Sweet Home Chicago!

I have been avoiding this blog like the plague. I don't know why....I just cannot bring myself to go through my recent sessions, pick out the pictures I want to blog, resize and sharpen for the blog and upload. Oh yes, it is a lot of work. I learned something new a couple of weeks ago...people actually read my blog! I thought just my grandma and my mom read it...and maybe a couple of clients here and there, but no, people actually check it on a regular basis. That makes me want to blog more and put in the extra work.

Part of the reason that I have been MIA is because the end of the school year hit me like a ton of bricks. So much to do, so little time! The parties, the presents, the goodbyes, the dealing with the endless amount of energy that is suddenly in my house. In an effort to find something to do with the darn kids and get them out of the house, I decided to visit my mom up in Chicago for two weeks this year! I *thought* this would be a reprieve from the craziness called my life...relaxing all day with the kids....working to get all caught up....lots of family fun together. While we have been having fun, it has not quite worked out the way I planned it. I have been shuttling two kids all around town and have been EXHAUSTED every single night. Getting caught up hasn't even come close to happening...I don't know what I was thinking! Anyway...enough rambling on and on...I don't know if anyone actually reads what I have to say or just looks at the pictures. I would love to hear more feedback so I know what everyone likes to read or see :) *hint hint* That means leave a comment...it will encourage me to blog :p Here are some pictures from our adventures in Chicago so far...

Here is Dylan on our way to see the Kane County Cougars (baseball team). This is where my mom's company has their company picnic every year!
Dylan and Natalie watching the action!
In front of beautiful grass...dear lord, please make fields like this in Florida, thanks :)
Here is Natalie in the butterfly garden at the Brookfield Zoo.
Natalie riding the "world famous" carousel.

Dylan on the polar bear? I don't know what that thing is?
Natalie on the penguin.

Natalie couldn't stop looking at herself in the mirrors on the ride...so funny!
Dylan took this picture...I think I like it :)
About to watch the dolphin show...Dylan decided he wants to be a dolphin trainer when he grows up!Dylan caught this picture of the dolphins...not too shabby...maybe he will be a photographer instead ;)
This is the actual size of a tiger...wouldn't want to run into one of those things!
This was Dylan's favorite thing...he got to pet a stingray!

Another picture by Dylan...The kids in front of the Shedd Aquarium!

It was extremely dark so it's a little blurry...but I love these jellyfish!
Wow...a very rare sighting...they actually have a komodo dragon at the aquarium!! That thing was ginormous!!! I would not want to run into one in the wild, that's for sure. Speaking of running into them in the wild, did you hear about those scuba divers that got lost and washed up on an island full of komodo dragons?? They had to fight them off for three days before being found...crazy!!

Taking a water taxi to Navy Pier.

When we got home that night...this was waiting for us at my mom's front door! It scared the crap out of me!!
We decided on Thursday to scalp some tickets to the Cubs game....I haven't been to Wrigley Field yet so I was excited to go! Here is Natalie about to get on the "L."
We wanted to wait a couple of innings so the price of the tickets would come down...in the meantime, Dylan watched through the fence with some dicey looking guys!
Here's Dylan and I at Harry Carey's!
And Natalie and I...
Here we are in front of the famous Harry Carey statue! Oh...and I cut all of my hair off last week...I don't know if you can tell from these pictures?

I promise I will blog more soon! I want to at least do some sneak peeks for the people waiting for their galleries :)

Til next time...

Kristin

I'm Back :)

While not the best time to be taking a vacation, I didn't really have an option. My brother's girlfriend and I had plane tickets that HAD to be used by June 7th. Since she is in Physician Assistant school, she only gets a couple of breaks and this was one of them. So, we had the delima of where to go? How about Vegas?? Heck yeah!! I have been one other time but she has never been. We had a WONDERFUL time!! Lazy days by the pool, a little gambling (well, maybe a lot of gambling...I can see why it is addictive!), great food, and some of the most amazing night life I have ever experienced. The most annoying part was that I didn't have internet access (or rather, it cost $16.00/day which I refused to pay) so I couldn't work at all. So anyone that has tried to contact me in the last week, please be patient while I catch up on everything. I have had a little more difficulty than expected adjusting back to eastern time. Hopefully, I will get a good nights sleep tonight so I can dig myself out of this pile of work I have looming over my head!

Here are a couple of pictures of us...we weren't very good about taking pictures.

Here's the first night...we had been awake for about 22 hours at this point!

At the famous, LAX!
We ate at a restaurant on top of the Palms Hotel. The food was just ok (and ironically the most expensive) but the views were fabulous!f

We also woke up early on Friday morning to catch the first showing of this movie....

I have been SOOOO excited about this movie ever since I heard it was in production. I simply could not wait any longer! I have to admit that I was a little worried that it was going to be horrible...but my worries soon diminished. It was everything that I wanted and more. I absolutely LOVED it!! Don't go an see it if you weren't a fan of the show because you probably will not like it, but if you were a fan, go see it immediately!! It was SO SO GOOD!!

I have so many shoots to blog and I am going to try to make a post a day for the rest of the week. Also...my birthday is in 3 days! While in Vegas, I got a lot of "WOW, you look really good for your age." What?? Since when is 27 so old?? *Sigh*

Til next time...
Kristin