Thirtieth Day

Last day of June + Grant Park + Free concerts [Brett Dennen & Matt Kearney] + Taste of Chicago [Rainbow Cone!] + Fabulous weather [73 degrees] = I love summer in the city!

Twenty-ninth Day

A moonlit stroll along Lake Michigan.  A chilly night. A dear friend. 

Day 29

On a day when you call in sick to work, and you spend more hours sleeping than you usually spend at the office, a cup of hot tea (or two...or three) truly can be a girl's best friend.

Twenty-eighth Day

Another delicious dinner with a dear friend on our back porch. I just love this place.

Day 28

At the Burlington Bees game with my boys. It definitely was a beautiful night for baseball...and dollar hot dogs, soda, and popcorn. Who could ask for anything more?

Day 27

Meanwhile, I was rooting for Die Mannschaft from my

Deutsches Vaterland -- and we were victorious!

Twenty-seventh Day

Donning our matching England football jerseys, Dave and I shed a few tears after today's loss, which removed the Three Lions from the 2010 World Cup.  

Twenty-sixth Day

With seven weddings this summer I was bound to catch the bouquet at one of them. I'm so glad it was Heidi's bouquet that I caught.  

Twenty-fifth Day

A dear friend of mine once told me that pickles on pizzas were surprisingly good.  I, however, opted to have my pickle on the side of my pita pizza.  

Day 26

After a slight setback due to a melting spatula, I enjoyed a delicious breakfast with wonderful friends on Saturday morning.

Day 25

The old running shoes have really gotten their use so far this summer. I try to run at least 3 times a week. Today's run around town was a very intense one. And then we stepped it up a notch by finishing with an ab workout -- which provoked us to have spaghetti, garlic bread, and wine for dinner.

Twenty-fourth Day

I love postcards. I've been collecting them for the past ten years or so from wonderful traveling friends and some of my own adventures. Tonight I took to sorting through them.  I have many from the same cities (London and Krakow seem to be the most popular).  I have many favorites and I look forward to seeing how this collection grows. 

Day 24

Working in the Office of Residence Life, sorting through residence hall keys is just one of my many tasks. Lately though, these keys have had a monopoly on my days.

Twenty-third Day

Two halves of a rainbow after a wicked summer storm...

assure me that God is great!

Day 23

One of my favorite sounds is the tolling of bells. The belltower atop Wallace Hall has been silent all summer, but today as I walked back from lunch I heard them!

Twenty-second Day

 Here's to color and candy fixes and nachos!

Day 22

At our apartment cookout in the park, we all decided to throwback to our childhood. And what better way than swinging?

Twenty-first Day

Happy Summer Solstice!  This is my view walking into the city to work three days a week. My office is the short three story building to the right, located mere blocks from the Sears (Willis) Tower.

Day 21

Fresh corn on the cob was an excellent and unexpected addition to my supper tonight. Sometimes I think I could just eat corn for my meal. It is definitely one of my favorite summer foods.

Day 20

For as long as I can remember, Sunday afternoons have always meant going to my grandparents' house for lunch after church. This is their covered bridge.

Twentieth Day

From the rolling hills of northern Illinois to the western banks of Lake Michigan - what a wonderful weekend!

Day 19

I was finally able to get home for an afternoon of rest and relaxation...poolside.

Nineteenth Day

While I realize that I am breaking one our our unwritten rules by posting two photos, I just must share these two.  Traveling eastward from Iowa through northern Illinois is simply breathtaking. If you have not had the opportunity to do so, jump right in your car and head there.  After Galena, before one reaches the darling town of Elizabeth, there is an impressive overlook tower that is unfortunately closed "indefinitely."  A handful of years ago, my family vacationed in Galena and we made the short trip to this tower.  While I'm sure that I noted the peaceful rolling hills then, today their beauty captivated me much more. I don't know if it is due to age and wisdom (har, har), or simply the country girl turned city girl longing for wide open spaces, but I could not help but be mesmerized by this piece of God's country, as my dad calls it.  While Sara Groves was inspiring me along my drive with her lyrics: "I want to add to the beauty, to tell a better story.  I want to shine with the light that's burning up inside.  This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful." I'm struck by the fact that this place is incapable of being any more beautiful. It is perfect just as it is. 

Day 18

A stormy Friday night spent watching Toy Story 3 and then playing "Just Dance" on the Wii with my boys. Note: I am absolutely horrible at this game, but it was fun nonetheless.

Eighteenth Day

An afternoon walk along the Mighty Miss in Dubuque, Iowa is a perfect way to clear one's mind after a long day of conference sessions.  Luckily, I made it back to my hotel before the wicked storm rolled in.  

Day 17

Baking banana bread in my upstairs neighbor's "ghetto oven." Seriously, the door barely opens and shrieks like a banshee when it does. We added a few too many chocolate chips, so the middle sort of caved in. But chocolate chips make everything better. P.S. I successfully buttered the pan, and nothing bad happened. I'm usually not allowed within a 50 foot radius of the kitchen when someone is baking.

Seventeenth Day

Yet another fabulous lunch spot on campus on an absolutely marvelous summer's day.  Note my awesome new tennis shoes which help me make it through being on my feet all day re-shelving books. Across the way is the Information Commons (pretty much a building filled with computers) which connects to the library to the left (which is thankfully filled with books).  

Sixteenth Day

Summer in Chicago is like a dream. We here in the city have to soak up every minute of warmth and sunshine to forget how terrible the winter is.  The school next door has an awesome playground and the local tykes were taking full advantage of the weather.  Their screams, however, are not so conducive to my getting work done.  At least they're cute.  

Day 16

I'm still working on my campaign button collection. I just put some of the really cool ones on display in a shadowbox.

Fifteenth Day

I could eat popcorn everyday. After getting absolutely drenched on my bike ride home from the library, popcorn was my go-to comfort food.  

Day 15

A trip to my favorite place on campus always makes my day better. I really could live in the Monmouth College Archives.

Day 14

It's just another manic Monday. Little did I know that I would need more than one cup of coffee to make it through this hectic day!

Fourteenth Day

In honor of the World Cup in South Africa, I purchased some excellent wine from the great country.  Nothing beats a night in of wine and silly television with the roommates.  

Day 13

As I pulled in the gravel driveway of my grandparents' house, an afternoon storm rolled in over the cornfields of rural Illinois.

Thirteenth Day

Because the internet in our apartment has been out for the past week and I am tired of playing Little House on the Prairie, two of my roommates and I dined and browsed the internet at our local coffee shop, Kitchen Sink.  p.s. my salad could feed three people! It was delicious!

Day 12

The last day of working summer orientation was definitely a red shoe day...

Twelfth Day

Traffic along the Chicago River was stalled this morning as many beautiful sailboats made their way down the river to the harbor and out to the Lake.  I want to go sail-boating.

Eleventh Day

One of my favorite things about our apartment is our chalkboard door.  

Tenth Day

Chicago is in a frenzy. A Blackhawks Stanley Cup Championship frenzy.  The city was bedecked in red, with approximately two million people arriving to celebrate their win.

Day 11

One of the many joys of summer: An empty To-Do list.

Day 10

I am plant-sitting this summer. Luckily, it only has to be watered on Thursdays!

Day 9

Light streaming through the stained glass windows of Dahl Chapel.

Ninth Day

A delicious dinner on the patio on a beautiful summer evening.

Eighth Day

Rainy days and Tuesdays always get me down.  

Day 8

It took a frightening (and barefoot) 20 foot climb to find this hidden room!

Seventh Day

A fabulous Frank Gehry creation in Millennium Park with an equally fabulous band, She & Him, on a beautiful Monday evening in June. 

Day 7

An afternoon walk along Lake Michigan...