we went to chicago this past weekend!  it’s a good thing we tsais love to travel as it seems like we’ve been away more than we’ve been home this summer.  one of phil’s cousins got married last saturday so we stayed with another cousin of his who lives in the area (little known phil phact- his mom has SEVEN sisters so he’s got a TON of cousins).  the best part was that mikey got to meet many of his relatives for the first time, including his great-grandma! our road trip included driving across wisconsin to get to illinois (a 7-hour drive).  and what’s the use of being in wisconsin unless you…

ok, ok, enough pictures of our hotel room!  on to the sights.  sunday was spent at the living history farms just outside of downtown des moines.  it’s an interactive museum of three working farms (a 1700s indian village, 1850 pioneer farm, 1900 horse-powered farm) and a replica 1875 town.  everyone working on the farms or in the town was dressed and acted how people did in their era.  truly an experience found only in the midwest.    but it was FUN.  i felt like we were taken back in time and found ourselves in laura ingalls wilder’s or anne shirley’s towns.   the town of walnut hill   exchanged pleasantries with some townsfolk   inside the…

so saturday afternoon we packed up the car and headed out for our 4-hour road trip down to des moines.  we ended up here:   our 450 square foot suite!  (that’s the same size of our first apartment!)   posing in front of the fireplace   mikey felt the need to unwind after the long drive   my thoughtful phil chose this place for us to stay for one reason– room service!!!   he figured it’d be more relaxing for us to eat in our room and let mikey roam free since he’d been strapped in the carseat all day and would probably not want to sit some more in a…

                                    phil came home tonight and handed me this:   so i’m off to pack us up tonight as we’re hittin’ the road tomorrow morning!  yee-haw!!!

 happy fourth anniversary to my philster! hmm, it really feels longer than that.  but in a good way.  in that i can’t imagine my life without my phil in it.  so that it seems like quite a long time ago that he wasn’t part of my world.  i guess if you count dating time, then it’s been almost seven years.  ahh, good times. these last four years have been filled with lots of wonderful memories and i look forward to the many more years to come, Lord willing.  no plans for tonight as we have small group, but phil promises a celebration is to come.  what it is, i have no idea, but i’ll sure…