chicago, birthdays, and friends and phantoms!

so, i was so blessed to be able to get away for my birthday weekend! chicago is definitely home to me, just as much as michigan. so i couldn't think of a better place to make some birthday traditions. this year debbie and i started a new one. this is the second year in a row that i have gone to chicago for my birthday, but the first year we decided to start a tradition. that tradition will include a seadog boat cruise up the river, with hopefully our very awesome tour guide/phantom! and after that going to see a movie on IMAX. next year however, we will dress a little bit warmer for the boat ride. neither of us realized that it was also going to be a speed boat ride up the shoreline! our first boat tour was a "haunted" architectural tour up the chicago river. it was a very entertaining trip thanks to our tour guide, who was masked during most of the trip. he did however, reveal himself at the end, right before the speed boat part. and he was just as attractive as i had thought he'd be!


during the speed boat part of the tour, i got soaked! and it was a bit cold, but it was still such a great trip that i did not mind. i really wanted to give our guide a tip, but had no cash, so after getting warm inside navy pier, i got some cash and went back to see him. they let me on, and i gave him his tip and he asked if i was going on the fireworks cruise. i told him i didn't have money to buy a ticket, so he let debbie and i on the cruise for free. this time around we knew where to sit to stay dry. my only regret from that whole night was not talking to our phantom more or getting a picture of his face. he seemed very awesome, and thoughtful by giving us a second ride for my birthday. and the views were breath-taking! the fireworks felt like they were right over top of us and were set to the music of LOVEDRUG. well, at least to me they were cuz that's what i had playing on my itunes. all in all it was one of my best birthdays to date.

the other part that made it great was being with friends. i'm so thankful for their friendship, and have noticed that everytime i go and visit it gets harder and harder to leave. its just such a great city and i miss living there so bad. but i am content to wait for God to open a door if He wants me to go back, but sometimes its hard to be away from those you care about.