Quarter Century!

Yesterday I turned the big 2-5! It's really just hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday I was turning 21 and thought I was invincible (oh how quickly we learn.) This birthday has proven to be one celebration after another!

On Wednesday, a small group of my dear friends got together for a casual happy hour in the Montrose area. We caught up and talked about how old we are all getting. Yesterday, I worked in the morning from a local coffee shop, which is always a treat and my mom took me to lunch. We made sure to finish off with a birthday 'treat' and had an amazing sticky toffee cake. I'm still craving it. She gave me a precious book with encouraging words that she's been holding onto for a while. It was very meaningful and something I will treasure. One of my best friends stopped by our house on her way through town yesterday and we enjoyed a glass of wine together and caught up on our busy lives. There is nothing quite like spending time with an old friend, someone who knows you better than you know yourself it seems. Tyler cooked a delicious dinner including grilled salmon with citrus salsa and honey balsamic green beans. He also gave me a sweet gift--a historical book and walking tour of Houston! I'm sure over the years, I've mentioned wanting to do this at least a dozen times and I cannot wait to go on the tour together and learn about my city. We stayed up and watched the Modern Family premier and ate a yummy mouse dessert. There is just something so comforting and satisfying about a night at home. :)

Tonight we'll do dinner with my folks at one of my favorite restaurants, Benjy's and then my mom and I are going shopping tomorrow. I feel so overwhelmed and humbled by the love and support of my friends and family on this day and always. 25 does seem monumental for some reason, like I should accomplish something big this year. And, hopefully I will! I feel just a bit older but I don't think I mind it too much. I think the next few years will be filled with fun experiences, life changes and challenges and great memories!

Hunger Games

If you have spoken to me recently, you've heard that I have been reading/slightly obsessed with The Hunger Game series. I just finished up the final book over the weekend and already wish there was more to read! Like Twilight, this is another series you just get lost in. The books center around a post-apocalyptic civilization that has tried to rebel against the government in the past. Since this was a failed attempt, the districts are punished by having to send 2 children every year to fight gladiator style to the death. While this isn't my normal genre of interest, I could not put these books down. They read like a great adventure with a good love story to keep me glued. I highly recommend picking these up if you haven't already!

Trip to the Windy City!

Tyler and I were very excited about the opportunity to visit some of our best friends and discover a new city together! We arrived in Chicago on Thursday evening and didn't stop going once our feet hit the ground. On Friday morning, our vacation started like most of them seem to; with a little craziness. Tyler and I were on our own in the big city and headed out to a boat architecture tour an hour ahead of time (which we thought was more than enough). Sarah and Brandon did a great job explaining everything to us on our way out the door. As we boarded the bus, I saw my phone had 20% juice left, which was already unnerving. We missed the bus stop somehow and rode it to the end of the line. Then we had to ask around to find our way to the Navy Pier. As we approached the sign, I asked Tyler to take a picture of it. Then we realized the camera battery was back at the condo. Great. I was very upset not having our camera for the architecture tour, probably one of the most picturesque parts of our trip. We couldn't seem to find where to board and finally made it to the boat 1 minute shy of departure time. Phew! We got our hot coffee and took our seats and thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. Chicago has such interesting architecture and I enjoyed learning the history behind it all. Above is one of the only pictures I took on my iPhone right before it died.

Afterwards we quickly headed to Starbucks to charge my phone. Seriously, what did we do before gps on our phones? We sipped lattes and watched the hustle and bustle on the Magnificent Mile. We shopped for a bit and hit up the Marshall Fields (now Macy's). The store was just wonderful! Next, we grabbed our first deep dish pizza. I was surprised to find out it would take 35-40 minutes to cook it, but it was well worth the wait.

Then we headed over to Millennium Park and checked out the bean!

We went to the Chicago Museum of Art which was absolutely incredible! Then we got ready for a delicious dinner at Gilt Bar. The food there was just amazing. Our appetizer was roasted bone marrow which I've never tried, but it was really tasty! The entrees and desserts were equally delicious and then we went downstairs to the very swanky speakeasy. We enjoyed cocktails in a cozy corner and then called it a night!

On Saturday, we met up with my dear friend Jen, grabbed some classic Chicago dogs at Portillos and went to a Cubs Game at Wrigley Field. The field was really amazing and we were surprised how small and quaint it was. There was an hour + rain delay in the middle of the seventh inning but we hung out and relaxed in the stands. The game finally resumed and we decided to leave when the Cubs were winning in the 9th with 2 outs. It turns out the Cubs lost because of a grand slam! What were the chances. Either way, it was a ton of fun!

Saturday evening we went to a cute little area called South Port and just relaxed, ate bar food and caught up!

On Sunday morning we went to Ann Sathers and had the most amazing cinnamon rolls (as a side!) Then we rented these precious cruisers and were off to the see the sites! We biked all up and down the lakeshore and ended up doing a 12 mile bike ride! Here is a picture of Jen and I on our matching bikes.

We stopped off for a few photo opps along the way and admired the gorgeous lake and skyline. We were all worn out afterwards. We grabbed some Italian food to go and sat outside at the Chicago Jazz Festival. It was nice to relax and enjoy the chilly weather.

In the evening we went to the Aggie bar and watched the game with a ton of other Aggies! We listened to some live music and headed back for the night. Finally, on Monday, Sarah and I grabbed some pumpkin spice lattes and went to see Jen's apartment. It was so cute and charming, which wasn't surprising. We ate lunch before our flight at the top of the Hancock building, the 3rd tallest building in the city.

We really packed it in every single day, and were pretty much on the go from 8am to midnight. It was such a blast to experience Chicago and spend great quality time with some great friends! I just loved everything about Chicago. The city is beautiful and the locals seem to really love the time to enjoy it. I can't wait to go back and am so thankful for our wonderful friends who hosted us and showed us an unforgettable time!