Summer Time In The City!

Well now that summer is in full swing I thought I would do an update to share some of our wonderful Chicago adventures. First of all I would like to say that it has been wonderful being together as a family again. It is easy to forget how important family is until you are apart. It has really made us appreciate each other more!

One of the fun things near the base is the Jelly Belly Factory. You get a free train ride tour of the warehouse, some free jelly bellies and access to their huge Jelly Belly store.

Dad and Rorie posing in front of a Jelly Belly display, wearing their official Jelly Belly hats.

Another favorite activity of ours is a place called Lambs Farm. It is a charity petting zoo in a neighboring community. We have gone several times and Rorie just LOVES it!

Riding the carousal at Lambs Farm

One of the main attractions for the kids is the goat pen. There are tons of sheep and goats that the kids get to brush and pet.

Our first visit was with the GLAM (Great Lakes Area Military) Wives Club. Here are all the kids taking a quick break on the swing.

Rorie and Goat. BFFs.

We were able to take Jake back to Marquette over Memorial Day weekend, which was a great treat for him. Marquette in the summer time= Beach time, and we took great advantage of the opportunity. Our beach outings were even showcased on the front page of the local paper, showing Rorie "buried" at the beach. It was a wonderful weekend.

Visiting a local favorite, Frosty Treats, to cool off after a day in the sun.

While not quite as exciting as downtown Chicago, our local area has a lot of family fun activities to chose from. Recently the fire department hosted a Fire Safety Expo at Gurnee Mills. Rorie loved all of the fire trucks, but was a little scared of the firemen. She was also made an honorary firewoman and was given an "official" fire helmet.

Getting a little tired by the end of the afternoon.

Rorie and Dad posing with Mr. Sparky

Fire Truck!

The huge flag they had hanging from one of the trucks.


On one of Jake's duty free weekends we decided to venture into the big city. We took the train, only to find out it was a 1 1/2 hour trip. Rorie was not thrilled. The trip in, plus the time it takes to get anywhere in Chicago by bus, meant that we only had time for one acivity. We opted for the Shedd Aquarium. It was fantastic! Rorie LOVED it and spent the entire time running from exhibit to exhibit. There was just about every kind of water animal imaginable from gold fish to Beluga whales.

Rorie watching to penguins swimming.

Rorie hugging the penguin display

Rorie and I infront of the beluga whale tank. Notice the white blur in the lower left corner.

Ok well this entry is starting to get a bit lengthy. So until next time, adieu!