Have a Memorable Memorial Weekend!

I know we will! Lots of fun planned for this weekend! Our dear friends, the Rollers fly into Chicago tomorrow and I am running in my first race on Saturday. I'm super anxious and really excited! I spent the evening updating my iPod with new tunes to keep me going strong. After training the last couple of months, I was over some of the songs in my "workout mix".

As I was picking up and cleaning tonight, I realized how much I have enjoyed living in a smaller place. We have about 850 sq ft of living space and it is SO EASY to clean! Love it b/c I hate cleaning. I love that I can vacuum the entire place without unplugging and I love that I only have one toilet and tub to mess with - ick. And sweeping/mopping is over in like 5 seconds! We're moving in about a month and we'll have quite a bit more space so I'm enjoying it while it lasts. Our new place will have hardwood floors, which I have never lived with before, so I'm excited to see if I'm a fan. I still think it will be easy to keep. Which brings me to my next thought...Why didn't I think of the Swiffer?! Genius.

Anyway, random post, but I hope y'all have a safe and memorable Memorial weekend! I wish we were going to be on the beach this weekend, but it's still a tad too chilly for that! So to all my friends going to the lake this weekend, soak up some sun for me please!

Roller's & Wilson's - 4th of July 2010 - Chicago!

3 Years!

Tuesday, May 24 marked our 3 year wedding anniversary! We celebrated a few days early with a nice dinner on Sunday night since Matt's work schedule can get a little unpredictable during the week. :)

 Tuesday morning, I woke up my love with a little breakfast in bed. Bacon and a bacon, onion, cheese omelet and a big glass of oj. Yum! Not gonna lie, it was one of the better omelets I've made in my life.

Later at work, I received a gorgeous bouquet of flowers! 3 roses for 3 years. Awww, isn't that sweet? And yes, I strategically placed them next to our wedding picture for the photo. 

We did get to eat a quick little dinner together on our actual anniversary before Matt had to get back to the office. :) So proud of him and all of his hard work. I'm exhausted just hearing about all that he does each week.

Without getting all mushy gushy, it's been an incredible journey so far and I'm so excited to see where the next 3, 6, 9, 50 years take us! I love you, MCW! I am so blessed that God brought us together! Glad you're my boo. 

Dirty Jobs

Or terrifying - take your pick! Today was window washing day at our building and I have to say, although I don't consider myself to have a fear of heights, this is one job I am so thankful is not mine!

 

This is not a normal sight to see feet dangling at the top of your window. 

 Yep, he's sitting in a little chair - 42 floors above a slab of concrete. My heart would be racing!

 Not sure if you can see it, but he uses a suction cup to keep his balance.

All clean! :)

So thank you, Mr. Window Washer, my windows now look fabulous! Now hurry up and get your feet back on the ground!

Home Sweet Home

Well! I am happy to say that the apartment search is over. After looking at quite a few places all over town, we have put down a deposit on our new Chicago home for the next year and I am so excited! It is so completely different from our current apartment. We're going from downtown to residential from the hustle and bustle to white picket fences. Literally.

Here is a sneak peek of our new "apartment". We're excited - despite the fact that we have to pack up and move all over again! I've always wanted to live in an old home and what better way to try one out while we're here! The house was built in 1885 and the owners have kept the charm and most of the originals while making it a great home for 2011. We have 2 neighbors, the unit above us and the garden unit below us and our landlords happen to live right next door! Pretty sweet deal.

We'll be moving at the end of June and we now have quite a bit more space so...come visit!!!

Here Come the Sailboats

This past weekend we had a date with a leasing agent to see a few apartments. {No, we haven't found a new place yet} We were scheduled to meet at 11 am a little ways north of our place so Matt and I thought we would just catch the bus. As we were waiting for the bus, I heard a faint "ding ding ding ding ding" as if a train was coming. It took a minute for it to register and then it hit me...the boats are coming! They have certain dates that the sailboats can go back out to the lake after being docked for winter. No big deal, except we had less than 10 minutes to get to our appointment and we were still south of the river. The bus was about a block away sitting at a red light so there was no way we would catch the bus and get across the river before the bridge started to raise. So, we dashed across the bridge before the pedestrian barricades came down and I managed to take a quick {and dark} picture.

 

Sailing season has begun! :)

Vitamin D

The last couple of days have been full of sunshine and today I actually bared my legs and left my apartment without a jacket OR a scarf! I'm not 100% convinced that I can stash away our coats for the next few months, but it is certainly a welcomed change! As I was running errands at lunch, I noticed that everyone else was basking in the sunshine and soaking up every ounce of Vitamin D possible before returning to work for the afternoon. Every bench, table, patio was packed with people having lunch or reading.

Glorious.

And the city is full of these beauties...my faves!

Spring Delayed...

Chicago Springs are a tease. While all of my friends down south have been posting on Facebook about sitting out on the patio or posting pictures wearing cute sandals and sundresses for the last month or two, I'm still sporting a scarf and coat to work. Awesome. I have been refusing to wear skirts/dresses to work lately, because the recent temps have still been requiring tights and I just can't justify tights this late in the season! The coming weeks are looking more promising for warmer temps - we're finally getting into the 60's on what seems to be a more consistent basis. Outdoor furniture is being taken out of storage for restaurants to offer patio seating, the tulips are blooming, the trees are budding and things are beginning to turn green. Turns out April showers do bring May flowers! That phrase was always funny to me growing up because blooms were already in full force by March.

Sooooo.....here's to a beautiful spring! Better late than never! :)

Chicago - One Year Later

It's been a year since my very first trip to Chicago. Now, I'm a resident! This time last year we came to meet Matt's co-workers and find an apartment to call home! Looking back, it was such a different world - I remember just walking around in awe. Now, it seems a little more "normal" and even though I sometimes pinch myself that I'm living this "city life", the day to day has become my norm.

But, here we are, one year later and I feel like I'm having deja-vu...we're on the hunt for an apartment. Yep, we're moving...AGAIN! I swear our friends and family are going to stop trying to keep up. I don't blame them, I'm tired of trying to keep up. Their address books probably have so many scratches next to our name because we have moved 4 times since we've been married. Sorry everyone - this one is not by choice! We found out in March that we were unable to renew our lease. Our landlord needs to sell his place (short sell/foreclosure situation) so we're getting the boot. The nice thing is that we've had a while, but the bad part is that most rentals don't come available that far in advance so we're just now starting to look. And let me tell you, apartment hunting is exhausting! I'm over it and we still haven't signed a new lease.

So over the next month, I need to start doing a clean out. It's times like these that I wonder why I'm not more organized or why I haven't become a minimalist. Granted we downsized a lot, but I know things have been stuffed in closets and drawers that we just don't need to keep. Goodwill, here we come!