my new boots.

these boots are made for walking

and that's just what they'll do

one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you!

<3

illinois illuminated.

Happy day! As I told you I was doing before, 

I took a trip to Chicago this last weekend. 

And, as with most of my blog posts, 

I included lots of pictures!

The main reason that my friend Kiersten and I were going on this trip 

was to see our good friend Emily Jaster get married! 

She has lived in Bloomington, Illinois for the last 5 or so years. 

She met an awesome guy named Eddy 

and now they start their journey as husband and wife!

Emily and her dad walking down the aisle. 

The kiss! <3

Haha! I like this picture. 

We were helping her fix her eye makeup.

Best friends don't let friends eye makeup look bad.

Especially when they are having to be in so many pictures!

She would do the same for me.

High school friends!

So! 

After the wedding we went downtown to eat for my birthday.

Oh yea, That's the reason that Staci decided to join in on the roattrip fun and go on to Chicago with us!

We then hit the road for another 2 1/2 hours and ended up here:

It was dark when we got there! But it was still beautiful!

We stayed with a friend of a friend named Sadie.

She and her husband and 1 year old son live here with 7 other adults and 4 other kiddos.

It's a Quaker church that they all live in community in.

They also get extremely cheap rent!

As a stay at home mother, its perfect for Sadie because she never has to be alone much,

and Dustin works right down the street!

Wish we would have gotten a picture with them!

In the morning we took the bus and train to The Loop down town.

Here we are, a fresh mess, wishing the art museum was open!

We ended up coming back and still not going because it was so expensive!

We walked to Millennium Park and saw this dome thing...

Then we saw THE BEAN! 

Staci has nick-named me LindseyBean, 

so it was fun to get a picture with it haha!

A panoramic from a bridge crossing the river.

Ha! My panoramic kind of tilted and repeated some of the buildings..

We were on our way to Navy Pier!

Which we walked all the way to the end of... 

It was long!

Here is about the point that I got tired of walking.. 

And it wasn't even lunch time yet!

A view of the city from the pier.

We then walked to Portillo's for some yummy Italian Beef dipped sandwhiches.

And then we did some shopping.

Here's some street performers. 

So good at the robot haha!

They danced and took pictures for tips!

We were about to get on the bus home when!

Kiersten spotted the Dick Blick store!

Which of course we had to check out!

She didn't end up getting anything, but I got some new pens!

Then we made our way back to the house and rested before dinner.

Sadie and Dustin invited us to their community dinner.

Which had about 20 people around one table,

passing around curry and wine. Yum.

We were so exhausted that we even had to deny sitting around the campfire.

We slept well that night for sure!

And then.. for the 12 hour drive home.

Whew.

<3

fall festivities continued.

Went to another fun fall place! 

Britt's Farm.

It was kinda similar to the last place 

but there was more things to do for adults...

well, adults that like to do kid things ;)

This lil guy liked to have his head rubbed!

I think he thought I wanted to feed him cuz he eventually

started trying to eat the sleeve of my jacket.

Babies!

They had an air compressed potato gun which was pretty sweet!

I was trying to hit that hay-bail target =)

THEN! There was this giant teeter totter ha! 

IT wasn't super successful with only two people

but it made us laugh!

Then we climbed on the hay! 

Tag! You're it!

This was so fun! 

It was a tricycle but each of us controlled one of the front wheels.

So when I stopped, Staci kept peddling and we would turn! 

This is what the hay rack ride was going through! 

Tons and tons of mud!

Corn!

We ended with a corn maze. 

Yes, we got lost.

But we made it out alive.

Then we got to pick some pumpkins to take home!

What fall fun!

<3

fall festivities.

It was seriously a great weekend! And one to kick of many more fun fall activities!

The weekend kicked off with some much needed catch up on sleep! Followed by the best coffee and morning walk to the farmers market ever! I came to the realization that coffee tastes a lot better when you aren't relying on it to wake you up.

Staci was in charge of the days line up! We went to Lazy T's Ranch outside of Manhattan and had some good ol' fashion fall fun!

We started out by exploring a 100 year old barn! 

Then we made it around to the huge sling shot haha!

Which might have broke while we were using it...

Then we went on a hay rack ride! 

This is the picture I was taking when I dropped my phone.

I had to stop the ride so I could run and get it.

It got ran over.

But it still looks and works fine. Thank goodness.

Afterwards we went shopping for all this stuff!

We literally went to every Asian market in town to get fish sauce.

I guess Thai and Viennese cooking uses it, but not Chinese! Interesting.

I was in charge of chopping.

I love it ^_^

Staci ran the show and simmered all the canned goods and curry paste together!

Our masterpiece! 

Sweet and Spicy!

Hit the spot!

This month is going to be fun of fullness. Full of funness.

Chicago trip coming up!

Corn mazes and pumpkin patch.

Maybe some haunted houses!?

Halloween! Ha!

Our life group has talk of dressing up like Bible characters!

Can't wait for the fun time ahead!

<3