I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Chicago for my Grandpa Jack's 80th birthday. I love going and visiting my family out there. They sooth my soul and remind me of who I am and where I come from. I love spending time at my grandparents house and I love all the same old family stories that get told, and the new ones that I am now old enough to hear.
My grandparents backyard is my little oasis. There are so many good memories here and I just feel at peace (except for the d-word mosquitoes).
My grandparents are also awesome because they knew that I loved the movie 'Man of Steel' and also knew that it was filmed 45 minutes from where they lived, so they drove me to Plano to see what was left of the town that they used for Smallville.
We also went to the taste of Westmont to taste good food and take Jackson (my cousins little boy, and the cute face in most of these pictures) on all the fun rides.
Grandma and Grandpa had a giant pile from their backyard that they've been saving for 2 years, and we got to burn that, (and those who drank had another excuse to drink their way through at least 3 cases of beer). Kari and I knocked out a case of Pepsi... so no worries there.
One of my favorite moments was Grandpa Jack's birthday lunch. It was great to see all the people that love him celebrating him. Plus it seemed like a great excuse for everyone else to drink. They are lucky Kari and I are permanent designated drivers. =) But they had plenty of pop and snacks to keep us kids happy.
I don't say it enough and I don't see them enough, but I really do have an awesome family! Every time I'm out here I want to stay permanently. Maybe someday the job market and my bank account will agree. =)