Chicago

We headed up to Chicago for my cousin Matt’s wedding.  I had never been and since the wedding was the weekend before my birthday I asked that this be my “present.”  This weekend was also pretty special for the Rowland family, it was the first time we had all gotten together with everyone for a celebration since Stevie’s funeral.  Needless to say, it was going to be a very special weekend and one I was really looking forward to!  We left SUPER early Friday morning (ie, got to Chicago at 7:30am) and hit the ground running.  I had my first experience on the L, thanks to my navigator V!

We headed to the hotel to drop off our bags and then would head out for breakfast.  While checking in we ran into a cousins and aunts/uncles, and proceeded to take up the entire lobby catching up!  We got a group together, headed to breakfast, then V and I decided to check out The Magnificent Mile which was a block from our hotel. 

John Hancock Building

After some retail therapy, thankful that my husband likes shopping sometimes, we met up with more family and ate some Chicago style pizza at Pizzeria Uno.

It was delicious!  One slice and you were pretty full

family!

That night we headed to the rehearsal dinner at Sunda.  The drinks were flowing, the food was out of this world, and the company was great!  I grabbed a quick photo of the Rowland men

Keith (uncle), Nathan (cousin), Ben (cousin), Matt (cousin), Dad! (Kenny)

Sweet Katie kept Vaughn and I entertained throughout the dinner.  We might have left the girls at home this trip, but Katie quickly became our adopted child for the weekend events :)

After dinner we headed to Dana Hotel Sky Bar for more fun with the bride and groom-to-be.  It was an incredibly LONG day, but when you only have a few hours in a new city and with family members you don’t see often, you gotta get it in when you can I say!

The next day we woke up at 6:00am (7:00am Columbia time) and laughed, the girls have sleep trained up well.  We rolled back over and slept some more, it was wonderful!  A few text messages went out and breakfast was planned at the Grand Luxe Café.  It quickly became apparent that any form of eating decently healthy on this trip was just not going to happen.  Since time was limited, and I wanted to see the entire city, we decided to go on a river architectural cruise.  I’m so glad we did it, loved getting a view of the city we wouldn’t have been able to get otherwise.

Mom and Dad

Keith and Linda

Vaughn and Me

After the tour, and still super full from breakfast, we wanted to do some walking.  I have always wanted to see The Bean, or Cloud Gate at Millennium Park so we took this opportunity to do it.

hate that his eyes are closed… boo

Inside the bean, looking up

The one thing on Vaughn’s list to see/do was visit the Big Star, a restaurant he and his buddies came across while on a bachelors trip and now one of his favorite bars.  It required up to take the L, but I loved walking around seeing more of Chicago

Having drinks at the Big Star!

passed this on the way back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding

After a quick power nap, and boy did we need it, we got ready for the wedding.  It was only two blocks from the hotel, awesome, at the Newberry Library.  Matt and Lisa’s original plan was to have it outside in a garden across the street, but the weather had different ideas so it was moved to the library's foyer.  The wedding was stunning, I cried most of the way through it, I’m a sap when it comes to weddings and family, I blame my kids.  (side note: I can no longer attend a wedding and not picture one of our girls.  Not sure I’ll be able to hold myself together when I see Vaughn walking one of them down the aisle and ‘giving’ them away.)

Katie served as a flower girl, and she loved her “wedding dress”

Security was super tight, Jackson took his role very seriously

Aunt Ellen, Dad and Uncle Keith

After a cocktail hour it was time to eat and celebrate with newlyweds (who I FAILED to get a picture of, how terrible!)  But I did have this sweet girl with me

Vaughn and I joked that we had never had so much fun in a library before

Then, at around 11:30, a Southern Mac and Cheese truck pulled up.  Seriously.  You could get whatever type of mac and cheese you wanted, and it was amazing- and I’m pretty sure it was great even if I hadn’t had a multitude of drinks

Best Papa around

I did grab this shot of the best man, groom, and mom while grabbing mac and cheese

After saying our goodbyes until next times, we headed back to the hotel.  The night flew by, as do most fun events, and it was one for the books.  I hated leaving everyone, but I was so thankful I got to go and be a part of it.  I was also thankful I got spend time with our  family for a happy occasion, that alone brings tears to my eyes, it was much needed.  Missing everyone like crazy and already looking forward to Rowland Beach week, where we’ll all be back together again!

New York, New York!

Every once in a while I’m lucky enough to tag along with Vaughn on a trip to NYC for the MRKet Show.  I was very lucky to go in January and thankful that my parents agreed to watch the girls!  As we were finishing packing Friday afternoon, Callie wanted to make sure Vaughn and I both had our ‘just in case’ band-aids- just in case we got a boo-boo and needed it!  Love it!

Excited waiting in the airport- I don’t get out much! ha

We arrived in NYC, dropped our luggage off at the hotel, then headed out to Lombardi’s for some pie.  It was seriously the best pizza ever.  We ate all but one slice of the pizza!

We then headed down to the Empire State Building.  It was late at night, 10:30ish, and I’ve heard that this was the time to go, and it was!  There was not a single line, I think we were two out of 30 people there? 

It was SO high up!  I’m terrified of heights and would only get about five feet from the edge, my hands are sweating thinking about it, ha!

It was well worth it though.  I mean, look at this view!  One thing we noticed was how quiet it was all the way up there; ah can I go back now?!

We had heard it was going to snow the next day.   I had planned (me plan, crazy I know!) for us to go to the Today Show, but said if it was snowing in the A.M. we’d pass.  So we opened our windows in the morning to see snow!  I was bummed about not going, but I always love snow.

We walked across the street from the hotel to our favorite breakfast spot, the Astro.  A warm hot chocolate for me and a coffee for Vaughn and we were good to go to work- yes we did have to work some while we were there.

Saturday was set up day at MRKET and since we had a booth there, we needed to set up!

I felt like I was in a sea of mannequins with no end in sight.  It was very hard to dress these guys and set up when there was so much to do and see out in NYC!

So we hustled through and made the most of it and had a great time making everything look nice…

which made a late lunch drink even better!

We then hit the streets for some shopping.  Nike Town, FAO Schwartz, H&M to name a few

That night we had a great dinner at a Chinese restaurant, cannot remember the name now.  So yummy and I know we’ll go back.  I had wanted to go see Grand Central Station and Vaughn wanted some oysters at The Oyster Bar at Grand Central.

Sadly we got there after the kitchen had closed so no oysters, but good drinks and- great atmosphere!

We were exhausted at this point and headed back to rest.  Vaughn had to work the show the next day and Kelsey and I were flying home.  Sunday Kelsey and I had a few hours to spend in the city before we had to be at the airport and we made the most of those hours.  We headed to the 9/11 Memorial.  There wasn’t much to see, you needed to get tickets and go when they were open for visitors.  But it was still neat to walk around and take it all in.  Last time I was there it was December after 9/11, so yes, very different.

We then headed to Times Square to take a peak.  I’m always amazed how bright it is with all the billboards!  We couldn’t stay long cause we had a plane to catch.  So we said goodbye to NYC until next time, which I hope is sooner than later!

After a crazy trip home, delayed and unpressurized planes, I got to see these to sweet ones.  They loved their treats from FAO, I seriously could have bought the whole store for them!