Aaaaaaaaaand We're Back!

That beautiful skyline is a shot of Minneapolis, the place where Eleanor and I spent the last three weeks having all kinds of adventures - with a quick side quest to Chicago.

The day after we arrived was Grandpa's Celebration of Life. It was the hardest day of my life, because how do you condense 42 years of memories into just a few minutes? I managed though, and only cried twice while speaking. I hope I properly conveyed just how much Grandpa means to me, and how I am who I am because of him. I didn't talk to many people, I just didn't have the energy - but there were so many guests and it made me happy to see that so many came to remember him and offer words of kindness to Grandma.

Speaking of, we also spent time with Grandma several other days. She can't live alone anymore so she is at a facility where she can be taken care of around-the-clock. I've gotten to know a couple of the nurses and they take good care of her. I hate leaving her there, and all she wants to do is go home, but it's just not possible anymore. We spent afternoons chatting and Eleanor played her guitar. She also drew some really beautiful butterflies to hang on the walls to decorate Grandma's room.

I also spent some time with one of Grandpa's cousins, Bonnie. We visited a couple places related to Grandpa's life - places I had mostly been to before for other family events, but it was different in seeking those places out specifically. We visited the country church where Grandpa was baptized and confirmed, and visited the family plots - we're related to well over half the people buried there. Grandpa's grandpa was the minister in the late 1800s/early 1900s and I always love looking at the old photographs of the confirmation classes. We also visited the site of his country school. The building is gone now, but there is a marker where it once stood.

 

Eleanor, our cousin Clara, and I also had some concert fun. We saw Louis Tomlinson (from One Direction) TWICE. First in Minneapolis, where we had pit/barricade. He was less than twenty feet from us and I died several times just looking at him. I'll save your eardrums by not posting any videos, but rest assured we sang. Loudly.

 

The following week we drove to Chicago to see him again, wanting to hear our favorite song, called 'Chicago'. It's not on the regular setlist, but of course he would sing it IN Chicago, right? He sang 'High in California' at his LA show, even though it also was not on the setlist, so this wasn't some crazy idea, RIGHT? Joke was on us, because HE DIDN'T EVEN SING IT. We thought for sure he would, why would he NOT sing 'Chicago' in Chicago?!?! We were so stunned when the concert was over, we didn't even mind the twenty minute walk back to our hotel in the pouring rain because Uber was being stupid and we were hangry.

  

The next day before heading back to MN, Clara showed us around (she goes to university there). I love Chicago and have visited, but it's a different perspective from someone who lives there a good part of the year. We drove down Michgan Ave. and Eleanor freaked out when she saw Gucci right across the street. She wanted to go in but we had to explain that we'd never get past security, as we all looked like scrubs who had been up way too late and were still wearing our jammies and/or concert t-shirts. We went through Wrigleyville and all over Clara's campus to see where she lived and took classes last year. Eleanor quickly discovered she is a big-city girl like Clara and me, and she wants to go to school there now too.

We celebrated Eleanor's thirteenth birthday and our cousin Aley's July birthday also, at Grandma's home. We ate lots of yummy ice cream cake and fruit pizza (not real pizza, the crust is made of sugar cookie dough). Aley is very much the "fun aunt" to Eleanor, and spoils her every year with new purses. This year she added a pair of cowboy boots and I swear, Eleanor has hardly taken them off for even a moment.

We also spent a lot of time just being lazy at Mom's house and it was wonderful. My mom has a giant California King bed so Eleanor and I were constantly fighting over who got to nap there. We read lots of books and watched lots of movies. Mom made all our favorite foods and I probably gained a few pounds but I don't even care. Eleanor also worked hard getting thank you notes mailed out to friends and family who have donated to her 8th grade class trip next summer to DC/NYC.

We also went with my uncle to a cat sanctuary called Furball Farm - CK, you must check it out! I am allergic, so I stayed in the kitchen area while those two hung out with the cats for a couple hours. The sanctuary livestreams 24/7 on Twitch, so you can always see what the cats are up to! We then drove by my grandparents' former home from when I was a child. I showed Eleanor the cemetery across the road that I used to sit in and talk to the people buried there because I have, in fact, always been this weird.

 

It was quite a whirlwind but now we are back to our regular lives of getting as much sun and waterpark fun as we can before school starts back up in a month. A MONTH. Ugh.

I still can't believe he didn't sing 'Chicago' in Chicago. I will never get over this.

What have you been up to for the last three weeks?

Sarah