Chicago

I went with Ryan to Chicago last weekend for his ophthalmology conference. It was fantastic. Perfect fall weather - sunny with crisp, cool air, thankfully bringing on the change of clothing that I really miss this time of year. And a few days of blessed non-fuzzy hair. Not to mention an amazingly cool city. (We really love big cities.)








Turns out it was a great year to go too since this year Ryan got it paid for so we lived it up and stayed in the new Trump hotel - one of the tallest buildings in the U.S. and super swanky.  I think it was the reward for the one of the first winners of The Apprentice to oversee it's development. We even had super posh bathrobes and slippers - although with the monogrammed TRUMP right on my feet I sort of felt like I was sneaking into the slippers of Donald himself every night.  It even had a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and everything. Tons of mood lighting (I was very fond of that since I always think I look nasty in fluorescent hotel lighting), buttons for everything, and $25 blinged out bottled waters available.

 





And I was just about to say, hmm, the only hotel I may have stayed in that was nicer than this was one in Malaysia that had tv screens inlaid in the bathroom mirror.  Until I realized, oh, this one does too.

Great views of the city out the window (of the John Hancock building I think? Or is that the Sears Tower?)

I did some good shopping the first day I was there until Ryan was off work and then we went out for some Chicago-style deep dish pizza and swung by some lounge with people from work for a while.  The next day while Ryan was at a conference I figured it would actually be more economically efficient for me to pay 29 bucks to go sit on a sightseeing bus all day than for me to be roaming free....which would of course mean more shopping.  I made the mistake of getting off at one little stop on the tour...on the Magnificent Mile of course with an H&M right there, and well, I'm only by an H&M once every few years.  And then I was reminded that they have a maternity section while I was hunting around for a bathroom, and while a tiny maternity section, it packed a good punch, and well... my economic efficiency theory went out the window.

That night we went to a work party at the Ritz Carlton, then off to another dinner at some French Vietnamese place.  And on to another after party at some other hotel after that.... Really, it turned out to not be as restful a trip as I thought it might be what with all the late night partying, early morning trips to the airport, and my aching body from all the walking.

The next day Ryan ditched the conference and we took an architectural boat tour (I loved both the tours I took and learned a ton of interesting facts).









A few of my favorite buildings were both right by our hotel - the Wrigley Building (left).




And the Chicago Tribune building (right).
 This one was especially cool because inlaid around the building are various mismatched pieces - a piece from the Taj Mahal, a piece from the Forbidden City in Peking, a piece from Pompei, a piece from the pyramids, and on and on from various historical places around the world - even a piece from the moon.

We then ate our way through everything authentically Chicago that we hadn't tried yet - ate a Chicago dog, an Italian beef sandwich, and another version of Chicago-style pizza.

All the rich Chicago history made me love seeing pictures like this around too. 

 Then we stopped at at the Merchandise Mart - the largest public building in the world (just smaller than the Pentagon, but the Pentagon isn't a public building) and looked over the free Luxe home show that was going on. I've decided I love this type of kitchen:

While I really like the clean look of more modern-looking kitchens and I love dark woods the most, I've realized I love the ambiance created by a really warm-looking kitchen. To me it seems really homey and inviting and says come chat with me in the kitchen while we make dinner; bring your friends home and don't worry about getting your finger prints all over the stainless steel appliances.

That night we went over to the John Hancock building (another one of the tallest in the city) and went to a lounge up top with amazing views of the city.  Even the bathrooms had the same views.

Then we had a 10:30pm reservation for dinner (I know, that's so weird to me) at a place called the Girl and the Goat - apparently owned by a girl who was a winner of Top Chef (Stephanie - maybe from season one? That's supposed to be her in the picture although I hear it doesn't look like her).  Cool and chic place, with a totally funky menu:

That's right, roasted pig face.  And lots of goat parts and tongues and livers and other strange animals and body parts that you don't normally eat.  (And no, I wasn't a big fan of the pig face - strange now that I think about it, I really do love pig in most any form....)

Anyhow, it made for yet another very late night and a wake up call at 5am to get to the airport and back to my sick, disobedient and screaming children.  Aaahhhh.  Really, I have a hard adjustment getting back to real life.  Either my kids get out of whack when I'm gone or I just forget for a few days how demanding they are and how much they can scream and cry and not listen to anything I say!!  At least while we're away all we seem to remember is how cute they are and the funny things they say that we miss.  I guess I should go away more often.  :)   (And yes, I realize I have a pretty good track record of this lately, with another childless trip to L.A. coming up next month.)  Thanks to my mom who was brave enough to watch all three crazy kids. I'm sure she was reminded of how her life once was and wondered what she must have done wrong to have to be going through it again.  :)

Gifts

A few nights ago as I was lying in bed mulling over Little Man #4, I said to Ryan, "Hmm, I guess someone else wants to come to our family. I didn't see it coming, but well, I can't blame him."  :)  Truthfully though, every time I go to the grocery store with all three in a cart I can guarantee there will be another little kid sitting alone in his shopping cart who stares and looks longingly at our cart full of kids. And as we pass by and his little neck is craning to look after us, I say, "Party in our cart!"  The few little kids that have lived in our building always seem to like coming to our house too - there is just something about walking into a house full of kids that really feels like instant fun - even if my kids aren't necessarily playing right with them.

 But the truth is, Ryan and I just love having siblings.  I can't imagine either of us having having less. I love it when we're all together and I it feels incomplete when anyone is missing. I guess I'm happy our kids will have that, although having a big family is terrifying. Especially since I sort of feel now like we're probably not done. I really have felt a little girl since before I was married. So I thought Cash would be a girl. When I was pregnant with the twins I had mentioned one time before we knew what (or how many) we were having that if this wasn't a girl she was really going to be waiting a long time. When we found out there were multiples in there I couldn't believe one of them wasn't a girl! And this time I said kind of jokingly before we got pregnant that God would probably give me a boy just to make me keep going. (It didn't mean I wasn't still shocked when I found out it wasn't actually a girl though!)  Maybe it's just been the carrot before the horse to get me to keep going and I'll never actually have a girl. Who knows. But I had a blessing one time that said children would be given to me. I thought great, I'm going to have kids, but when I was pregnant with the twins it totally took on new meaning to me. I really was being given children. I had asked for one but got gifted a second. This time around it's another one I didn't see coming. Exciting. A huge blessing. And still a little scary.

I'm sure Ryan will read this with a quizzical look on his face at the part about having more.  :)  It might take some convincing. I actually admitted to him after we found out this one was a boy that when I was a teenager and we used to do that string test to see how many kids you were having it always said I was having four boys. But seriously, who ever put any stock in that?  Weird. And then I told him- um, yeah, it said four boys...and two girls. Yikes. I really don't know that I have six in mind...and he definitely doesn't!

But yes, you better believe I was pretty relieved there was only one in there.

Now our real fear is that with three older brothers only 20 months apart this poor little guy is going to be seriously ganged up on. Always running after them, trying to keep up and getting doors slammed in his face. :)  I guess he'll learn to be tough.  And hopefully he'll have some stellar qualities to help himself stand out in a family of 4 brothers. 

Sometimes I really wish I was pregnant in Utah though where people are used to seeing pregnant women toting around 3, 4, 5 other kids. Nobody even bats an eye. Trust me, people here bat an eye. Many eyes. I almost wet my pants laughing so hard at Costco the other night when the twins were throwing such an enormous and voluminous tantrum getting in the cart after we ate that literally everyone in the food court, everyone in the huge lines at the checkout registers and everyone walking out were all staring at our circus and my pregnant belly. Maybe there would be fewer batting eyes if I could get this brood to be a little more discreet.  :)

Now if anyone hears of a boys name that sounds like he could possibly be a rock star, I'm clean out of ideas.

Triple doubles

While we're on the topic of my magnetism for statistical improbability, how about this picture of my two roommates and me?

This picture makes me so happy!  I love it. I've mentioned before the fact that two of my best friends and roommies from BYU ended up having identical twin boys also.  Those of you who may get the BYU Magazine can look for a little article about us and these pictures in the fall issue coming out soon. Pretty fun that we got in, although don't get too excited - for all the humorous stories and details we told him it's a pretty bland article.  :)  But hey, I realize there are more pressing issues in the world and at least the pictures are cute!  Besides the fact that having identical twins is special; having them with two of your best friends has been amazing.

You Can't Always Get What you Want...

So I'm pregnant.

It's another boy.

I maybe cried.

Ok, I maybe broke into tears right there on the ultrasound table with no one there but the somewhat surprised ultrasound tech who just kept telling me God just wants me to have boys.

Well, that wasn't what I had in mind.

And yes, if you're wondering, I did mean to get pregnant.  I meant to get pregnant with a girl. I actually feel a little tricked. Everything that prompted me to have a baby had to do with the feeling that I was going to have a girl. It's not like I was just sitting around thinking my life was so easy and I had way too much spare time on my hands or anything. But I was willing to do it for all these things making me think it was going to be a girl. And seriously, I did my part. I conferred with my OB on how to increase your chances of getting a girl. I had my timing all figured out. I read every old wives tale possible. I consulted the Chinese calendar. So if somehow this boy made it through all that, he must be a fighter. Or really just meant to be, although I still have trouble conceding to that.

Oh, and even better: he's due February 24th - the twins' birthday.  

For all my strategic planning I don't know how I managed to miss that.  And Ryan's birthday is five days later. In fact, at that time within my family there are 8 birthdays within about a 2 week span. I seriously did not mean to put one more right in the middle of all that! February is going to break the bank in our house.

I must have some sort of statistical improbability fairy following me around because identical twin boys...four boys in a row with zero girls.... I don't know anyone my age personally who has four boys and no girls.

Ryan doesn't seem phased.

I am better off today than I was yesterday when I found out. I'll fill in the blank for you with really the only thing to say to me right now:  at least he's healthy.  I know. For that I am grateful.  At least we'll save all that money on weddings. And feminine supplies. (But make up for it with our food budget, emergency room bills and mission funds). Better 4 boys than 4 girls. You can always try for one more (and risk five boys?  I'm not sure about that one). Less drama, (more broken bones). I know, I know.

The idea of 4 grubby boys trailing after me just has yet to appeal to me.  One of my first thoughts was - I'm throwing out every character t-shirt we own.  If I have to have 4 boys they at least better dress like preppy little GAP boys or something so we don't look like a stinky bunch of hellions running around everywhere. But like I'll actually succeed in getting around the superhero phase. Or the stinky phase. Or ever getting any help in the kitchen.

Damn that Chinese calendar.

Ireland wrap up

Saturday morning the rain finally caught up with us. We still went out clay shooting that day, which was a blast. Ryan, the boy who grew up with guns hanging inside the front door, was one of the top shooters of course - hitting only one less than the guy who was a marine. And once I got the hang of it I wasn't too bad.

Even the groom was out shooting guns only hours before the wedding. (I doubt the bride cared though, she and her bridesmaids spent the day getting spa treatments. :) The guys working at the gun place had some of the thickest Irish accents we heard in Ireland and we laughed pretty hard when a man we could barely understand said he was going to be the one to give us the instructions on gun safety.

They also had archery arranged that morning which I was excited to try since I've never done it, but with the drive out to the shooting range we didn't have time to do both before having to get ready for the wedding.

We met the shuttle that afternoon to take us over to the church they were going to have the actual wedding ceremony in. It was quite a famous church with tourists milling around the grounds and had some quite prominent Irish people buried there.  And as everything else with the wedding was perfect, the weather even cleared up just in time for the wedding.

(The church was pretty - just obviously heavily forested.)

The ceremony started and in came all of the wedding party (I think there were about 10 bridesmaids), all accompanied by the organ. Then the organ stops and all of a sudden you hear the blare of a bagpipe and in comes a kilt-wearing bagpiper followed by the bride. Talk about here comes the bride!  It was probably one of my favorite touches of the wedding. I LOVE bagpipes and seriously, what a way to announce your entry.




Even though lots of people were taking pictures of the wedding, I felt weird trying to get in people's way to get a shot, so I just got a couple not good pictures of them signing the wedding certificate and leaving the chapel.

The wedding was lovely, the bride and groom followed the bagpipes out and everyone hung out and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings (not to mention the amazing flowers over the arch) and took photos for a while.

Will and Marion, the happy couple

 

Check out the sweet ride with the personalized plates they had waiting as their transport back to the castle and off for the honeymoon.  Loved it.

Even the tourists were out excitedly snapping pictures of the wedding party.

Then it was back to the shuttles where a white-gloved staff met us with glasses of champagne that they continued to fill the whole way back to the castle. (And came back with water for two of us.)

At the castle we were ushered around back for a garden party with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. It was beautiful. There was a band (different than the band they would have later that night) and beautiful flowers and delicious seafood appetizers. (Ryan kept stalking the girl with the lobster bisque, trying to pop up in different places acting like he was a different guy :)  They even had shawls for the women in case you got chilly and umbrellas for everyone in case it rained.

The bride and groom made their entrance in their stylish automobile and then mingled a bit before taking some pictures with the wedding party.

 I believe the bride's dress was a Carolina Herrera designer gown (for those who follow those kind of things). I can't remember the designer for the bridesmaids dresses, but apparently the bridesmaids had about 25 dress choices to look over. They each narrowed it down to their top three or so, and then Marion went through with a professional and each girl was matched to a dress and color based on her body type and skin color. (The photographer was always in my way, so this was the best large group shot I got.)

The dinner bell was rung, and we were ushered into the castle.  I swear there was an entire garden's worth of hydrangeas in that room.

Actually the flowers were flown in from Holland early that morning. They were literally flowers everywhere. Tall arrangements on the tables, short arrangements underneath those, flowers on the cocktail tables outside, flowers in the bar, flowers in the bathroom, flowers all over the castle... Wow.  I really liked these arrangements too with rosemary wrapped around them.

Everything at this wedding was monogrammed. I should start with their wedding invitations, actually. Their save-the-date cards were really a small booklet with all sorts of information on Sligo, the accomodations, things to do, etc. beautifully letterpressed with designs from the area and castle in Ireland. The wedding invitations were again beautifully letterpressed and seriously about the thickness of a cardboard box. The dinner menus that night were letterpressed and designed to match the interior of the room we were eating in. But then everything you touched pretty much the whole weekend was monogrammed - napkins, menus, itineraries, coasters, even wooden cocktail stirrers. They had also had their fine china specially designed to be of the castle in Ireland. Pretty impressive attention to detail.

For dinner we had several courses, even sorbet before the main meal to cleanse the palette. For the main course we had our choice of duck or monkfish (I went with duck). After dinner and a few words from the families, the cake was cut and a room for dancing was opened up with a different band playing.

You'd think she might be tired, but that bride danced her socks off all night long.

When they were ready to leave, we found beautifully boxed and packaged cupcakes with an artistically decorated Irish scene with two sheep on it with for all the guests to take as they left. Of course there had to be one final perfect touch, as they drove off.  We all lined up with sparklers, then as they started down the dirt road from the castle, a tunnel of fireworks shot up like fountains along their path lighting their way out. It was a pretty spectacular ending.


The next day, our last day for sightseeing our way back out of the country was pretty much seen through the windows of our car as it rained almost nonstop the whole day.

And then we came to this one area on the coast where there were wild purple and yellow flowers growing everywhere.  Entire hillsides were covered in them. So gorgeous.

That night we stopped in Galway, a really cute town, for our final Irish meals and meandering.

We really did try our fill of anything Irish we could think of there. Lots of fresh seafood, fish and chips, Irish stews, lamb, shepherd's pie, and of course Irish coffee and lots and lots of beer for everyone else.

And of course we have to give a HUGE thank you to Ryan's sister who flew all the way across the country to leave her 4 kids (older than ours) and come take care of our three unruly boys. We walked in to a clean house and happy boys - (I can never get both of those simultaneously). Brave woman even took the kids swimming every day, did projects with them, and even my cupboards were organized and food was made to last for the next day or two.  How's that for service??!

Oh Ireland. It was an amazing time. The perfect wedding. Our accomodations were great, food was great. The country was beautiful. I love the accents. I kept saying I could live there. I'm sure there are downfalls to the country but I didn't see them. I guess the rain.  But just think, my tall, lanky, pasty white kids would even fit right in!!