Chicago and Mother's Day

Over Mother's Day weekend, my mom and I headed out to Chicago.  The trip was originally planned so that we could attend a memorial for my grandmother.  She passed away on Christmas Eve just this past December.  I was lucky enough to have her at Jay and my wedding in October. And I am incredibly thankful for the time I had with her and the huge impact she had on my life.

So... mom and I headed to Chicago! There is a HUGE, long backstory to the whole memorial shindig, but I will just say that my mom and I paid tribute to my grandma in the best way possible, and in the process spent some quality time together.

mom and I on the train

First though... Chicago. It is always fun going back to my hometown.  I got to spend some time with my dad, Portillos, a museum (Communication and Broadcast museum) and some deep dish pizza were all a part of that!

Bozo and Cooky! My childhood right there

Gino's deep dish... yum!

The next few days were spent in the company of the lovely Miss Eileen.  She and her hubby Matt let me stay with them for a few days, and it was AWESOME!! I miss having her around all the time.

E and I, can you tell we are cold?

on the boat tour

in the clouds

She and I played the ultimate tourist and took the architectural boat tour on the Chicago River.  Cold out, but so fun! We totally nerded out.

On Mother's Day, I spent a bit of time on my own in the city, and then mom and I got together and celebrated.  She and I went out to dinner at the Mario Batali eatery called Eataly. It was a super unique experience and we loved it!

The next day we paid tribute to my grandma.  We took the train out to the Lincoln Park Zoo.  We wandered the gardens there, looked at the animals and had a great time, despite the rain.  We had lunch at the infamous R.J. Grunt's and then walked around a bit before heading to Ghirardelli for an ice cream sundae.  I know it all sound strange. But it was honestly perfect. My mom and I will miss my grandma everyday.  However, her being gone doesn't change how much we loved her and helps us focus on our own mother-daughter relationship!