weekend: my (family's) kind of town

This summer my sister Clayre & her husband Joe moved to Chicago, so we've been looking forward to a chance to visit - since we enjoy the city almost as much as we like seeing them... This weekend the rest of my family was making the trip from Michigan, and since Peter had the whole weekend off, we got to join them. For part of the weekend, we actually had all 8 of us all in the same place for the first time in almost 3 years (we've had 7 at holidays a couple of times - Peter's usually the one missing because he's working). There was lots of eating, art viewing, family photo taking, and iPhone messing around (a common sight); all in all a fabulous weekend.

Touristy family (and the ones who actually live here).

Clayre & Joe's super cool city living.

Wandered through the Chicago Cultural Center; loved this gorgeous mosaic decorated room and glass dome.

Lunch at XOCO (we love Rick Bayless!) capped by these amazing churros.

Saw this show* - SO FUN, especially because we went to high school with one of the cast members (I feel almost famous, since I played piano for the high school musicals he starred in). We all had a drink with him after and got the whole inside scoop on being on Broadway.

Family on a bench in the modern wing of the Art Institute.

Not very tall people posing in front of tall stuff inside the Art Institute & out.

Family photo opps all over the place - girls on a walk by the lakeshore...

 

... and the original 6 in the modern wing (plus of course a Christmas card photo taken in the park with all 8).

*the name makes it sound like it might be raunchy or something, but it's not. The storyline is a of a shoe factory in working-class England that's going under when Charlie inherits it from his father, and it turns around when he meets drag queen Lola and starts manufacturing stiletto boots for Lola & her gang. The main message is about accepting people for who they are, and the music is SO fun - I just smiled the whole time. It opens on Broadway in the spring, and seriously go see it if you get the chance.