Two + Two = Us

Rare non-selfie family photo

I'm so far behind on documenting my memories because we've been so busy having fun making memories to be documented! This summer has flown by and school starts as soon as I blink, so I made it a personal goal to at least document one month of summer before it's all completely over.

People often ask me how I find the time and energy to be on-the-go with the kids, and I always say it's because I know time will fly, and I want to make the most of my time with them for as long as they'll let me. Right now, they actually WANT to hang out with me and go places and do things with me. In a few years, that may not be the case. But at least we'll have the memories....and hopefully these moments will help foster a positive relationship for when they reach those treacherous middle-school and teenage years. At least, I can hope....right?

So, June. Wow, that seems so long ago when summer just started and felt like it would last forever. We took a trip to the Smokies, where we had planned to spend time hiking to waterfalls and go-karting, but there was always a threat of storms so we ended up staying at the resort most of the time. Luckily, rain wasn't really an issue and we were able to soak in the rays and enjoy the outdoor pool and activities - something we rarely get to do since we usually go in the off-season. The kids and Justin enjoyed the slides, while I was completely content kicking back in the lazy river or lounging poolside with my books.

We opted to try this super sketchy but amazingly reviewed hole-in-the-wall diner in a gas station.
It was actually quite tasty!

The best lazy river I've ever been on.

Aren't these guys the best?
Awaiting a tasty meal at Mama's Farmhouse

Hot Tubbin'

One of the timeshare perks was a photo with this bear. Weird, but ok.

We drove past a sign for a Dolly Parton statue. So we had to stop and pay tribute since we opted not to go to Dollywood this trip.

They made me go on the brand new SkyBridge - the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the U.S. Clearly I was super thrilled.

But the view was awesome!

But then I had to do this to get down.....eep!

June also marked our 10th wedding anniversary, and we opted to celebrate in Chicago sans kiddos. It was not quite a relaxing vacation but it was so nice to have the time to spend with Justin doing all we wanted to do!

Typical tourists at Cloud Gate

Managed to score seats at the Chef's Table at Girl and the Goat for our anniversary!

Their signature dish: Goat Empanadas. Umm, YUM!

They even comped us a free dessert for our special occasion!

Post dinner at Navy Pier

Chicago day 2: We opted for culture.
First stop: Art Institute

Second Stop: Sushi!

Third Stop: Hamilton!

Day Three: More Touristy Photos after a day of shopping and Field Museum

Did a 360 Tour. Totally touristy.

Can't do Chicago without going on an Architectural Boat Tour. We opted for the sunset/fireworks one.

And you definitely can't do Chicago without getting deep dish pizza! We opted for Lou Malnati's.

Chicago Day Four: After Mass at the cathedral we had to have brunch at the Grand Lux before more shopping and heading home

Introduced Justin to the best beignets outside of New Orleans. A treat I've dreamed about since my first experience years ago on a girls' trip to Chicago!