Well, we made it to the Chicago Christmas parties! Raven was so excited and had so much fun that she couldn’t even sleep (even at night when everyone was sleeping and the house was quite…she was wandering around! …Lord, help me with this child!)
We started by spending the day with Uncle J! Then the Woltjer family joined us and we took the L (red line) a few blocks from J’s house. One of the major highlights of the trip! I think Raven laughed the entire way! She liked the jerking of the starting and stopping…silly girl!

Uncle J was pretty excited to have us all there :)

We stopped at the old traditional downtown Chicago Marshall Fields (I mean Macy’s) windows. Although the stories in the windows when I was a kid were much better…and they didn’t mention ‘The Sun’ in every window. Raven was still pretty mesmerized with the story and the moving characters. A very precious moment for me.


Then we went to see the Christmas tree in Daley Center. Also a bit underwhelming when remembering “when I was a kid, the tree was much taller.” But it really was taller when I was a kid. Really, it was! And there wasn’t a Santa’s village surrounding it with a bunch of vendors everywhere. Raven loved the lights and her cousins….and this was all totally worth it. We remembered our old family memories, and we are making new ones.

Our new favorite pizza place that I can't remember the name of. The place where Nick saved our lives from the flaming napkin (which someone with a name that starts with M accidentally left directly over the candle...)

Party time!

Cousins! (all looking at the other camera...but this is the best shot)

Raven snuggling the nutcracker (and a glimpse at the chaos behind the camera)

Party time, again!

Hazel with Great-Grandma T

Hazel in her favorite spot

we are very spoiled.