Chicago!

I told Michelle that we'd be happy to get a hotel so we didn't crowd them on the last day before Isaac's mission. And didn't have any plans except to help them in preparing for his farewell. 

But because Isaac was doing home MTC it didn't feel like he was leaving that soon and she said that not only would they love to have us stay with them, they would pick us up at the airport and spend the day with us touring downtown Chicago! With that in mind, I made a list of a few things we'd love to do -- Giordano's for lunch, the Ledge at the Willis Tower (previously known as the Sears Tower) and see The Bean. Morgan took those suggestions and planned an itinerary for the day that was SO fun! We saw those things and so much more.

Super sketchy going out on the ledge!

Holding on for dear life:

 I DID NOT like it when the kids thought it would be fun to jump!

It took a lot of convincing to get Brent to go out, clammy palms and all.

(Missing Ethan who had to work!)

Next up was Maggie Daley park and miniature golf.

(The rock climbing wall also looked super fun for another time!)

What you can't see in this bush was a 2" hornet that we Googled

and discovered was a murder hornet. Bushes were filled with them. Eek!

Walked over to The Bean

which was even cooler in real life!

Look for the yellow shirt with her sister in blue by her side...

and Marty and Lizzie also in the picture...

 

The spitting fountain...

Then we jumped on Divvy bikes to ride on the bike path down the lake, past the

Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and Natural History Museum

and enjoy amazing views of the city.

Back into the city past the Art Institute (the modern wing next time?),

past the old Marshall Fields the original Chicago Theater sign,

and parking the bikes to walk along the Riverwalk.

From the Riverwalk we walked down Michigan Avenue, made a shout out to the downtown University of Chicago Booth Building, wished for a shorter line at Ghiradelli's but loved hot dogs and Italian subs at Portillo's. It was such a perfect evening (mid-70's all day!) we walked back to the lake to watch the fireworks over Navy Pier at 10:15.

Couldn't have been a more perfect day!