a little then, for about 15 minutes on Saturday night and about 5 minutes on Sunday just to touch base. What did we do before cell phones? It was really hard not having access to my boys all weekend. I probably went to text Steve twenty times before I realized each time that I didn't have my phone. It was a mistake I won't make again...mark my words!!

Thanks babe for my Christmas present! Thanks Emily for finding our photography class on Groupon and thanks girls for making our weekend a great one!