Washington

Just a few highlights from the past week in the greater Chewelah metropolitan area.

Hanging out with Emmy, the best baby in the world and our only niece:


Boys with flowers and baby on the way to meet grandma for lunch--real macho men.



BlongoBall:



Hanging out on the deck:



Family golf outings:


Smoked gouda?


My first birdie putt ever:



Driving the convertible to do some car shopping on a day with perfect weather:


Buying our car--yay! It's a 2002 KIA Spectra.


Our first drive (coming into Chewelah) after the purchase.


Just after this, Brody gave me a lesson in driving a manual so I can actually drive our car now!

Tomorrow morning, we're off to the cabin on Twin Lakes (about 2 miles away in north Idaho) for our last day of vacation. On Sunday, we drive down to Cornelius, OR, the movers come Monday morning and we start work on Tuesday!!! It has been a lovely lovely week.

On the way

We spent time with and received help from so many lovely friends during our last week in Chicago.

After a wonderful sending-forth at the end of our last service Sunday, some folks joined us for Mexican food on the sidewalk at Papacitos. Scott, Tony, Kristin, Carrie, Andrew, me, the Goose, Kim, Amber.


Joseph stayed at our place Monday night and helped a ton with moving some of our larger furniture on Tuesday morning.


I had a great meal with folks from Holy Cov and Humboldt Park UMCs--a gathering I have been excited about for months! The Guatemalan food at El Tinajon was excellent, but it was the energy and lively conversation that made it a great evening. I'm so excited for the possibilities in that new relationship. Delia, Daniel, Kristin, me, Ronna, Claudia.


Megan and Barrett, some of our first *new* friends in Chicago, took us out for Italian food at Ignotz, just a few blocks from our house. Since we were all in the midst of moving, we were especially glad to find time to get together.


Megan and Jon treated us to ice cream at Pop's Malt Shoppe, which we enjoyed in their backyard.


Trent and Jeanne prepared an amazing fondue feast for us on Wednesday night and also took us to the airport on Friday. Thanks, friends.


Lots of folks came to help us move our stuff on Thursday. The truck arrived and we had exactly two hours to load everything into our 8 designated feet--and we did it! Thanks to Dave, Megan, Megan, Mark, and Kate. I wish we had a picture of our tetris-like packing job.

Dave, Megan and Jon joined us for lunch at Los Alamos, a taqueria just up Damen from us. Wow did that food taste good after that morning! Dave and Goose enjoyed the biggest cups of horchata I had ever seen!


We didn't get much sleep those last few days, but we got the house clean and emptied and were on our way Friday morning! Since then, we've been in Chewelah, Washington, just hanging out with Eric's family. It is so nice to be here!

Oh, dear friends, we miss you already.

Framily picnic

Mom and Jim hosted a really nice gathering for us on Saturday. The weather was perfect and it was--of course--so great to see everyone!

Mom, Rose and Bill eye the food--it was fantastic!



Bill and Jim:


Robert and Rose:


Mom and Curt:


Oh, the look:


With Karen and Corey, who used to live across the street. They seem to be doing really great--I can't believe it had been a year since we'd talked!


Mom looking happy (I think she really was):


Jim, relaxed:


Cessie and her new car:

Yeah.

Holland

We headed to Holland on Friday afternoon to spend time with dear ones before heading west. Michelle, my old Albion roommate for three years, has been living in Holland since she and Korey got married in December--yay! It was so great to catch up with Michelle and get to know Korey a bit better.


Later that night Rose, Robert, Goose and I walked around the corner from my parents' place to Century Lanes for some cosmic bowling. Why haven't we thought of doing this together before? It was great fun and I bowled my highest game ever--169!

Sisters!




The black lights and strobe made for some cool action shots and creepy effects.


Some sort of score-keeping monster.


Strike!

More farewells...

Jenn and Nate had us over for a New Sanctuary Coalition send-off. It was a gorgeous, windy night in Hyde Park and we very much enjoyed being out on Jenn's patio. The food was amazing and it was great, as always, to see these folks!

Nate, Javi, Lindsay, me, Jenny, Eric, Jenn, Stephanie:


Jenn and Javi serenade us with Ode to Joy:


Heading back to our place proved to be an adventure. Oh, CTA, how dear you are and yet how you vex me.

We had plenty of time for chatting at the Madison and Wabash stop. Eric and Mike (who lives in Pasadena and is on his way to a wedding) had come right to Jenn's from the airport, so he could use his suitcase for a bench--or a horsey.

He would be a good bouncer.

In front of the Adventures in Babysitting building:

Farewells...

We hosted our last community meal on Monday and for our special dessert, we invited our friends to take us out for ice cream! You wouldn't guess it by this picture, but Mark was the first to get his cone and Eric the last. Mark was still had ice cream outside the cone when we got back to our place--after a slow, 3 block walk.


Yesterday evening, we headed up to our old neighborhood--Rogers Park! Erin, Matt and Skylar had us over for a bit, which was so nice.

Skylar is so chunkly and cute.


Only a few blocks away from the Myslenski's is our old street--Eastlake Terrace! Andy and Lewis had us over for a BBQ and Euchre. Look at this feast!


As always, it was an intense game...

But...


Andy and I destroyed the competition! Hope to see you again soon, neighbors!