Fx4 2012: Arlington Heights and NU

I think it was Sunday night when we got the call.  The very first family we planned to see in Chicago could not see us on Tuesday.  Their son had just gotten sick with Hand, Foot and Mouth disease, and the parents worried that their girls would get it, too ... then give it to us, and then we would spread infection willy-nilly over the Chicagoland area.  We talked about it for a while and decided it would be better for us to stay elsewhere.

After many phone calls to several families, we found an alternate plan.  Our good friends in Arlington Heights were willing to let us extend our stay by a few days.  Yay!  Thanks, Voelkers.  :)

We arrived on Tuesday night and headed out for dinner.  The restaurant had all the classic Chicago diner food: Polish sausage, brats, etc. but they also had a bulgogi sandwich and teriyaki on the menu.

It was close enough that we could walk.  Yay!  

In Texas, we don't walk anywhere.  It's just drive, drive, drive.   It's probably partly because of the heat and partly because everything is so spread out.

The next day we went to visit our old stomping grounds in Evanston.  Here's our friend Dan with all the girls.  I love how they're all wearing pink shirts and ruffled skirts (um, except Dan).  Corrie enjoyed all the girl time.

Finally some faces!  Jo and I were neighbors at Northwestern University.  Here's one of our dorms: good old Rogers House.  And the Rock.  Different campus groups paint the rock throughout the year.  The purple and white "2012" was classic - a good place to do some family photos.

It was crazy hot that day.  By the time we got to Norris (the student union), we were all sweaty and tired.  But did we stop?  NO!  Well, we paused for a bit.  We recuperated in the A/C for a little while, then headed back out to see Lake Michigan.

Ben was awake in the A/C, but the hot sun lulled him to sleep.  :)  Emmett and Evan enjoyed climbing on the rocks together.

Abby looks thoughtful.

There was a cow in Norris.  I can't remember why.

So happy to be back in the air conditioning!

Other culinary highlights from the day: Chipotle and Buffalo Joe's.  I'm an awful south Texan because I looooooove Chipotle.  It is terrible to admit that I live about half an hour away from Mexico - and can get good Mexican food easily - but I still pine for the yummy goodness of Chipotle.  I am ashamed but unrepentant.

Note: I have no pictures of Chipotle because (1) they all look the same and (2) Jo and I took the 5 kids to Chipotle so Emmett and Dan could have lunch in peace.  Our lunch was not exactly peaceful.  Yummy, yes.  Peaceful, not so much.

Buffalo Joe's is Dan's favorite restaurant.  When he and Emmett were both working at Northwestern, they would have chicken wings at BJ's once a week.  I hoped that the guys from BJ's would recognize Emmett, but they didn't.  The guys still enjoyed the wings.  :)

We weren't sure if we were going to see Northwestern at all, so it was a real treat to spend the morning there.  I can't believe we graduated 15 years ago.

This was Day 6 of our vacation.