Family Fun

Two weeks ago my mother, sister and youngest brother came to visit us in Chicago.  What a great time we had playing board games, studying the Word together, watching movies, walking in downtown Chicago, waiting for 2013, playing whirly ball, shopping, baking banana bread, making crafts, and of course eating a whole lot of food.  

We were amazed that we were all able to fit in our small campus apartment, yeap that's right! one couch  + one air mattress = $0 spent on hotels :)

They arrived on Sunday evening from NY.  That same evening we drove through Winter in Wonderland, a park filled with lots of Christmas lights and ate at Panda Express.  Then on Monday Tim and I played Settler's of Catan with Rick and Hery while my mom surfed the web: Facebook :) Later that day we drove to downtown to wait for New Year's day in Navy Pier, we stopped at Giordano's for some of the famous deep dish pizza, which my mom thought was too cheesy.  Anyways, all bundled up we walked through downtown, stopping at Millennium park and the famous Chicago Bean.  After lots of walking in the cold, we made our way to Navy Pier and hung out until midnight.  Our neighbors, my siblings and Tim rode the ferris wheel while my mom and I stayed warm inside chatting.  We were little whimpertons as Tim would say.  

Pretty fireworks

Needless to say that after such a long night, we slept in the next day.  We started the year with a Bible study, and then had a late brunch.  That night Tim and I made dinner for my family with the assistance of Hery and Rinicol while my mom surfed the web: Facebook :) Then we played more board games. 

I had to work the rest of the week, so my family hung out with Tim while I was at work.  It was nice to come home to my mom's home cooking.  One day she surprised me at work with these beautiful flowers. 

and then when I came home for lunch, she surprised me with this lunch set-up in the hallway for a mom-daughter date <3

Aside from whirly ball the rest of the week was pretty low-key; we just hung out playing games or watching movies.  On Friday night my family picked me up from work and we went downtown to eat Puertorican food, yummy! 

Saturday was a sad day as we had to say goodbye to Rinicol, he had to get back to Virginia for school.  After saying goodbye, I took my mom and sister out for some therapy shopping to GoodWill and Discovery; we found lots of cute and cheap things :)   

On Sunday we took my mom and sister to our church CrossLife, there they were able to meet our pastor and some of our friends.  We spent the next few days hanging out and just relaxing; I was glad that my mom and Hery were able to unwind and relax during their stay with us.  

Hery and I made journals on Monday night and baked banana bread on Tuesday night.  

On Wednesday, while I was working and Tim was in class, Hery and my mom went for a walk around campus; they seemed to be amused by our neighbors: the squirrels.  

and then Thursday came too fast, and it was time to say goodbye again.  I miss them already, and hope they come back to visit soon.