Chicago 2011

Back in December, Wade and I traveled to Chicago to attend my cousin Tyler's wedding to his finace` Margo.  It was C-O-L-D, cold up there!  I am talking bone chilling, you cannot talk you are so cold type of cold.  We had a really nice time, and I was great to see family that we have not seen in a long time.






Our sweet little beagle Tanner was either not wanting us to go, or was wanting to go with us... poor baby.

It was snowing the day we got there!  It was a light dusting and was beautiful.

While there, we walked up and down the COLD streets very quickly to eat at the best Chicago style pizza joint in the city, Giordanos.  The pizza was delicious and it was very nice to warm up for a bit!

The pizza joint was about a block and a half away from the famous Bean.  After warming up with our pizza, we walked that way and took a few wonky pictures.

This is a picture inside the middle of The Bean:

Self-portrait on the side of The Bean:

Ice skaters below The Bean:

After having our fun at and around The Bean, we walked down the blustery streets once again to the Kris Kringle Market.  This is an outdoor market modeled after the German Christmas time market in Germany.  There were various vendors set up in indoor and outdoor tents selling traditional German Christmas gifts like glass ornaments, wooden nativity and winter scenes, German candies and the wonderful traditional German Christmas Stollen.  Our next door neighbor to us at our home in Atlanta was from Germany.  Every Christmas, she would bring us a fresh Stollen which was always so yummy.  Also modeled after the German Christmas Market, they had Gluhwein!  This is a hot alcoholic beverage that will warm you up, from the toes all the way up!  We got a glass and enjoyed the strong, tasty beverage in a cute glass shaped like a boot!

The next day, Tyler and Margo were married in a traditional wedding ceremony, in a traditional church.  It was a very lovely service.

This is a picture of the Brannon first cousins.  We always had so much fun together when we were growing up.  We are all very close in age, and for the most part, all attended Auburn at the same time.  Tyler's brother, Curt and I grew very close when at Auburn, and made some pretty funny memories together. 

Tyler, Curt, me, and my brother, Brad.

The next day, before boarding the plane to head home, we took one more trip to down town Chicago to visit the famous Sears/Willis Tower.  THIS is a must for any Chicago visitor, HOWEVER, I would recommend a couple of glasses of Gluhwein before hand for anyone who is claustrophobic or afraid of heights! You can't even see the top of the building from this picture.

It was a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline:

And a looonnngg way down!

We had a wonderful trip to the windy city and hope to return again sometime when it isn't so cold!  Tyler's brother Curt was married to his beautiful fiance`, Leah this past March in Auburn.  It was so wonderful to see our family in December and then again in March.