Thankful- Part 1

Tis the season of gratitude and this girl is finding it very easy to count her blessings. Last weekend, my parents came to town! Friday night they stocked us up on groceries (so very thankful for the extra flexibility in the food budget now!) and we got some amazing tacos at the Bullhead Cantina (if you’re in Chicago, you HAVE to get tacos there. Seriously.) 

The BUILD Office- where I hang out Monday nights

Saturday, we took a driving tour of the neighborhood and I showed them everywhere I go regularly- Spencer, the BUILD office, the library, Aldi, the fitness center, Melody (outreach school)….  And a pleasant surprise while we were out driving---a phone call from brother Aaron who just came back from Afghanistan! 

Then we popped into Garfield Park’s claim to fame- the conservatory. It’s pretty awesome. I think the parental enjoyed that and thought it was neat that our “rough” neighborhood offered something like that to open people’s eyes and maybe even provide some hope for the community.

Allan & Deanna outside the conservatory!

So much beauty. I literally have hundreds of flower pics from the conservatory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we ventured up to Lincoln Square and had lunch with cousin Hannah at Giordanno's!
The only thing that would have made this better would have been a Wildcat victory!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that, we came back and dropped the car off, picked up Billy, and headed downtown via the El (elevated train). So mom and pop got the full Chicago experience, lovin that CTA! Anyway, we went up to the 96th floor of the Hancock building and enjoyed some beverages along with the stellar view! 

Funny story- this was all happening the night of the Christmas parade on Michigan Ave. We had dinner plans at 6 pm on Wabash (West of Michigan) and were currently in the Hancock building (on the East side of Michigan). At one point I looked out the window and saw that the street was blocked off for the parade. Problem? Yes. We couldn't get across Michigan without going 3 blocks out of the way to go around the start of the parade route. This made Rissy a little annoyed- the stinkin parade was still at least 30 minutes from starting but we couldn't walk across the empty street. We had to walk 3/4 mile total out of the way. If we were in McPherson for the All Schools Day parade, we could have walked across with no problem- even if the parade were in progress!

So, I was a little grouchy and annoyed that I hadn't planned that out better. We were running late and walking in the 20 degree weather. You may or may not have caught this- but we had to walk around the beginning of the parade route as it was getting ready to start. This means that we got to see all of the awesome parade characters before it started! Here's some photos- be jealous.

I was RIDICULOUSLY excited to see these guys and say hi and take a picture! Mascots make the world a much happier place, in my own (biased) opinion.

 Needless to say my perspective changed pretty quickly. All it took for me to change from grouchy to glowing in a matter of minutes was to see how the Lord turned something I was perceiving as negative into a positive thing (in the form of wonderful Disney friends). Billy, mom, dad and I made it to dinner a few minutes late but it was well worth it. It was now 6:10 pm and we walked into the restauruant to sit down with Linda (my supervisor at Grace Seeds), Rose and Dale (both friends and supporters of Grace Seeds) for dinner. It was really fun to introduce everyone and have conversations about various things. Sadly, I failed to get a picture of us at dinner. Anyway, it was really nice and we're hoping to all get together again if and when the rents come up in 2014!

After that, we had to stop by and see the famous bean!

We did not partake, but had fun watching the ice skaters at Millenium Park!

I really don't get homesick very often. However, in the days leading up to the visit, I realized that I was really looking forward to seeing my parents. It's been interesting to have this big life change without my normal support system right there with me. Even going to college wasn't a huge deal since I was a lot closer to home and had friends going through the same thing. However, the YAV experience has been different. It was so nice to have them here and show them what I've been doing. While they may not be wild about me living in a relatively shady neighborhood, they respect what I'm doing and know that it's all part of the experience. Not only did they merely ask what I've been doing, but they wanted to see everything and learn more about what I've been faced with. It's so nice to know that they care that much.

 

 

 

Because no quality time with my dad would be complete without ice cream :)

Sunday rolled around and we went to Soul City Church at 9 and then next door to First Church of the Brethren at 11. Two very different services, but both are equally important to my life in Chicago. I showed them the garden next door and we picked up some trash- not even making a real dent in the trash after filling up a plastic bag. We played games, went to Target, and then had dinner with Krista and her family. Then we said farewell. Twas such a lovely, blessed visit.

This is only part one of my Thanksgiving season- stay tuned in the next few days to read about what I did on the holiday and more!