Summertime Sweetness: A day with my Dad!

In preparation for baby Devin and I decided not to take a Summer vacation this year, but instead have been taking a lot of little weekend trips to try and get the most out of Summer. Last weekend just happened to be our baby shower (which I will devote an entire post to because it was absolutely amazing!) so I left Devin behind in Iowa for a few days and ventured to the Chicagoland area on Wednesday afternoon.

My sister flew in to town on Wednesday evening, so after doing some chatting with the parents, eating dinner, and running to Michaels and Target with my mom it was time to go pick her up! I was feeling pretty tired though after driving from Iowa so luckily my dad offered to drive to Ohare to get her even though he had to work in the morning and I played the role of copilot. It was so great to finally see her after almost 9 months, so of course us girls stayed up till nearly 3 am talking and gossiping before we called it a night. Plus she brought a GIANT suitcase with her that was filled with baby clothes so we had fun going through everything and commenting on how crazy cute all the little pants and shirts were. Just wait till little Baby Cosme gets here, she is going to be quite the fashionista which is awesome because I dress like a hobo - for real though, this week I put on a shirt, realized it had stains all over the belly, and wore it anyways because it fit and my maternity wardrobe is only so big.

Thursday morning we admittedly got a late start to all the baby shower crafting that was supposed to get done because we spent the whole morning chatting again! Around 1:00 though we finally cracked down and started some projects that needed to be completed. It was a wonderful evening at home with the 5 of us, and since it was the first time we had all been together in a while it was really a treat to get some quality family time.

Then Friday my dad and I vacated craft central and went on an EPIC adventure downtown. We started with a White Sox game and before we even got into the park our luck was going strong because there was an Olive Garden truck parked outside that was giving away free samples of their new breadstick sandwiches and they were delicious! I got the chicken parm and my dad got the meatball and of course we shared.

Then they gave us free t-shirts! I don't care what it says, I can totally be won over by a free t-shirt!

Then we went to get our tickets and decided to sit in the Shark Cage which meant we got a free hat and a shark fin to wave whenever there was a strike out. Then upon entry into the park we got a free blanket. So much swag we didn't know what to do! 

It happened to be a very hot and sunny day, which I actually really enjoyed because it has been such a mild Summer and I have hardly spent anytime outdoors. So it was nice to actually feel the heat of Summer on my day off. We drank plenty of water and were smart enough to bring a towel with us so we could wipe off when the sweat became oppressive.

Then about halfway through the game we found ourselves in need of some food so we walked around the concourse and even though they have an amazing selection of food I just couldn't bring myself to eat anything hot because I was already slightly melting from the inside out. So instead we decided on this awesome Turkey Club sandwich. Not only was it delicious but I asked the waitress if she could bring an extra pickle and she brought two big pickles and a baby pickle...super cute right?

We finished up the game in some seats we found in the shade (hey if they don't check my ticket I am going to take advantage of the shaded areas!). Then it was off to Navy Pier for an architectural cruise I had purchased for Father's Day. The timing all worked out really perfectly and by the time we parked and got our tickets it was time to get on the water.

We trailed down the Chicago River and heard all kinds of excellent historical tales. Then because this particular cruise boat is a speed boat they took us out onto the lake and gave us a high speed ride for a while. This was especially awesome because as I mentioned it was balls hot and the intense breeze from the boat ride was particularly refreshing.

 After our boat ride we decided to stop for an ice cream cone before heading home. And of course I demanded we take an ice cream selfie. 

Then it was time to head home, where I was met with some delicious frozen pizzas for dinner and a Devin who had driven in from Iowa to join me for the baby shower.

It was an absolutely phenomenal day in my favorite city with one of my favorite people. It was also really special to spend a whole day with my dad since we probably won't get as many chances to go on epic Dad and Cate adventures once baby arrives (we'll still have to fit in a couple though!). As much fun as it is to do things as a whole family, sometimes it is nice to get some one-on-one time with the people who are closest to you. A chance to talk about everything under the sun, to discuss the future and reminisce on your favorite memories from the past, and a time to reinvigorate relationships that you've always held near to your heart. This Summer may not involve a formal vacation but I have to admit the days I've spent with the people I love have been days I won't soon forget, days I plan to reflect on for years to come, and the kind of days that truly remind you how lucky you are to be part of a family built on unconditional love.