Weekend Update

After a couple of fun but packed weekends, we were ready for a weekend without any major plans. It was our time to sleep in and relax without any place to be. As I mentioned earlier, we spent Friday night with my brother and sister-in-law. Sadly, I don't have any pictures to share of that fun time. I do, however, have pictures of the things we picked up at Old Time Pottery.

Adding to my seasonal bouquet collection, I picked up some tulips for our dining room table.

On the way home Friday night, we saw a billboard for Jason's Deli. I'd heard many good things about this place but had no clue there were any locations in Chicagoland. We ended up visiting for lunch on Saturday, and oh-my-word, it was delicious!

We were so tempted to go back today, but we resisted. Jason's Deli has all their nutrition info online so you can pick out your meal based on your dietary preferences. Everything is fresh and delicious. To top it off, you get free soft-serve ice cream for dessert. Yum!

Okay, back to the Old Time Pottery finds. I installed this shepherd's hook this afternoon. It was a bit tipsy, so I secured it with wire. Now I just have to decide what to hang from it!

Last but not least is probably my favorite find from Old Time Pottery. Do you see this price tag? Do you really think we paid full price for this item? Think again!

This picture, originally marked $100, was only $19.99! It was the perfect piece to finish off our office corner at home.

I still can't believe it's already Sunday night! This has been a wonderful weekend, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to relax and gear up for the next week of work.

We Are Family

Last night after work, we set off for northwest Indiana to visit my brother and sister-in-law. We hadn't been over to their place since New Year's Day 2009, so it was about time for another visit. Because every road in Chicagoland is under construction, the trip took us 1 hour and 35 minutes, but it was worth the travel time.

After what I refer to as our year of craziness, the time in our married life where we inevitably learned that busyness and an always-on-the-go lifestyle do not work for us, we made the commitment to visit family more often. In that year, I realized how much I missed seeing my family, and I decided I didn't want other things to come in the way of my relationships with family members. This has meant that we try to see my parents at least once a month and my brother and sister-in-law more than once every three or four months. This has meant that I make plans with my aunt in Michigan to meet for lunch when I'm in town for a conference. Sometimes, these get togethers include some sacrifice, such as sitting in a car for a while or spending money on gas to make the trip, but the benefits are so worth it. My family mean the world to me, and I'm grateful for the chances I get to see them.

So last night, after the hour and 35-minute drive to my brother and sister-in-law's and the 20-minute trip to the restaurant, we had a great time eating Portillo's (oh, their chopped salads are the best!) and roaming the aisles of Old Time Pottery. I still can't believe we spent hours in that store!

I was just telling Dave that I anticipate these visits so much now that the day after always feels like the day after Christmas--with the hint of sadness that comes after looking forward to a fun event for so long. I've learned that a life without making your family a priority isn't a very fun life, so I want to do all I can to make sure that we place them high on the list.