Chi-Town Love. It's All About the Experience.

Sometimes the best medicine is family. It definitely felt better to be together while we celebrated the life of my Uncle Bob. The little cousins enjoyed playing with each another and well, the big cousins (that's us) enjoyed being together too. I also enjoyed my job of entertaining the little ones by reading books and playing countless games of hide and seek.

It's not a trip to Illinois without a ride into the city. We bundled up with our heaviest coats and scarves as the Windy City welcomed us with a hint of Winter in the air. My cousin, Mitch, is our go-to tour guide and he did not disappoint as he lead us to the best spots in Chicago. We often quoted "It's all about the experience" throughout the day as nothing really seemed to go according to plan and instead we just went with the flow. We were able to visit Garrett Popcorn Shops, take a selfie with the John Hancock Center, do a little shopping, experience deep dish pizza from Giordano's, and peek at the traditional Christmas window displays at Macy's.

On the L 

Getting our "Chicago Mix" from Garrett Popcorn Shops

A visit to the Nike store was a must.

Chicago deep dish pizza. SO. GOOD.

This years window theme: "Santa's Journey Through the Stars"

Headed to see the tree from the 8th floor!

This is Chicago. MADE OUT OF CHOCOLATE.

Although it feels good to get away from Charlotte for a little bit, it always feels good to come home. My shirt says it all. Ain't nothin' finer than North Carolina.

Have a Quality Day

It wasn't often that I got to see my Uncle Bob due to his family living 13 hours away but when I did get to see him, it was always the best time. Bob was always the life of the party. He welcomed you with a warm bear hug, sported the best dance moves, and was always up to date on music, sports, and movie trivia. This past week, we celebrated his life as a supportive husband, one-of-a-kind father, Papa, and genuine man that he was. I will always remember our Thanksgivings and time spent together which he always made enjoyable with his presence. He always believed in having a quality day. Uncle Bob, you will be missed, but never forgotten.

Old Lady

It was ladies night out for Elyse and I as we headed out on a Thursday night (that's a big deal for both of us) to enjoy a show by singer/songwriter, Ben Rector and americana-folk band, Judah and the Lion. There was a good mix of an old and young audience at the show but I would say the young outnumbered the old. The sold-out show at the Fillmore jammed 2,000 people into it's walls and Elyse and I started to feel our age as younger kids around us started to cramp our style. The longer we waited for the band to take the stage made it seem like the VIP seated section was calling our names.

I left Elyse to hold our spots that were pretty close to the stage while I checked out the merch. As soon as I stepped out of the crowd, I felt SO much better! I could breath! I quickly bought some awesome tees and walked by a roped-off VIP area that looked too appealing to pass up. I texted Elyse and she was over by me in no time where we had no shame in paying extra to have this special little area to ourselves. We enjoyed the private bar, bathrooms and SEATS! The seats were glorious--away from the hub-bub of the excited tweens and twenty-somethings. Wait a minute...I'm technically a twenty-something.

We enjoyed the high energy that Judah and the Lion brought to the stage, along with Ben Rector making us laugh with his sweet melodies and quirky banter; All from the pleasure of our seats.

So folks, there you have it. Another sign of aging Asha. I still love live shows but I'd much rather have a seat than stand amongst a mosh-pit of teens and tweens. Sorry, not sorry.

Cranky

What is Fall without a visit to the pumpkin patch? A few weeks ago, we did just that but two people made the trip not so enjoyable. One person was Keegan, who desperately needed a nap, and the other person was....ME. Yep...I'm owning up to my own crankiness. Looking back, I can tell I was super cranky because I am not in one. single. photo. What was wrong with me you ask? I probably desperately needed a nap just like Keegan...

Look at that pout.

Despite both Keegan and I's crankiness, we DID manage to have a good time at The Hunter Farm.... we just had our moments, that's all :) The whole fam had fun on our bumpy hayride with a pit stop at the milk barn. It was there that we were greeted with the butt of Bessie, the dairy cow, who was mooing to her mate across the yard. We learned some educational facts about dairy cows and it was off to the petting zoo where my camera decided to stop working for the day. Luckily I was able to get a few good shots of Keegan before it went haywire.

After our educational hayride, we picked out our pumpkins and enjoyed popcorn and lemonade before heading home. I was able to find two HUGE pumpkins for Jeremy and I to carve at the Kafsky Annual Pumpkin party. Sadly, we did not take home a prize this year but Jeremy's pumpkin turned out to be pretty legit! Mine on the other hand....no one got it, haha. I carved the dancing girl emoji. I didn't even attempt to take a picture of it (yep...I was still cranky) so enjoy Jeremy's awesome pumpkin instead. A big THANK YOU goes to the Kafsky's for always putting on such a fun event! Their new house is pretty awesome and perfect for a spooky party.

No tracing for this guy! 

Jeremy's masterpiece. My pumpkin was not worthy to photograph.

This years first place winner. Pumpkin eating a pumpkin.

All the pumpkins!

And just like that, my cranky day ended and I was able to wake up on the right side of the bed the next morning :) Oh, and if you must know, my dancing girls emoji carving is next to the Mets pumpkin.