From hanging with dinosaurs to strolling along the lakefront…all in the same day!!

I’m excited to share the second part of my fun birthday extravaganza! After we ate lunch in the museum (and, let’s be honest, got over the shock of seeing SUE…), we opted for a little change of scenery in the form of fresh air and the breezy summer afternoon!!!

My mom is always talking about wanting to “go to the water” and over the years, it’s become a need for her. She finds it incredibly calming, especially during the times when our lives felt so chaotic, and you could literally see the smile form across her face the second we caught the first glimpse of Lake Michigan.

Not to mention, how perfectly was she dressed for the beach-walking occasion? She made the above pic her profile photo on Facebook and I commented, “You’re a beautiful nautical princess!!!!!” I don’t know why, but she just rolled her eyes in response and told me not to be weird. Maybe she didn’t like my compliment?

Anyway, it was fun to see my mom and sister frolic down the beach. Sadly, it wasn’t handicapped accessible, so I followed along on the sidewalk — and even managed to make like the paparazzi and get Janelle in a photo.

And, I’m usually a horrible photographer, but I’m actually proud of the way my pics turned out. Do you recognize that triangle-shaped building? You might remember it from a scene in Adventures In Babysitting, that seminal ’80s classic — a film that I’ve seen hundreds of times and it never, ever gets old.

Of course, you know I just couldn’t resist capturing that good old wind-swept look! And it was, indeed, VERY windy by the water! #HelloWindyCity

If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: There is absolutely nothing like summer in the city! The lights. The sounds. The energy. The exuberant fanfare. Plus, we have such wonderful memories of our time there when I was a child, despite all the hard surgeries. Honestly, going there sort of feels like going home in a way, you know? It’s almost like I can feel that former life wash over me, wrapping me up in comfort and love. It’s a really calming, peaceful feeling, which made for a wonderfully full, family-filled day!

Speaking of family, guess what?? The lovely mom wrote the first of three blog posts about her European adventure! Look for her thoughts on Paris tomorrow!!! She has some great stories and photos!!! xoxo

Apparently, I started this tradition last year, so I figured it’d be best just to keep it going. It’s officially 8:49 a.m., which means it’s MY 36TH BIRTHDAY!!

I know what you’re thinking — “how does she maintain her downright youthful glow??” I mean, you’re sort of right about the youthful part, seeing as how I actually look the same today as I did in my senior portrait from high school. But as for how I’ve maintained it? Well, that’s always been a huge mystery to me!

I’m having a pretty low-key birthday this year, and, honestly, it’s going to be a bit of a tough one. My mom went to Paris, France, with my aunt and cousin this week, and it’s the first time she’s been to Europe. Of course I’m excited for her, but her absence has hit me a lot harder than I expected. I’m anxious and sad and weepy; that scares me a bit because then my mind starts racing with flashbacks to when I was depressed a few years ago, and I don’t want to go back to that place. But I’m telling myself that these emotions are just the result of my mom being 4,000+ miles away. I will survive — and can’t wait to hear all the stories from her trip!

I’ve decided to take next week off, especially in light of all this hullabaloo, so look for the second part of our Chicago photos on Monday, August 14th! Also, be sure to come say hi on Facebook and Twitter — I’d love to chat with you all! Thanks for all the support, love and encouragement! You all are pretty amazing, and I sincerely hope you all know that by now! Where, oh where, has all the time gone?? xoxo

P.S. My last EIGHT birthdays: 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th and 35th!

Ooooh, friends, I’ve been chomping at the bit harder than a velociraptor at snack time!! Why the dinosaur reference, you ask?? I’m not just trying to impress you with my knowledge of proper dinosaur names or paleontology, though I do dig both (get it? Dig + paleontology!). Anyway, we ventured into Chicago last week for some classic sun and fun. We decided to celebrate my birthday early by spending the day with the dinosaurs and strolling along the lakefront. And, WOW, what a wonderfully marvelous day it turned out to be! That’s me, above, with my new friend SUE in my favorite photo from the day — but more about that part of our trip later in this post!

Back in the spring, I read that The Field Museum would be opening the Jurassic World Exhibit this summer and, yes, I about fainted right there on the spot. Jurassic Park has been one of my favorite movies since I was 11 and fell in love with those mighty dinosaurs on the big screen. We hadn’t been to the city in ages, so this was the perfect time to hit the road and take it all in!

It was a lovely summer drive into the city, and it reminded me of all those days we’d drive to the hospital — oh, so many childhood memories came flooding back! Once we parked and the museum came into view, it was like the seas were parting and we were coming upon sweet, sweet paradise.

The sign for the exhibit beckoned me!

As we approached the exhibit, I heard it — the theme music from Jurassic Park! There was no mistaking that familiar tune, which has become somewhat of a comfort to me over the years. Just hearing it transports me to that remote island off the coast of Costa Rica full of lush green and dinosaurs on the loose.

Now, this is not hyperbole when I say this, but the exhibit was LIKE WHOA, SO REALISTIC!!! We stood face-to-face with all of the park’s finest species — Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor. They were all present and accounted for, and the absolute best part?

They all came to life as animatronics! YESSSS!!! Life-size, movable creatures. It was just like those singing animals at Chuck-E-Cheese in the ’80s only scarier. You really felt as though you had stepped inside the movie and were witnessing history walking among us.

After the exhibit, we walked around the museum a bit more and then went to see SUE, the largest and most-complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever found. I’d been wanting to see SUE up close for years and am so glad I was finally able to! What a majestic, powerful, strong creature!!! Fun fact: SUE even has a Twitter account!

After we got home, I got to thinking about the day and how nice it was. Part of the reason it meant so much to me was because Jurassic Park was something I shared with my father. He loved it too, and we bonded over it. His birthday was last week too and seeing the exhibit made me feel closer to him, which is something I’ve always craved since his death in 2003.

Plus, spending the day out and about was such a refreshing and rejuvenating change in my normal, ho-hum routine. I feel like so much of the freelance life is solitary and it’s too easy to get trapped in your head. But just getting out and having a change of scenery was the perfect cure!! I now feel relaxed and ready to tackle writing with fresh eyes!!

There’s nothing quite like spending the day at the museum, is there? What’s the last museum you went to? What was your favorite exhibit? Are you a big dinosaur fan?? Stay tuned for our Lake Michigan adventure tomorrow!! xoxo

(Special thanks to Ms. Bear and Janelle for helping me capture these wonderful memories!)

Well, it seems I’ve taken to posting some Family Photos on Mondays, so let’s go with that, shall we? That’s Yours Truly, above, enjoying a day of writing at the campus library a few weeks ago. There’s nothing like the library to get those creative juices, you know? In other news, I present you with some birthday photos and a sleeping cat…

My mom absolutely LOVED being the birthday girl this year and relished in an entire day dedicated to her! She even insisted that we snap a few photos of her with her precious birthday loot, including a Zumba Queen mug that Janelle got her. She loves her Zumba, remember? Seriously, it’s a depressing weekend when she can’t get her usual fix on Saturday mornings. As my mom always says, “I just have a certain amount of energy that I have to get out every day!” Trust me, this is soooo true. If she has excess energy to burn…WATCH OUT! It may or may not be a pretty sight!

But…do you know what’s a VERY pretty sight? Oh, I think you all do! It’s…Harry, of course! Here’s Harry chilling in his usual evening spot — my mom’s arms! He seriously will lay there for a solid two hours — during dinner and during dessert — and through two episodes of Criminal Minds! Before we got our cats, I always thought cats were solitary creatures who didn’t really like people, but apparently, I was oh-so-very wrong on that one. Stella will try to come up on my mom’s lap too, but the prime spot always goes to Harry. Top Cat, much? You know, I suppose it just goes to show that you should never believe all those stereotypes out there, huh?

And of course, my mom made more of my grandmother’s famous almond cookies yesterday…perfect treat to start the week!

What’s been going on in your family these days, friends? What have you been up to? I’d love to hear some stories, so let’s share! xoxo