Chicago

A few months ago, when Randy told me he was taking a con-ed course in Chicago, I told him there was no way in hell he was going without me. ;)

Plus, it was the perfect excuse to go on a vacay with my hubby.

Plus, it was the perfect excuse to get outta this damn desert heat.

Plus, it was the perfect excuse to see my bestie, Ali and spend time with the Packards.

Plus, it was the perfect excuse to meet their beautiful new baby girl, Isla Kate.

Plus, it was the perfect excuse to bring Beckett to meet Isla so they can fall in love and get married someday.

We left Madden at home with his cousins and Grandma and Grandpa up in Snowflake, since majority of this trip Randy would be in class and I'd just be visiting Ali and her new babe.

But I couldn't leave my bitty babe behind, he's too little to be separated from his mommy just yet...

When we arrived at the Phoenix airport to catch our flight to Chicago, we got there only to find the airport was on lockdown because of this mess.

Being in one of the country's biggest airports while its on lockdown is pure madness, I tell ya.  I'll spare you the complicated details, but basically it was nutso and basically we BARELY made our flight.  As in, we were literally running to our gate and were the last ones to board and were just buckling our seat belts as they pulled away from the gate for take-off.  Luckily, throughout the chaos of it all, Beckett was just happy and chill as always and slept like a champ on our late flight.

Damn, he's a good baby...

It was about 1 am by the time we landed, got our rental car, and made it to our hotel in the city and checked in to this view...

...and then woke up to this view...

Then, while Randy went to his 2-day course in the city, I shopped with my bestie and watched our babies fall in love with each other...

Other highlights included...

surprising Bryan :)

Bryan had no idea Randy was coming out, and thought it was just Beckett and I coming out to visit.  His reaction was hilar!

And a cuss word might have been involved

And maybe even a kiss.

the food...always a Chicago highlight...

Bongo Room

Downers Grove Farmers Market

Southport Grocery

Sprinkles Cupcakes

(not because its unique to Chicago, but because they're just a given when Ali & I are together)

watching these two babies fall in love with each other...

Someday they will be sealed to each other in the temple and we'll put these pics in their wedding video ;)

the fall colors and the fall WEATHER. Seriously, perfection. Minus one rainy day where we got rained out of the city.  But seriously I wasn't even mad about it because the rest of the time we were there was amazingly perfect weather and it made up for the one rainy day.

Beckett's reaction when face-timing with Madden every night.

Cutest thing I've ever seen as a mom, hands down.

Becketts face lit up the second he saw Madden's face on the screen!

He started crawling the fastest I've ever seen him crawl, panting, smiling and laughing, and reaching up for the phone! 

It was literally the cutest thing I've ever seen in my entire freaking life, you guys!

No exaggeration!

The Chicago sights!

(where we took gazillions of pictures and I couldn't narrow it down because Beck was being such a poser and smiling so cute in every single one of them)

And of course, the company!

I don't think there's a word that exists to describe my love for these people.

They are like family to us!

Which is why it would just be so appropriate for our babies to get married someday.

So, Packards, lets just family-vacay together every year from here on out so that our babies are around each other enough to fall in love someday and get married, mmmmk?

Mmmmk.

Peace out, Chicago.

I love you.

xoxo